The Latest

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  Albertsons loyalty grows as it pushes ‘customers for life’

  The grocery grew its loyalty program 16% during its last quarter and now reaches nearly 40 million members. 

  Strategy

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  Customer satisfaction with lodging is back to pre-pandemic levels: report

  Hilton brands, in particular, came out on top in this year’s American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study.

  Data & Analytics

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  Medallia’s CEO departs, chairman leads search for replacement

  Joe Tyrrell left last week for personal reasons but is still working with Medallia on the CEO transition.

  AI & Automation

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  Companies are asking customer service teams to generate revenue, too

  Nearly 9 in 10 leaders are reporting that their teams are expected to deliver more revenue through upselling, cross-selling and customer retention, Salesforce found.

  Customer Service

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  Walmart removes self-checkout from select stores

  The retailer joins other Target, Dollar General and other chains in recalibrating its reliance on self-service and rethinking the checkout experience.

  Strategy

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  Amazon introduces shoppable, ad-supported channel to Prime Video, Freevee

  The channel leverages Amazon’s “shop the show” technology to enable viewers to easily purchase content seen on their TV screen via a mobile device.

  Technology

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  Why calling customer service has so many ‘speed bumps’

  Sometimes pressing “zero” repeatedly or saying “agent” over and over isn’t enough to redirect the line to a live person.

  Customer Service

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  Amazon defends ‘Just Walk Out’ pullback

  The retailer’s grab-and-go technology will be targeted to small stores, while its smart carts will be prevalent in grocery stores, the company said this week.

  Strategy

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  HubSpot nixes chief customer officer role following executive departure

  HubSpot will not fill the space left by the departure of Rob Giglio, but its sales, marketing and customer success heads will now have a direct line to the CEO. 

  Strategy

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  Zendesk adds more AI to power chatbots, contact center copilots

  In partnership with AWS and Anthropic, Zendesk is adding AI to better support customer inquiries, whether that’s through calls or self-service. 

  AI & Automation

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  Q&A

  Why JCPenney’s loyalty program is the next step in its $1B turnaround plan

  Chief Customer Officer Katie Mullen explained how the retailer's revamped program will deliver value to consumers and boost first-party data reserves.

  Strategy

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  United grows NPS despite hit from Boeing groundings

  Though the Max 9 grounding cost it $200 million, United pointed to its customer experience wins as a bright spot that will carry the company forward.

  Strategy

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  Companies aren’t meeting customer expectations for delivery communications

  Customers have clear expectations for order updates delivered through their preferred communication channel, but companies are falling short, ShipStation and Retail Economics found.

  Strategy

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  Krispy Kreme switching to points-based loyalty program

  Loyalty members will earn 10 points for every dollar spent starting April 23 as the chain shifts away from a consistent 8.3% discount rate on rewards.

  Personalization

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  DOT, state attorneys general to clamp down on ‘deceptive’ airline practices

  Consumer complaints of flight disruptions, airlines failing to offer refunds for canceled flights, lost baggage and more are at an all-time high, the Department of Transportation said.

  Strategy

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  Health insurance is missing the mark on digital CX

  Two in five consumers experienced problems when using their health insurance’s website or app in the past year, according to a J.D. Power study.

  Technology

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  Solution to patchwork of state data-privacy laws shows promise

  By mostly preempting state laws, the American Privacy Rights Act would give companies a much-needed roadmap for compliance, privacy specialists say.

  Customer Service

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  Rent the Runway boosts NPS, plans more CX improvements

  The company will add more on-site content aimed at inspiration and product discovery in an effort to return to growth. 

  Strategy

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  Why dynamic pricing sours restaurant dining experiences

  Nearly two-thirds of consumers had a negative reaction to dynamic pricing, a HungerRush survey found.

  Strategy

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  Perfect Corp. releases AI hair-identifying tool for personalization

  The company said the tech lets brands and retailers provide personalized advice online and in-store.

  AI & Automation

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  L.L. Bean cuts call center hours as more customers turn to self-service

  The changes are in response to long-term customer trends, not current business conditions, the retailer told CX Dive.

  Customer Service

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  Does United have a customer trust problem?

  Boeing’s safety issues have cast a shadow on the entire airline industry. United Airlines, however, has been the unlucky carrier to come under the public’s magnifying glass.

  Strategy

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  Deep Dive

  Why more tech in stores shouldn’t mean fewer workers

  Stores can automate more tasks than ever, including pricing, inventory management and checkout. But for theft prevention, customer service and brand engagement, they need humans.

  Strategy

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  MetLife rolls out tools to help customers take full advantage of their benefits

  The insurance provider is looking to educate consumers on the full extent of their benefits and improve customer satisfaction in the process. 

  Customer Success

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  What’s missing with AI rollouts? Employee trust.

  Three in 5 leaders want to use AI to better communicate with frontline workers, but they need to build trust as well, according to Deloitte Digital.

  Strategy

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