It doesn’t often happen that three CXOs (Chief Experience Officers) from three iconic brands get together to share what’s been working, what they are most excited about, and what they predict will be the future for CX. That’s exactly what happened when I recently hosted a LinkedIn Live panel discussion, CX Factor: Getting the Customer Experience Right Every Time. The CX leaders from Verizon, HP, and Warby Parker shared what’s worked for them in 2024 and what we can look forward to in 2025 and beyond. Below is an abridged version of their answers to two questions, along with some of my commentary.
2024 CX Highlights: What’s Working Today
The Question: What was your CX highlight from the year, and what did you learn from it?
● Verizon is a huge brand, so implementing a new project or product is challenging. AI is not new at Verizon, but this year the company launched four very large AI and GenAI programs to support both customers and employees, and they are already proving successful. Brian Higgins, Verizon’s CXO and the recipient of CX Today’s 2024 CX Leader of the Year award, says, “You can’t launch and leave (moving to the next project or product.) You must focus on launching and loving.” His point is to take it slow and not jump quickly to the next “thing.” And what has he learned through this process? “It’s probably more of a re-learning. … Once you launch new capabilities, there’s a constant evolution that takes place throughout.” In other words, the launch is the beginning. How you manage and nurture the follow-through is what will ensure success.
● Warby Parker is more than just a store that sells glasses. They are in the eye care business and often have doctors staffed at the stores. Chief retail and CX officer Sandy Gilsenan shared that the big highlight for her organization was merging the retail and CX teams. She said, “The two teams were merged together under one leadership org because we are all the face of the customer, and we experience things on both sides: over the phone and face-to-face with customers in the stores. I’m really proud of the resources we put into place to create a super consistent customer experience, helping us drive our CSAT scores beyond where we’ve seen in the past.” The point is that a great product is nice—and even expected—but a great experience is just as important, if not more so. Don’t just sell a product. Sell the experience.
● HP’s CXO, Mike Nash, recognized the power of improving the culture to become more customer-focused. Nash says, “The big advance we’ve made is really helping to shape the culture of HP, to get even more focused on the customer. The key was ensuring we helped everyone at HP understand their role in the customer journey.” Nash recognizes that people behind the scenes, such as in the finance or supply chain departments, impact the customer’s experience. His point was that CX must be imbued into a company’s culture. It’s more than a strategy. It’s part of everyone’s job.
The Future of CX: Trends and Predictions for Tomorrow (2025 and Beyond)
The Question: What CX trends do you predict will have the biggest influence in 2025 and beyond?
● Nash kicked it off with an important message: It would be hard to talk about the future of CX without including AI and other technologies. Nash said, “It would be crazy not to say the biggest trend going forward is AI. We’ll always talk about how much money we save from AI, but really, the lead thing here is an improved experience. … We want to make sure we can reduce the amount of effort it takes to complete tasks and get the outcomes customers desire on the first try.” With so many companies using AI to focus on efficiency, it’s nice to hear C-suite executives focusing on the customer, not just dollars.
● Gilsenan’s focus on using technology is on the self-service retail experience. She said, “We’re going to continue to refine our self-service tools for our customers, deflecting some of our call volume in a way that doesn’t impact the customer experience. By reducing interactions between customers and our CX team members, we give our team more time and space for higher touch and expert interactions.” Warby Parker also creates a convenient experience with its app, which includes Virtual Try-On. Gilsenan said, “VTO is a way for customers to have a shopping experience using an incredible tool to try on glasses and never have to visit a store.” The convenience of self-service is expected, and augmented reality shopping experiences continue to improve and will become a competitive differentiator for certain retailers.
● Higgins emphasized two trends that continue to evolve in the CX world: hyper-personalization, which creates an even stronger connection between Verizon and the customer, and proactive support that resolves issues in advance of the customer ever knowing about them. And, of course, he had his take on AI. “For next year, I think about Agentic AI, where AI and agents come together to ensure we’re pulling all the information coming in and taking action on behalf of our customers. That’s where we need to go in 2025!”
As we wrap up this discussion, it’s clear that the landscape of CX is ever-evolving. The insights shared by these top executives at Verizon, HP, and Warby Parker emphasize a shared vision of integrating advanced technology with human connection. And while their strategies reveal a commitment to innovation, it’s important to note their focus on employees and creating a culture where every interaction is an opportunity to create the optimal customer experience.