DCX Links | September 15, 2024
From AI Audio Magic to My Go-To CX Newsletters and Real Goods in the Metaverse...This Week's DCX Hot Takes!
Weekly inspiration, education, and coaching for customer-obsessed leaders.
Welcome to this week's roundup of customer experience insights!
This week, I’m excited to open up the Premium edition of the DCX Links newsletter to all 1K+ subscribers of the DCX Newsletter, thanks to Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXChange!
Inside, you’ll find some intriguing reads, listens and views —from creating AI conversations that feel like magic to how Roblox is bridging the virtual and real worlds. Plus, I’m sharing my favorite CX newsletters and a look at the top 100 Gen AI apps. Dive in and let me know what catches your eye!
Happy reading!
-Mark
Enjoy Free Access to this week’s Premium DCX Links Edition, Courtesy of Frost & Sullivan Executive MindXchange
From October 20-23, Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Contact West 2024 is hitting Tucson, AZ, bringing together CX leaders for some real talk and genuine connections. You’ll get straight-up insights from industry pros and creative networking that actually matters.
Get into hot topics like ChatGPT, AI in customer care, empowering agents, and making your operations run smoother while leveraging data for real results.
If you’re all about boosting customer satisfaction, cutting churn, and driving revenue, this is one event you don’t want to miss! Register Today!
About Executive MindXchange Events
Here are this week’s must-read links:
Creating AI Conversations feels like Magic
The Future is Prevention
First Impressions Really Do Count
Roblox Levels Up: From Virtual Blocks to Real-World Stocks
My Favorite CX Newsletters
The Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps
Enjoy!
MUST LISTEN: Creating AI Conversations feels like Magic
I’ve got something really cool to share! Google just rolled out a new feature in NotebookLM that lets you generate an AI-generated conversation based on any document you upload. I tested it out with the Guide to Organization Buy-in from DCX #111, and the results are seriously awesome. Give it a listen and drop your thoughts in the comments!
Audio Overview
A CX Leader’s Guide to Organizational Buy-In
This is your go-to playbook for building a customer-first culture across your entire organization. It’s packed with strategies to get every department—from customer service to sales, product, tech, finance, and HR—on board with customer-centric practices.
This guide shows how aligning team goals with customer needs drives real business success and gives you practical, no-nonsense tips for making it happen. If you’re serious about getting everyone on the same page, this is your roadmap!
The Future is Prevention
Neko Health, a Swedish startup founded in 2018, is on a mission to transform healthcare from reactive to proactive through advanced technology and preventive measures.
Key points:
Founded by Hjalmar Nilsonne and Spotify creator Daniel Ek
Offers full-body scans that capture 15 GB of health data in under 15 minutes
Operates health centers in Sweden and the UK
Backed by prominent tech investors
The big picture: Neko Health believes that shifting focus to prevention can help curb unsustainable healthcare costs and improve overall health outcomes.
How it works:
Vertical integration: Neko develops its own hardware, software, and health centers
Rapid data collection: Uses advanced scanning technology to gather comprehensive health information quickly
Doctor collaboration: Provides high-quality health data to doctors for informed decision-making
What they're saying: "Our vision is to create a healthcare system that can help people stay healthy through preventive measures and early detection."
Key takeaways for CX professionals:
Seamless technology integration: Neko's approach demonstrates the importance of integrating cutting-edge technology to enhance the customer experience in healthcare.
Speed and efficiency: The quick 15-minute scan showcases how streamlining processes can significantly improve customer satisfaction and engagement.
Proactive approach: Shifting from reactive to proactive care aligns with growing customer expectations for personalized, preventive health solutions.
Data-driven insights: Leveraging comprehensive health data can lead to more informed decision-making and tailored customer experiences.
Vertical integration: Controlling all aspects of the service allows for consistent quality and a unified customer journey.
Accessibility: Neko's vision of making preventive healthcare widely available at minimal cost addresses customer concerns about healthcare affordability and access.
Transparency: Neko's commitment to sharing information about clinical studies and leadership demonstrates the value of building trust through openness.
Multichannel support: Offering various contact methods (email, phone, physical locations) caters to different customer preferences for communication and support.
The bottom line: Neko Health's innovative approach to preventive healthcare provides valuable lessons for CX professionals across industries on leveraging technology, data, and proactive strategies to enhance customer experiences.
"Staying on top of the latest CX trends is tough, especially with how AI is transforming the field. Thankfully, the DCX newsletter does a brilliant job of curating the must-know info.” - Jimmy, CX Leader, Google
First Impressions Really Do Count
Are you fooled by this bias? | Nudge Newsletter 🧠 (ck.page)
Why first impressions matter more than you think
Ever wondered why first impressions stick or why the order of information changes how you decide? Enter the primacy effect—a psychological phenomenon showing that what comes first in a sequence has the strongest influence on your perception and judgment.
From solving math problems to making complex decisions, this bias subtly shapes how we view things. It impacts everything from team dynamics to online shopping, and understanding it could help you make smarter choices and craft better strategies.
Why it matters for CX pros: Knowing the primacy effect is essential for creating customer experiences that leave a strong first impression and guide decisions.
Bottom line: In CX, first impressions shape the entire customer relationship
Roblox Levels Up: From Virtual Blocks to Real-World Stocks
Roblox, Shopify partner to sell physical products in the metaverse | Retail Dive
Roblox partners with Shopify to sell physical products in-game
Roblox announced Shopify as its first commerce integration partner
Pilot program starts soon, with broader launch planned for early 2025
Developers, creators, and brands can sell physical items within Roblox games
Roblox plans to integrate with other e-commerce platforms in the future
Why it matters: This partnership marks a significant step in Roblox's strategy to expand beyond gaming and capture a larger share of e-commerce revenue.
By the numbers:
Roblox aims to own 10% of all global gaming content revenue
The platform targets 300 million daily active users
80% of users expected for gaming, 20% for shopping, learning, and entertainment
What's next:
Roblox is introducing a price optimization tool for creators
The company plans to expand partnerships with various e-commerce platforms
Impact on CX professionals and customer experience:
Omnichannel integration: Explore how to seamlessly blend physical product experiences with virtual environments.
Gen Z engagement: This opens up new ways to connect with digitally-savvy younger consumers where they spend their time.
Data insights: Immersive environments offer valuable data on user preferences and behavior for product development and marketing.
Personalization: Tailoring pricing and offerings based on regional and user behavior within the platform can improve personalized experiences.
Customer journey mapping: CX teams will need to rethink customer journeys that include both virtual and physical touchpoints.
Brand consistency: Keeping brand experiences consistent across traditional and metaverse platforms is key.
New skill requirements: CX teams may need to learn virtual design and gamification to create engaging experiences.
Customer support evolution: Support strategies will need to address both virtual interactions and physical product purchases.
The bottom line: This partnership signals a shift towards more immersive and integrated shopping experiences, challenging CX professionals to innovate and adapt their strategies for the evolving digital landscape.
"Love your content and valuable insights into CX and industry trends. Thanks for sharing with us!" - Corey
My Favorite CX Newsletters
The CX community thrives because of the collaboration and shared wisdom of so many talented professionals. By supporting and sharing these diverse perspectives, we not only learn but help elevate the collective knowledge of the industry. These newsletters are a testament to the creative approaches and practical insights driving CX forward. Check them out, sign up, and let’s continue to uplift the voices shaping the future of customer experience together!
The CX Patterns newsletter, written by Sam Stern, CX Leader at LinkedIn, breaks down the essential building blocks of great customer experience. Each edition dives into a specific CX pattern, offering insights and actionable strategies for CX professionals. If you’re looking to improve your customer experience by mastering key elements, this newsletter provides a clear roadmap to elevate your CX game.
UnF*cking CX is Zack Hamilton’s new no-nonsense take on the customer experience world. Known for his blunt, brash, and unapologetically real approach, Zack calls out what needs fixing in CX, NPS, and CSAT. His newsletter stirs debate, challenges the status quo, and has executives chiming in on what they want “unf*cked.” If you’re into straight talk, some salty language, and unfiltered insights on CX innovation, this is the place to join the conversation and push for real change.
Unthinking CX challenges the traditional playbooks of customer experience, offering fresh insights on how consumers today appropriate brands for their own purposes. In this newsletter, Michael dives into new consumer behaviors, shifting CX models, and the evolving role of technology and culture in shaping brand relationships. If you’re curious about how CX must adapt for the future and want straight talk without the fluff, join a community of decision-makers, founders, and thought leaders who are rethinking the way we approach customer experience.
The GX Foundry newsletter brings you behind the scenes of Franklin County’s digital transformation. As a scrappy team of designers, engineers, and product owners, led by John Proffitt, they craft human-centered digital experiences to improve public services. In each issue, they share their journey of innovation, lessons learned, and the tools they’re embracing to help other government teams build trust through technology.
The CX Stories newsletter by John J. Sills is all about helping organizations become more human, improving life for customers in the process. John, author of The Human Experience (which won Leadership Book of the Year), shares insights on creating customer-led experiences through engaging stories and actionable advice. Subscribe for a fresh take on building more human-centered organizations!
The Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps
The Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps - 3rd Edition | Andreessen Horowitz (a16z.com)
Generative AI Revolution Reshapes Customer Experience
The big picture: The latest Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps report reveals a seismic shift in how consumers interact with AI technologies, offering critical insights for customer experience (CX) professionals.
Why it matters: As AI-powered creative tools and assistants become mainstream, customers are developing heightened expectations for personalized, efficient, and engaging experiences. CX leaders need to adapt swiftly to stay competitive.
Driving the news:
Creative tools dominate: Over half of the top AI apps focus on content generation across images, videos, music, and more. This surge reflects a growing consumer desire for personalized and interactive content.
AI assistant competition heats up: New entrants like Perplexity and Anthropic's Claude are gaining traction alongside established leaders like ChatGPT. This intensifies the need for businesses to integrate advanced AI assistants into customer service channels.
Big tech invests heavily: Companies like Bytedance are expanding their AI portfolios with a variety of new applications. This expansion raises the competitive bar and highlights the importance of innovation in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Emergence of new categories: Apps focused on aesthetics and dating, such as LooksMax AI and RIZZ, are entering the market, showing consumer interest in AI applications that enhance personal and social aspects of life.
Between the lines: Customers now expect AI to provide not just utility but also personal enhancement and social facilitation. This broadens the scope of what CX professionals need to consider in their strategies.
What's next: CX leaders should:
Integrate advanced AI technologies into their customer engagement strategies.
Monitor industry trends to stay ahead of evolving customer expectations.
Explore new AI applications that offer personalized and meaningful experiences.
The bottom line: The rapid evolution of generative AI is reshaping customer expectations across industries. CX professionals who embrace these changes will be better positioned to meet and exceed evolving customer needs.
I hope you found this week’s links and commentary useful. If you have suggestions for future DCX Links editions, send me a note.
Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next Sunday at 8:15 am ET.
Please share with others you think would benefit.
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:
30 Days to Greater Influence – a FREE email course I've crafted specifically for customer-obsessed leaders like us.
DCX Executive Coaching - 1:1 coaching for customer-obsessed leaders (Mention DCX for 50% off the first three months)
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.
-Mark
www.marklevy.co
Follow me on Linkedin