CX Now

About CX Now

CX Now is your podcast for intelligent CX. In the CX Now podcast, Lisa Painter, Head of Thought Leadership Experiences at Kustomer, chats with leaders in customer experience to share insights about what’s going on in the industry so you can stay up-to-date. Why another podcast? Our in-person CX Now events were such a hit with a goldmine of insights from our speakers and panelists. We thought: why not bring these insights to everyone year-round, wherever they are? Whether you're a CX executive, manager, or a frontline customer support agent looking to grow in their career, tune in for thoughtful conversations about CX strategy, best practices, lessons learned, AI and its applications in customer service, and more.

Publisher

Kustomer

Category

business · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Apr 2026

Latest episode

5 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Nov 2026

   Who Trains the AI? Human in the Loop and the Future of Support

   In this episode of the CX Now Podcast, host Andrew Bothwell talks with Stephanie Watson, Chief Operating Officer at Prisma by Mediaocean, about how her team turned off most of its support channels, went back to web forms, and rebuilt self-service from the ground up. CSAT stayed strong, and about 70% of support volume is now handled through self-service. Stephanie’s human specialists now train the AI, fill documentation gaps, monitor performance, and handle escalations. Takeaways Rebuilding self-service on purpose can move most of your volume: about 70% of Prisma by Mediaocean’s support now runs through it Treat AI as a service you train continuously: monitor outcomes, fill knowledge gaps, and define when a person steps in Chapters 00:00 Intro: Andrew and Stephanie debate coffee at interviews 03:33 Rebuilding customer service for AI and self-service 06:10 Adaptable teams, flatter structures, and human value 13:04 Employee experimentation and central AI enablement 18:19 Tracking AI spend and preventing duplicate builds 20:20 Choosing AI tools across CX and product 24:26 Build vs. buy: why vendor partnership matters 27:26 Turning CX capacity into customer value and growth 33:03 Human in the loop: training the AI 35:17 AI quality, customer expectations, and failure modes 41:27 Open platforms, consolidation, and the future of the support 49:49 Vendor loyalty and long-term commitments

2. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Design Smarter Workflows Without Overcomplicating Your Stack

   In this episode of the CXNow podcast, Lisa Painter and Caroline discuss the importance of intentional technology use in customer experience (CX) and how to navigate the complexities of workflows and systems. They emphasize the need for simplicity, iteration, and understanding the balance between technology and process to drive effective CX outcomes. Takeaways Intentional technology use is key Simplicity enhances customer experience Chapters 00:00 Embracing Intentional Technology Use 01:30 Navigating Technology and Workflow Challenges 02:58 The Importance of Simplicity in CX 05:22 Designing Effective CX Systems 07:58 The Need for Iteration and Feedback 08:51 Identifying Technology vs. Process Issues 11:06 Avoiding Costly Mistakes in CX 13:56 Maximizing Existing Tech Value 16:21 Real-Life Impactful CX Solutions 19:33 Core Principles for CX Leaders

3. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Better Customer Context, Better AI: Rethinking CX Automation

   In this episode of the CX Now Podcast, Lisa Painter interviews TJ Stein, Head of Customer Care at Ipsy, discussing the importance of customer context in enhancing AI-driven customer experiences. They explore the maturity model of AI deployments, common misconceptions about AI implementation, and the foundational groundwork necessary for successful AI integration in customer service. Takeaways Customer context is crucial AI implementation requires foundational groundwork Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Customer Context 01:00 AI Maturity Model in Customer Experience 02:53 Common Misses in Customer Context 04:59 Enhancing AI with Better Context 07:56 Foundational Groundwork for AI Success 11:01 Misconceptions About AI Implementation 14:52 Identifying AI Underperformance 17:12 Measuring Value from AI in CX 21:01 Advice for CX Leaders on AI

4. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Scaling CX Without Losing the Customer Experience

   Jennifer Villalba, Director of CX at 32 Degrees delves into the challenges of maintaining consistency in busy times, learning from scaling mistakes, navigating customer feedback, understanding the frontline role of CX, balancing tools and human touch, finding the balance between AI and human interaction, empowering agents while maintaining consistency, the pitfalls of overemphasis on automation in CX strategy, and avoiding overwhelming agents with new technology. Takeaways Maintaining consistency in busy times is a challenge for CX, especially during peak seasons. Balancing automation and human interaction is crucial for successful CX strategy. Chapters 00:00 Accidents Happen: Maintaining Consistency in Busy Times 03:00 Learning from Mistakes: Scaling Back and Its Consequences 05:09 Feedback and Decision-Making: Navigating Customer Feedback 07:00 The Role of CX: Understanding the Frontline of Customer Experience 09:29 Scaling CX: Balancing Tools and Human Touch 11:17 AI in CX: Finding the Balance Between Automation and Human Interaction 15:06 Empowerment and Consistency: Balancing Agent Empowerment and Service Consistency 20:23 CX Strategy: The Pitfalls of Overemphasis on Automation 23:07 Introducing New Tools: Avoiding Overwhelming Agents with New Technology

5. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Building Together: The Role of Engineering in Modern CX Organizations

   Host Lisa Painter and Jared Loman, Head of Operations & CX at Kick, explore the evolving relationship between CX and engineering teams, emphasizing trust, technical fluency, and the role of AI in collaboration. Jared shares why AI hasn’t replaced human judgement the way many predicted, the single most damaging habit that keeps CX stuck in the “complaint department” instead of earning a seat as the “context department”, and a concrete 30-minute action leaders can start taking tomorrow to build a stronger partnership with their engineering counterparts. Takeaways AI as a multiplier, not an additive Building relationships between CX and engineering The convergence of human judgment and AI Chapters 00:00 The AI Debate 03:04 The Role of Human Relationships in CX 05:30 The Importance of CX-Engineering Relationships 06:19 Responsibility in Relationship Breakdowns 10:04 Technical Knowledge in CX Leadership 12:24 Building Trust and Alignment 19:32 Navigating Tensions and Priorities 23:31 AI's Impact on CX and Engineering 26:50 Advice for Improving CX-Engineering Relationships

6. 

   20 Aug 2026

   CX at the Heart of the Business

   Jessica-Rose Garcia, Senior Manager of CX at OneSkin, shares her expertise on embedding customer experience at the core of business strategy. Discover how leadership commitment, effective metrics, and customer insights drive loyalty and elevate brand perception. Takeaways: CX must sit at the intersection of everything a business does, requiring leadership commitment and influence. Customer insights should be tied to impactful outcomes to drive action and decision-making. Chapters: 00:00 The Heart of CX 02:11 Signals of CX Marginalization 04:33 Customer Expectations and Premium Brands 07:18 The Role of CX in Business Transformation 09:45 Challenges of Customer Loyalty 11:33 Insights from Customer Interactions 14:12 Actionable Customer Insights 17:04 The Impact of CX Metrics 19:59 Return on Investment in CX 23:30 Shaping the Perception of CX

7. 

   14 Jul 2026

   From Data Warehouse to Boardroom: Putting Voice of the Customer to Work

   What does it actually take to make voice of the customer more than a buzzword? In this episode of CX Now, Lauren Gold sits down with Victoria Weiss, Senior Director, CX at Smalls, to talk about turning customer feedback into real operational and strategic change — and why so many organizations collect VoC data without ever acting on it. Victoria has spent a decade building voice of the customer programs from the ground up, at companies including Daily Harvest and now Smalls. In this conversation, she shares her personal playbook for standing up a VOC program from scratch, how to translate CX data into language other departments will actually act on, and why persistence — not perfection — is what makes a voice of the customer program stick long term. Victoria and Lauren dig into a real, tactical example: how a scrappy, low-cost packaging fix cut product damage by 50%, and why coming to the table with solutions (not just complaints) is what earns CX a seat in cross-functional conversations. They also cover the underrated power of CSAT as a business metric rather than just a CX metric, how to uncover the things customers don't explicitly tell you in reviews or surveys, and how AI is changing the way CX leaders surface trends without spending hours manually combing through conversations. Whether you're building a voice of the customer program for the first time or looking for ways to get your VOC data taken more seriously across the business, this episode is packed with practical, tested advice from someone who has done it more than once. In this episode, you'll learn: How to get voice of the customer data out of a data warehouse and into real decisions A step-by-step playbook for launching a VOC program from scratch How to build cross-functional relationships that make other teams want to act on CX data Why CSAT deserves to be treated as a business metric, not just a CX metric How to uncover what customers aren't explicitly telling you in feedback How AI is changing the way CX leaders find and act on trends Victoria's #1 piece of advice for any CX leader trying to grow their VOC program Timestamps: 00:00 Introducing Victoria Weiss, Senior Director, CX at Smalls 00:29 Why voice of the customer data often stalls in a data warehouse 00:50 Building cross-functional relationships to get CX data taken seriously 02:52 Customizing your talk track for different stakeholders 03:19 A real example: cutting product damage by 50% with a scrappy fix 05:49 How to start a voice of the customer program from scratch 06:06 Victoria's playbook: interview your team, stakeholders, and customers 08:24 Building a sustainable rhythm for sharing insights and closing feedback loops 09:20 What customers don't explicitly tell you — and how to uncover it 11:00 Following up directly with customers for more specifics 11:43 How central VOC should be to a CX leader's day-to-day decisions 13:10 The most underrated feedback source: CSAT as a business metric 14:26 Why sharing CSAT broadly builds team morale and accountability 15:18 How AI is changing the way CX leaders find trends in feedback 16:59 Victoria's #1 piece of advice for CX leaders improving their VOC programs 18:13 Closing thoughts About CX Now: CX Now is Kustomer's podcast for customer experience leaders who want practical, real-world insight into building better customer experiences. Hosted by Lauren Gold, Chief Customer Officer at Kustomer, each episode features candid conversations with CX practitioners and executives tackling the same challenges you are — from building VOC programs to scaling support with AI.

8. 

   2 Jul 2026

   The Right Model for the Job

   Lauren Gold and Kustomer CTO and co-founder Jeremy Suriel discuss the architectural considerations for building AI into a customer service platform, including model selection, orchestration layer, and privacy obligations. They also explore the debate around training own models versus relying on foundation models from big labs and the evolving role of in-house AI teams in B2B SaaS companies. Takeaways Model Selection: The approach to AI model selection involves a tiered architecture, with each model chosen based on its specific strengths and requirements. Orchestration Layer: Building a flexible orchestration layer allows for the integration of multiple AI models, providing customers with meaningful control over AI configurations. Privacy Obligations: Zero data retention agreements and residency matters are key considerations for maintaining customer trust and privacy obligations. Build vs. Buy: The conversation highlights the debate around training own models versus relying on foundation models from big labs, emphasizing the importance of building around the model rather than the model itself. In-House AI Teams: The evolving role of in-house AI teams in B2B SaaS companies involves integration, domain expertise, and bridging the gap between research and production. Chapters 00:00 Architecting AI for Customer Service Platforms 05:35 Orchestration Layer and Flexibility 17:34 Privacy Obligations and Data Residency

9. 

   18 Jun 2026

   Before It Breaks: How Elite Tech Support Teams Protect Customer Trust

   The conversation covers the importance of building customer trust, the role of proactive support, the impact of AI tools, insights and complexity in customer support, human involvement, retention of institutional knowledge, and the characteristics of an elite support organization. Takeaways Proactive support builds customer trust AI tools enhance customer support Human involvement remains crucial in customer support Chapters 00:00 Building Customer Trust 06:55 AI Tools in Customer Support 14:50 Human Involvement in Customer Support 35:54 Retention of Institutional Knowledge 41:07 Elite Support Organization

10. 

    5 Jun 2026

    The Emotional Labor Crisis in CX

    Jess Jackson dives into the emotional labor crisis in customer experience (CX), the impact of AI on team structure and agent exhaustion, strategies to prevent burnout and support agents, cultural approaches to address emotional load, AI's role in supporting agents, and the connection between emotional labor and business outcomes. Takeaways Emotional labor crisis in CX is a critical issue AI has the potential to support and improve the agent experience Chapters 00:00 Understanding Emotional Labor Crisis 09:08 Preventing Burnout and Supporting Agents 14:41 Addressing Emotional Load Culturally 22:21 AI's Role in Agent Support 27:36 Connecting Emotional Labor to Business Outcomes

11. 

    22 May 2026

    Keeping it Human in the World of AI

    Is AI actually transforming customer experience — or is the reality far messier than the hype? In this episode of CXNow, Lauren Gold sits down with Tue Søttrup, 20-year CX veteran and CEO of SmartRole, to separate boardroom mandates from ground-level truth. Tue shares why most enterprise AI implementations fail, what agents actually need to feel supported through the transition, and what the best CX organizations will look like five years from now. In this episode: Why CX leaders are getting AI wrong — and how to flip the approach The hidden cost of automating easy tickets How to build agent buy-in without the fear The service recovery paradox and why humans still win What proactive, AI-powered CX actually looks like Chapters 00:00 The Role of AI in CX 06:21 Challenges of AI Implementation 14:21 Training Agents to Work with AI 21:55 The Future of Human Agents and AI

12. 

    8 May 2026

    How Cate Marques Built a CX Career — and a Seat at the Table

    The conversation covers Cate Marques' journey to the top as an executive within CX, the early days of Terra Kaffe, the impact of showing up, the role of startups in growth, the transition to the C-suite, the importance of CX having a seat at the table, the risks of ignoring CX, misconceptions about CX, and advice for CX leaders. Key takeaways include the importance of showing up and the journey to the top. Takeaways Rising to the Top Showing Up Chapters 00:00 Advice for CX Leaders

13. 

    24 Apr 2026

    From CX to Culture: How Monika Aufdermauer Runs Employee Experience Like a Support Org

    The conversation explores the intersection of customer experience and employee experience, highlighting the proactive approach to support and problem-solving. It delves into the impact of leadership, onboarding philosophy, and the alignment of CX and employee experience, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making and the user-first approach. Takeaways Blending customer experience with employee experience Proactive approach to support and problem-solving Onboarding philosophy and impact - how to set people up for success on day 1

14. 

    10 Apr 2026

    Kustomer's AI Vision with Brad Birnbaum, CEO

    In the inaugural episode of CX Now, Lauren Gold and Brad Birnbaum discuss the transformative impact of AI on customer experience (CX). They explore how AI can enhance customer interactions, the importance of context in AI applications, and the balance between AI autonomy and human oversight. The conversation highlights the need for guardrails in AI systems, the potential for human-AI collaboration, and the future of AI in CX, emphasizing the rapid advancements in technology and the exciting possibilities ahead. Takeaways: Brad sees AI as a transformative force in customer experience. The importance of context in AI applications cannot be overstated. AI can supercharge human agents rather than replace them. Guardrails are essential to ensure AI operates within defined parameters. AI can assist in understanding customer history and preferences. Human-AI collaboration can enhance customer service efficiency. The journey to AI autonomy varies by business complexity. AI's rapid evolution is reshaping product development timelines. The future of AI in CX is promising but unpredictable. Innovative AI applications are just beginning to emerge.

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

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