Many rock musicians have been honored as inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But John Fogerty’s 1985 hit, Centerfield, got him honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Today, it’s a fixture at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and just about every ballpark across the country. Baseball and its heroes have been mythologized as a deeply American tradition. But like anything else, it has evolved with technology, even so far as to use an Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System in the Major Leagues as of 2026. While technology is continually being introduced in sports, humans are still at the center of the action.Sports are hardly the only domain where technology has continued to drive change. Customer Service interactions have long evolved as new technologies have been introduced to contact centers. AI “bots” or Virtual Agents are simply the next evolution. But humans should still be at the center of the action, says Jeff Toister. Jeff’s authored five books on Customer Service and this year, he was inducted into the ICMI Hall of Fame. This week, we discuss: • The Human Element in Customer Service• The Impact of Greetings on Customer Experience• AI in Customer Service: Opportunities and Concerns• The Evolution of AI and Human Interaction• Creating Human Connections in Customer Service• The Role of AI in Routine Transactions• Skills Unique to Humans in Customer Service• The Future of AI and Human CollaborationConnect with Jeff on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/jefftoister Jeff Toister's Website - https://toistersolutions.com/ Human Service Book - https://humanservicebook.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

Employing a stark departure from the bland, clinical approach previous manuals had taken, Alex Comfort’s 1972 book, The Joy of Sex, took the world by storm. The illustrated manual spent over a year in the top five of the New York Times Best Seller list. It was an entirely different and liberating approach to the intimate relationships that are part of the human experience. The following year, Motown soul legend, Marvin Gaye, released the #1 single, Let’s Get It On, his own musical plea for sexual liberation. The Joy of CEHX, that’s C for Customer, E for Employee, H for Human, and X for eXperience, is a different kind of plea for liberation. Aileen Day has written a book that also employs a stark departure from the bland, clinical approach previous CX manuals have taken. She joins Next in Queue this week to discuss:• The Joy of Sex and Customer Experience• The Human Experience in Business• Trust and Brand Loyalty• The Dynamics of Retail and Manufacturing• Online Dating and Authenticity• The Importance of Honest Feedback• An Exercise in Trust • XM Global Collaborative and Future EndeavorsConnect with Aileen on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileen-day-1800valued/ The Joy of CEHX – https://aileenday.com.au/book/ XM Global Collaborative – https://www.xmgc.org/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

If I asked you to think of a hit TV show set in Miami during the late 80’s, Miami Vice would likely be the first thing that pops into your head. But lasting longer, bringing in far more awards, and featuring American treasure, Betty White, I would argue the Golden Girls had an even more lasting impact on the world. A sitcom featuring 4 single, older women living together and navigating their “golden years” together was a revelation. Their lived experiences informed how they approached every situation. This scene, featuring Estelle Getty’s character, Sophia, reminds us of a simpler time in technology – when the answering machine was the peak of communication technology in the home.Clearly, communication technology has evolved a LOT since then, both in our homes and in contact centers. That evolution in technology requires new skills of contact center leaders, says Ty Givens. She’s experienced this evolution first-hand and today, she guides CX leaders through the challenges that come with a growing business. • Technology's Impact on Leadership• The Importance of Data Literacy• B2B vs B2C Customer Understanding• Navigating Customer Experience in Hyper-Growth Companies• Identifying Skill Gaps in Leadership• Strategic Thinking in Rapid Growth Mode• Understanding Vendor Relationships and Contracts• The Future of AI and Human InteractionConnect with Ty on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tybryantgivens/ CX Collective – https://www.cxcollective.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

Nate Gibson may not be a household name, but his rockabilly novelty, Duck Butt, released in 2017, reminds us that there’s something silly about our favorite feathered waterfowl. Ducks may seem elegant, but when they need to eat, they put their beak in the water, and their tail goes up and that’s when you see those legs churning in the water. Chaos.You’re on stage. There are 100 people in the audience. You’re beginning to sweat. You’re holding the podium in front of you and your presentation is frozen. Sounds like chaos. When Dean Griess sat down to write a book about public speaking, he wanted to make sure that the readers wouldn’t feel silly in front of an audience. He wanted to help them glide smoothly along the stage and not flail furiously like a duck with its butt in the air. His book, Don’t Show Your Duck Butt, contains practical strategies to conquer nervousness, capture attention, and create remarkable experiences. • Understanding Public Speaking Fears• The Vulnerability of Speaking to an Audience• Tips for Overcoming Nervousness• The Importance of Body Language• Navigating Technology in Presentations• Buying Time During Presentations• The Role of Breaks in Long SessionsConnect with Dean on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/deangriess/Get your copy of Don’t Show Your Duck Butt – https://deangriess.com/about-the-book/ Nate Gibson – http://www.nathandgibson.com/index.html Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

EDM and children’s fairy tales may not seem like they go together, but in 2011, Skrillex channeled the 1991 movie, Hook, a cinematic sequel to the story of Peter Pan. Based on J. M. Barrie’s 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy, Hook imagines adult Peter returning to Neverland to rescue his two young children from Captain Hook. Bangarang is more than a Grammy-winning hit for Skrillex, it’s the battle cry of the Lost Boys, Neverland’s gang of orphans who never grow up and never back down from pirates. Connecting with kids as an adult, especially kids who haven’t grown up in model environments, is an adventure. But when you do, the adventure may take you to unexpected places. That’s what Ethan Adshade learned when he signed up for Teach for America right out of college. His plan to go into finance took a turn to a career in learning and development. Today, he’s the Senior Director of Global Training and Development for Ticketmaster, and he joins Next in Queue to talk about what he’s learned during his adventure.• Lessons from the Classroom• Navigating Challenges During COVID-19• The Power of Preparation• Strategies for Classroom Management• Understanding People in Education and Business• Education’s Impact on Community• The Future of Learning and TechnologyConnect with Ethan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-adshade/Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

During the 90’s and early 2000s, Thursday nights were, for roughly 25 million Americans, Must See TV night. NBC’s lineup of hit shows like Friends, Seinfeld, and ER, were a cultural phenomenon that lives on in memes and catch phrases like Ross’s “Pivot!” from season 5. Ross’s detailed plan for success didn’t turn out the way he planned.Software founders often have detailed plans for success only to find that the market is just as challenging as moving a couch up a set of switchback stairs. When the market spurned Natalie Perez’s first software venture, the company pivoted and found success in the QM and WFM space. Her new company, Cisne, is an AI-native WFM platform that is designed to solve the real challenges contact centers have been struggling to solve for decades. It entered public beta this week and she was kind enough to join the show to discuss a variety of topics related to Workforce Management. Topics covered include:• What is WFM?• Challenges with current WFM technologies• The role of AI Agents in Customer Experience• Balancing Efficiency and Customer Experience• Agent Well-Being and Burnout in Contact Centers• Lessons from Past Failures• Introducing the public beta for Cisne.ai – the AI-Native WFM solutionConnect with Natalie on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pereznatalie/ Cisne – https://www.cisne.ai/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

John Travolta’s turn as Vincent Vega in 1994’s Pulp Fiction revitalized his career. His character has returned to the US after a 3-year stay in Europe, mostly in Amsterdam. In this memorable scene, he colorfully explains to Jules, played by Samuel L. Jackson, how Europe is similar, yet different. While Vincent’s amusing explanation gave us one of the great movie quotes of all time, it digs into the very real differences in culture and customer expectations between America and Europe.And don’t put the European continent in one bucket when it comes to customer experience, says Frances Chapireau – what works in one country may not in another. As a native Brit living and working in Germany, she’s keenly aware of how current CX “best practices” don’t always apply. • Cultural Differences in Customer Experience• Data Protection and Privacy in Germany• Trust and Relationship Building in Business• Customer Experience Maturity Across Regions• Why Customer Feedback Surveys Are Far from Dead• LEGO®️ SERIOUS PLAY®️ and Creative Facilitation• Language and Cultural Nuances in GermanyConnect with Frances on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-chapireau-62644b38/ BuildCX – https://www.buildcx.consulting/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

The 1999 Dance hit, “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim uses NINE samples, including vocals by Camille Yarbrough from the opening of her song, “Take Yo’ Praise.” It was incredibly successful, reaching #1 in the UK charts and #36 in the US, simply by using building blocks already established by others. Fatboy Slim recognized bits that worked in other compositions, from the Steve Miller Band to Isaac Hayes. He then simply took pieces that already worked and made them his own. Building successful teams requires coaching. But how do you go about doing that? Brent Pattison built his own model based on what he’s seen worked through during his three-decade career in contact center operations. He joins the show to discuss what works, and his tactical book for team leaders, PRAISE. • The Purpose Behind 3P Solutions• The Importance of Coaching in Business• Common Coaching Mistakes• The Role of Documentation• Building Relationships through Notetaking• Creating Alignment in Organizations• Barbeque Recommendations for visitors to Kansas CityConnect with Brent on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarapaton/ Email Brent – [email protected] Praise: The Cornerstone of Coaching to Success for Managers and Supervisors – https://www.amazon.com/Praise-Cornerstone-Coaching-Managers-Supervisors/dp/1068853514/ref=sr_1_1 Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

Ask 20 people to define customer loyalty and you’ll likely get 20 different answers. Some might give you an academic treatise on different types of loyalty. Some might quote CX experts or companies specializing in measuring customer experience. Others might break out “4 C’s” or “3 R’s” to help define loyalty. When Tara Paton joined Next in Queue – she reached for perhaps the most succinct and accurate definition, courtesy of Kendrick Lamar. Mortal Man was the final track on his platinum-selling 2015 album, To Pimp a Butterfly, which hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart immediately upon its release. It’s considered one of the greatest albums of all time. While never released as a single, many consider Mortal Man one of Lamar’s best tracks and a powerful statement about the meaning of loyalty.• The Role of Reviews in Brand Perception• Influencer Marketing and Authenticity• Loyalty Programs and Potential Liability Issues• Driving Success in Retail for D2C Brands• The Value of Employee-Customer Relationships• Gamifying Customer Experience for Enhanced LoyaltyConnect with Tara on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarapaton/ Huemanize – https://huemanize.co/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/

The Goonies were kids who lived in the “Goon Docks” – a blue-collar neighborhood whose existence is threatened by the development of a country club. Sean Astin, playing Mikey, has led them on an adventure in search of One-Eyed Willy’s rich stuff – a treasure everyone else had dismissed as mythical. For decades, contact centers have been like the Goon Docks – a place where good people do good work but a place that never garnered much respect from the country club set. But just like One-Eyed Willy’s rich stuff changed the course of the Goonies, the previously hidden treasure trove of data in the contact center is emerging through the power of technology, particularly AI. Rick DeLisi joins to discuss new research conducted by Glia and Metric Sherpa. Despite some current disconnects, he’s excited about the evolution of the contact center and says right now, it’s our time.• The Lasting Impact of The Effortless Experience• Navigating New Metrics and Expectations• What Personalization Really Means• How Contact Centers are Reinvesting in the Age of AI• The Emergence of AI for All• The Strategic Value of Contact CentersConnect with Rick on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-delisi-1122257/ Glia – https://www.glia.com/ Metric Sherpa – https://metricsherpa.com/ Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://www.facebook.com/bigredhorseband/