How to Future-Proof Your CX Leadership: Top 5 Tips by Blake Morgan

Crowned “The Queen of CX," Blake Morgan speaks about the future of CX across the globe, helping to transform their leadership with industry experience and research. Committed to providing exceptional CX insights, she highlights how agents and leaders can maximize AI to deliver a seamless customer journey.

1. How has your career journey shaped your perspective of effective customer experience—one that keeps people coming back? 

I’ve always been interested in technology, communication and people. I started studying customer experience and the internet. In 2007, we called it “Web 2.0,” but the internet and smartphones forever changed the way businesses interact with customers. Suddenly, companies had to be better communicators, and customer experience had a big impact on building the brand. 

In the last 15 years, your communication with customers started shaping your brand in a way we haven’t seen before. The contact center has earned a seat at the table, and now, all eyes are on how AI can further transform the employee and customer experience. 

A McKinsey analysis revealed that, between 2016 and 2021, companies leading in customer experience (CX) achieved more than double the revenue growth compared to those lagging in CX—stats like these are generating the attention of CEOs everywhere. For two decades, I’ve worked at startups and Fortune 100 companies, and for the past ten years, I've flown to the far corners of the earth to bring my keynote speeches to audiences everywhere.

My third book is called The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules For Building A Business Around Today’s Customer. I’ve also produced a LinkedIn course that almost 10,000 people have taken on change management and AI in the contact center.

2. How does technology like AI harmonize the balance between seamless CX and authentic human-to-human engagement? 

IBM revealed that 77% of businesses are using or exploring AI to enhance CX, with many expecting it to transform key aspects like response time and personalization. Another report highlighted that executives believe AI has the potential to boost productivity by 40% and will become the most significant competitive advantage in the future.

AI enhances customer service by automating routine tasks, providing real-time support, and improving overall service efficiency. Chatbots and virtual assistants provide faster response times and ensure 24/7 availability. Analyzing customer sentiment and offering suggestions for more effective interactions ultimately improves service quality. There are many ways AI creates efficiencies in customer experience, but the unknown is how businesses will redeploy their resources that they no longer need in the contact center. 

There are also many ways to add value to customers’ lives, and time will tell if the displaced contact center agents will fulfill other roles. It will be a long time before AI doesn’t need oversight by humans, but many predict that day will come.

3. How can contact centers integrate technology and upskilling resources into their growth strategy?

According to Deloitte, a leading Fortune 500 software company conducted a trial of a new generative AI solution within its customer service division. This was the latest iteration of a GPT platform—developed with data gathered from past interactions among their 5,000 agents. The solution was designed to provide real-time recommendations to agents, offering guidance on how to respond to customer inquiries effectively and providing pertinent internal resources to tackle technical issues.

The results of this trial were impressive. The company experienced a 14% improvement in the number of customer chats successfully resolved per hour. This improvement was even more significant among less seasoned agents, with a substantial increase of 35%. This indicates that the AI system was particularly effective in helping newer agents accelerate their progression along the learning curve, allowing them to perform at higher levels more quickly. 

Research shows that agents trained on AI in supportive groups adopt the technology better. With that said, consider training your agents in groups so they can share best practices and lessons learned, rather than making them go at it alone.

4. Building a future-proof and resilient workforce is essential. How can current technologies equip leaders?

It’s extremely important that at the top of the company, technology decisions are made across the business, not in different fiefdoms. Having a central team or group of people that are looking to solve AI gaps across the business is crucial. Many companies are seeing success with a digital sandbox where employees can test new technologies and try new things. It’s a different mindset that embraces change and disruption.

5. What are some top lessons for businesses looking to differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace leveraging AI and other digital tools? 

The best way to compete is through customer experience. If you find ways to add value to customers’ lives, you will never be without customers. If you’re just looking to cut costs by throwing AI at customers, this is a mistake. You can have your cake and eat it too if you solve gaps with technologies, but also create a human experience for customers that establishes trust, makes them want to come back, and tell their friends.

Looking for more business insights for the modern career woman? Check out our inaugural CCWomen magazine issue here!