The Modern Customer Podcast

Canva has seen approximately 40 billion instances of AI usage across its platform. But adding more AI doesn't automatically create a better customer experience. Customers still need to be able to find, understand, and use it. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, I spoke with Rob Giglio, Chief Customer Officer at Canva, about why user interface innovation must keep pace with AI innovation. Canva measures customer success through monthly active use. When customers get value from the platform, they create more, publish more, and invite others to collaborate. That is an important reminder for every company investing in AI: new capabilities only matter when customers can use them successfully. Tune in to hear how Canva connects AI innovation, ease of use, and customer adoption. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

When you're handling 120,000 support tickets a year, including requests from truck drivers who need help after hours, AI can fill an important gap. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, sponsored by Botpress , Andrew Dell , Support Operations Architect at Super Dispatch , shared how the auto transport platform is using Botpress AI agents to extend customer support beyond regular business hours. Tune in to hear how Super Dispatch is putting AI-powered support into practice and to learn more about building AI agents with Botpress . Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

From AI-powered trip discovery to proactive service recovery, Heather Garboden , SVP and Chief Customer Officer at American Airlines , shares how technology and people work together to make travel easier. As a Fortune 100 company serving more than 220 million passengers a year, American operates customer experience at an enormous scale. Hear how the airline connects digital and human touchpoints and works to create what Heather calls "a calm and easy, seamless experience." Tune in to The Modern Customer Podcast to hear how American Airlines is approaching AI and CX at scale—and where Heather sees opportunities to improve the customer journey. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

For a 180-year-old Fortune 100 company, modernization requires more than adopting new technology. New York Life is rethinking how customer insight moves through the organization—and how quickly it turns into action. On the latest episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Regina Warga, VP of Experience and Digital Marketing at New York Life, explains how her team uses AI to turn customer insights into action without losing the human voice behind the data. She also shares how New York Life cuts through the constant AI noise, balances synthetic and human research, and plans to bring customers, advisors, researchers, and decision-makers together in its new innovation lab, opening this September. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Alaska Airlines is proving that the best CX transformations make complexity disappear for customers. As Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines moved onto one technology foundation, the goal was to replace separate bookings, tickets, apps, and support channels with a more connected journey while preserving what makes each brand distinct. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Charu Jain , SVP of Merchandising and Innovation at Alaska Airlines, shares how technology, operational preparation, and human care can work together to transform CX at scale. Listen to the full epside now! Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

FedEx moves 18 million packages every day, but customers shouldn't have to feel the complexity behind any of them. Using AI and two petabytes of daily data, FedEx can anticipate potential problems, improve delivery visibility, and give customers more control and peace of mind. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Neil Gibson, Senior Vice President of Global Customer Experience at FedEx, shared what it takes to deliver CX at this scale. Listen to the full episode for an inside look at how FedEx is using AI to turn massive operational complexity into a simpler customer experience. Subscribe to The Modern Customer Podcast for more conversations on customer experience, AI, leadership, and innovation. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Virgin Atlantic is the first airline in the world to launch an app within ChatGPT. What could this mean for the future of travel? In this episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Blake Morgan speaks with Juha Jaervinen , Chief Customer Officer at Virgin Atlantic, about how the airline is using AI to improve travel discovery while human service continues to set the brand apart. The conversation goes beyond technology. Jaervinen discusses the growing demand for premium leisure travel as customers seek more comfort, space, calm, and an opportunity to recharge. Watch the full conversation to learn how Virgin Atlantic is combining AI, premium experiences, loyalty, and human service to shape the future of travel. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

AI readiness goes beyond testing the model. Even strong AI can fall short when it relies on outdated information, broken workflows, or poor handoffs between AI and human agents. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Seth Johnson, Chief Technology Officer at Cyara , shares what companies need to validate before scaling customer-facing AI. 🎧 Listen to the full episode to learn how end-to-end testing strengthens AI readiness and helps companies scale with confidence. This episode is sponsored by Cyara . Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Personalization could transform the future of retirement planning. This week on The Modern Custome Podcast, Jessica Austin Barker , Chief Digital Officer and Client Experience Officer at TIAA, joins Blake Morgan to explore how AI could help people receive guidance that reflects their individual goals, circumstances, and changing paths to retirement. Jessica shares why personalization remains only half solved, how AI could reduce the effort required to explore financial scenarios, and what an AI companion could offer across a customer relationship that spans decades. Listen to learn how AI could make retirement planning more personal, accessible, and easier to understand. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

What if getting rid of customers quickly is actually bad for business? That's the case Pasquale DeMaio , VP of Amazon Connect Customer, makes on this week's episode of The Modern Customer Podcast . His point: if your AI strategy is built around deflection, you're not saving money—you're handing customers straight to your competitors. We also dig into how deterministic and agentic AI work together, and why AI should make people's jobs better, not just shorter conversations. This episode is sponsored by Amazon Web Services. Click the link to learn more: https://fandf.co/4fu6tAd #sponsored #AWS #AmazonConnect #amazonconnectcustomer #CCWVegas Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Watching AI automate work that once required thousands of designers, marketers, and copywriters forced Sharon Gai to rethink one fundamental question: What creates value when AI can do more of the work? That's one of the biggest ideas from my latest conversation with Sharon Gai, former Alibaba executive and author of How to Do More With Less . This week on The Modern Customer Podcast , Sharon explains why the companies that succeed with AI won't simply adopt better technology—they'll rethink how work gets done by focusing on people, processes, and the work only humans can do. If you're leading customer experience, digital transformation, or AI initiatives, I think you'll find this conversation both practical and thought-provoking. Listen to the full episode now! Get a copy of Sharon Gai's new book, How to Do More With Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-Driven Economy , for practical strategies on leading through AI-driven change. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Why do some companies create products customers can't wait to buy while others struggle to gain traction—even with better technology and bigger budgets? According to entrepreneur, author, and Harvard Fellow Rob Snyder, the answer isn't a better product. It's customer demand. In this episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Blake Morgan sits down with Rob to discuss the ideas behind his new book, The Power of Pull, and why understanding what customers are trying to accomplish is the foundation of business growth. Rob shares the lessons that led him to develop the PULL Framework, a practical approach to identifying when customers are ready to buy and building products that solve problems customers can't solve with their existing options. 📘 Rob Snyder's new book, The Power of Pull, launches July 7. Pre-order your copy today: robsnyder.org/book Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

This episode is sponsored by Salesforce . One of the most interesting conversations I had at Salesforce Connections was about digital workers. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Lauren Esposito, CMO of Asymbl, shares how organizations are beginning to approach AI agents as digital workers—with defined roles, KPIs, managers, and accountability to drive meaningful business outcomes. We explore agent-to-agent orchestration, where leaders should start with AI, the importance of trust and governance, and how Salesforce provides the foundation for secure and scalable AI adoption. If digital workers are becoming part of the workforce, organizations will need new ways to manage, measure, and support them. 🎧 Listen to the full episode. #SalesforcePartner #Salesforce #DigitalWorkers #AI #AgenticAI #FutureOfWork #Leadership Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

This video is sponsored by Salesforce. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast: Amber Armstrong, CMO of Agentforce Applications at Salesforce, joins me for a conversation recorded live at Salesforce Connections. Everyone is talking about AI agents. But according to Amber, the biggest question customers are asking is surprisingly simple: "Where do I start?" We discuss what's separating companies seeing real results from those still stuck in experimentation, why data readiness matters more than most people realize, and how AI agents are helping marketers engage customers, generate pipeline, and focus more on strategic work. As Amber explains, the future isn't about replacing marketers. It's about giving them the tools to do more of what humans do best. #SalesforcePartner Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Airline customer satisfaction increased 3% year over year. That's one of the strongest gains across the travel sector, according to new research from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). This week on The Modern Customer Podcast , Forrest Morgeson, Director of Research Emeritus at ACSI, shares what's driving those gains and how airlines are improving across multiple customer touchpoints—from mobile apps and reservations to in-flight internet and access to information throughout the travel journey. 🎧 Listen to the conversation and explore the latest ACSI Travel Study . Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Companies are embracing AI faster than ever before, and many leaders are realizing that successful transformation depends just as much on people and culture as it does on technology. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Dr. Michael Housman, AI builder, founder of AI-ccelerator, and author of Future-Proof: Transform Your Business with AI or Get Left Behind , shares practical ways companies can use AI to accelerate innovation, improve customer experience, and prepare for the future of work. We also discuss why successful AI adoption depends as much on leadership, employee buy-in, and culture as it does on the technology itself. 🎧 Catch the full episode and check out Michael's book, Future-Proof: Transform Your Business with AI or Get Left Behind. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Many organizations are moving faster on AI than they are on strategy, alignment, and operational execution—and customers feel the difference. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, customer experience expert, author of the USA Today bestselling book Experience Is Everything , and Experience Investigators Founder Jeannie Walters explains why AI alone will not improve customer experience. Drawing from her book Experience Is Everything , she explains how leaders can align mindset, business goals, employee empowerment, and operational discipline to create stronger customer experiences and measurable business outcomes. 🎧 Listen to the full episode to learn how leading organizations operationalize customer experience in the AI era. Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

American Express is using AI-powered personalization to help frontline teams deliver faster, more relevant support while preserving the human connection behind premium service. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Anthony Devane , EVP and Head of Global Support Enablement and Control, Global Servicing at American Express , shares how his team is scaling AI and GenAI across servicing, travel, chat, and digital experiences while balancing personalization, trust, compliance, and customer expectations. A thoughtful conversation on how leading brands are using AI to reduce friction, strengthen customer relationships, and scale premium service across global operations. 🎧 Listen to the full episode! Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

Retail is moving toward more automation, and for customers, the experience is increasingly defined by how those systems perform. At Trader Joe's, the experience is shaped differently. It builds loyalty through in-store interaction and human connection. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Mark Gardiner, author of Build a Brand Like Trader Joe's, shares insights from his experience working inside the company and what it reveals about delivering customer experience through people. 🎧 Watch the full episode to see where human interaction still creates value and how it can drive customer loyalty. Grab a copy of Mark Gardiner's book, Build a Brand Like Trader Joe's Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com

In this episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, David Kinzelman, Chief Customer Officer at United Airlines—the world's largest airline, known for its extensive international network, operational scale, and continued investment in digital innovation and customer experience—shares how the company scales CX through operations. At United, CX isn't a layer on top of the business—it's built into how the system runs. From putting the customer at the center of operational metrics to continuously eliminating friction across the journey, decisions are made with customer impact in mind. David shares how United: 👉 Measures performance through a customer lens—not just efficiency 👉 Uses tools like Agent on Demand to scale support during disruptions 👉 Enables real-time access to options and information 👉 Leverages AI and digital tools to improve speed, clarity, and responsiveness 👉 Delivers more personalized experiences through connectivity and data But even with all the technology, one thing remains constant: 👉 It's the people—how they respond and deliver in the moment—that define the experience. If you're leading CX, operations, or digital transformation, this episode breaks down what it actually takes to deliver consistent, high-quality experiences at scale. 🔗 Learn more: United Airlines: https://www.united.com/ David Kinzelman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kinzelman/ Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here . Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com