The Delighted Customers Podcast with Mark Slatin

• #136 Beyond Tools & Tactics: "Becoming a Trusted Guide" - New On-Demand Course

  Are you struggling to cut through organizational resistance and win real buy-in for your customer experience (CX) initiatives? You’re not alone. Even the most skilled CX professionals and change leaders often face the uphill battle of influencing executives and key stakeholders—especially when budgets are tight and positional authority is limited. That’s exactly why the launch of the new on-demand course, "Becoming a Trusted Guide: Empowering CX Leadership," is so exciting for anyone looking to make meaningful change in their organizations. Gabe Smith, CCXP, Content Manager and Associate Director at the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), joins me to preview this new course and spotlights CXPA's new learning platform, CXeducation.com—crafted specifically so you can access high-impact learning anytime, from anywhere in the world. I explain how this program goes beyond traditional training: you’ll discover strategies to shift your mindset, frameworks for building stakeholder trust, and practical tools you can apply immediately in your unique business context. Plus, if you’re working toward your CCXP certification, the course qualifies for critical credit hours. Here are three pressing questions Gabe and I answer in this episode—each one explored through the lens of this innovative course: Why is it so challenging to secure real executive support for CX—and what new frameworks in the course will help you overcome this barrier? How does on-demand, asynchronous learning transform professional development for busy change leaders worldwide? What actionable steps can you take right now to move from being a “CX hero” to a “trusted guide” and win broader organizational alignment? Ready to transform how you lead change and champion customer experience in your organization? Dive into this episode and unlock details on the new course that could accelerate your CX career. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or find Delighted Customers wherever you enjoy podcasts. Be first in line to benefit—this is a game-changer for anyone serious about leading CX transformation! Meet Gabe Smith Gabe Smith, CCXP, is the Content Manager and Associate Director for the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). With five years at the CXPA and previous hands-on CX experience at the American Cancer Society, his mission is to empower professionals to lead with impact. At CXPA, he drives content strategy, knowledge sharing, and global standards like the CCXP certification and on-demand learning through cxeducation.com. His focus is advancing the CX field and helping you sharpen your leadership. Show Notes & References Discover and enroll in the new on-demand course: www.cxeducation.com Explore more resources and the global CX community: www.cxpaglobal.org Learn more about Mark Slatin and other courses: www.empoweredcx.com Don’t forget to subscribe and make the Delighted Customers Podcast your weekly CX leadership advantage!

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• Introducing Travis Makes Money

  I would like to recommend the Travis Makes Money podcast. While there are many finance shows which focus on budgeting and saving techniques, Travis shows you how you can increase your income to achieve your dream lifestyle. I have become a huge fan of Travis and his show, and we hope you will enjoy it too.

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• #135 Emotional Imprinting and the Future of Experience Management

  Join us for a special episode featuring Lou Carbone, widely regarded as the father of the experience management movement. As the founder, president, and chief executive, Chief Experience Officer of Experience Engineering, a Minneapolis-based consulting firm dedicated to customer and employee experience management, Lou brings over 30 years of expertise to the discussion. He pioneered the field with his groundbreaking 1994 article "Engineering Customer Experiences," which may have originated the term "customer experience."   Lou is also the author of the book Clued in, How to Keep Customers Coming Back Again and Again and has worked with major companies like Pizza Hut, KFC, Avis, H&R Block, General Motors, IBM, and Taco Bell. He has lectured and taught at leading institutions like Harvard Business School and Cornell School of Business and is currently a Professor of Practice at Michigan State University in the Customer Experience Management Program.   Why listen?   Lou believes the profession is at a crossroads and will challenge conventional thinking about CX, exploring the current state of the profession and offering insights into moving beyond traditional approaches to create truly distinctive value.   He will discuss how organizations can shift their focus from how customers feel about the brand to how they cause them to feel about themselves after interacting with the brand, highlighting the critical role of emotional imprinting in designing memorable experiences that drive value. Tune in as we explore: •What does it mean when we say "customers cannot not have an experience," and how does this fundamental truth shape the approach to experience management? •How can organizations move beyond fixing problems ("fixing broken") to design experiences that leverage emotional imprinting and lead to "distinctive economic value"? •In a world where the definition of CX is fragmented, how can understanding "next practices" rooted in emotion, psychology, and neuroscience help prove the ROI and Return on Strategy of experience management initiatives? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review the Delighted Customers podcast on your favorite platform! Your support helps us bring you more insightful conversations with leaders shaping the future of customer experience.   Apple Podcasts (US): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-delighted-customers-podcast-with-mark-slatin/id1635863804 Spotify: Search "The Delighted Customers Podcast with Mark Slatin" in the Spotify app or website Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/928496db-78cc-4f1e-ba61-d62a1fa1af06/the-delighted-customers-podcast-with-mark-slatin radio.net: https://www.radio.net/podcast/delighted-customers-podcast Official Website & Other Platforms: https://www.empoweredcx.com/podcast

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• #134 "It's Not About the Coffee": A Starbucks President's Recipe for Delighting Customers with CX

  "It's Not About the Coffee": A Starbucks President's Recipe for Delighting Customers with CX   Join us for an insightful conversation with Howard Behar, a pivotal figure in Starbucks' legendary growth. As the President of Starbucks North America and the founding President of Starbucks International for 21 years, Howard participated in the company's expansion from just 28 stores to over 15,000. He also served on the Starbucks board of directors for 12 years before retiring. He's also authored two books on leadership titled "It's not about the Coffee" and "The Magic Cup," book titles that encapsulate his core philosophy.   In this episode, Howard tackles a fundamental challenge faced by rapidly growing businesses: How do you scale operations from a small number of locations to a global empire while preserving the deeply personal customer experience that made you successful? Howard argues that the answer lies not just in the product, but in a relentless focus on people – both employees and customers – understanding that Starbucks was always "in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving people".   Listen in as Howard shares firsthand how this philosophy drove extraordinary growth and answers critical questions, including: •How did the philosophy "we're in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving people" shape Starbucks' approach to customer experience? •How did Starbucks manage its rapid expansion from 28 stores to over 15,000 while maintaining a consistent, personal customer experience? •How did leadership make decisions about investing in initiatives and supporting teams, particularly when facing the challenge of proving the ROI of customer experience?   Discover actionable insights on servant leadership, empowering employees, the power of listening, and taking calculated risks to build a truly people-centric organization that delights customers and achieves remarkable growth.   Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation with Greg Kihlstrom! Listen and subscribe to the Delighted Customers podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or find us on your favorite podcast platform   Meet Howard   Howard Behar's extensive career spans over 50 years in consumer-oriented businesses.   He served at Starbucks Coffee for 21 years, retiring after participating in the company's growth from 28 stores to over 15,000 across five continents.   He held pivotal leadership roles as President of Starbucks North America and the founding President of Starbucks International.   Howard also served on the Starbucks board of directors for 12 years before retiring.   He is the author of two books on leadership. Books by Howard Behar:   It's not about the Coffee The Magic Cup   Show Notes and References:   Howard Behar has agreed to share his personal mission statement document for inclusion in the show notes.    Connect with Howard Behar (Generously Provided by Howard):   - Cell Phone: 206-972-7776 (Call or Text - he will get back to you)   - Email: [email protected]

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• #133 Future of Agentic AI: Transforming Customer Journeys

  What if AI-powered technology could not only solve your customers' problems faster but also anticipate their needs—and why do so many organizations still get it wrong? On this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast, we unlock the real reasons why companies struggle to implement AI and automation tools effectively, even as consumer expectations for personalization and seamless experiences reach new heights. Greg Kihlstrom, martech and CX expert, demystifies the hype around chatbots and agentic AI, showing us where most companies stumble and what it really takes to reverse-engineer remarkable customer journeys. If you’re wondering why some AI initiatives delight while others fall flat (and what you can do about it), this episode pulls back the curtain. You should tune in to hear from Greg Kihlstrom, a thought leader at the intersection of marketing, technology, and customer experience, whose podcast network and consulting insights are helping brands evolve—whether you're leading a Fortune 500 organization or an ambitious mid-market player. His deep dive into what’s really working at marketing and CX conferences—and what’s next for both large and small companies—makes this discussion especially valuable for anyone navigating the fast-changing landscape of customer engagement. Here are three burning questions Greg answers on the show: What are the real barriers that have kept companies from leveraging AI (like chatbots and agents) effectively in the customer journey? How can AI empower customer service teams to pinpoint root causes and improve experiences—without losing the uniquely human touch? For leaders at mid-sized companies, what are practical steps for selecting technology partners and overcoming siloed data challenges as they implement customer-centric AI? Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation with Greg Kihlstrom! Listen and subscribe to the Delighted Customers podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or find us on your favorite podcast platform. Meet Greg Kihlstrom Greg Kihlstrom is a best-selling author, speaker, entrepreneur, and host of The Agile Brand Podcast. With 15+ years of experience at the crossroads of marketing, technology, and CX, Greg is the former founder and CEO of a successful digital agency in Washington, D.C., now working as an independent consultant to leading brands and organizations. He is the founder of The Agile Brand Podcast Network, a prolific writer on the evolving roles of martech and organizational change, and a key influencer in bridging the gap between digital transformation and meaningful customer outcomes. Greg is also recognized for his thought leadership on AI innovation, process improvement, and the future of customer experience. Connect with Greg Kihlstrom on LinkedIn: Greg Kihlstrom LinkedIn Show Notes & References Subscribe to Greg’s newsletter: "AI Isn’t a Goal or a Strategy" on LinkedIn Learn more about The Agile Brand Podcast Network: https://www.theagilebrand.com/ Catch up with the Delighted Customers podcast on your favorite platform for more episodes!

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