Amas Talks Podcast

In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Bruce Temkin delve into the current state of customer experience (CX), its evolution, and the challenges faced by organizations in effectively managing it. They discuss the importance of understanding the mechanics behind CX, the role of CX leaders, and the impact of metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS). The conversation also touches on the emergence of expe...

In this brutally honest episode, Amas Tenumah sits down with Dan Mannion , CEO of Spark CX, to unpack one of the industry’s most embarrassing truths: most contact centers still have no idea why customers are contacting them. They dive into: Why decades of dashboards and speech analytics failed to deliver real insight. How Spark CX is using generative AI to turn unstructured call data into actual u...

Summary In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Imran Noormohamed explore the evolving landscape of consulting, customer experience, and the impact of AI on the industry. Imran shares his journey into consulting, emphasizing the importance of customer experience as the core of business success. They discuss the prevalent focus on AI in client conversations, the future role of consultants, and the n...

In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Luke Jamieson explore the intricacies of Customer Experience (CX) and Employee Experience (EX). They discuss the evolution of CX, the importance of understanding customer needs, and the often-overlooked role of employee engagement in delivering exceptional service. The dialogue also touches on the perceptions of CFOs regarding CX, the rising expectations of c...

In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Edward Murphy delve into the current state of customer experience (CX), exploring how customer expectations have evolved, the role of metrics, and the impact of AI on customer interactions. They discuss the importance of employee experience in delivering quality CX and the need for leadership to prioritize customer-centric strategies. The conversation emphasi...

In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Laurel Poertner discuss the importance of knowledge management in customer support, focusing on the Knowledge Centered Service (KCS) methodology. They explore the challenges of knowledge sharing, the human experience in customer service, and the role of technology and AI in enhancing knowledge management. Laurel shares insights from her experience and emphasi...

Takeaways Leadership is an evolutionary process that requires continuous learning. AI cannot replace human empathy and emotional intelligence in leadership. Integrity is the foundational element of effective leadership. Mentorship is crucial for personal and professional growth. Effective communication is key in building strong teams, especially in remote settings. Technology implementations often...

Summary In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Jeremy Hyde discuss the challenges and dynamics of the contact center industry, focusing on employee attrition, engagement, and the impact of customer behavior. They explore the importance of hiring strategies, employee empowerment, and the future of customer service in the age of AI. Jeremy shares insights from his experience at Sun Country Airlines...

Arguably the hottest architect in the Salesforce eco system joins the pod. AI hype is constantly refreshed every few months. Generative AI can assist in mundane tasks, freeing up time for creativity. Salesforce's Agent Force is a significant advancement in AI integration. AI's impact on jobs is complex; it can lead to job reductions but also transformation. The future of CRM will heavily involve g...

Summary In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Martha discuss the evolving landscape of customer feedback, particularly focusing on surveys and the Net Promoter Score (NPS). They explore the effectiveness of consumer surveys, the original intent behind NPS, and how it has become a tool for benchmarking rather than genuine customer insight. Martha emphasizes the importance of understanding customer...

In this episode, Amas sits down with Vaishali to discuss the evolving world of Customer Experience (CX). The conversation kicks off with Amas asking Vaishali to define CX and explain its importance in a business landscape where companies are increasingly cutting back on their CX departments. Vaishali describes CX as a "fuss-free" process that focuses on creating positive emotional experi...

The podcast episode is a discussion between Amas and Jim, focusing on the future of customer service in the era of AI, particularly in call centers. Jim, who is associated with RingCentral, emphasizes that despite the growing integration of AI, human-based customer service is far from dead. AI, he argues, should be seen as a tool to augment and support human agents rather than replace them. They d...

Here's a summary of the podcast: Title: It is time to end NPS w Rob Host: Amas Guest: Rob Key Topics Discussed: 1. The state of customer service and declining ACSI ratings 2. Problems with current customer feedback methods, particularly surveys 3. Issues with star ratings and their loss of meaning 4. The evolution of speech analytics in customer service 5. Challenges with implementing AI in custom...

  In this episode, Amas welcomes Brian back to the show for yet another insightful discussion, jokingly suggesting they need a loyalty punch card for frequent guests. The conversation dives deep into the challenges and solutions in the contact center industry, particularly focusing on improving the employee experience. Brian explains that the key to enhancing this experience is to "get out of...

In this episode, Amas and Brian dive into a compelling discussion about the state of the contact center industry and how it impacts both employees and customers. They reflect on their previous episodes' popularity, emphasizing the resonance of this topic with their audience. Amas expresses gratitude to listeners and encourages feedback via LinkedIn or email. The conversation highlights the persist...

### Podcast Episode Notes: "Enhancing Contact Center Work" **Host:** Amas   **Guest:** Brian   **Episode Summary:**   In this insightful follow-up episode, Amas reconnects with Brian to delve deeper into the challenges faced by contact center agents and explore the profound impact of meaningful work on employee satisfaction and performance. Listeners are encouraged to listen to the...

### Podcast Summary: "Amas Talks - How the Call Center Agent Job Got So Bad" #### Introduction - **Host:** Amas - **Guest:** Brian, an industry expert focused on improving the lives of call center agents and managers. #### Key Points Discussed: 1. **Current State of Call Center Jobs:**    - Call center jobs have become increasingly difficult and less rewarding.    - The guest's...

### Podcast Episode Notes: "Rethinking AI in Contact Centers" **Host:** Amas   **Guest:** Brian   **Episode Summary:**   In this episode, Amas welcomes Brian, a veteran in the contact center industry, to discuss the evolving role of AI, particularly chatbots and voice assistants, in enhancing both customer and agent experiences. They delve into the practical applications and future...

- Stephanie, it is fantastic to see you. I am glad you finally made time for it. Welcome to the show. And congratulations on all your success with the show and your book and everything. - Sludge is a term that's new to me that you introduced into my lexicon. Think about it as friction, as mental, psychological friction when you're trying to get something done. There is definite applicability acros...

- Carrie, we've been trying to do this for a while. How are you? I'm doing well. It's good to see you again as well. Awesome. - Today, Jarrett looks at a purchase that changed your life in a positive way. What is that one purchase to you that was quite impactful? For me, it'll be the Alexa dot. At a smart oven. - Bob Greene: AI has the potential to make work easier, maybe take on some tasks. He sa...

  - Most contact centerings, customer service organizations have decided it is too inefficient, too expensive to get humans. The cheap and efficient way to scrub all the humanity out of them is to make them more bot like. Luke says the defaults may just very well be bots in the future. - Customer experience became a thing, I don't know, well over a decade ago now, and it became the zeitgeist....

David  is the founder and CEO of a networking group. Perry: I can't believe it's now 2024. Has put me in touch with many wonderful people I now consider friends. We'll get to know you during the show. - CCNG is a networking group for blue collar contact center workers. How have you done it without commercials, ads, marketing? Enjoy the journey, because it's going to be more about the journey...

-- Steve: What explains this dichotomy of fantastic, beautiful tools for the consumer and then 1980s for the poor contact center or customer service employee overall? He says it's really and truly interoperability issues.  Steve: There has to be an interoperability and migration plan. - You are an executive for what we call ccas, contact center as a service. Ccas provides technologies for pho...

​​Amas So, Michelle, we both work in the same area around keeping customers happy. And I was reading an article that talked about the ACSI rating, the American Customer Satisfaction index rating, and something happened. From 2006 on, we were on a steady rise. And in 2018, it starts to plummet. And I don't think anyone needs data to tell them that customer experience is getting worse. I, for one, w...

- Knowledge is the essential building block for pretty much everything we do. But I think the difference is if you don't apply the knowledge, it's useless. And that's why I think knowledge management and all these things we are discussing is so relevant and exciting. - Where I spend an unreasonable amount of time is reading. Apart from that, I really love spending time with my kids. Long term, I f...