How Eliminating Communication Friction Elevates Customer Experience Featuring Damon Covey

How Consistency and Convenience Create Loyal Customers  Shep interviews Greg Tucker, CEO, Tucker & Company, and author of Frictionless Brand Experience. He discusses the sources of friction that hinder the delivery of a brand promise and strategies for identifying and eliminating them.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    What is the difference between customer experience and brand experience?  How can companies ensure they consistently deliver on their brand promise?  What are the most common sources of friction in delivering a great brand experience?  Why do customers pay more for a convenient experience?  Why is cultural alignment important for providing a seamless customer experience?  Top Takeaways:    A brand promise is a commitment a company makes to its customers about what they can expect. A consistent brand experience across all channels ensures that what is promised aligns with what is delivered.  When customers encounter friction, the risk of them switching brands doubles. And this risk multiplies every time they encounter confusing menus, slow service, difficult-to-use websites, etc. Convenient businesses remove these friction points because they know that the happier customers are, the more loyal they will be.  Greg Tucker shares six types of friction that hinder the delivery of a consistent brand experience.  Digital Friction: Problems with digital interfaces, such as confusing websites, poor user experience, and incorrect product data.  Brand Friction: Inconsistency and lack of clarity in messaging and marketing campaigns.  Product Friction: When the product itself is hard to use, too expensive, or costly to maintain.  Operational Friction: Back-end processes like late shipments, slow service, or bad customer support that disrupt the overall customer experience.  Organizational Friction: Internal company issues, such as siloed departments and miscommunication between teams.  Cultural Friction: Company mindsets, misaligned incentives, or leadership behaviors that do not support the brand promise.  While being nice is important, customers would rather have things be easy and quick than be inconvenienced, even with a smile. Our annual customer service and CX research shows that customers value a convenient, frictionless experience even more than friendly service. If a company can deliver both, it stands out from the competition.   Plus, Shep and Greg discuss why convenience is no longer just “nice to have," but something customers will pay more for. Tune in!  Quote:   "The power behind a brand experience is great customer experience. And, the power behind a great customer experience is the employee experience."  About:    Greg Tucker is CEO of Tucker & Company, an award-winning leader, keynote speaker, and strategic advisor. He is the author of Frictionless Brand Experience, a book on eliminating business friction to accelerate growth.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Unconscious Experiences Shape Customer Loyalty  Shep interviews Lou Carbone, Founder and CEO (Chief Experience Officer) of Experience Engineering®, Inc. He talks about how emotionally resonant experiences create customer loyalty and distinctive brand value.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    How does emotional impact influence customer loyalty?  Why is distinctive value vital for exceptional customer service?  What effects do sensory details have on memorable experiences?  How can integrating technology improve customer experiences?  How can businesses engineer repeat customer experiences?  Top Takeaways:    The power of a great experience is that the magic doesn't end when the moment does. The emotional imprint that a great experience creates is what keeps customers coming back. It can influence the way customers feel about a brand even years later.   Magic lies in the details. Purposeful, repetitive clues create emotional resonance that emotionally bonds customers to a brand. Carefully embedded signals are like "pixie dust" (think Disney) that trigger unconscious perceptions, shape how people value a brand, and build a strong brand ethos that customers want to be part of.  Distinctive value means being irreplaceable. It is when a company delivers experiences that are so emotionally resonant that customers cannot imagine living without them. It goes beyond simply solving problems or meeting expectations. Some organizations create deep, memorable connections that feel essential to customers’ lives.  Trust grows when experiences are predictable and consistent. When customers know what to expect and consistently get it, they feel safe and comfortable with a brand. Consistency should be embedded into every part of a customer’s journey.  Many organizations approach customer experience by reacting to problems instead of proactively engineering experiences that deliver emotionally impactful value. Companies that stand out are those that design experiences with intention.  Plus, Lou shares insights from Disney and his book, Clued In: How to Keep Customers Coming Back Again and Again. Tune in! Quote:   "The currency of experiences is memories which are unconscious and are imprinted emotionally."  About:    Lou Carbone is the Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Experience Engineering®, Inc., recognized globally as a pioneer and leading innovator in experience management since the late 1980s. He is a best-selling author of Clued In – How to Keep Customers Coming Back Again and Again.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Future-Focused Customer Interactions  Shep interviews Zee Hussain, Head of Global Enterprise Solutions at AT&T Business. He talks about how businesses can elevate customer experiences by anticipating future needs, leveraging industry expertise, and becoming their trusted partner.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   What does it mean to be a trusted advisor rather than just a vendor in customer relationships?  How can companies anticipate customer needs before customers are even aware of them?  How can innovations be adapted from one industry to another?  What are effective ways to build trust with their customers?  How does technology make customer service more efficient?  Top Takeaways:    Trust and credibility are built by consistently delivering on the basic services and support that customers expect from you. When you do a good job of delivering on your brand's promises to customers, it opens the door to future partnerships with them.  Understand your customers' opportunities and challenges. Go beyond surface-level information. Listen to them and spend time on the front lines to gain insight into their pain points and goals, so you can tailor your solutions to what matters most to them.  A trusted partner doesn't just wait for customers to define what they need. They draw on their own experiences and industry insights to identify potential challenges and opportunities their customers will face in the future.   Great ideas can come from outside your industry. When facing a challenge, ask yourself, How have I solved a similar problem in a different industry, and how can I apply that perspective here?  A growth mindset is having an attitude of consistent learning and curiosity. It's about striving to add value to each interaction with both customers and employees.  Plus, Shep and Zee discuss the impact of companies co-creating ideas and solutions with their customers. Tune in!  Quote:   "If we want to be a trusted advisor for our customers, we need to sit with them side by side and talk about what their desired business outcomes for the future look like and how we can help deliver them."     About:    Zee Hussain is the Head of Global Enterprise Solutions at AT&T Business. He oversees teams that deliver advanced connectivity and technology solutions to major enterprise clients worldwide.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building Customer Loyalty Through Experience and Community  Shep interviews Sujay Saha, founder and CEO of Cortico-X. He talks about how aligning customer experience with pricing and expectations drives value.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    What is return on experience (ROX) and how can businesses measure it?  How can businesses match customer expectations to pricing?  How does blending creativity and data improve customer service strategies?  What steps can companies take to minimize friction in the customer journey?  How does building customer communities foster brand loyalty?  Top Takeaways:    The higher the price, the higher the expectation. However, this does not automatically mean more products or more features. To create amazing experiences that provide value, brands need to understand what truly matters to their customers.   Every customer looks for a specific kind of value, whether it is convenience, quality, community, or something else. Understand the value that your customers are looking for and design your experiences to meet (or even exceed) these expectations.  Memorable experiences are not always expensive. They are often simple, timely, or personal. Offering a free car cleaning service at an auto repair shop or designing a seamless airline boarding system can add extra value to customer interactions.  Customers love connecting with others who share their experience. By cultivating communities, brands can provide memorable, shareable experiences that create loyalty and a sense of belongingness.  Customers don't just compare you to similar businesses. They compare you to the best experiences they have ever had, regardless of industry, product, or price point. The real competition is every amazing experience.  The return on experience (ROX) should be both actionable and accountable. Leaders must examine the root drivers behind customer experiences and use them as a guide on where to direct their investments. Then measure these investments to see whether they translate into the desired outcomes, such as increased loyalty or brand advocacy.  Plus, Shep and Sujay share real-world examples of organizations that are reaping the returns of delivering exceptional customer experience. Tune in!  Quote:   "Don’t just consider the cost of experiences, but also think about how much loyalty you can create (with that investment), which can turn into future sales."  About:    Sujay Saha is the Founder and CEO of Cortico-X, known for advancing experience-led strategies and pioneering ROX (Return on Experience) for Fortune 500 companies.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How a Unified Communication System Empowers Employees and Delights Customers  Shep interviews Damon Covey, General Manager of Unified Communications and Collaboration at GoTo. He talks about the importance of tailored, unified communication systems that reduce friction for both employees and customers.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    What advantages do unified communications bring to customer service?  How does integrating multiple channels enhance customer experience?  Why is minimizing friction important for trust and loyalty in service?  What are the disadvantages of generic versus tailored communication tools?  How can automation and AI improve customer support interactions?  Top Takeaways:    The "swiveling chair" problem hurts both customers and employees. Integrating all communication channels into a unified system prevents employees from constantly switching between programs, improving their workflow and eliminating unnecessary friction for customers.   Employees can't provide amazing customer service if they are using slow, broken, or outdated systems. Most of the time, customers are frustrated not because of the person helping them but because of the tools that make solving the problem more complicated.  Fragmented experiences erode customer trust. Whenever a customer has to repeat themselves or start over every time they switch between modes of communication (chatbot, email, phone, etc.), trust drops. Unified systems provide smooth experiences where the next agent knows what happened before and the best tools to help the customer are within easy reach.  Follow the journey that your customers prefer. Businesses need to adapt their communication channels and technology based on what their customers actually want to use. Meet the customers where they are, whether through traditional phone calls, emails, or digital messaging.  Plus, Shep and Damon discuss generational preferences in communication and how unifying these options can improve the customer experience. Tune in!  Quote:   "If you're building everything for everyone, you're special for no one."  About:    Damon Covey is the General Manager of Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) at GoTo. Before joining GoTo in 2021,  he served as Vice President of Product Management at Cox Automotive and spent 14 years in leadership roles at cybersecurity company Symantec.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listening, Learning, and Problem-Solving with Empathy  Shep interviews Rob Jolles, keynote speaker, five-time bestselling author, and host of The Presentation Whisperer Show. He talks about the importance of authentic communication, empathy, and intent in delivering exceptional customer experiences.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    What is the role of frontline employees in shaping a company’s customer experience?  How can handling customer complaints effectively lead to customer loyalty?  What steps should customer service teams follow when responding to complaints?  How does authentic communication strengthen customer trust?  How does empathy impact the outcome of customer service interactions?  Top Takeaways:    Everybody who interacts with customers, regardless of the job title, is in sales. Every conversation, whether answering a question or dealing with an issue, is an opportunity to sell the brand and what it represents.  Saying "sorry" reflexively when a customer calls about a problem can feel empty. Instead, focus on listening to the customer and gathering more information. Customers want to be heard and understood more than they want an apology. They are also more likely to work with you to solve the issue once they feel listened to.  Empathy is not just about saying nice things. It is about putting yourself  in the customer's shoes and having a genuine desire to help. For example, ask yourself, “How would I feel if that happened to me?  Hire for attitude and empathy, not just skills. Some people genuinely like interacting with people and problem-solving. An amazing customer experience starts with hiring the right people for the job, then empowering them with the right tools and training.   Communicating with customers is more than just the words you say. The tone, energy, and authenticity in your voice make a huge difference in how customers respond. They notice if you’re bored or happy to help. Make sure your words, tone, and actions align with the brand that you represent.  Plus, Shep and Rob discuss more insights from Why People Don't Believe You…: Building Credibility from the Inside Out. Tune in!  Quote:   "When something goes wrong, customers don't call just to hear the word 'sorry." They want you to understand why they are frustrated. They want you to first listen and understand."  About:    Rob Jolles is a renowned speaker, five-time bestselling author, and host of The Presentation Whisperer Show. His books, featured in USA Today and Harvard Business Review, have been translated into more than a dozen languages.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using Customer Feedback to Understand and Delight Customers  Shep interviews Natalie Jackson, founder of Crescent Consultancy. She talks about leveraging customer and employee feedback to deliver exceptional customer experiences.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    What is the "listening gap" in customer experience?  How can business leaders effectively close the listening gap in their organizations?  Why is consistent reliability more important than delight in customer experience?  How does employee and customer listening drive growth and retention?  What is the importance of a clear brand promise in delivering a consistent customer experience?  Top Takeaways:    There is often a gap between what leadership thinks customers feel and what customers actually feel. Most organizations believe they’re listening to customer and employee feedback, but oftentimes, their surveys are outdated, information is siloed in departments, and there is a lack of real-time insights.  Listening to customers and employees means paying attention to data, insights, customer feedback, and employee input. It means “listening” to signals and patterns that help organizations better understand their customers (both internal and external).  Organizations need to stop and think about the kind of experiences they want to provide to their customers and employees. This is the brand promise and needs to be communicated throughout the organization. It needs to be seen through how each member of the team shows up and is felt by the customers that they serve.   Consistency and predictability build trust, giving customers the confidence to keep doing business with you.   Customers value reliability more than sporadic “over the top” moments. Customers need to know that you will deliver on your promise. And if, every once in a while, something falls in your lap that lets you go above and beyond, the combination of reliability and customer delight is where companies shine.  Plus, Shep and Natalie discuss how companies can empower employees to deliver reliable, delightful experiences. Tune in!  Quote:   "Customer experience is brand activation across everything."  About:    Natalie Jackson is a customer experience strategist and the founder of Crescent Consultancy. She serves on the 2026 U.S. Customer Experience Professional Association (CXPA).  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI-Powered, Human-Centric Customer Experiences  Shep interviews Aaron Cannon, co-founder and CEO of Outset. He talks about how AI-moderated research moves beyond traditional surveys to deliver relevant, nuanced customer feedback and customer-centric experiences.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    How is AI-moderated research interviews are transforming customer feedback?  What are the main differences between AI-moderated interviews and standard surveys?  In what ways can AI provide a deeper understanding of customer motivations and experiences?  How does "visual intelligence" add value to customer experience research?  How can AI help companies reduce survey fatigue among customers?  Top Takeaways:    AI-moderated research gathers insights from customers through interviews that feel more like a conversation than a traditional survey.   Traditional surveys usually ask participants to pick a number, an option from a multiple-choice question, or to rank something. AI-moderated research goes beyond this by digging deeper and asking follow-up questions, enabling customers to provide the full picture by explaining their choices in their own words.   Trust is very important in collecting feedback. While opt-in participation should be the norm, make sure to let your customers know that their data privacy and security are a priority when they share their feedback.   AI tools help marketing and CX teams expand their reach by making it possible to have in-depth conversations with thousands of individual customers without needing a large team. This means organizations can cover a wide range of backgrounds and opinions, including outliers, to understand their customers better.   Context makes feedback more actionable. For example, if a customer's flight is delayed, AI can include this context in conversations so that it can collect feedback that is more specific and personalized.   AI-moderated research can feel more like a two-way conversation than just checking boxes on a form. AI can even escalate issues, so human support can jump in when needed.   Plus, Shep and Aaron discuss how listening to diverse customer voices can help companies make smarter decisions and gain happier customers. Tune in!  Quote:   "When the right questions are asked, people are willing to share deeply, even with AI. Good questions elicit thoughtful, honest responses."    About:    Aaron Cannon is the co-founder and CEO of Outset, an AI-moderated research platform that helps enterprise teams at companies like Microsoft, Uber, and Google gain deeper customer insights.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trust, Proactivity, and AI in Customer Service  Shep interviews John Kim, CEO of Delight.ai. He talks about moving beyond simple automation to create personalized, proactive interactions that build trust and delight customers.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    How is AI transforming customer experience across different industries?  What are the benefits of automating customer service processes? Can AI enhance human interactions in customer support roles?  What is the concept of an AI concierge in modern customer experience?  How does technology help personalize customer interactions for businesses?  Top Takeaways:    AI's real value is empowering humans to be there for each other. For example, when healthcare workers spend less time completing charts and manually processing lab results, they can spend more time with their patients.   Automation through AI should remove repetitive, mundane tasks, freeing humans to devote more time and attention to meaningful interactions and care.  Some customers and employees hesitate to embrace AI, fearing that machines will do everything, leaving no room for human interaction. However, there are tasks that do not require human involvement, such as updating passwords or scheduling appointments. These tasks can be given to AI tools to free up time for tasks that require empathy and the human touch.  Customers don't dislike AI. They hate having to repeat themselves, being stuck in a loop, and wasting their time. Automation should be designed to make it easier for customers to get help without jumping through hoops and to be intelligent enough to seamlessly hand over when the technology on its own cannot solve the problem.  People want to know that the information they get from AI is accurate, private, and secure. Even a single major mistake from an AI can quickly erode trust, so businesses need systems to ensure their AI is reliable for everyone.   Customers like doing business in places where "everyone knows their name." AI can help scale this connection by helping employees remember and understand their customers as individuals. AI can augment employees' capabilities by providing access to customer history, assisting with current transactions, and anticipating future needs.   AI empowers companies to move beyond a reactive approach to proactive service by anticipating customer needs and addressing issues before customers even reach out. For example, if a customer gets disconnected in the middle of a support call, AI tools can proactively send them a text message with options to seamlessly pick up where they left off.   Because AI can analyze large amounts of information in real time, companies can be more attentive to their customers, resolving potential issues, reminding them of relevant information, and making tailored recommendations.  In the past years, convenience has been enough for most customers to do business with a company. But nowadays, it is a requirement.   The future of AI in customer service is not just about making things faster or easier. It is about creating delightful experiences. A balance of automation, personalization, proactive service, and trust is what makes customers feel valued.  Plus, Shep and John share more insights on what it takes to go from customer support to concierge-level service. Tune in!  Quote:   "Customers don't hate AI. They hate wasted effort."     About:    John Kim is the CEO of Delight.ai, an AI concierge platform with persistent memory and omnichannel continuity. Delight.ai is backed by Sendbird and trusted by over 4,000 brands, including DoorDash and Yahoo Sports.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where Empathy Meets Artificial Intelligence in Customer Service    Shep interviews Jen Grant, Chief Marketing Officer at Quiq. She talks about how intentionally designed AI, combined with human empathy, can create effortless, personalized experiences at scale that customers embrace.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   How can businesses prevent AI from making customer service mistakes?  How can personalization through technology enhance customer loyalty?  Why is an effortless customer experience crucial for building loyalty?  How can technology help anticipate customer needs?  How has customer willingness to interact with AI changed over time?  Top Takeaways:    Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for improving the customer and employee experience when it is designed with intention. Just as human agents need training, AI tools need enterprise controls, verification checks, and simulations to make sure they provide the right information and respond appropriately to customer needs.   More customers now consider interactions with AI to be part of the norm. But some are still hesitant to embrace it because of past frustrations with outdated systems, like confusing phone trees or long waits in loops they associate with all types of technology.  When interactions with technology, such as AI tools, create effortless experiences, customers are more willing to use them. Companies need to educate customers on how to use their technology and self-service solutions to improve their experiences.   Make it easy for customers to do business with you. This applies to every part of the customer's journey, not just technology.  Customers want answers and help fast. Give it to them with as little effort as possible.  Human empathy remains important, especially in high-stress situations. Customers need to be comfortable with how they are being helped and supported, whether it is AI, a human agent, or both working together. In stressful situations, customers appreciate the reassurance that a human agent will be there to provide empathy and assist them when tech-powered solutions are not working.  Technology should not replace people. Good technology makes it easier for employees to help customers and faster for customers to get solutions.  Personalization and empathy can be scaled through technology. Human employees can only remember so much. Technology can help them have instant access to a customer's data and history. When technology recognizes returning customers, anticipates their needs, and connects their history to current interactions, it replicates the feeling of being known and valued.   Plus, Shep and Jen talk about what could happen if companies began customer service interactions with a human for empathy, then transitioned to AI for efficiency, rather than forcing customers through automation before reaching a person. Tune in!  Quote:   "AI agents need clear guidance and verification checks to stop 'hallucination.’ It is important that if AI goes off track, companies need to catch and correct it before it gets to customers."  About:    Jen Grant, Chief Marketing Officer at Quiq. She has held executive leadership roles, including CEO, COO, and CMO, as well as senior marketing positions at Appify, Box, Cube, Dialpad, Elastic, Google, and Looker.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices