DCX Links | May 25, 2025
CX is getting weird—and kind of wild.
Welcome to the DCX weekly roundup of customer experience insights!
This week’s stories all hit the same nerve: things are changing fast, and the old CX playbook is feeling pretty outdated. Personalization’s gone from cool to kinda creepy. Culture? It’s not something you can fix with a company-wide email. And AI? It’s already making moves most teams aren’t ready for.
The big theme? Control is out. Real connection is in. It’s not about having perfect systems—it’s about showing up in the messy, human moments that actually matter.
Let’s get into it.
Let’s dig in.
-Mark
This week’s must-read links:
Nobody Asked for This Much Personalization
Culture Doesn’t Scale in Slide Decks
★ Beats 4.0/5 — Every Time
Why "Best-in-Class" Isn't Enough Anymore
Trying It On—Virtually
The $4 Trillion CX Shift No One’s Talking About
Nobody Asked for This Much Personalization
Dave Michels, Principal Analyst at TalkingPointz is waving the red flag on hyper-personalization. Sure, customers want smoother experiences. But being tracked across every click, swipe, and blink? That’s not helpful—that’s creepy. The CX dream might be turning into a data-fueled nightmare.
Cool or just creepy?
AI that figures out what you want before you do? Cool in theory. But when your phone, smartwatch, and grocery store loyalty card all sync up to know your sleep, snacks, and Spotify habits—that’s crossing a line. As Michels says: even Orwell’s Winston had more privacy.
Too much data, not enough connection
We’ve got the data. Tons of it. The problem? It’s all stuck in different systems. Marketing, service, loyalty programs—they’re not talking. So what we call “personalization” is often just a clunky mashup of disconnected info.
Integration is the real beast
Smashing silos sounds great. Doing it? Brutal. And even if we could perfectly unify the data... do we really want to?
What CX folks need to hear
Just because you can personalize everything doesn’t mean you should. Keep it useful. Keep it human. And whatever you do—don’t be a creep.
🔗 Learn more→ Source
Culture Doesn’t Scale in Slide Decks
Why this matters
Kyle Jones, cloud architect, writer and author of Hands-On AWS CDK calls out the biggest myth in employee engagement: that it can be solved with campaigns. But culture isn’t a branded survey or CEO video. It’s how people talk—especially when no one’s watching.
Forget dashboards
Real engagement lives in conversations, not KPIs. It’s built when managers check in, ask questions, and actually listen. One team boosted engagement with a single habit: 15-minute weekly chats. No script. Just presence.
The manager effect
Managers—not HR—make or break culture. When they lead with curiosity, teams open up. Productivity rises. So does trust.
Micro > Massive
Small moments matter: a quick “You nailed that,” a chance to speak up, a little visibility. These signals shape culture way more than all-hands decks ever will.
Do this instead
Ditch the annual survey. Check in weekly.
Train peers to lead real convos.
Send execs to listen, not speak.
Bottom line
Culture fails in silence. Build trust one real conversation at a time.
🔗 For all the details→ Source:
★ Beats 4.0/5 — Every Time
Turns out, how you show ratings matters as much as the rating itself. Thomas McKinlay, Founder of Science Says shares new research: people trust stars more than numbers. Even if it’s the same score, a few shiny stars feel better than a 4.0/5. And that difference? It boosts clicks, choices, and conversions.
Star power is real
A product rated ★★★★☆ was picked 64% more often than when shown as "4.0/5"
A 3.5-star portable charger? Judged 24% higher with visuals
Google Ads with stars? 52.6% higher click-through rates
Why it works
Blame our brains. We see "3.7" and round it down to "3." That’s called left-digit bias. But stars don’t trigger that. We see ★★★★☆ and think: not perfect, but solid. That nuance drives action.
Quick CX playbook
Use visuals like stars or bars to display ratings
Avoid decimals (e.g. 3.8/5)
Highlight early reviews that are specific and helpful
Don’t be afraid of 4.2–4.4 ratings—they feel more honest than 5.0
Bottom line
Don’t just aim for high ratings. Show them in a way that feels good. In CX, perception is the experience. And stars shine brighter than numbers.
🔗 Learn more→ Source
Why "Best-in-Class" Isn't Enough Anymore
Customer service pro Shep Hyken has been waving the customer experience flag for decades. His advice? Simple, practical, and spot-on. This video is a 3-minute masterclass on what great really looks like.
The Bottom Line: your customers aren't just comparing you to your industry peers. They're comparing you to the best experience they've ever had—whether that’s with Amazon, Apple, Costco, or Chick-fil-A.
Translation: You could be best in your category and still feel like the underdog. Because being "best-in-class" these days? That’s just the baseline.
What the Best Brands Actually Do:
Be Predictable—in a Good Way: The top brands win by being consistent. When customers know what to expect—and it’s good—they keep coming back.
Be Fast: From instant confirmation emails to same-day callbacks, responsiveness is one of the fastest ways to earn trust.
Empower the Front Line: Nobody likes hearing “I’ll have to ask my manager.” Trust your people to solve problems on the spot. It makes everyone happier—employees and customers.
Kill the Friction: Shep literally wrote the book on this. Make doing business with you as easy as possible. If it feels like work, you’re losing them.
The CX Shift:
Next time you're mapping a journey or reviewing a service moment, ask: "What would Amazon or Apple do right here?" Then take that answer and simplify it for your business.
No giant tech budget required. Just a mindset shift.
🔗 Learn more about Shep Hyken
Trying It On—Virtually
Google Lab’s new Shopping feature lets you upload a full-body photo and see how clothes might look on you. Cool? Definitely. But let’s be honest—it’s more vibe check than fitting room. For CX pros, it’s a peek at where virtual shopping is headed: more personalized, more visual, and way more interactive.
What works
Try on clothes from your couch (no returns drama)
See styles on you, not a model
Easy to share looks with friends for that second opinion
But here’s the catch
The tech’s not perfect. And it’s raising flags. Some users have tested it with pics of celebs and kids—and let’s just say, results have been weird. That’s a content safety issue Google didn’t fully lock down.
The CX takeaway
Virtual try-ons are coming fast—and the UX bar is high. You need clarity, consent, and smart boundaries baked in. Use AI to wow customers, not worry them.
Bottom line
The future of shopping is part selfie, part sci-fi. Just make sure your experience feels empowering—not invasive.
🔗 Learn more→ Source
The $4 Trillion CX Shift No One’s Talking About
Online shopping still feels like a chore for most people. Endless scrolling, decision fatigue, second-guessing every click. Benjamin Wiener, Global Head of Cognizant Moment says AI agents are about to blow that up—and it’s going to change everything about how we design CX.
No more 12-tab chaos
AI agents are becoming your customer’s go-to sidekick. They compare specs, hunt for deals, and get stuff delivered—fast. Imagine if your smartest friend, most frugal cousin, and logistics wizard uncle all worked together to buy your next phone. That’s the level we’re talking about.
What’s shifting
Search bars? Scrolling? Maybe gone. Agents talk to agents.
Your website needs to make sense to bots, not just humans.
The customer journey isn’t linear anymore—it’s instant.
What CX leaders need to ask
Is our data structured so AI agents can actually use it?
Can our systems talk to external agents without breaking?
If no one visits our homepage, how will they experience our brand?
Bottom line
By 2030, AI-loving customers will spend $4T in the US alone. You won’t win them with banners and funnels. You’ll win by building for the agents they trust to shop for them.
🔗 Learn more→ World Economic Forum
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.
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— Mark
www.marklevy.co
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