The CX Cast

Companies are adopting agile frameworks and adding designers to their delivery teams to improve digital experience development efforts. But these two constituencies don't rely on the same workflow, artifacts, or ceremonies — and often struggle to find common ground as a result. In this episode, we're joined by Senior Analyst Karine Cardona-Smits to discuss how designers can better understand their...

Customer experience's (CX) goal of "humanizing" experiences might seem far removed from automation's focus on removing humans from business processes. But the pandemic-induced push to serve customers online has brought these two forces together, and firms have learned transformational lessons from each. In this episode we're joined by Principal Analyst Leslie Joseph to discuss how automation can i...

Great customer service helps customers get the most out of your product and services. This requires complex and varied work across internal teams, customer journey touchpoints, and regularly reassessing strategies. In this episode we're joined by Trifacta's Chief Customer Officer, Paul Staelin, to discuss how to enable employees and optimize customer interactions to improve their experience and in...

Great customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) go hand in hand.  To deliver high-quality CX, companies must enable their employees, amid COVID-19 and shifting needs.  In this episode, we are joined by Verizon's Vice President of Sales and Service Operations, Ken Lain, to discuss his team's work supporting 17,000+ customer service employees as many transition to a work from home model....

The use of chatbots continues to proliferate as companies double down on digital, but many deliver poor user experiences. In this episode, we're joined by VP, Principal Analyst David Truog to discuss his research on conversational AI (voice and text chatbots) and how designing successful experiences based on such technologies requires deep attention to human-centric design principles and the compl...

From CEOs to entry-level employees, people rely on digital tools at work — tools that are mostly inadequate or even terrible in terms of user experience (UX).  These enterprise UX problems cause their companies to waste time, undermine vital transformations, underserve customers, and risk dangerous mistakes. In this episode, we're joined by Principal Analyst Andrew Hogan to discuss the root causes...

Modern business was tough enough, and then the pandemic ushered us into the future of work today, quickly reforming how, why, and where work happens. This forced employees to be more collaborative, more innovative, and more adaptive than ever before — testing their individual resources. Employee well-being — the total health and wellness of your workers — is the source on which they draw. To thriv...

Forrester's customer experience (CX) research team, and it's user experience (UX subteam), covers a variety of topics. In this episode we're joined by VP, Research Director Ian Jacobs to discuss his expertise in customer service and chatbots, and his UX subteam's existing and upcoming coverage of a variety of topics, from design for work to inclusive design. Click the titles below for more on this...

Customer experience (CX) leaders who would like to become insights driven need to familiarize themselves with the different techniques that analysts and data scientists apply to data. In this episode we're joined by VP, Principal Analyst Brandon Purcell to discuss Forrester’s periodic table of insights, which highlights 20 of the most common analytical approaches for deriving insights and groups t...

Choosing how to organize and operate a customer experience (CX) team depends on many factors, including the business's maturity, goals, structure, and culture. In this episode we're joined by Deborah Cornwell, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Assurant, to discuss how they've structured their CX team in a large, decentralized organization. Click the titles below for more on this topi...

The precise definition and composition of a customer experience (CX) strategy has proven elusive for many business leaders. Getting it right is essential, though, as the CX strategy plots how a business will execute on its CX vision, helping it achieve its business goals. In this episode we're joined by Principal Analyst TJ Keitt to discuss CX strategy creation's prerequisites, core components, an...

Companies that put the customer at the center of their leadership, strategy, and operations enjoy stronger revenue growth, more satisfied customers, and more engaged employees than their competitors. And customer-obsessed firms can better pivot in response to market shocks like the pandemic. In this episode we're joined by VP, Principal Analyst Shar VonBoskirk to discuss customer obsession and how...

High-functioning customer experience (CX) teams don't treat CX as a standalone function, rather they determine what they can do themselves and what requires internal and external partnerships. In this episode we're joined by Executive Partner and Senior Analyst Su Doyle to discuss collaboration and growth strategies for customer experience leaders, from who to work with and how to align with their...

Building empathy with your customers is vital, particularly when your audience is part of the 'silver tsunami' of a rapidly growing ageing population. In this episode we're joined by Archie Dey, Director of Consumer Experience and Insights at SCAN Health Plan to discuss how they listen to and empathize with their customers, from trainings to member listening programs, as they continue to live thei...

To know what good customer journeys look like — and to benchmark them — customer experience (CX) pros need to understand how to design for emotion. This requires gaining a more granular understanding of how emotions impact CX and discrete customer journeys, going beyond simply delight. In this episode we're joined by VP, Principal Analyst Joana de Quintanilha to discuss how to design for emotions...

As issues of gender equality, racial justice, and discrimination across the diversity spectrum hit the headlines, organizations are struggling to respond to customers, employees, and other stakeholders. In this episode, we discuss with Principal Analyst, Katy Tynan, about how having a diverse workforce is both a competitive advantage and table stakes for values-based consumers and employees. Click...

C-level leaders know they are on the hook for an anywhere-work strategy beyond the pandemic. A striking 75% of CEOs surveyed expect their office spaces to shrink. But many aren't sure what benefits they can expect from such a bold move nor do they know how to succeed.  In this episode we're joined by VP, Principal Analyst J.P. Gownder to discuss the advantages of supporting anywhere work, from tal...

Data ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are increasingly critical issues for organizations. In research conducted for our Forrester Wave™ evaluation of customer database and engagement agencies, we uncovered an important mandate for CMOs: The convergence of these two practices is central to a brand's customer engagement strategy.  In this episode we're joined by VP, Principal Analys...

Once a company is bought-in on design, how do design leads scale the design organization to continue to meet the company's evolving needs?  In this episode we're joined by Lance Thornswood, Senior Vice President, Head of Design at US Bank, to discuss the scaling of their design practice, which has doubled in size each year for five years running. From utilizing and customizing existing methodologi...

All firms can access the same tools for business success — capital, business process, and tech — making it hard to generate a sustainable market advantage. The pandemic reveals that adaptive companies update their use of these tools more effectively than others. But adaptivity depends on an underutilized fourth tool: a workforce motivated to apply its creativity to business problems and opportunit...

Evolving an organization's culture towards greater customer centricity is complex work, requiring careful prioritization. In this episode we're joined by Chief Experience Officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), Gratia Carver, to discuss her team's approach to evolving culture and the important role measurement plays. Click the titles below for more on this topic: Elevate An...

With vaccine rollout occurring around the world, hopes run high of returning to a life free from COVID-19. Vaccine passports promise to quickly turn this hope into a reality, including bringing employees back to the physical workplace. Despite the high expectations, employers must be cautious as they plan and execute their pandemic management plans. In this episode we’re joined by Senior Ana...

Marketers and CX professionals are out of touch with today's business realities. While companies pursue business models that scramble traditional customer lifecycles, marketing and CX functions remain siloed in outdated roles that become ineffective and wasteful. There is a better way forward: CX and marketing can master the new normal by reinventing their relationship with each other. In this epi...

In this episode, we're joined by VP, Research Director Harley Manning to discuss a recent internal research effort to better understand the needs of Forrester clients.  Iterative interviews with about 40 senior CX leaders helped to uncover what they're working on, what data and insights they're missing, and more. Click the titles below for more on this topic: Introducing Forrester Decisions

After a merger and acquisition, CX teams must face the realities of combining forces.  From VoC measurement to the overall approach for improving experiences, they must evaluate ways of working across both organizations.  In this episode, we are joined by Yvan Goupil, Head of Customer and Marketing Insight at Virgin Money UK, who experienced and succeeded at merging CX teams after an acquisition....