Be Customer Led

Bill Staikos
  • 4.9 (18)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

We explore the intersection between customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX), and how companies are creating leaders and cultures that are maniacal about their customers - both internal and external. Visit us on www.becustomerled.com

  1. Mike Clifton and Max Schwendner on Scaling Complex CX with AI and Human Insight Part 2

    2d ago

    Mike Clifton and Max Schwendner on Scaling Complex CX with AI and Human Insight Part 2

    What should AI handle? And what should stay human? The questions that sit at the center of modern customer experience. In continuation of the earlier discussion on AI-powered customer experience and leadership with Max Schwendner and Michael Clifton, this part of their conversation explores how AI is being integrated across every stage of business operations. They highlight the growing importance of continuous learning, empathy, and human judgment in an AI-assisted workplace. The conversation also points out the impact of AI-powered accent neutralization and how it can shorten call handling times in global customer support operations. Further into the conversation, they discuss the types of sensitive tasks that shouldn’t be automated, AI-assisted training and real-time agent support, customer satisfaction (CSAT) and brand sentiment, the balance between automation and human connection, and also the importance of customer-centric business strategy. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS [02:34] Integrating AI in every aspect of Alorica. [05:29] The importance of continuous training. [10:42] The importance of accent neutralization. [16:30] Tasks that should never be automated in customer service. [20:52] Meeting customers where they want to be met. Connect with Max & Mike Max Schwendner- linkedin.com/in/max-schwendner-3ab15960/ Michael Clifton - linkedin.com/in/mike-clifton/ Alorica - linkedin.com/company/alorica/posts/?feedView=all alorica.com/

    28 min
  2. Mike Clifton and Max Schwendner on Scaling Complex CX with AI and Human Insight

    Jun 3

    Mike Clifton and Max Schwendner on Scaling Complex CX with AI and Human Insight

    A great customer experience is a combination of technology, empathy, and fast decision-making. This episode of Be Customer Led features Max Schwendner and Mike Clifton, the co-CEOs of Alorica, a leading global business process outsourcing company specializing in customer service, digital support, and customer experience (CX) strategy & execution. This conversation centered around the idea of AI reshaping the CX industry. Max and Mike share their knowledge and experience on how combining AI tools with humans can lead to creating stronger customer interactions. They also dive into leadership, advantages of the co-CEO model, and how to achieve customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and brand loyalty in real life with technology, training, and AI-driven insights. HIGHLIGHTS [01:30] Introduction and background to Max & Mike. [04:50] Services of Alorica and its impact. [07:13] The alignment of different worlds for better CX decisions. [10:55] The collaboration of AI and humans in CX. [14:00] AI’s role in personalizing customer experience. [18:10] Real-world examples of AI and human collaboration. RESOURCES Connect with Max & Mike Max Schwendner- linkedin.com/in/max-schwendner-3ab15960/ Michael Clifton - linkedin.com/in/mike-clifton/ Alorica - linkedin.com/company/alorica/posts/?feedView=all alorica.com/

    24 min
  3. Emily Cisek on Turning Estate Planning into a Family Legacy Experience

    May 27

    Emily Cisek on Turning Estate Planning into a Family Legacy Experience

    Life is full of memories, plans, and people we love. But many families are not prepared for difficult moments. This conversation shares how one idea turned pain into support for others! In this episode, Emily Cisek talks about her journey to creating Paige after losing three family members in 2018. She explains how the platform helps families organize important documents, digital assets, memories, and personal messages in one safe place. Emily describes Paige as a digital safe-deposit box that guides users through estate planning in a simple, less stressful way. The conversation also highlights the emotional side of planning for the future, including stories of families recording videos and messages for loved ones. Highlights [01:54] Emily's Journey to Founding Paige [04:34] How Paige Helps with Estate Planning [06:00] Features of Paige's Platform [08:24] Addressing Physical and Digital Assets [10:14] Emotional Impact of Paige [13:31] Connecting Emotionally with Customers [16:24] Target Audience of Paige [19:11] Turning Planning Into a Family Journey [23:33] Common Mistakes by Financial Institutions [25:47] Advice for Building a Supportive Platform Connect with Emily: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emily-cisek/ Website: go-paige.com/ Mentioned in the episode: Blueprint for Customer Obsession: amazon.com/Blueprint-Customer-Obsession-Marbue-Brown

    30 min
  4. Steve Hind & Tim Doyle on Building Support That Actually Works

    Apr 22

    Steve Hind & Tim Doyle on Building Support That Actually Works

    In this episode, we have the pleasure of conversing with Tim Doyle and Steve Hind about how AI is making a difference in supporting customers. Tim Doyle is the founder at Eucalyptus, a global telehealth platform operating digital healthcare clinics across multiple countries, including Australia, Canada, and Japan. Tim is in the lead in delivering scalable, high-quality healthcare to over a million patients with a focus on AI to enhance consistency, efficiency, and patient experience in regulated healthcare systems. Steve Hind is the co-founder at Lorikeet, an AI-native customer operations platform building concierge-style support experiences. Before partnering with Eucalyptus to prototype AI-driven support systems in regulated healthcare, Tim worked at Stripe and Watershed. Throughout the conversation, Tim and Steve discuss how AI can be used safely even in high-risk areas like healthcare and finance, how customers see apps, chats, emails, and phones as one experience, how AI works best when it has strong safety rules, why success depends more on integration than just the AI model, the importance of timing and execution when it comes to successful AI adoption, and the need to balance empathy with strict compliance. HIGHLIGHTS [01.43] Introduction and background to Steve & Tim. [07.18] Moving beyond surface-level automation. [09.40] Mastering the delicate balance between empathy and regulatory compliance. [13.43] Deep system integration and understanding what customers value. [17.04] Measuring Success - Higher customer satisfaction, faster response times, and lower costs. [19.38] Agentic AI - Paring ambition with guardrails instead of limiting autonomy. [26.23] Customer Support - Seamless, omnichannel experiences and proactive problem-solving. [30.17] Timing, preparation, and decisive action. RESOURCES Connect with Steve Hind & Tim Doyle LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/shind/ linkedin.com/in/tim-doyle-11b48a14/ Email - steve@lorikeetcx.ai

    34 min
  5. Alex Levin on The Rise of Voice AI in Customer Experience

    Mar 26

    Alex Levin on The Rise of Voice AI in Customer Experience

    Meet Alex Levin, the CEO and co-founder of Regal, a company that uses AI voice tools to help customer support centers. Alex talks about his early life, studying philosophy and psychology, and then working in early tech companies. He later helped build large home services companies like Angie's List and HomeAdvisor. While working there, he learned a lot by personally handling customer complaints. He noticed that many customers get frustrated because it is hard to reach support teams, and they often wait too long or get passed around, which led him to start Regal. Regal uses AI agents to answer customer calls, help solve problems faster, and reduce costs for companies. The discussion also explains how AI is improving but still needs human support, especially for emotional situations. Alex believes AI will play a big role in future customer service, especially through voice. HIGHLIGHTS [01:38] Alex's Career Journey [03:43] Challenges in Customer Support and the Birth of Regal [05:40] Regal's Platform and Its Impact on Customer Support [11:37] The Evolution of AI Agents and Their Capabilities [16:15] Conversational Design and Customer Experience [19:40] Measurable Improvements and Future of AI in Customer Support [22:30] Challenges and Limitations of AI in Customer Support [25:53] Regal's Vision and Future Plans RESOURCES Connect with Alex: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexlevin1/ Website: regal.ai/ Email: mailto:hello@regal.ai

    34 min
  6. Douglas Kramon on How AI Is Shaping Customer Care and Fan Support Pt 2

    Mar 12

    Douglas Kramon on How AI Is Shaping Customer Care and Fan Support Pt 2

    In this episode of Be Customer Led, Marbue Brown continues his deep-dive conversation with Doug Kramon, Head of Customer Care and Fan Support for ESPN and Disney. Picking up from their previous discussion, Doug explores how generative AI is moving beyond "table stakes" to fundamentally transform the emotional arc of customer service. [01:29] Future of AI in Customer Service [06:59] The Importance of Emotional Connection in Customer Service [11:51] Skills for Future CX Leaders [18:00] Examples of AI Influencing Customer Service Connect with Doug: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/douglaskramon/

    25 min
  7. Douglas Kramon on How AI Is Shaping Customer Care and Fan Support - Part 1

    Mar 5

    Douglas Kramon on How AI Is Shaping Customer Care and Fan Support - Part 1

    In this episode of Be Customer Led, host Marbue Brown sits down with Doug Kramon, Head of Customer Care and Fan Support for ESPN and its direct-to-consumer offerings at Disney. Doug shares his career journey, from studying cultural anthropology to building customer service programs within major media organizations. He then explains how his current team supports fans across five key areas: Watch, Play, Read, Engage, and Listen, spanning streaming, fantasy sports, social media, radio, and more. The conversation explores AI's growing role in empowering care agents, improving knowledge bases, and reducing customer effort. Doug also highlights the importance of emotional connection in fan support and the need for strong cross-functional skills among future CX leaders. HIGHLIGHTS [01:40] Doug's Career Journey [05:38] Delivering Fan Support Across Pillars [18:01] AI's Role in Enhancing Customer Service [27:31] Challenges and Opportunities with AI Connect with Doug: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/douglaskramon

    33 min
  8. Tal Peretz on AI Matchmaking for Technical Buyers

    Feb 18

    Tal Peretz on AI Matchmaking for Technical Buyers

    In this episode, Marbue Brown sits down with Tal Peretz, the Co-Founder and CEO of Onfire AI. A seasoned expert with a decade of experience building data and AI solutions, Tal previously served as the CTO of Onid in the authentication and identity space. Today, he leads Onfire AI in its mission to revolutionize the customer journey for technical buyers, specifically CTOs, CISOs, and CIOs by leveraging vertical AI to create more meaningful, contextual connections between buyers and sellers. The conversation explores how AI can be used to enhance, rather than diminish, the customer experience within the sales and shopping portion of the journey. Tal explains how Onfire AI cuts through the "noise" of automated outreach by combining CRM data with live web signals from communities like Reddit and X to identify "in-market" buyers. They discuss the shift toward "human-in-the-loop" AI that empowers sales teams to provide highly personalized, timely outreach that respects the buyer's time and solves their specific pain points HIGHLIGHTS 02:26 – the Mission of Onfire AI 05:22 – Solving the "Noise" Problem for Technical Buyers 10:05 – The Three-Layer AI Engine: Data, Context, and Human Tone 14:40 – Measuring ROI: 4x–8x Increases in Engagement 18:04 – Strategic Intelligence and the Future of Buying Connect with Tal Peretz Company Website: onfire.ai Guest Email: tal@onfire.ai LinkedIn: Tal Peretz

    30 min
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4.9
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

We explore the intersection between customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX), and how companies are creating leaders and cultures that are maniacal about their customers - both internal and external. Visit us on www.becustomerled.com

Information

  • Creator
    Bill Staikos
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Bill Staikos
  • Show Website
    Be Customer Led

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