Customer Experience Leadership Training

The 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' Trap: How to Conquer the Distance Google is a global company with offices all over the world, and while this diversity is a strength, it also presents unique challenges for communication and collaboration. Especially when your key stakeholders and decision-makers are continents away! Those hallway conversations, spontaneous coffee chats, and quick desk drop-bys that teams at HQ take for granted? Yeah, those aren't happening when you're separated by oceans and time zones. And that can lead to a disconnect. Your team's amazing work might get overlooked, your challenges might go unnoticed, and your stakeholders might feel out of the loop. But fear not, fellow remote leads! Here are a few strategies I've learned along the way: ‣ Tailor your communication approach: Every leader has their preferred communication style. Some love detailed reports, others prefer concise bullet points, and some just want the TL;DR. It's your job to adapt and deliver information in the way they'll best receive it. ‣ Embrace Radical Transparency: The worst thing that can happen is your leadership feeling blindsided by a problem or a missed deadline. Over-communicate! Share updates regularly, highlight both wins and challenges, and don't be afraid to ask for help when needed. ‣ Educate Your Leads: Help them understand the unique challenges of leading a remote team in a different location. Explain why you might need more proactive communication or different approaches to stay connected and aligned. ‣ Build Relationships Beyond Email: Travel when possible. Occasional visits to the main office can be invaluable for building relationships and understanding the nuances of the company culture. ‣ Celebrate Wins: Make sure your stakeholders are aware of your team's accomplishments, both big and small. This reinforces the value of your team and keeps them top-of-mind. ‣ Iterate and Improve: What works for one lead might not work for another. Experiment with different communication styles, ask for feedback, and continuously refine your approach. Leading a local team in a remote site requires extra effort and intention. By mastering the art of communication and building strong relationships with your stakeholders, you can ensure your team's success, no matter where you are in the world! What are your favorite tips for leading remote teams across continents? Share your insights in the comments! 👇 #RemoteLeadership #Communication #TechLeadership #lifeAtGoogle

Too often, companies think that adding more agents or reducing call times makes their call centers effective. But the reality is different. A recent Gartner study found that 58% of customers will stop doing business with a company after a poor service experience, even if the issue itself gets resolved. Meanwhile, Forrester notes that businesses focusing on value-driven customer service see up to 60% higher customer lifetime value. It’s a reminder that call centers built for volume are no longer enough. Today, they must be built for value. That means shifting from measuring “how many calls” to measuring “how much impact.” So, how can organizations transform their call centers into value centers? 1. Redefine success metrics. Move beyond average handle time and number of calls answered. Instead, measure customer outcomes, satisfaction, and retention. 2. Empower agents with more intelligent systems. Real-time insights, AI-driven routing, and contextual data allow agents to focus on solving problems, not just closing tickets. 3. Personalize every interaction. Customers expect to be remembered. Integrating CRM and conversation history ensures no one feels like they’re starting over. 4. Be proactive, not reactive. Predictive analytics and automation help prevent issues before they escalate, turning service into a driver of loyalty. Many organizations get stuck because they chase efficiency metrics while overlooking the bigger picture. The question we as businesses or governments should be asking is, 'Is every interaction moving the business forward?' #CX #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #KSA

Have you ever felt like you're in a verbal tennis match with an angry customer? I've been there, and I know how tempting it can be to return their serve with equal force. But here's the thing: in customer service, the goal isn't to win the argument. It's to resolve the issue. I recently explored a powerful reframing technique that can transform these heated exchanges. It's all about changing the game, not playing harder. Let me share three key moves that can help you ace these challenging interactions: -Acknowledge the serve: Instead of matching the customer's energy, soften your return. A simple "I hear how important this is to you" can show you're listening without escalating the situation. -Redirect the rally: Shift the focus from emotion to action. By saying "Here's what we can do right now," you're moving the conversation towards solutions. -Reframe for closure: Guide the interaction to a resolution. "While I can't offer X, what I can do is Y" closes the loop without prolonging the back-and-forth. I've seen teams transform their customer interactions using these methods. One group reported a significant decrease in escalated calls and improved customer satisfaction scores after implementing these strategies. Imagine handling even the toughest conversations with confidence, knowing you have the tools to turn a potential argument into a productive dialogue. It's not about overpowering the customer. It's about guiding them to a satisfactory conclusion. Remember, effective customer service isn't about winning debates. It's about finding resolutions that work for both the customer and the company. For more strategies like this, get your team inside my De-escalation Academy. https://lnkd.in/gWhqQpH3

Nothing kills motivation faster than a leader who behaves like an employee’s effort doesn’t matter. Teams receiving regular, genuine recognition are significantly more likely to stay engaged and productive than those left unacknowledged. Giving meaningful feedback rather than only criticism consistently improves performance over time. Empowerment, autonomy, and opportunity for growth strongly correlate with higher job satisfaction and better retention. 6 Leadership Moves That Actually Motivate a Team 1. Listen & Encourage Feedback Encourage open feedback and ideas, then act on them. When voices are heard and valued, people feel respected and included. This builds trust and welcomes fresh thinking. 2. Recognise Good Work Publicly Make it a habit to call out achievements. Recognition boosts morale and tells people their effort matters. Teams receiving frequent praise show far higher motivation levels. 3. Challenge for Growth With Support Give meaningful tasks and stretch goals. Push the team to learn, grow and step out of comfort zones. But stay there to support them when they need it. Growth paired with guidance fuels confidence and drive. 4. Show You See the Human, Not Just the Work Caring about the person behind the role matters. Recognise that each team member has ambitions, fears, and strengths. When leaders show empathy and humanity, loyalty and trust deepen. 5. Help Build Their Career Path Learn what they aspire to. Offer opportunities to grow, learn, or lead. Make their ambitions part of the bigger vision. When work links with personal growth, engagement and long-term commitment rise. 6. Trust, Empower and Stand Behind Them Give autonomy. Let them take ownership. Trust in their abilities. Empowerment and not micromanagement build responsibility, creativity, and ownership. Employees grow stronger when they’re heard, valued, supported, trusted and empowered. Agree?

While teaching a workshop this morning, I had a salesperson come up to me during a break and said, "Marcus, I don't do well with conflict. When a customer is upset, I freeze. Can you help?" This simple question led to a great conversation, but the core of the answer I gave comes down to three simple steps any team can learn with a little bit of practice. Step #1: LET THEM VENT: This is a bit hard for folks to understand because the tendency is to immediately try to "fix" the situation. The issue with fixing is that the customer doesn't get a chance to feel heard. Your job is to make sure they feel VERY heard. Which means you let them vent, and even when you think they may be done, you ask them if there is anything else they're unsettled about. This step is the most important by far, yet the most overlooked in the world of customer experience. Step #2: REPEAT WHAT THEY SAID: Not only must they feel heard, but they must feel *understood.* This occurs when you repeat the words they used and confirm, "What I've heard you say is..." (Again, do not use your words here. Use *their* words. Those are the ones that matter.) Step #3: LET THEM VERBALIZE THE POTENTIAL SOLUTION: Assuming the individual has has a legitimate complaint (which is true in most cases), once you've allowed them to vent and have repeated their thoughts, you sincerely ask, "What would you like to happen to make this right?" Now, granted, businesses can't always do what the customer asks for, but you at least want to put the ball in their court first. Interestingly enough, often times the only thing they were looking for were step 1 & 2. In other words, they just wanted to feel heard and understood. But by asking them what they would like to do to make the situation right, you've now allowed them to at least state what they feel would be the appropriate solution. Ultimately, there is no foolproof method of resolving customer frustration, but at a minimum you want to train (with role play) your team what to say and how to say it for these situations. Like the young man that approached me this morning, they shouldn't freeze when moments of conflict arise. Instead, they should be ready for the moment. And if they follow these three simple steps, they are very likely to not only diffuse the situation, but create a lasting relationship as well. As always, a little training goes a long ways. #QuestionFirst

59% of contact center agents are at risk of burnout. 😓 My research shows empowerment is the top factor to help agents become more resilient. Empowerment isn't just letting agents do whatever they want. It means enabling agents to provide great service. That consists of three things: 1. Resources: the tools and supplies to do the job. 2. Processes: best practices to follow. 3. Authority: permission to do the right thing. Example: A hospital needed to order a heart stent for a scheduled surgery, but the manufacturer was out of stock. Fortunately, the manufacturer's customer service agent was empowered to help. She had access to various inventory tools, including a list of products each customer had on hand (resources). The agent followed a procedure to check alternative inventory sources to locate the needed stent at a competing hospital in the same town (processes). She contacted the hospital and arranged to have the stent transferred in time for the patient's surgery (authority). It took a lot of effort, but the agent felt great. She knew she had made a real difference in someone's life. ⛔️ Now, imagine if that agent wasn't empowered: 1. No resources to find the stent. 2. No processes to locate products in an emergency. 3. No authority to transfer the stent from one customer to another. It's frustrating when you can't make a difference. Bottom line: Avoid burnout. Empower your agents. ✳️ Get the full burnout study here --> https://bit.ly/4iUYMT5

For the past ten years I have been inside companies running workshops, coaching executives, and helping teams shift towards customer centricity. After hundreds of rooms and thousands of conversations, one truth keeps repeating itself. ▶︎ Customer experience is never just about customers. It is always about leadership and culture. Here is what I keep noticing: 1. Customers often feel what employees feel.  ↳ The internal atmosphere becomes the external experience. When teams feel respected, customers tend to feel respected. When employees are unsupported, customers sense it. 2. Leadership behaviour shapes how teams behave with customers.  ↳ People copy what leaders do, not what leaders say. Teams rarely offer kindness, patience, and empathy if those qualities are absent at the top. 3. Culture often influences customer outcomes faster than strategy.  ↳ Culture lives in everyday behaviour and it shows up immediately in the next decision, the next message, the next moment of pressure. If the culture is not there, the strategy lives in documents. 4. Customer centricity grows when everyone shares ownership.  ↳ When teams stop thinking in narrow roles and start acting as one system, customers finally experience a company that feels coherent rather than fragmented. ✶ Customer experience is a mirror. It reflects whatever the culture and its leadership shows. What else would you add? #cx #customerexperience #customerrelations

As a former Senior Director at L'Oréal, here's 5 of my best practices that have led me to manage highly motivated and engaged teams. #𝟭: 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 No matter their level of seniority or expertise, building an inclusive and safe environment for your team to share their viewpoints, ask questions and contribute actively to the conversation is one of the biggest unlocks for them to feel truly empowered. #𝟮: 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝘄𝗵𝘆" 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀. Don't just tell them what you need them to do. Share the bigger picture context behind why they need to do this. It will allow them to associate a true purpose to the work they do and be more involved in the end outcome vs. just feeling like a cog in a machine. #𝟯: 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗔𝘀𝗸. Managing effectively means understanding your individual team member's needs and ensuring the structure and projects tied to their role line up well with that. Otherwise, you run the risk of having a demotivated team who feels disconnected with the work they're doing because it doesn't match their core motivations. #𝟰: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀. Let your team see that you are no stranger to handling obstacles and willing to get your hands dirty to do what needs to get done and make the hard calls. Never be "above" the work. Value post-mortems and learnings from setbacks & failures, just as much as you value major wins and successes. It's in the most difficult of times that your team's true strengths shine through and you need to help them uncover that. #𝟱: 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work and forget to acknowledge rightful wins. I can promise you that recognition goes a long way and can come in all forms. From a small shout-out in a team meeting, to 1:1 feedback, to further exposure for the projects they're leading...take the time to celebrate your team vs. just giving constructive feedback of what can be done better. What would you add to the list? #teammanagement #peoplemanager #leadership #leadershipdevelopment -------- Hey! I'm Tiffany Uman, a globally recognized career strategy coach and workplace expert empowering high-achievers to become the top 1% in their careers and quantum leap their confidence, growth and income. FOLLOW me on LinkedIn for daily career tips and hit the notification 🔔 to catch all of my latests posts!

#CustomerExperience leaders need to split their strategies into deliberate bottom-up and top-down approaches. Many get the bottom-up right, but they struggle with the top-down. Bottom-up strategies focus on improving customer-centric employee behaviors at scale. These approaches include #CX or empathy training for front-line workers, using Voice of Customer feedback to set touchpoint expectations based on customer feedback, and building customer-centric KPIs into individual performance appraisals. But where many CX leaders struggle is often with engaging senior leaders to influence their customer-centric behaviors. It's difficult to influence C-suite behavior, but if you're expected to improve customer-centric culture in the organization, then you cannot avoid this. Top-down strategies start with showing senior leaders how customer satisfaction impacts growth, retention, margin, and lifetime value. It also includes improving CX and VoC reporting to provide more recommendations and actions, not just findings and data. Having discussions with leaders about the importance of financial and non-financial rewards for customer-centric behaviors is another tool in the top-down toolkit. And using personas and journey maps is a vital way to convert customer and touchpoint data into a compelling story of necessary change. Don't rely on dashboards and reports to do the job of top-down CX engagement. Don't count on a couple of positive customer-centric comments from leaders as a sign of meaningful, irreversible support. And do not assume that the fact your CX job exists is evidence of senior leaders' commitment to customer experience. Part of the job for a successful CX leader is to constantly prove the value of customer-centric strategies, influence senior leader priorities, and arm decision-makers with the insight they need to make customer-centric decisions. Don't just empower your frontline workers and assume the job is done. If you aren't building a consistent dialog with executives, you're not only missing an opportunity to make the most significant customer impact but also seeding future problems that can lead to declining support, budget, and resources for customer experience initiatives. Take a comment today to identify or define your top-down and bottom-up CX strategies for 2024. If there's an imbalance, solving that now can lead to better outcomes by the end of this year.

Let’s be honest, the “Listen, Analyze, Act” model just isn’t enough anymore. CX teams need to move faster, focus sharper, and deliver results everyone in the business can see. That means making outcomes core to your approach, and making sure you energize the entire organization around what matters. How do you deliver on “Outcomes > Action” as the new mantra over “Listen—> Analyze —> Act?” First, unify your data. Easier said than done, but you have to pull together every signal from surveys, tickets, chats, ops data, and social feedback. Use AI to create a real-time, connected customer view, so you’re not just looking at snapshots, but seeing the bigger story as it unfolds. Second, interpret what you find. AI can surface intent, risk, and opportunity in ways traditional methods miss. Zero in on what actually drives the experience and impacts the business. This is where you separate noise from the signals that count. You should also be thinking about how this impacts revenue, cost-to-serve, and your company’s culture (not just customers). Third, orchestrate targeted action. AI can help you prioritize and automate interventions, whether that’s routing cases, suggesting next-best actions (or product), or personalizing experiences at scale. Every action should have a clear line of sight to the business outcome you’re after. Measurable. Fourth, focus on the outcome. Set non-negotiable, measurable goals: revenue, retention, cost to serve, or employee engagement. Every initiative, every improvement, should be traced back to these metrics. Celebrate when you move the needle and be honest about what didn’t work. Finally, energize the business. Change only sticks when you bring others with you. CX leaders have to rally stakeholders, share early wins, and make progress visible. This is about building belief and momentum so everyone feels ownership of the results. How does this look in real life? Imagine that renewal rates among small business customers are falling. You unify data across channels and use AI to interpret that a recent product change is causing confusion. You orchestrate a fix by launching in-app tutorials or targeted outreach, and equip the frontlines with talking points. You measure the outcome by tracking renewal rates, then energize the business by celebrating the improvement, sharing the story, and holding teams accountable for continued results. Listening, Analyzing, and Acting are important. But the framework is what, 15 years old or more at this point? It needs to evolve given businesses, technology, and customers have evolved. Don’t keep following the same old script. Challenge the status quo. Action with purpose, a business energized around outcomes, and AI as the catalyst for lasting impact is the start. #customerexperience #leadership #ai #changemanagement #outcomesoveraction