DCX Links | June 1, 2025
What to Kill, Keep, or Clone in Your 2025 CX Strategy
Welcome to the DCX weekly roundup of customer experience insights!
Welcome to the great paradox of modern customer experience: The more we automate, the more human we need to be.
This week’s CX insights circle a common, pressing theme—the race to innovate without losing what makes us real. From Da Vinci’s reminder to let go, to UBS’s cloned analysts, and AI bots booking your doctor’s appointments, one thing is clear: AI isn’t just a tool. It’s a mirror.
It’s reflecting back our habits, our blind spots, and our values.
Do we default to chatbots or design truly helpful interactions? Do we use AI to free people—or quietly replace them? Can we lead boldly without clinging to the past?
Great CX in 2025 isn’t about choosing between human and machine. It’s about leading with wisdom, designing with empathy, and knowing when to step back—so the right experience can step forward.
Let’s dive in.
-Mark
This week’s must-read links:
The Da Vinci Reset
Why Chatbots Alone Aren’t the Future of UX
Wake-Up Call: Leadership in the AI Age
AI Is Coming for Your Call Center—Starting with Healthcare
Yep, People Will Pay More for a Better Experience
UBS Just Cloned Its Analysts—And Clients Are Into It
The Da Vinci Reset
Big Idea: The most powerful shift you can make in life isn’t learning how to live. It’s learning how to let go.
What’s the quote? Leonardo da Vinci once said, “While I thought that I was learning to live, I have been learning how to die.” At first glance, it sounds dark. But author Thomas Oppong shows us how it’s the ultimate reframe.
Why it matters to CX pros: You’re often taught to optimize, improve, and control outcomes. But what if maturity in your role came not from adding more, but from releasing what no longer works?
CX Leadership Reframe:
Let go of needing to know everything
Let go of what worked last year
Let go of ego and status in pursuit of better service
Life lesson, leadership lesson: Thomas Oppong, writer and productivity philosopher behind the Medium publication Postanly, quoting Jung, Seneca, and Tolle, reminds us that the most important work we do as leaders is shedding our false selves. You don’t need to be the expert. You need to be the learner. The one brave enough to release control, embrace impermanence, and lead with presence.
Try this: At your next team meeting, ask this: "What process, mindset, or belief do we need to let go of in order to serve our customers better?"
One last insight: Da Vinci wasn’t lamenting life—he was celebrating clarity. The kind that only comes when you’re willing to stop clinging.
Because when you let go, you make room. For growth. For connection. For what actually matters.
🔗 Learn more→ Source
Why Chatbots Alone Aren’t the Future of UX
The quick take? Chat is the backup plan—not the big idea. Allen Pike, CEO of Forestwalk Labs, nails it: typing into a box and getting a wall of text back? Been there, done that. It’s giving ‘80s terminal energy. We can do better.
Why CX folks should care: If your AI game is just a chatbot, you're playing small. The real win? Helping people get stuff done faster, smoother, and without having to think so hard.
What’s Actually Working
Sidekick-style AI: Think co-pilot, not chatbot. It’s just… there when you need it.
Search that speaks human: “Offsite flight info” should actually work. No Boolean gymnastics.
Right-click magic: Contextual AI actions—because hunting for commands is so last year.
Just type it: “36pt semibold Helvetica.” Done. No more dropdown fatigue.
Real-time feedback: AI that nudges you mid-flow—“tighten this,” “add a source”—is gold.
Background cleanup: AI that silently organizes your digital mess? Yes, please.
Next-best step? Already done: Smart tools that guess what’s next and tee it up.
The wild card? UIs built on the fly, totally personalized. Could be genius. Could be a mess. Either way, it’s coming.
Bottom line: Don’t stop at chat. Build experiences that feel obvious, helpful, and human. That’s the future of CX.
🔗 For all the details→ Source:
Wake-Up Call: Leadership in the AI Age
The shift is real Jim VandeHei (Axios co-founder) doesn’t mince words: if you’re a leader and you’re not all-in on figuring out AI, you’re falling behind. The pace isn’t slowing. In fact, we may only have 18–36 months before AI starts radically reshaping how every team, job, and business functions.
Why CX pros should listen: Because customers don’t pause for tech confusion. They’ll reward the teams that adapt first. This is about survival, not just strategy.
What strong leaders are doing now:
Stop sugarcoating. Be brutally honest: AI could wipe out roles. If you’re not experimenting, you’re putting your career at risk.
Create the playground. Give your team access to AI tools and space to test. Ask how they’d 2x—or 10x—their impact using it.
Lead out loud. Most execs are quiet about what’s coming. VandeHei says: over-communicate. People need a roadmap—even if it’s fuzzy.
Bet on reinvention. Some orgs will be broken by AI. Others will be reborn. Choose your path.
Simplify, hard. Help your team get crystal clear on their top 3 priorities. Then ask how AI can support those exact things.
The takeaway: This isn’t about tools. It’s about mindset. You don’t need to be a futurist. You just need to be real, fast, and relentlessly curious.
Author: Jim VandeHei is co-founder of Axios and Axios HQ, and a straight-talking voice on leadership, media, and tech.
🔗 Learn more→ Source
AI Is Coming for Your Call Center—Starting with Healthcare
What’s Going On AI voice bots with scary-good human voices are now booking appointments, refilling prescriptions, and even triaging patients. The job call center reps used to do? AI is doing it faster, cheaper, and non-stop.
Why it matters: If AI can crack healthcare—where emotions run high and mistakes cost lives—it can handle anything. This isn’t a trend. It’s a takeover.
Cutting Out the Human Zocdoc’s AI handles 70% of bookings without help. Sounds slick. But what do we give up? Empathy. Instinct. The stuff a bot can’t script. And when something feels off, you want someone who knows, not someone who’s guessing.
Hard Job, Harsher Reality Call centers are already pressure cookers. Long nights. Tight timers. Zero room for error. Now? Workers are watching bots inch closer to their jobs. One nurse nailed it: “We’re the backup to the healthcare system.”
Follow the Money Execs talk about “AI support.” But follow the pitch: Pay for 1.5 humans, get the work of 2. Translation? Replace people. Bank the savings.
What CX Pros Need to Get
Don’t just chase efficiency—protect trust.
Use AI to lighten the load, not erase the soul.
How you use tech shows what you really value.
The Next Wave AI that hears emotion. Changes accents. Learns behaviors. It’s not just changing workflows—it’s changing people. What’s at risk isn’t just jobs. It’s the heartbeat behind the headset.
🔗 Learn more in the LA Times
Yep, People Will Pay More for a Better Experience
Here’s the deal: According to new data from Qualtrics XM Institute, 72% of U.S. consumers say they’ll shell out extra cash for a premium experience. This isn’t just about flying first class (though 84% would upgrade there too). It’s about smoother service, better support, and fewer headaches across industries.
Why CX folks should care: In a tight economy, this is your edge. The data backs it: people want better experiences, and they’re willing to pay for them.
What actually matters:
Customer service makes or breaks it. It’s the top loyalty driver.
Pain points aren’t created equal. Late baggage? Annoying. Rude or unhelpful rep? Dealbreaker.
Two-thirds say their last customer experience could’ve been better. That’s your opportunity.
So what do you do with this?
Don’t fix everything. Fix what really drives sentiment.
Tear down the walls between teams—your customer doesn’t care who owns the channel.
Use AI to remove friction, but keep the human touch where it counts.
The big idea: Experience is your pricing power. People are telling you what they value. The smart brands are already listening—and cashing in.
🔗 Learn more→ Source
🔗 Related: Consumer Journeys needing improvement, 2025
UBS Just Cloned Its Analysts—And Clients Are Into It
What’s going on: Financial Times reporter Simon Foy says UBS is now using OpenAI and Synthesia to create AI-powered avatars of its analysts. These digital versions read AI-written scripts based on actual reports—and turn them into quick-hit videos for clients who prefer watching over reading.
Why CX folks should pay attention: This isn’t some sci-fi prototype. It’s happening right now. UBS is scaling research and saving time with digital clones—and if it works for finance, it might work for your team too. But seriously... is this really where we’re headed?
Here’s how it works:
Analysts volunteer to record their voice and image.
AI writes a video script from their latest report.
The avatar delivers the message, with final sign-off from the human analyst.
UBS wants to grow from 1,000 to 5,000 videos a year.
Where it gets weird:
Some accents don’t translate well—it flattens people’s personalities.
Every video is clearly labeled as AI-made (transparency matters).
It’s technically a deepfake... but with permission.
The bigger question:
We all say we care about connection and authenticity. But when polished, AI-generated videos are faster and easier—do we really?
What to think about:
Would your best customer experiences come from your people—or a well-scripted digital copy of them?
🔗 Learn more→ UBS
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? Hit me up whether it’s a CX challenge, strategy question, or team issue—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. I can’t wait to hear from you!
— Mark
www.marklevy.co
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