A resource for customer experience (CX) and experience management (XM) professionals.
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Full Episode Listing

A complete list of episodes from The CX Leader Podcast.

The Academic Experience

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Episode #174

Released: July 13, 2021

According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 19 million people were enrolled in some level of college education for the fall semester of 2018. And just like any other business, it’s important for academic institutions to pay attention to their customer – or perhaps “student” – experience. But as you can imagine, CX in the higher education realm is a bit different. Host Steve Walker and guest Karla Fisher, chief industry advisor for education at Qualtrics, discuss the unique circumstances that CX pros work under at colleges and universities.

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The “Yes” Mentality

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Episode #185

Released: September 28, 2021

Customer experience includes many aspects of how we interact with our customers. One common aspect is the hospitality we afford to them. Some companies will have more opportunities to demonstrate hospitality than others – like hotels, restaurants, theaters, etc. So how can other companies take cues from these markets by putting a “yes” mentality in their customer interactions? Host Steve Walker welcomes Christine Trippi, an award-winning hospitality leader and the author of “Yes is the Answer: How Positivity, Passion, and Pineapples will transform your leadership and your life,” for a discussion on creating a "yes" mindset in your customer experience efforts.

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That’s a big CX program… and EX too!

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Episode #121

Released: June 16, 2020

Larger companies can sometime pose unique challenges to customer experience programs. CX leaders often have to navigate complicated business structures and, of course, the ever-so-frustrating “silos” that can exist in organizations. And if a company grows through acquisitions, it can be a challenge to integrate the existing customer experience programs. But it’s not impossible to innovate – regardless of the company’s size or age. Host Steve Walker welcomes guest Jen Zamora, Senior Global Director of Customer Experience & Employee Experience at Dow, the multinational materials science company, to discuss how a company the size of Dow manages CX and EX of their size and through corporate change.

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Thanksgiving

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Episode #94

Released: November 26, 2019

It's Thanksgiving here in the United States and we've dedicated an episode to sharing some short stories of customer experiences that made a positive difference in people's lives. Producer Chris Higgins hosts an episode with stories that include industries such as retail, automotive, restaurants, government agencies, and hospitality.

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Thank You for Your Service

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Episode #219

Released: May 31, 2022

One of the best institutions to learn leadership skills is the military. Veterans often become some of the best business leaders in their fields. So how does military life translate into becoming an effective customer experience leader? Host Steve Walker welcomes Michelle Buretta, a vice president and CX strategic advisor at Walker, for a discussion on how her service in the Army prepared her to be a customer experience leader.

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Talk Less, Listen More

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Episode #323

Released: July 9, 2024

What’s the first thing you think of when asked, “how well do you listen?” Many CX professionals might think of their listening systems: surveys, close-loop feedback, listening architectures. Some may say they interact with clients on a regular basis. But what about actively listening? Talking less and letting others express themselves, and then reassuring them that the conversation was worth it. Host Sara Walker welcomes Marisa Schwartz, senior regional medical director for St. Luke’s University Health Network, to discuss the importance of active listening.

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Taking the Mystery out of Mystery Shopping

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Episode #166

Released: May 18, 2021

Mystery shopping: it’s that common practice where companies hire professional “shoppers” to evaluate and report on how your customers experience your business and gain valuable perspective on the customer’s journey. But, like many things today, the pandemic has shifted how customer experience pros approach their practice. Host Steve Walker welcomes guest Michael Mills, global vice president of sales for HS Brands International, to discuss why CX pros should consider broadening their toolbox with this practice.

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Storytime

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Episode #142

Released: November 17, 2020

There are so many ways in which a companies' or individuals' efforts to provide an exceptional and memorable customer experience. It's easy to remember the bad experiences but important we share the good one's as well. In this episode, host Steve Walker welcomes back Shep Hyken, a customer service and experience expert, Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations, a best-selling author, to share stories of exceptional customer experiences.

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Stop, Start, or Change

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Episode #176

Released: July 27, 2021

It’s been said a countless number of times on this show: customer experience has never been more important for companies today. The pandemic has changed not only how businesses operate, but how consumers are make purchasing decisions. This has provided CX programs an opportunity to make a huge impact on how companies navigate their way through new territory as we start to see the world emerge from the pandemic. Host Steve Walker welcomes back Jay Baer of Convince and Convert to discuss how CX has - or can - make an impact.

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Steer clear of the process map

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Episode #25

Released: June 26, 2018

Journey mapping is a powerful tool in the CX leader's arsenal, but there are some "detours" you should avoid. In the first of a three-part series, Steve discusses how to avoid the process map detour with guests Melissa Meier from Walker, and Sheila March from Ascension Ministry Service Center.

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Starting from Scratch

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Episode #77

Released: July 19, 2019

It might sound like more work but sometimes building a CX program from the ground up has its advantages. Steve welcomes guest Roberta O'Keith of Murphy-Hoffman Company, a full-service truck dealership, to discuss how she started customer experience programs in companies that had no such efforts in place.

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Start Your Engines!

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Episode #236

Released: October 4, 2022

In a special CX Day Celebration episode and playing of this year's theme "CX Drives Success," host Steve Walker welcomes experts Sean Clayton, Sheila March, and Jack Walker for a fun panel discussion on how racing shares similar traits with customer experience. CX Day is held every first Tuesday in October by the Customer Experience Professionals Association as a global celebration of the customer experience profession.

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SPRINTing to a solution

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Episode #30

Released: July 31, 2018

"Death by meeting” is a popular term, and it’s not uncommon to see businesses attempt to conceive and launch new solutions or products over a period of weeks - or months! But in the customer experience realm, speed is critical. Steve welcomes consultant Jack Walker to explain how the SPRINT process used in software companies can take the time needed to develop new CX programs from months down to days.

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Spinning-off without getting dizzy

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Episode #99

Released: January 14, 2020

Corporate changes such as spinning off a part of a company or rebranding can have dramatic effects on customer experience, so tooling your CX program for the disruption is critical. Pat Gibbons guests hosts with guests Rafael Chavez and Kory Weisman from Clarios, formerly known as Johnson Controls Power Solutions, to discuss how they navigated their CX programs during big changes within their company.

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In this special encore presentation, Steve Walker hosts the Live with CXPA event "Key Ingredients for Making an Impact with CX." As the ultimate advocate for customers, customer experience professionals are supposed to be catalysts for change and influential in building a customer-focused culture. However, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of managing a CX program and question if all this effort is really making a difference. In this session, join guest host Steve Walker and special guests Ian Golding, CCXP, Greg Melia, CAE, and Roxie Strohmenger, CCXP, as they discuss how to rise above surveys, dashboards, training, and other program components to really make a difference for your organization.

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Steve Walker hosts another Live with CXPA event with guests Mark Slatin, senior vice president and director of CX at Sandy Springs Bank, and Ann Schrader, CX strategist at Farm Credit Service of America, for a discussion on ways for CX leaders to improve their CX program’s visibility and build a reputation as a valuable part of their company’s strategy.

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Customer experience and employee experience are typically separate programs run by different departments. However, what if they were more in sync? Join guest host Steve Walker of the CX Leader Podcast along with a guest panelists Troy Powell, Jennefer Pursifull, and Ryan Willis for advice and examples that show how CX and EX can be integrated - all in service of creating more engaged employees and loyal customers.

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