Feature
The Gist
- AI’s impact on CX. Proving AI’s ROI through measurable outcomes like customer satisfaction and cost savings is critical for effective integration.
- Voice of the customer. Empowering representatives with tools, authority, and processes ensures customer feedback drives meaningful action.
- Customer data trends. Understanding consumer values like sustainability and ethics is key to building stronger connections with younger generations.
- Employee insights. Gamification and recognition turn frontline employee feedback into actionable improvements in the customer journey.
Brianna Langley-Henderson, marketing manager at Bailey International, is a champion of aligning AI, employee empowerment and customer data for better experiences. As one of CMSWire's 2024 Contributors of the Year, Brianna shares actionable insights for organizations striving to enhance customer experience strategies. This Q&A reveals her perspectives on AI’s ROI, leveraging employee feedback and aligning corporate values with customer expectations.
Editor's note: Brianna is the third profile in our CMSWire Contributor of the Year series. Stay tuned for more industry-leading insights in the coming weeks.
Table of Contents
- AI's Impact on Customer Experience
- Real-Time Voice of the Customer Insights
- Emerging Customer Data Trends
- Leveraging Frontline Employee Insights
- Balancing AI and Human Touch in Customer Service
AI's Impact on Customer Experience
CMSWire: How do you see artificial intelligence reshaping customer experience strategies, and what should organizations prioritize to effectively integrate AI into their CX initiatives?
Brianna: I think that as organizations invest in AI, proving its ROI has become the critical next step. It's not enough to know that AI is boosting capacity — leadership needs to see measurable outcomes.
For my team, the focus is now on demonstrating how AI directly impacts key metrics like customer satisfaction, retention and cost savings. By quantifying these results, we can show the tangible value AI brings to CX strategies and secure continued investment in its integration.
Related Article: The AI Advantage: Is Your CX Falling Behind?
Real-Time Voice of the Customer Insights
CMSWire: What are the key benefits and challenges of implementing real-time voice of the customer programs, and how can businesses leverage these insights to enhance customer satisfaction?
Brianna: The challenge here lies in ensuring that customer representatives are supported with the right tools, training and authority to act on these insights. Have you ever noticed how they are called "Customer Representatives," and not "Company Representatives?" We need to start empowering our CSRs to be representatives of the customers' needs to the company — not the other way around.
Without a clear process for turning feedback into meaningful action, even the best VoC programs can fall short. Businesses can overcome this by fostering collaboration between teams, aligning goals with customer feedback, and giving representatives the power to champion customer-centric initiatives. When customer representatives are truly enabled to represent the customer's voice, satisfaction and loyalty naturally improve.
Emerging Customer Data Trends
CMSWire: What are the most significant trends in customer data management that businesses should be aware of, and how can they adapt to stay competitive in a data-driven landscape?
Brianna: One of the most significant trends in customer data management is the growing emphasis on understanding consumer values, particularly among younger generations who are gaining more purchasing power every day. Data shows that these young consumers care deeply about corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives, and they actively seek out brands that align with their principles.
To adapt, businesses need to leverage customer data to uncover what their audience truly values. Are your customers passionate about reducing waste, supporting ethical labor practices or contributing to social causes? By analyzing this data and aligning your corporate initiatives accordingly, you can build stronger connections with your customer base and stand out in a competitive marketplace.
Related Article: 9 Principles to Improve Your Customer Data Management
Leveraging Frontline Employee Insights
CMSWire: How can organizations effectively incorporate frontline employee feedback into their customer journey strategies to drive meaningful improvements in customer experience?
Brianna: At a previous job, we found a fun and effective way to incorporate frontline employee feedback into our customer journey strategies through gamification. We set up a virtual "customer experience suggestion box" where frontline employees could submit their ideas to improve the customer experience. Submissions were open for a specific timeframe, and once the window closed, we’d review the ideas and select a winner.
Here’s where it got exciting: the winning employee earned an all-expenses-paid trip to our corporate HQ for a week. During their time at HQ, they worked directly with our leadership and implementation teams to bring their idea to life. It was an incredible way to not only recognize their contributions but also ensure their insights were put into action.
We aimed to repeat this process bi-annually, keeping the feedback loop fresh and ongoing. Not only did it drive meaningful improvements in the customer experience, but it also kept our frontline employees engaged, motivated and deeply involved in shaping our strategies. It was a win-win for everyone!
Balancing AI and Human Touch in Customer Service
CMSWire: With the increasing adoption of AI in customer service, how can companies maintain a balance between automation and the human element to ensure a personalized customer experience?
Brianna: To maintain a balance between automation and the human element in customer service, companies need to focus on training their customer service representatives to effectively use AI tools. While we often talk about training AI, it’s equally important to empower frontline CSRs with skills like prompt engineering and AI tool optimization.
Webinar
Sep
25
CMS Briefing: A Live Look at What’s Next in AI-Driven Platforms
Learn how leading organizations are using AI‑driven tools to publish faster, personalize smarter and stay secure.
Register
Webinar
Sep
25
Call Spoofing Trends Financial Institutions Can't Afford to Ignore
Don't let robocalls sabotage your customer relationships. Learn how to secure your voice channel.
Register
Webinar
Oct
16
Agentic AI Playbook: Real-World Customer Service Use Cases You Can Deploy Now
Boost self-service by 30% and slash call volume by 63% with agentic AI.
Register
Webinar
On demand
Ready or Not: How Data-First Organizations Are Unlocking Agentforce Potential
Learn how to cut through the noise, activate Agentforce and build a Salesforce AI strategy that actually delivers.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
CX Reality Check: What Your Customers Are Really Thinking
Register now and get the insights you need to not just meet rising expectations, but exceed them.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
Content Leaders Collective: What a Good CCMS Actually Looks Like
Discover how content leaders transform clunky systems into growth engines — and why your competitors are ahead.
Watch Now
This approach not only enhances their ability to deliver personalized service but also helps them adapt as their roles evolve. By equipping CSRs with the knowledge to leverage AI effectively, businesses can ensure that automation complements human empathy and insight, creating a seamless and tailored customer experience.
Check out some of Brianna's articles from 2024:
