DCX Links | May 11, 2025
Stop Solving, Start Understanding: A New Mindset for Modern CX
Welcome to the DCX weekly roundup of customer experience insights!
Big shift alert: today’s customers are sharper, savvier, and seriously selective. They’re spending with intention, expecting clarity, and tuning out anything that feels confusing or irrelevant. The message? Make it make sense—and make it matter.
This month’s stories are all about CX that connects. From AI tools that feel like a travel buddy to wellness apps that guide without nagging, the winning moves right now are the ones that feel thoughtful, personal, and real. And when a CEO gets behind the wheel to hear feedback firsthand? That’s the kind of leadership that sticks.
So if you’re looking to build loyalty, trust, and those “they really get me” moments—you're in the right place.
Let’s make it count.
Let’s dig in.
-Mark
This week’s must-read links:
The "Make It Count" Consumer is Here
KAYAK’s AI Moves Are a Trip—Literally
Why Unanswerable Questions Might Be the Most Powerful CX Tool You’re Not Using
Oura Just Turned Your Dinner Plate Into a Data Point
Lyft's CEO Drives—Literally—to Rethink CX
What 5,000 Customers Just Told Us About CX—and What to Do About It
The "Make It Count" Consumer is Here
Quick take: KPMG's Summer 2025 Consumer Pulse shows a major consumer mindset shift: people are spending less, saving selectively, and demanding more value for every dollar. Trust, clarity, and relevance matter more than ever.
Why it matters for CX Pros:
Value is emotional. When budgets tighten, every experience counts. Customers don’t just want good prices—they want to feel like their time and money are well spent.
Transparency is trust. If prices are rising, explain why. Clear communication can be the difference between churn and loyalty.
Simplicity wins. With shoppers cutting back, make it effortless to find the essentials and feel good about the purchase.
Wellness is sticky. Gen Z and Millennials are prioritizing health and mental well-being. Products and experiences that support that will resonate deeply.
Experiences aren’t gone—they’re just measured. People still want travel, fitness, and joy—but they want them smarter, not fancier.
Want the full picture and all the data? The full KPMG report is packed with insights to help you rethink your CX playbook for a more selective, stressed-out, savvy consumer.
🔗 For all the details get the full report:
KAYAK’s AI Moves Are a Trip—Literally
Why it matters: KAYAK just dropped something big. Their new AI-powered travel tool, KAYAK.ai, isn’t just another feature—it’s a whole new way to plan trips. Think smart, simple, and totally built around you.
What CX pros should take from this:
Search like a human. You can talk to KAYAK.ai like you’re texting a friend. It understands stuff like “Where can I go for $500 in June from NYC?” That’s next-level personalization.
The PriceCheck tool? Genius. Snap a pic of a flight deal from another site, and it’ll scan hundreds of places to beat it. That’s how you turn a skeptical shopper into a loyal fan.
Start-to-finish help. From price alerts to real-time flight updates and full-blown trip suggestions—this thing’s got your back before you even pack.
Why this matters for CX teams: This isn’t just AI slapped onto a website. It’s AI as a helpful teammate. What if your brand’s assistant was actually… helpful?
KAYAK’s showing the way: don’t just use AI. Design it to serve.
🔗 Check out Kayak.ai—it’s worth stealing a few ideas from.
Why Unanswerable Questions Might Be the Most Powerful CX Tool You’re Not Using
Why it matters: In a world racing to automate answers, this Big Think article turns the usual logic on its head: maybe the real power lies in the questions we can’t answer. From Socrates to Zen monks to Jiddu Krishnamurti, some of the most transformative thinkers didn’t chase answers—they sat with better questions.
CX takeaway:
Stop auto-answering. Not every customer question needs an immediate solution. Sometimes, it’s more powerful to say, “Tell me more” and really listen.
Ask to expand, not resolve. Want to build deeper insights? Ask unanswerable questions like, “What’s a truth our customers feel but never say?” or “What are we assuming about the problem?”
Curiosity is a strategy. Socrates used questions to reveal blind spots. Zen masters used them to spark insight. CX teams can use them to uncover real needs, not just surface complaints.
Why this hits now: We’re flooded with tools that promise answers at speed. But real change, trust, and empathy come from the space before the answer, where the question still lingers.
Hold that space. Let the question hang. That’s where real CX transformation begins.
🔗 Learn more→ The Big Think
Oura Just Turned Your Dinner Plate Into a Data Point
Oura just launched two major AI features—Meals and Glucose—that move beyond steps and sleep to tackle a bigger goal: helping users understand their metabolic health in real life, not just in numbers.
What CX pros can learn from this:
Frictionless logging = better engagement. Snap a photo of your meal, and Oura’s AI breaks it down for you—no calorie counting required. Less effort, more insight.
Context is king. The new Glucose feature pairs Dexcom sensors with sleep, stress, and meal data for a fuller picture. That kind of context-rich experience is where CX should be headed.
AI as a coach, not a cop. Oura Advisor interprets trends and offers guidance, not judgment. It’s personalized, proactive, and empathetic—three traits every AI-powered experience should strive for.
The big shift: Instead of optimizing individual metrics, Oura’s building a system that helps people make smarter choices in the moment. That’s a blueprint for future-fit CX—one that’s integrated, intuitive, and built around the full human experience.
🔗 Learn more→ Source
Lyft's CEO Drives—Literally—to Rethink CX
Why it matters: David Risher doesn’t just sit in a boardroom making CX decisions—he gets behind the wheel. Literally. Every six weeks, the Lyft CEO drives real passengers to hear what’s working (and what’s not) directly from the source.
For CX pros, this is a masterclass in customer closeness:
Data has limits. With 2 million rides a day, it’s easy to hide behind dashboards. But Risher reminds us: real breakthroughs come from real conversations.
Listen like you mean it. A rider’s frustration with surge pricing led to Lyft’s Price Lock subscription. One simple comment turned into a sticky new feature with 70% monthly renewal.
Support starts with empathy. A restroom dilemma for NYC drivers inspired Lyft’s Restroom Finder. Small fix, big relief.
Bottom line: If you want to build experiences that matter, you’ve got to get out from behind the spreadsheet. Walk the floor. Ride the ride. Use the product. Ask better questions.
Risher doesn’t just lead with strategy—he leads with curiosity. And that’s a CX superpower.
🔗 Learn more→ CX Dive
What 5,000 Customers Just Told Us About CX—and What to Do About It
A new Gartner study reveals four big insights from over 5,000 customers—and it’s a wake-up call for service leaders chasing shiny AI objects while ignoring what customers actually want.
Key takeaways for CX pros:
AI anxiety is real. 88% of customers have major concerns about AI in service. Most fear it’ll block access to a human. Over half say they’d switch providers if AI made the experience worse.
Barriers to live support backfire. Making it harder to reach a human doesn’t reduce service volume—it just tanks satisfaction and leads to channel-hopping. Don’t force containment; guide with ease.
Search is shifting. One in three customers now go to YouTube, Reddit, or TikTok before traditional search engines. Your help content better show up there—or risk being invisible.
Self-service is hiding in plain sight. Mobile apps and IVRs are underutilized but deliver higher resolution rates. Don’t just invest in bots. Make forgotten channels smarter.
The move: Stop thinking only about channels. Start thinking about behaviors. Customers are telling you exactly what they need. The smartest service leaders are listening.
Full report via Gartner for the deep dive.
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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