DCX Links | January 5, 2025
Smart moves, bold insights, and the secrets to keeping customers hooked
Welcome to the roundup of customer experience insights!
This week’s lineup is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.
We’re diving into the practical steps to fix broken journey maps, exploring how luxury brands tap into emotions, and uncovering the tech secret retailers swear by to keep customers happy.
Plus, you’ll learn how to build a voice AI agent that people actually like and discover a reading list guaranteed to inspire your next big idea. Let’s get started!
Happy reading—and stay curious, DCXers!
-Mark
This week’s must-read links:
Is Your Journey Map Doing Its Job?
The Retail CX Cheat Code: Observability
Luxury Retail: It’s All About the Feels
Offboarding Psychology
How to Build a Voice AI Agent That Customers Actually Like
97 Book Suggestions
Before we jump in, I want to share a little bit of fun to get the year started.
Customer experience isn’t just a job; it’s an adventure. To celebrate the highs, lows, and downright absurdities we all face, here’s your official CX Bingo 2025 card. From “urgent” tickets that aren’t urgent to the dreaded “circle back” count, I’ve captured the quirks that make CX life both challenging and hilarious.
Print it, share it with your team, and let’s see who hits bingo first this year—extra points if you don’t roll your eyes along the way! 😉
Is Your Journey Map Doing Its Job?
By the numbers: Gartner says 82% of companies have journey maps, but only 47% actually use them. Ouch.
Why it matters: Most journey maps I’ve seen look great but don’t get the job done. Let’s fix that. If your map isn’t helping your team make better decisions, it’s just fancy wallpaper.
Key takeaways:
Retention is the name of the game: Keeping your current customers happy is your biggest growth opportunity. Map the whole journey—from buying to owning to recommending—and you’ll uncover where customers are slipping away.
Data or bust: Good maps don’t guess. Use real feedback, operational data, and research to make sure your map reflects what’s actually happening—not what you think is happening.
Teamwork makes the dream work: Bring in people from across your company. A broader perspective leads to better insights—and better results.
Simplify, simplify, simplify: Too much detail? No one’s using it. Zero in on the moments that matter most to your customers and make them shine.
Looks don’t matter (much): Sure, pretty is nice. But if your map isn’t solving real problems, it’s not doing its job. Ask yourself: Is this helping my team fix what matters? If not, it's time to rethink.
The Retail CX Cheat Code: Observability
Why it matters: Observability is becoming retail’s not-so-secret weapon for making digital experiences smooth and glitch-free. It’s not just tech-speak—it’s how retailers keep customers coming back.
Key takeaways:
So, what is it? Observability is like a real-time health tracker for your apps, websites, and systems. Retailers are using it to spot issues before they mess with customers’ experiences.
Big money moves: A New Relic (the Intelligent Observability Platform) study says 73% of retail leaders are upping their observability budgets. Why? It cuts downtime, boosts performance, and makes shopping experiences seamless.
Why CX wins: With online shopping exploding, every hiccup matters. Observability tools make sure your customers get fast, frustration-free experiences from start to finish.
For CX pros: Think of observability as your digital radar. It helps you see what’s going wrong and fix it before your customers even notice.
Unlock Leadership That Inspires Action
For CX professionals who lead, manage, or simply want to be heard—this is your playbook for building unshakable influence.
“What stood out was how action-oriented the course is. Each email comes with practical tips and challenges that I could apply immediately in my day-to-day interactions. It’s not just theory—I found myself practicing the advice on active listening, relationship building, and credibility right away. This positively impacted how I approached conversations and built connections with my colleagues and clients.” - Dr. Chris Brown, CEO MRI/MarketCulture
Luxury Retail: It’s All About the Feels
Why it matters: Luxury selling isn’t just about buying stuff. It’s about the feelings that come with it. McKinsey nails it in this McKinsey on Consumer and Retail podcast: the best luxury brands focus on emotions, not just transactions.
Key takeaways:
Make it personal: Luxury customers don’t just want a product—they want to feel special. Think pride, exclusivity, and belonging. If your brand isn’t hitting those notes, you’re missing the mark.
Experience = product: A gorgeous store, killer service, or even unboxing that feels like an event—those moments are as important as the thing you’re selling.
Tech can help: AI and data are stepping in to make luxury feel even more personal, especially online. The trick? Keep it human, even in the digital world.
Sustainability sells: Customers want to feel good about what they’re buying, so show off your sustainability creds. It’s not just good for the planet—it’s good for business.
For you: Whether you’re in luxury or not, think about how you’re making your customers feel. Are they proud? Excited? Connected? If you’re just delivering a product, you’re leaving a lot on the table. CX is emotional. It’s not about what you’re selling—it’s about how you make people feel. And that’s something every brand can learn from.
NEW from DCX: Get Every Department Onboard with Customer-Centricity
Want to build a true customer-first culture? The CX Leader’s Guide to Organizational Buy-In is your blueprint for getting every department—whether it’s customer service, sales, product, tech, finance, or HR—aligned with customer-centric practices.
Packed with actionable strategies, this guide shows how aligning team goals with customer needs drives real, measurable success. No fluff, no filler—just proven tips to get everyone on the same page. If you’re ready to turn theory into practice, this is the roadmap you’ve been waiting for.
Offboarding Psychology
Why it matters: Offboarding isn’t just about letting customers leave—it’s a golden opportunity to learn from them, maybe even change their minds, and leave a great impression. The secret? Tapping into some key psychological principles, while keeping ethics front and center.
What’s working:
Play on loss aversion: Nobody likes losing something good. Gently reminding customers what they’ll miss—like cool features or big savings—can make them think twice about leaving.
Offer something in return: A small discount or a personalized tip can go a long way. It taps into reciprocity, that little nudge that makes people feel like they owe you one.
Respect their decision: No one likes to be guilt-tripped. A smooth, pressure-free offboarding process leaves customers feeling respected—and way more likely to come back later.
Get the real story: Exit feedback is pure gold. Ask why they’re leaving, listen like you mean it, and use what you learn to make your product or service better.
Don’t forget the ethics:
Transparency matters: Be upfront about why you’re asking for feedback or offering incentives. Customers should know you’re trying to improve—not just keep them on the hook.
Avoid manipulation: Using psychological principles to trick or pressure customers isn’t just bad form—it’s bad for your brand. The goal is to build trust, even if they leave.
Respect boundaries: If a customer says no, take it at face value. A positive offboarding experience is about their comfort, not your retention stats.
For CX pros: Offboarding is your last chance to show customers you care. Handle it with empathy, learn from their reasons, and maybe even turn a goodbye into a “not yet.”
My take: There’s a lot of psychology behind why people stay or go. If you can figure out what matters most to your customers, show them you’re paying attention, and approach it ethically, offboarding becomes a win—even if they leave.
How to Build a Voice AI Agent That Customers Actually Like
What’s a Voice AI agent? Think of it as a digital assistant that listens, understands, and responds to customers through voice.
Provide 24/7, personalized support.
Reduce costs by automating repetitive tasks.
Make services accessible and user-friendly.
Why it matters: Voice AI isn’t just about answering questions—it’s about creating an experience that feels easy, natural, and even enjoyable. Deepgram’s guide lays out how to nail it.
What you need to know:
Get the basics right: Great voice AI starts with top-notch speech recognition and natural language understanding (NLU). If it can’t understand people, it’s game over.
Data is the MVP: The better your training data, the smarter your AI. Think real conversations—different accents, background noise, all the messy stuff. That’s what makes it work in the wild.
Keep it human: Voice AI doesn’t need to sound like a robot. It needs to feel like you’re talking to someone who gets it. Focus on designing conversations that flow naturally.
Always be improving: Voice AI isn’t “set it and forget it.” Watch how customers interact, gather feedback, and tweak it constantly to make it better.
For CX pros: A good voice AI can take the boring, repetitive stuff off your team’s plate and still make customers happy. But if it’s clunky or frustrating, it’ll do more harm than good.
Source
97 Book Suggestions
Timothy Stackhouse, a friend, former colleague, and a design lead at USAA, just dropped his 2024 reading list, and it’s the kind of lineup that makes you want to clear your calendar and dive in. He really knows how to pick books that stretch your brain, spark ideas, and maybe even change the way you look at the world.
This list is all over the map—in the best way. Whether you're into personal growth, leadership tips, deep dives into history, or just looking for a great story, there’s something here for you. Timothy’s got books on creativity, business strategies, social issues, and even a little contrarian wisdom to shake things up.
If you’re looking for your next read (or ten), Timothy’s list is the perfect place to start. Get ready to grow, think, and be inspired.
Follow him to see what he reads in 2025!
Timothy’s List with Amazon Links
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:
Got feedback? Tell me what’s working, what’s not, or what you’d love to see next.
Stuck on something? Whether it’s a CX challenge, strategy question, or team issue, hit me up—I’m here to help.
Just want to say hi? Seriously, don’t be shy. I’d love to connect, share ideas, or even swap success stories.
Your input keeps this newsletter fresh and valuable. Let’s start a conversation—email me, DM me, or comment anytime. Can’t wait to hear from you!
— Mark
www.marklevy.co
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P.S.
In addition to my day job and this newsletter, I want to share some of the exciting content and programs that I have cooked up for your personal and professional growth:
DCX Executive Coaching - 1:1 coaching for customer-obsessed leaders
The Daily Challenge SMS Service - Daily text messages designed to uplift your spirit, remind you of your worth, and inspire you to keep going, no matter what. -
7-Day FREE Trial
365 Days of Accountability - Accountability Books, Journals, and Exercises
I hope you find these programs useful. Let me know if you have any questions or need any further assistance.
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And I look forward to my loss interviews as well when we can get them. We also learn a lot when we provide the right environment for the customer to open up on why we weren’t selected (and then NOT try to immediately defend ourselves right after)
You’re totally right that a good ai voice matters. Bad sounding is a sure fire way to get the dreaded “Agent” or #00000