DCX Links | April 6, 2025
Ditch the Dashboard: Leading with Humanity in an AI World
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Welcome to the DCX roundup of customer experience insights!
This week’s stories all hit on the same nerve: just because we can measure it, automate it, or script it—does it mean we should?
From AI taking on tier 1 support to chatbots changing accents mid-call… from companies trying to manufacture joy to leadership getting lost in dashboards—it’s clear we’re overdue for a mindset shift.
The best CX doesn’t come from forcing connection or optimizing every micro-interaction. It comes from designing with intention. Making room for empathy. Using tech to support humans, not manage them.
If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a pop-up asking how much you loved your app experience, this one’s for you
Happy reading—and stay curious, DCXers!
-Mark
This week’s must-read links:
AI = Your New First Responder
Talk Like a Local—Literally
Fake It ’Til You Burn Out?
AI’s Not Just Buzz—It’s Doing the Work
Robots Don’t Scare Us—But Friendly Ones Might
Stop Measuring Everything. Start Leading Something.
AI = Your New First Responder
In this quick hit from HBR, Brian Donahue—VP of Product at Intercom—keeps it simple: AI agents should be your first line of support. They knock out the easy stuff fast, freeing up your team to handle the real curveballs.
Why you should care
Customer service teams are expected to do more with less. AI helps you pull that off—but only if you set it up right. Brian breaks down how to make it work, without the tech headaches.
The 3 Buckets: What AI Can Handle
Quick facts — These are your standard, rinse-and-repeat questions. Like "what are your hours?" or "how do I reset my password?" AI grabs answers straight from your help center.
Personalized stuff — These are questions that depend on the customer’s info, like “when’s my delivery arriving?” AI pulls the data and gives a tailored reply.
Do something for me — Here’s where it gets cool. AI can actually take action—cancel an order, issue a refund, even set up a virtual card. It’s not just answering—it’s handling things.
Let your team focus on what matters
With AI owning the basics, your human agents can focus on the tough cases—complex issues, tricky decisions, and those moments where empathy turns a bad experience into a loyal customer.
If you're in CX...
Start small. Train AI on the easy wins first, then build from there. As long as your knowledge base is solid and your systems are connected, AI can scale fast—and smart.
🔗 Want to watch the video? Right this way → HBR.com
Talk like a local—literally
Krisp just dropped something pretty wild: real-time accent switching during calls. It kicks off with Indian English to U.S. English and uses AI to tweak how you sound—without changing your actual voice. The idea? Help people feel more familiar and easier to understand.
Why CX folks should care
Good conversations = better outcomes. For global support or sales teams, being clearly understood can move the needle. Krisp says their early enterprise tests showed a 26.1% bump in conversions and a 14.8% lift in revenue per book. Not too shabby.
Here’s how it works
Your voice stays yours—just with a different accent.
No setup or training needed. It adapts on the fly.
You can turn it on anytime—before or during a call.
It’s still in beta
When tested by a reporter, the voice didn’t always sound super natural and even dropped a few words. Krisp says it’s a work in progress, but the early results have them feeling confident.
Who’s this for?
They started with Indian accents because of the huge global STEM workforce and plan to add more soon (Filipino’s next). Other companies like Sanas are already doing similar stuff in call centers.
What’s coming next
Krisp’s building iOS and Android apps and a Chrome extension for smoother Google Meet calls.
Founder vibes
Co-founder Arto Minasyan built this to fix something he dealt with himself—people not understanding him, even though his English was solid. Two years later, he’s hoping this helps global teams connect more clearly—and feel more human.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the Zoom
What does it really mean to change how someone sounds to make them more "acceptable" on a call? Are we breaking down barriers—or leaning into bias? It’s a legit ethical question. CX leaders need to think about clarity and inclusivity. Both matter.
🔗 Learn more→ Techcrunch
🔗 Check out the Demos
Fake it 'til you burn out?
At Starbucks, baristas now have to scribble uplifting notes on your coffee cup—because, apparently, “you’re amazing” pairs well with oat milk. It’s part of CEO Brian Niccol’s plan to create “moments of connection.” But let’s be real—it’s starting to feel more like a corporate checklist than a genuine gesture.
Why CX folks should pay attention
More and more companies are trying to bake joy into the job—on demand. From Google’s “office should be fun” memo to Tiffany’s internal morale-boosting app (nicknamed “Forced Joy” by employees), the message is loud and clear: Show up. Be happy. Or at least look like it.
The vibe’s getting weird
Starbucks rolled out its cup-writing rule the same week it laid off 1,000 corporate workers.
Tiffany launched an app to boost morale. Staff weren’t buying it.
Googlers got told that coming back to the office should feel fun. (Did it?)
The numbers don’t lie
Only 39% of employees say someone at work genuinely cares about them as a person. That’s down from 47% in 2020. Gallup calls it the “Great Detachment.” And it shows.
This isn’t new, but it’s definitely louder
Emotional labor’s always been part of service work—smile, be upbeat, act like you love it. But now, it’s showing up in more places, and the volume’s turned way up. With AI scooping up technical tasks, emotional skills are becoming the last frontier.
So where do we go from here?
Of course connection matters. And sure, fun helps. But scripted joy? It misses the mark. Real connection comes from letting people be human—not from telling them to act like they’re having the time of their life when they’re drowning in orders.
CX takeaway
Culture isn’t something you can force with a policy memo. If you want people to show up with energy and empathy, give them a workplace that actually supports it. When joy is real, everyone feels it—customers included.
🔗 More on employee engagement → Bloomberg Opinion
AI's not just buzz—it's doing the work
At the Qualtrics X4 conference, CX leaders from Verizon, Indeed, ServiceNow, and Qualtrics all circled back to the same big idea: Generative AI is here, and it’s making life a whole lot easier. Not by replacing people, but by taking the heavy lifting off their plates.
From red wagon to rocketship
Deborah Campbell from Verizon nailed it—before AI, their data tools were like dragging a red wagon. Now? They’re building a rocket. With AI, they’re blending call logs, chats, and social posts into one clear view of the customer journey. No more siloed reports—just insight that actually makes sense.
Personalization for the rest of us
Manisha Powar from Qualtrics said it straight: you used to need deep pockets and a genius squad to personalize CX. Not anymore. With AI, even small teams can make every customer feel like a VIP. Real personalization is finally on the table for everyone.
Freeing up brain space
At Indeed, Adam Hagerman calls it “removing cognitive overhead.” Basically, AI helps teams cut through the data overload so they can focus on solving real problems. It's not taking over—it’s clearing the clutter so people can do their best work.
AI that supports, not replaces
Bill McDermott from ServiceNow says 80% of support cases are now handled by AI—but nobody got laid off. Why? Because the humans are now focused on growing the business. His pitch: smart AI = more impact, not fewer jobs.
Real talk for CX leaders
Generative AI isn’t magic—but it’s powerful. The teams winning with it are the ones using it to amplify what people do best: connect, problem-solve, and create great experiences. It’s not about the flashiest tech—it’s about using it to lift your team and your customers.
🔗 Get the Full Story→ CX Dive
🔗 Related→ Qualtrics Innovations Showcase
Robots don’t scare us—but friendly ones might
People are way more likely to fudge the truth with a cold, robotic chatbot. But give that bot a name, a little personality, maybe even a cute avatar, and boom—fraud attempts drop by 18.5%. Just by making your AI feel a bit more like a person.
Why this matters for CX folks
If your chatbot deals with stuff like refunds or returns, it could be a magnet for sneaky behavior. But a bot that feels human? It makes people think twice. It’s not about fooling them—it’s about reminding them there’s a line not to cross.
The numbers don’t lie
In four experiments, researchers found:
People were 34.7% more likely to cheat the system with an AI vs a real person
10.6% more likely to give a fake return reason
Felt 19.5% less guilty lying to bots But if the bot felt human? That sketchy behavior dropped by 18.5%.
What’s going on here
When we think no one’s emotionally invested, it’s easier to bend the rules. But if the chatbot feels a little more like a person, we connect—and suddenly guilt shows up to the party.
What others are doing
H&M’s bot? Totally robotic. Might be opening the door to more fraud.
Bank of America’s “Erica”? Has a name, adapts tone, escalates to a human when needed.
Wrike and A-Lehdet use names, emojis, and warmth to keep things honest—and it works.
Want to try it?
If your bot handles sensitive stuff:
Give it a real name. Not just “SupportBot42.”
Add a friendly tone and maybe a face or avatar.
For high-stakes requests, let users know a human might step in.
CX takeaway
When bots feel human, people behave better. A little warmth and personality goes a long way—and could save your business from a bunch of avoidable headaches.
🔗 Explore the original→ Source
🔗 Science Says Author→ Thomas McKinlay
Stop measuring everything. Start leading something.
This one’s for anyone who’s been asked to rate a bathroom experience with a smiley face button or got hit with a price surge while trying to book an Uber. If you’ve felt that little twinge of frustration—welcome to the world of measureship.
What’s measureship?
It’s today’s go-to management style: track all the things, obsess over dashboards, and squeeze every last drop of efficiency out of the system. But in chasing every metric, companies lose the plot. They become:
Anti-human: Common sense gets sidelined by numbers.
Directionless: Too much data buries what actually matters.
Innovation-averse: If it can’t be measured, it won’t be tried.
Value extractive: Instead of creating value, they try to wring it from every corner.
The leadership alternative
There’s a better way—lead with empathy, story, and new ideas:
Be relentlessly pro-human: Focus on what real people actually need. That’s where value begins.
Use qualitative signals: Not everything worth knowing fits in a spreadsheet.
Tell stories, not just stats: Rally people with vision, not just OKRs.
Track what matters: Minimum Viable Metrics. Cut the clutter.
Lead with imagination: Keep moving forward. Make your competition play catch-up.
The big opportunity
We’re in a cycle of efficiency—but it’s running out of steam. Brands that are just optimizing the status quo are leaving the door wide open. If you're in CX, brand, or leadership, this is your chance to zag while everyone else zigs.
These insights come from Patrick Worthington, whose thinking consistently challenges the status quo and pushes for a more human-centered, imagination-driven future of business.
🔗 Read the original→ Off Kilter
Thank you!
I hope you found value in this week’s links. See you next Sunday at 8:15 am ET!
If this edition sparked ideas, share it with a colleague or team member. Let’s grow the DCX community together!
👋 Please Reach Out
I created this newsletter to help customer-obsessed pros like you deliver exceptional experiences and tackle challenges head-on. But honestly? The best part is connecting with awesome, like-minded people—just like you! 😊
Here’s how you can get involved:
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— Mark
www.marklevy.co
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An app for accent conversion is an interesting one. What comes to mind is not only whether the customer understands a call centre operator in an offshore location for example.... but vice versa, will the agent understand the customer if they are speaking in strong regional accent?