CX Files
CX Files features your hosts, CX industry analysts Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan, speaking each week to leading analysts, thinkers, and practitioners focused on managing the Customer Experience (CX). In each episode Mark and Peter talk to their guests about the future of CX, the important trends, and what customers really expect from brands today.
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Remembering Gareth Pritchard
09/16/2025
Remembering Gareth Pritchard
In this special episode of the CX Files, Peter and Mark join with David Rumble, Rod Jones, and Traci Freeman to remember how the late Gareth Pritchard influenced and helped to shape the BPO/CX/GBS industry in South Africa. We discussed how Gareth was instrumental in making South Africa a leading location for this industry and what his legacy may be in future. --- SUMMARY: The CX Files podcast episode paid tribute to Gareth Pritchard, a pioneer in South Africa's outsourcing and customer experience industry. Gareth's vision united regional fragmentation, promoting "Brand South Africa" globally. His efforts, including skills development and investor engagement, significantly advanced the country's BPO sector. His international experience and charisma facilitated high-level connections and constructive dialogues. Gareth's legacy extends beyond South Africa, influencing the African BPO sector's growth. His personal touch and commitment to individual development left a lasting impact on the industry and the community.
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David Powers - Rooter Hero - The Three-Faced AI God In CX
09/11/2025
David Powers - Rooter Hero - The Three-Faced AI God In CX
David Powers is the VP of CX at Rooter Hero. He is based in Los Angeles, CA. David is also a published author and the host of the CX Riot Radio podcast. This conversation between Mark Hillary and David came about because of a recent CX Riot Radio epsisode titled 'The Three-Faced AI God' where David talked about his experience of using AI in the contact center. David's experience shows that AI has genuine value, but there is a big difference between the genuine application of AI to improve CX and what is promised by many commentators and "AI gurus." David is both a CX leader and manager, in addition to his role commenting on the industry, therefore his direct experience with AI in the contact center provides a helpful comment on what is working, what is not, and what CX leaders can do to get the most from their AI strategy. SUMMARY Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the pragmatic views of David Powers, VP of CX at Rooter Hero, on AI in customer experience (CX). Powers critiques the over-reliance on AI, which often frustrates customers and agents, and emphasizes practical AI use cases like agent assist tools and automated summaries. He highlights the importance of transparency and maintaining human interaction in CX. Despite AI's potential, many projects fail to generate ROI, with research suggesting that 95% are not creating value. Powers advocates for a balanced approach, using AI to enhance agent performance rather than replacing human agents, and stresses the need for common sense in AI implementation.
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Cheryl Paarwater - Enerlytics & Call Lab BPO - How Does AI Affect Marginalized Communities?
09/04/2025
Cheryl Paarwater - Enerlytics & Call Lab BPO - How Does AI Affect Marginalized Communities?
Cheryl Paarwater is the Managing Director at Enerlytics & Call Lab BPO. She is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Cheryl has championed CX in South Africa for many years and is a board member of BPESA - the trade promotion agency for business process service companies in South Africa. In this conversation with Peter Ryan, Cheryl explores how BPO and CX has created many opportunities for employment in South Africa - and beyond - and this has created a very positive socio-economic ripple effect. People leaving informal jobs and entering contact centers pay tax, support their family, and help to support other businesses selling services to those working directly in BPOs. As AI is gradually introduced in many CX processes, there is a fear in the industry that entry-level positions may no longer be staffed by humans. The most immediate effect is a reduction in the number of jobs created, but what are the wider effects of thinking that we can just replace people with bots? SUMMARY: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on customer experience (CX) jobs, particularly in South Africa. Cheryl Paarwater, CEO of Call Lab, highlights concerns about AI replacing human roles, which could exacerbate unemployment and social issues. Despite AI's potential to automate 10-15% of roles, Peter notes that many AI projects fail, citing a 42% failure rate in 2020. Cheryl emphasizes the need for AI to enhance human roles rather than replace them, suggesting AI could improve education and support high-value interactions. They stress the importance of a balanced approach to AI implementation in CX.
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Kathy Juve - Concentrix - Flashback To The First Month Of Covid
08/28/2025
Kathy Juve - Concentrix - Flashback To The First Month Of Covid
This is the final Covid flashback where CX Files has looked back at the early days of the 2020 pandemic throughout August 2025. This interview was originally broadcast on May 15, 2020 - about a month into the pandemic and lockdowns. At the time Kathy Juve was the EVP, Customer Experience Technology & Insights Division, at Concentrix. She is now EVP of Global Solutions - also at Concentrix. Kathy is based in Orlando, Florida. In this episode, Kathy describes how the previous three weeks created the digital transformation that might usually have taken three years... April 2020 was a time of huge change for CX. NEXT WEEK: CX Files returns to our regular programming...
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Dave Rizzo - TP - Flashback To The First Week Of The Covid Crisis
08/21/2025
Dave Rizzo - TP - Flashback To The First Week Of The Covid Crisis
SUMMER SPECIAL - COVID FLASHBACK Covid-19 was five long years ago. In a series of short summer specials, CX Files is bringing you some memories of what was going on at a very chaotic time for the industry. During the early days of the pandemic, CX Files went from weekly to daily and captured many important observations on how the CX industry was coping across the world. Dave Rizzo is the APAC President of TP. He is based in Singapore. Five years ago the company was known as Teleperformance and Dave was based in Manila, but essentially he was performing the same leadership role for TP in Asia. Dave talked to Mark Hillary on March 31, 2020. This was about a week into the Covid lockdowns for most nations so Dave was working 24/7 at this time. Many of these conversations feel historic. It's worth revisiting some of them just to remember the sense of chaos in the industry at this time and how the industry adapted and coped with the challenges of 2020 and 2021.
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John Devlin - Ascensos - Flashback To Day One Of The 2020 Covid Lockdowns
08/14/2025
John Devlin - Ascensos - Flashback To Day One Of The 2020 Covid Lockdowns
SUMMER SPECIAL - COVID FLASHBACK Covid-19 was five long years ago. In a series of short summer specials, CX Files is bringing you some memories of what was going on at a very chaotic time for the industry. During the early days of the pandemic, CX Files went from weekly to daily and captured many important observations on how the CX industry was coping across the world. John Devlin is the Founder and CEO of Ascensos (acquired by Firstsource in 2024) - he is still in this position. John talked to Mark Hillary on March 26, 2020. This was day one of the first Covid lockdown in the UK - the Prime Minister had urged everyone in the nation to stay at home on March 23rd... it was enforcable from March 26th. Companies with staff in offices had three days to figure out how to keep going and many businesses were not able to function at all. Many of these conversations feel historic. It's worth revisiting some of them just to remember the sense of chaos in the industry at this time and how the industry adapted and coped with the challenges of 2020 and 2021.
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Dave D'Arcy - Laughing Leadership - The Recurring "Groundhog Day" Issues In CX
08/07/2025
Dave D'Arcy - Laughing Leadership - The Recurring "Groundhog Day" Issues In CX
Dave D'Arcy is the founder of Laughing Leadership. He is based in Tring, close to London in the UK. Laughing Leadership was created to guide business leaders to build the environment to nurture and develop happy engaged employees. The solution is not in bean bags, slides, fruit on Friday or free tea and coffee. It is in culture. And culture is a byproduct of leadership style. In this conversation with Peter Ryan, Dave talks about some of the 'groundhog day' issues he keeps reading about and seeing in CX. Why do we keep reading about the same CX issues over and over again? Why is the CX business news from years ago just about the same as today? Why do we always see the hype cycle with new technologies - such as AI? CX FILES IS TAKING A BREAK FOR THE REST OF AUGUST - WE ARE BACK ON SEPTEMBER 4! Keep tuning in as we plan to repeat some clips from this time exactly five years ago during the Covid pandemic - how did the CX industry cope? CX Files switched to almost daily interviews during the early part of the pandemic, so we will clip a few of the best interviews to share with you again this August... see you again in September! SUMMARY: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the final episode of the CX Files podcast before taking a break in August. They introduce Dave D'Arcy, founder of Laughing Leadership, who focuses on leadership and employee engagement. D'Arcy critiques common CX industry issues, such as outcome-based pricing models, lack of investment in training, and the overemphasis on impact sourcing. He argues that AI has not lived up to its hype and has led to employee disengagement. D'Arcy emphasizes the need for businesses to invest in their employees and align strategies with clear business objectives.
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Amanda Quinn - Quinn Growth Advisors - BPOs Must Specialize or Die Trying
07/31/2025
Amanda Quinn - Quinn Growth Advisors - BPOs Must Specialize or Die Trying
Amanda Quinn is the Founder and Principal of Quinn Growth Advisors. She is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. In this conversation with Peter Ryan, Amanda talks about her work advising BPOs on how to build growth and develop a sales pipeline. Amanda advises focusing on deep expertise and specialization, rather than claiming to offer every single service and excelling at none of them. How can BPOs compete and leverage technology to improve what they offer to clients? SUMMARY: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the challenges faced by BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing) in the market, emphasizing the need for specialization over generalism. They highlight the inefficiencies of BPOs claiming to offer a wide range of services without excelling in any. Amanda Quinn, founder of Quinn Growth Advisors, is introduced as a guest who advocates for BPOs to focus on niche markets and develop deep expertise. Quinn advises BPOs to identify their strengths through internal stakeholder meetings and client feedback, and to expand by adding related services or industries. She also stresses the importance of charging for value-added services and leveraging technology to enhance service delivery.
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Mike Ortegon - Yoummday - How Travel Is Taking Off
07/24/2025
Mike Ortegon - Yoummday - How Travel Is Taking Off
Mike Ortegon is a customer solutions director at Yoummday. He is an American based in London and he has a focus on the global travel industry - with a long track record of leadership roles in travel companies. Mark Hillary called Mike to talk about travel. How has it recovered since the pandemic? What trends are travel companies seeing that are new for the 2020s? Are travel companies becoming more proactive in their approach to the customer experience? Why are some people around the world protesting that there is too much tourism now? Mike talked about all these issues and explored how the customer experience is integral to ensuring that customers enjoy their travel and also want to remain loyal to the hotel/airline/travel agency they are using... SUMMARY Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the evolving travel industry with Mike Ortegon, a customer solutions director at Yoummday. They explore the impact of anti-tourism protests, the rise of multi-generational travel, and the shift from reactive to proactive customer service. Ortegon highlights the importance of automation, local experiences, and inclusivity, noting that 50% of travelers now take more than one trip annually. He also emphasizes the need for travel companies to balance technology with human touch, especially for Gen Z, and to address accessibility challenges for travelers with mobility issues. The conversation underscores the industry's focus on enhancing customer experiences and adapting to changing travel behaviors.
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Jon Florence - Xima Software - AI In The Contact Center
07/17/2025
Jon Florence - Xima Software - AI In The Contact Center
Jon Florence is the SVP of Industry Solutions at Xima Software. He is based in South Jordan, Utah. Xima is a contact center software company that is focused on AI solutions. Peter Ryan called Jon to discuss AI in CX. Beyond the hype, how can companies managing their own CX and BPOs all benefit from the use of AI in the contact center? What are the genuine and practical use cases that move the dial and which claims are just hype? What can you really do with AI today? SUMMARY: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan introduce Jon Florence, SVP of Industry Solutions at Xima Software. Jon explains his role in integrating AI into customer experience solutions. They delve into the hype cycle of AI, comparing it to the VoIP boom, and emphasize the importance of understanding business needs before implementing AI. Jon advises starting with simple AI tools like speech analytics and messaging bots, and stresses the need for certified integrations. He also highlights the importance of testing AI capabilities and ensuring long-term vendor stability to avoid future consolidation issues.
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Thomas Oronti - Advensus - From Beaches to BPO: How the Dominican Republic Became a CX Star
07/10/2025
Thomas Oronti - Advensus - From Beaches to BPO: How the Dominican Republic Became a CX Star
Thomas Oronti is the CEO at Advensus. He is based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The CX Files has explored many different nearshore options in the Caribbean region, but has never explored the Dominican Republic before and yet this location has the advantage of being able to easily offer customer support in English, Spanish, and French - thanks to Haiti also sharing the island of Hispaniola. Peter Ryan talked to Thomas about the growing importance of the DR in the nearshore CX and BPO sector and how Advensus strongly focuses on the role of the agent in any CX strategy. SUMMARY: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the Dominican Republic's growing importance in the BPO and CX sectors. Thomas Oronti, CEO of Advensus, highlights the DR's unique trilingual labor pool, strong English proficiency, and robust connectivity. Advensus has grown from 100 to over 5,500 seats in 19 years, offering services like translation, collections, and customer service. The DR's stability, political reliability, and cost-effectiveness make it a premier nearshore destination. Oronti emphasizes the need for better English training programs and the potential for servicing Spanish, French, and English markets. The DR's success is attributed to its flexible workforce and strategic location.
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PANEL: In Face of Stagnating Favorability Ratings, What’s Next for South African Offshore CX?
07/03/2025
PANEL: In Face of Stagnating Favorability Ratings, What’s Next for South African Offshore CX?
PANEL: In Face of Stagnating Favorability Ratings, What’s Next for South African Offshore CX? When Ryan Strategic Advisory published the most favorable offshore location study last May, South Africa had dropped to third position, compared to more recently topping the poll. This survey features feedback from over 800 CX decision-makers and is potentially the largest survey that explores where CX leaders will consider operations. India and the Philippines are now the most popular destinations, but have these giant destinations just reasserted their postiion or is something going wrong in South Africa? South Africa is still in the top three destinations, but is this slip from the top position a significant change or a blip? Peter Ryan called together a group of three experts to talk about the change in favorability and what is next for BPO and CX in South Africa... Lian Rowlands Owner and Principal Consultant at Tayma Solutions Liverpool, UK Steve Weston Founder of ApexCX Baltimore, MD, USA Mark Essey CEO Custom Connect South Africa Durban, South Africa Summary: In the CX Files podcast episode from July 3, 2025, hosts Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the recent Ryan Strategic Advisory survey on CX technology and global services, which ranked offshore destinations for favorability. India ranked first, the Philippines second, and South Africa tied for third with Poland. The conversation features experts Lian Rowlands, Steve Weston, and Mark Essey, who discuss South Africa's decline in favorability rankings despite maintaining a strong delivery system. They highlight the need for South Africa to reinvent its value proposition, focusing on data security, compliance, and advanced technology to regain its top position. The discussion emphasizes the importance of government support, industry cooperation, and forward-thinking strategies to enhance South Africa's BPO sector.
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Pete Jones - Grypp - Why Are We Still Asking Agents to Work with Their Eyes Shut?
06/26/2025
Pete Jones - Grypp - Why Are We Still Asking Agents to Work with Their Eyes Shut?
Pete Jones is the founder and CEO of Grypp. He is based in the UK between London and Birmingham. Grypp is a visual platform that aims to help contact centers and the agents working within them see what their customers can see. This can be a transformative technology for many support environments and it is low cost and proven - in contrast to many of the AI projects we have covered recently on the podcast. Mark Hillary called Pete to get an ouline of the various ways in which a visual approach to CX can transform how the support process works and how this also creates opportunities for managing fraud and identity. As the conversation suggests: we need humans In CX so why are we restraining them by not allowing them to see what the customer can see? Summary: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the evolution of visual customer experience (CX) with Pete Jones, CEO of Grypp. They highlight how visual CX, which allows agents to see customer issues in real-time, can reduce communication inefficiencies and enhance customer service. Jones shares that one in five enterprises now use visual CX, and Grypp has released 20 new innovations in the past two years. They also explore the potential of visual CX in fraud prevention and its integration with AI to improve customer interactions and operational efficiency. Jones emphasizes the importance of immediate value and the potential for significant cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.
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Mythbusting AI In CX - The Truths No One Tells You
06/19/2025
Mythbusting AI In CX - The Truths No One Tells You
Nicola Collister and Jerry Briggs talk to Peter Ryan about AI in CX We have talked many times on this podcast about AI and the hype aound what it can do for CX designers and managers. But what can it really do? We are being flooded with AI-themed ideas on LinkedIn daily, but it is also clear that many AI projects are failing (Gartner says that 85% of AI projects are failing at present). In this episode Peter Ryan aims to do some myth-busting. Where is AI in CX today? What are the real use cases and where is the hype? Peter talked to two CX leaders - in the UK and US - to discuss their thoughts on the realities of using AI in CX today... This episode features the guests: Nicola Collister CEO and Founder of Custerian - based in Bowden, near Manchester UK Jerry Briggs CEO and Owner of ApexCX - based in Washington DC, USA Interview led by Peter Ryan: ---- Summary Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the hype cycle surrounding AI in customer experience (CX) with guests Nicola Collister and Jerry Briggs. They highlight the disparity between AI adoption in the US and China, noting that many US companies are still in the hype phase, while Chinese companies are using AI for practical applications. The conversation emphasizes the need for strategic AI implementation aligned with business goals, rather than just adopting AI for the sake of innovation. They also discuss the importance of understanding AI's limitations and potential negative impacts on both customers and employees. The guests stress the need for clear communication and realistic expectations from AI vendors and consultants.
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Owen Campbell - Kura - How BPOs Can Work With Regulated Industries
06/12/2025
Owen Campbell - Kura - How BPOs Can Work With Regulated Industries
Owen Campbell is the operations director at Kura. He is based in Glasgow, Scotland. Kura is a BPO based in the UK, but also with operations in South Africa. They have a number of clients from various regulated industries and Owen talked to Mark Hillary about the differences between a client that has complete control over all their services and a client from a more regulated environment. What needs to be considered when working to design CX for a regulated industry? SUMMARY Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the complexities of customer experience (CX) in regulated industries with Owen Campbell, Operations Director at Kura, a BPO focused on culture and people development. Campbell highlights Kura's work with heavily regulated sectors like healthcare, utilities, and financial services, emphasizing the importance of compliance and agent training. He notes that while innovation may take longer in regulated environments, it is still possible. Campbell also discusses Kura's strategic planning sessions, the importance of data security, and the shift towards outcome-based models for advisors. He predicts increased use of AI and automated compliance in the coming years.
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David Neale - GBPO Solutions - Building Trust In BPO Sales Claims
06/05/2025
David Neale - GBPO Solutions - Building Trust In BPO Sales Claims
David Neale is the Founder and CEO of GBPO Solutions. He is based in the UK. David has experience as a buyer of BPO services and as a representative of BPOs. With this insight he decided that one of the missing ingredients in the BPO sales process is transparency - how does anyone know that what a BPO says about their services is really true? David founded GBPO Solutions to provide accreditation to BPOs, so if they do make claims about their capabilities then they can point to the accreditation to show that their claims can be verified. David talked to Mark Hillary about why he started GBPO Solutions and why he explored this idea of transparency rather than measuring processes and delivery capabilities... David also publishes the popular David's Diaries podcast - focused on the biography of his guests. You can find both Mark and Peter in the back catalogue - both interviewed in 2024. Mark and Peter on David's Diaries Podcast Summary In this episode, David Neale introduces his new venture, GBPO Solutions, and discusses a novel approach to BPO accreditation. Unlike traditional certifications focused on operational standards (like ISO or HIPAA), David’s accreditation model emphasizes truthfulness, transparency, and independent validation of how BPOs present themselves to the market. David Neale's accreditation model for BPOs aims to inject much-needed transparency and accountability into a market still relying on legacy procurement methods. By focusing on honesty over hype, GBPO Solutions wants to reshape the buyer-supplier dynamic in outsourcing for the better.
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CXOutsourcers 2025 - Feedback From Munich Delegates
05/29/2025
CXOutsourcers 2025 - Feedback From Munich Delegates
The 2025 CXOutsourcers event took place earlier in May in Munich, Germany. Peter called on a few of the delegates to get their feedback and key takeaways from the event. --- Peter Ryan talked to: Carrie Ramskill - COO HGS (UK) Ahmed Refky - CEO Planovate (Orlando, FL, USA) Kevin Lightfoot - CMO Ascension International (Frisco, TX, USA)
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Mark Zucker - MCVO Talent - Four Weddings And A BPO
05/22/2025
Mark Zucker - MCVO Talent - Four Weddings And A BPO
Mark Zucker is the Co-Founder of MCVO Talent Outsourcing. He is based in Chicago, Illinois. Mark shares his journey from founding a wedding album manufacturing company (almost 30 years ago) to starting MCVO, which specializes in helping small businesses in North America. He highlights the benefits of the Philippines as a BPO destination, citing its respectful culture, strong English proficiency, and service-oriented mindset. Zucker emphasizes the importance of understanding client needs, maintaining client relationships, and providing simplified pricing models. He advises entrepreneurs to seek knowledgeable, involved partners and to consider the feasibility of outsourcing tasks. Mark talked to Peter Ryan about his journey as an entrepreneur and the specific needs of smaller companies when outsourcing.
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Martin Hill-Wilson - Brainfood Training - Beyond The Hype... How Is AI Really Changing CX?
05/15/2025
Martin Hill-Wilson - Brainfood Training - Beyond The Hype... How Is AI Really Changing CX?
Martin Hill-Wilson is the founder of Brainfood Training and Brainfood Consulting. He is based in Milton Keynes, close to London, UK. Martin has a long history as a leader inside the CX and BPO industry. For the past 15 years he has focused on strategy consulting and advising on CX leadership and culture. Brainfood Training is a more recent focus on helping non-technical teams to understand the implications of and opportunities for the use of AI - particulary for CX teams. Brainfood Training is focused on helping people understand what AI can really do - not just repeating the hype from the media. In this conversation with Mark Hillary, Martin talks about his experience talking about and training CX teams on how AI can be used and where it is already possible to find real use cases - how is AI really being used to improve CX?
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Michael Aronowitz - VXI - The Reality Of Creating A Profit Center With Your CX Team
05/08/2025
Michael Aronowitz - VXI - The Reality Of Creating A Profit Center With Your CX Team
Michael Aronowitz is the Senior Vice President of Revenue Growth at VXI Global Solutions. He is based in Miami, Florida. Mark Hillary called Michael to discuss the importance of turning contact centers from cost centers to profit centers, emphasizing the need for revenue generation through customer interactions. Michael highlights VXI's success in winning three Stevie awards for retention, win-back, upsell, and cross-sell. Michael stresses the significance of the human touch in customer interactions, leveraging AI for training and recruitment, and the importance of blending sales and service roles. He argues that companies should focus on driving revenue per interaction and maintaining customer loyalty through personalized service. Many business journals talk about turning the contact center into a profit center, but in this conversation Michael gives his thoughts on how to really make it happen...
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Jonas Berggren - The CX (R)evolution Book
04/30/2025
Jonas Berggren - The CX (R)evolution Book
Jonas Berggren writes the popular Transform Customer Service newsletter on LinkedIn. He is the Chief Business Development Officer EMEA and member of the executive leadership team at Transcom. Jonas is based in Stockholm, Sweden. Mark Hillary and Jonas have published a new book together called The CX (R)evolution - so Mark called Jonas to talk about how the book project started out. In this conversation they talk about how Mark's comments on the newsletter formed the initial idea for a book and how they developed the idea together.
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Amas Tenumah - Amas Talks - The Worst Job in Corporate America Is in a Call Center
04/24/2025
Amas Tenumah - Amas Talks - The Worst Job in Corporate America Is in a Call Center
Amas Tenumah is the host of the Amas Talks podcast. He is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, US. Amas has a long history focused on customer service and service innovation. He regularly advises companies and speaks at events forcused on CX. On his LinkedIn Amas says: "I’m a digital philosopher, keynote speaker and customer service thought leader. My thoughts are featured on NPR, NBC, Fox-business and other outlets. I have spent over 20 years in the customer service industry and now advise executives on service modernization." Amas recently published an article titled: "The Worst Job in Corporate America is In a Call Center - And Is It Even Worth Fixing?" Mark Hillary called Amas to ask about the article and his thoughts behind his statements on contact centers and what he thinks can be improved...
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Phil Kitchen - Customer Contact Panel - Jamaica Is Moving Beyond The Nearshore
04/17/2025
Phil Kitchen - Customer Contact Panel - Jamaica Is Moving Beyond The Nearshore
Phil Kitchen is the Founder & Managing Director of Customer Contact Panel. He is based in Sheffield, UK. He recently attended the Outsource 2 Jamaica conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Peter Ryan caught up with him to discuss what Jamaica is offering to potential clients in locations such as the UK - outside their more traditional US nearshore market. Phil's LinkedIn comments on Outsource2Jamaica 2025
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Juan Caire & Jim Farnsworth - Alliance BPO - To Hermosillo And Beyond!
04/10/2025
Juan Caire & Jim Farnsworth - Alliance BPO - To Hermosillo And Beyond!
Juan Caire is Co-Founder and CEO of Alliance BPO Services, based in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Jim Farnsworth is the CEO and Founder of Octayne Ventures, based in Denver, Colorado. Peter recently visited Hermosillo and talked to Juan and Jim about the potential for growth in the BPO industry and the importance of value over cost in outsourcing. The event in Hermosillo also emphasized the strategic partnerships Alliance BPO has formed globally to enhance service delivery. An important part of the discussion was also focused on looking beyond the major BPO delivery cities and finding new talent and value in other locations.
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Chris Dumpleton - Limitless - Is GigCX + AI The Future For Customer Service?
04/03/2025
Chris Dumpleton - Limitless - Is GigCX + AI The Future For Customer Service?
Chris Dumpleton is the Chief Sales Officer at Limitless Technology. He is based in London, UK. Limtless is a GigCX platform that offers a connection to freelance customer service agents to brands - replacing the need for a more traditional customer service contact center as all the agents work from home, choosing their own hours and the brands they want to work for. Chris describes it as "Uber for CX." But how does the gig economy work in the CX environment and what are the challenges that clients with experience of the contact center face when they explore these ideas? Mark Hillary called Chris to explore Gig CX and this episode is introduced by Mark and the founder of TrendzOwl, Stephen Loynd... Peter is not feeling well this week so thanks to Steve for stepping in and get well soon Peter!
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Dave Rumble - Maistro - Using Gen AI To Find B2B Partners
03/27/2025
Dave Rumble - Maistro - Using Gen AI To Find B2B Partners
Dave Rumble is Director and Executive Chair of the Maistro Group. Maistro has long been a specialist in helping companies with RFPs and vendor selection. The Maistro platform helps companies to make better sourcing decisons adn their database has very prescise details on thousands of suppliers. Maistro recently introduced the ability to have natural conversations with the database using generative AI, so B2B buyers can engage with the information in the database without needing to build complex queries. Our conversation came about because Forrester Research recently noted that 9/10 B2B buyers are now asking Gen AI for advice and help when selecting a supplier. Mark Hillary wrote an article exploring this and it was noted in the comments that tools like Maistro offer an advantage over the more general publicly available information on suppliers... Mark called Dave to explore how B2B buyers are changing and using AI to find CX suppliers.
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CCW Berlin 2025 Feedback - with Raya CX and CXHero
03/20/2025
CCW Berlin 2025 Feedback - with Raya CX and CXHero
Peter Ryan recently attended the CCW Berlin show in Germany. He talked to a lot of people at the show and recorded a conversation with a couple of the CCW stars for their views on BPO in 2025 and what to look out for based on the show in Berlin... This episode featured Peter talking to: Sherif Kamel Poland GM @ Raya CX --- Rachel Poku Founder, CXHero
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What Is Wrong With LinkedIn?
03/17/2025
What Is Wrong With LinkedIn?
Mark and Peter take a diversion from the usual CX discussion to talk about LinkedIn. Why is it filled with garbage today and what can be done about it? Is there a way back for Microsoft to restore the function of the business networking tool?
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IWD 2025 - Women In CX In 2025
03/13/2025
IWD 2025 - Women In CX In 2025
Last Saturday was International Women's Day 2025. To mark the occasion, Peter Ryan reached out to three leading women working in CX in three different global locations. Listen to his discussion with them about the challenges and opportunities for women in CX in 2025... ---- Samar ElShafie - Egypt Head of Commerical and Client Relations - Octopus Outsourcing Sabrina Labonte - Canada Marketing Director, Laivly Sophia Mohammed - UK Client Parter, USMAART ------
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Sergei Levteev - IBA Group - The Tech Infrastructure Supporting CX
03/06/2025
Sergei Levteev - IBA Group - The Tech Infrastructure Supporting CX
Sergei Levteev is the Chairman and CEO of IBA Group. He is based in Prague in Czechia. IBA Group is a technology company with deep experience building and supporting IT infrastructure. They have managed cloud systems, AI, RPA, and are even supporting old mainframe tech. Mark Hillary called Sergei to talk about the IT infrastructure supporting CX. Sergei decided to respond to Mark using the ElevenLabs AI voice system - underlining some of the ideas around how AI can be used to create voice-based systems.
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