CX Now

Kustomer
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CX Now is your podcast for intelligent CX. In the CX Now podcast, Lisa Painter, Head of Thought Leadership Experiences at Kustomer, chats with leaders in customer experience to share insights about what’s going on in the industry so you can stay up-to-date. Why another podcast? Our in-person CX Now events were such a hit with a goldmine of insights from our speakers and panelists. We thought: why not bring these insights to everyone year-round, wherever they are? Whether you're a CX executive, manager, or a frontline customer support agent looking to grow in their career, tune in for thoughtful conversations about CX strategy, best practices, lessons learned, AI and its applications in customer service, and more.

Episodes

  1. Jul 14

    From Data Warehouse to Boardroom: Putting Voice of the Customer to Work

    What does it actually take to make voice of the customer more than a buzzword? In this episode of CX Now, Lauren Gold sits down with Victoria Weiss, Senior Director, CX at Smalls, to talk about turning customer feedback into real operational and strategic change — and why so many organizations collect VoC data without ever acting on it. Victoria has spent a decade building voice of the customer programs from the ground up, at companies including Daily Harvest and now Smalls. In this conversation, she shares her personal playbook for standing up a VOC program from scratch, how to translate CX data into language other departments will actually act on, and why persistence — not perfection — is what makes a voice of the customer program stick long term. Victoria and Lauren dig into a real, tactical example: how a scrappy, low-cost packaging fix cut product damage by 50%, and why coming to the table with solutions (not just complaints) is what earns CX a seat in cross-functional conversations. They also cover the underrated power of CSAT as a business metric rather than just a CX metric, how to uncover the things customers don't explicitly tell you in reviews or surveys, and how AI is changing the way CX leaders surface trends without spending hours manually combing through conversations. Whether you're building a voice of the customer program for the first time or looking for ways to get your VOC data taken more seriously across the business, this episode is packed with practical, tested advice from someone who has done it more than once. In this episode, you'll learn: How to get voice of the customer data out of a data warehouse and into real decisionsA step-by-step playbook for launching a VOC program from scratchHow to build cross-functional relationships that make other teams want to act on CX dataWhy CSAT deserves to be treated as a business metric, not just a CX metricHow to uncover what customers aren't explicitly telling you in feedbackHow AI is changing the way CX leaders find and act on trendsVictoria's #1 piece of advice for any CX leader trying to grow their VOC program Timestamps: 00:00 Introducing Victoria Weiss, Senior Director, CX at Smalls 00:29 Why voice of the customer data often stalls in a data warehouse 00:50 Building cross-functional relationships to get CX data taken seriously 02:52 Customizing your talk track for different stakeholders 03:19 A real example: cutting product damage by 50% with a scrappy fix 05:49 How to start a voice of the customer program from scratch 06:06 Victoria's playbook: interview your team, stakeholders, and customers 08:24 Building a sustainable rhythm for sharing insights and closing feedback loops 09:20 What customers don't explicitly tell you — and how to uncover it 11:00 Following up directly with customers for more specifics 11:43 How central VOC should be to a CX leader's day-to-day decisions 13:10 The most underrated feedback source: CSAT as a business metric 14:26 Why sharing CSAT broadly builds team morale and accountability 15:18 How AI is changing the way CX leaders find trends in feedback 16:59 Victoria's #1 piece of advice for CX leaders improving their VOC programs 18:13 Closing thoughts About CX Now: CX Now is Kustomer's podcast for customer experience leaders who want practical, real-world insight into building better customer experiences. Hosted by Lauren Gold, Chief Customer Officer at Kustomer, each episode features candid conversations with CX practitioners and executives tackling the same challenges you are — from building VOC programs to scaling support with AI.

  2. Jul 2

    The Right Model for the Job

    Lauren Gold and Kustomer CTO and co-founder Jeremy Suriel discuss the architectural considerations for building AI into a customer service platform, including model selection, orchestration layer, and privacy obligations. They also explore the debate around training own models versus relying on foundation models from big labs and the evolving role of in-house AI teams in B2B SaaS companies. Takeaways Model Selection: The approach to AI model selection involves a tiered architecture, with each model chosen based on its specific strengths and requirements.Orchestration Layer: Building a flexible orchestration layer allows for the integration of multiple AI models, providing customers with meaningful control over AI configurations.Privacy Obligations: Zero data retention agreements and residency matters are key considerations for maintaining customer trust and privacy obligations.Build vs. Buy: The conversation highlights the debate around training own models versus relying on foundation models from big labs, emphasizing the importance of building around the model rather than the model itself.In-House AI Teams: The evolving role of in-house AI teams in B2B SaaS companies involves integration, domain expertise, and bridging the gap between research and production. Chapters 00:00 Architecting AI for Customer Service Platforms05:35 Orchestration Layer and Flexibility17:34 Privacy Obligations and Data Residency

  3. Jun 18

    Before It Breaks: How Elite Tech Support Teams Protect Customer Trust

    The conversation covers the importance of building customer trust, the role of proactive support, the impact of AI tools, insights and complexity in customer support, human involvement, retention of institutional knowledge, and the characteristics of an elite support organization. Takeaways Proactive support builds customer trustAI tools enhance customer supportHuman involvement remains crucial in customer support Chapters 00:00 Building Customer Trust06:55 AI Tools in Customer Support14:50 Human Involvement in Customer Support35:54 Retention of Institutional Knowledge41:07 Elite Support Organization

  4. Jun 5

    The Emotional Labor Crisis in CX

    Jess Jackson dives into the emotional labor crisis in customer experience (CX), the impact of AI on team structure and agent exhaustion, strategies to prevent burnout and support agents, cultural approaches to address emotional load, AI's role in supporting agents, and the connection between emotional labor and business outcomes. Takeaways Emotional labor crisis in CX is a critical issueAI has the potential to support and improve the agent experience Chapters 00:00 Understanding Emotional Labor Crisis09:08 Preventing Burnout and Supporting Agents14:41 Addressing Emotional Load Culturally22:21 AI's Role in Agent Support27:36 Connecting Emotional Labor to Business Outcomes

  5. May 22

    Keeping it Human in the World of AI

    Is AI actually transforming customer experience — or is the reality far messier than the hype? In this episode of CXNow, Lauren Gold sits down with Tue Søttrup, 20-year CX veteran and CEO of SmartRole, to separate boardroom mandates from ground-level truth. Tue shares why most enterprise AI implementations fail, what agents actually need to feel supported through the transition, and what the best CX organizations will look like five years from now. In this episode: Why CX leaders are getting AI wrong — and how to flip the approachThe hidden cost of automating easy ticketsHow to build agent buy-in without the fearThe service recovery paradox and why humans still winWhat proactive, AI-powered CX actually looks like Chapters 00:00 The Role of AI in CX06:21 Challenges of AI Implementation14:21 Training Agents to Work with AI21:55 The Future of Human Agents and AI

  6. May 8

    How Cate Marques Built a CX Career — and a Seat at the Table

    The conversation covers Cate Marques' journey to the top as an executive within CX, the early days of Terra Kaffe, the impact of showing up, the role of startups in growth, the transition to the C-suite, the importance of CX having a seat at the table, the risks of ignoring CX, misconceptions about CX, and advice for CX leaders. Key takeaways include the importance of showing up and the journey to the top. Takeaways Rising to the TopShowing Up Chapters 00:00 Advice for CX Leaders

  7. Apr 24

    From CX to Culture: How Monika Aufdermauer Runs Employee Experience Like a Support Org

    The conversation explores the intersection of customer experience and employee experience, highlighting the proactive approach to support and problem-solving. It delves into the impact of leadership, onboarding philosophy, and the alignment of CX and employee experience, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making and the user-first approach. Takeaways Blending customer experience with employee experienceProactive approach to support and problem-solvingOnboarding philosophy and impact - how to set people up for success on day 1

  8. Apr 10

    Kustomer's AI Vision with Brad Birnbaum, CEO

    In the inaugural episode of CX Now, Lauren Gold and Brad Birnbaum discuss the transformative impact of AI on customer experience (CX). They explore how AI can enhance customer interactions, the importance of context in AI applications, and the balance between AI autonomy and human oversight. The conversation highlights the need for guardrails in AI systems, the potential for human-AI collaboration, and the future of AI in CX, emphasizing the rapid advancements in technology and the exciting possibilities ahead. Takeaways: Brad sees AI as a transformative force in customer experience.The importance of context in AI applications cannot be overstated.AI can supercharge human agents rather than replace them.Guardrails are essential to ensure AI operates within defined parameters.AI can assist in understanding customer history and preferences.Human-AI collaboration can enhance customer service efficiency.The journey to AI autonomy varies by business complexity.AI's rapid evolution is reshaping product development timelines.The future of AI in CX is promising but unpredictable.Innovative AI applications are just beginning to emerge.

  • 8 Episodes

About

CX Now is your podcast for intelligent CX. In the CX Now podcast, Lisa Painter, Head of Thought Leadership Experiences at Kustomer, chats with leaders in customer experience to share insights about what’s going on in the industry so you can stay up-to-date. Why another podcast? Our in-person CX Now events were such a hit with a goldmine of insights from our speakers and panelists. We thought: why not bring these insights to everyone year-round, wherever they are? Whether you're a CX executive, manager, or a frontline customer support agent looking to grow in their career, tune in for thoughtful conversations about CX strategy, best practices, lessons learned, AI and its applications in customer service, and more.

Information

  • Creator
    Kustomer
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kustomer