The CX Files: A Customer Experience Series

In this eye-opening episode of The CX Pod, host Liz Glagowski sits down with TTEC experts Alfredo Rizzo and JB Bednar to discuss a trend so new, it didn't even make it into their November 2025 CX Trends report: AI agents calling contact centers on behalf of customers. This isn't science fiction—it's happening now. Contact center associates are fielding calls from AI assistants that negotiate payment settlements, request supervisors when dissatisfied, and handle everything from healthcare benefit confirmations to complex financial transactions. Featuring real-world examples that sound impossible until you hear the actual call recordings, this episode reveals why CIOs and business leaders are responding with "immediate attention and a sense of urgency" when confronted with this rapidly evolving challenge. This episode is an excerpt from a larger LinkedIn Live event. For the full conversation and to download the complete CX Trends report, visit https://www.ttec.com/resources/webinars/say-goodbye-to-old-school-cx-in-2026 Episode Length: Approximately 12 minutes Guests: Alfredo Rizzo, CTO of TTEC Digital and JB Bednar, Head of Innovation at TTEC Key Topics: Agentic AI, Contact Center Trends, Customer Experience, AI Authentication, Machine Experience

Holiday shopping is in full swing. This year, AI begins to make its mark, and tariffs send shoppers to new channels. Coresight Research's John Harmon shares new research on the impact of tarriffs and consumer AI readiness this season. Happy shopping!

SMS text messages have been the standard on smartphones for over 20 years. But 20 years in the tech world is a lifetime. Enter RCS (Rich Communication Services) -- a new way to up the messaging game and deliver better experiences for your customers and for your business via mobile. Vibes Chief Innovation Officer Alex Campbell provides a primer for ways RCS can enhance mobile marketing and customer service with richer, more personal interactions.

What does a Chief Customer Officer actually do? And how is it evolving in the age of AI and digital transformation within the CX world? We explore the intersection of healthcare, technology, and human connection with WebPT's Chief Customer Officer, Suzanne Cogan. Suzanne discusses the growing importance of the CCO role and how innovation and empathy are combining to enhance member and patient experiences in healthcare.

Apple's success in combating fraud on its App Store illustrates lessons for other enterprises. Listen to the AI-generated recap of the popular Customer Strategist Journal article and let us know what you think. Post them here, or visit www.customerstrategistjournal.com share your thoughts.

Empathy is important in the contact center, but do customers really care? Liz Glagowski sat down with TTEC's JB Bednar to discuss if empathy is overrated for CX.

We talk to Rebecca Jones of Mosaicx about how women (and men) can tap into circles of wisdom and trust for personal and professional growth in the CX industry.

With the CX job market, technology and workplace trends evolving , it may be time for customer experience leaders to take a new look at an often overlooked segment of the contact center job market: Part-time workers. TTEC experts Dr. Trent Salvaggio and James Bednar talk to Liz Glagowski about what makes part-time work an attractive option for businesses and employees, and how to make it happen with a flexible contact center workforce model.

In the latest episode in our travel podcast series, TTEC’s Scott Bell shares his impressions on the growing fraud risk in the industry and how it impacts trust in on travel review sites like Tripadvisor. We also delve into the potential roadblocks to the JetBlue/Spirit merger and implications for the airline industry.

Retailers and e-commerce brands are struggling to keep up with fraudsters who keep finding innovative ways to commit fraud. Get tips from Eyal Elazar, head of product marketing at Riskified about how to fight conventional and unconventional fraud to create better customer experiences.

In the first episode of our travel series, "Unexpected Turbulence," Liz Glagowski of the Customer Strategist Journal and Scott Bell, VP of TTEC's travel practice discuss how brands like Southwest Airlines and Marriott Homes & Villas use their brand strength to weather unpredictable travel industry challenges.

Shelly Swanback, new CEO of TTEC Engage. shares her perspectives on digital transformation, innovative culture, the future of CX, and "embracing the mess."

In the first of our series exploring the people behind amazing customer experience delivery, we delve into the role of healthcare licensed agents. Liz Glagowski interviews TTEC vice presidents Ebony Langston and Shelley Larrick about what licensed agents do and how important they are to create a good impression with health insurance members and prospects.

Though it's been celebrated since the 1860s, Juneteenth became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021. The holiday commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States and has become a celebration of African-American culture and heritage. In honor of the day, Liz Glagowski partnered with TTEC’s Leesha Bush on a LinkedIn Live event to discuss the holiday and what it means for employees and business. Here is an excerpt of their conversation with Mita Antoine and Nisa Hill, members of TTEC’s Champions of Color employee resource group.

Retail is an industry in constant evolution. Liz Glagowski and TTEC Head of Retail Jon Stough discuss challenges and opportunities for retailers to improve the customer experience and engage employees to shine as valuable brand ambassadors.

In the era of the Great Resignation, businesses across industries are struggling to retain employees. Organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Bandelli explains how relational intelligence shapes employee and employer relationships and what leaders can do to strengthen those connections to improve employee engagement and retention.

TTEC writers Liz Glagowski and Dylan Haviland got together to chat about nearly a decade of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. They looked at past predictions, the future of technology, and what the Metaverse will bring to the table.

Join the editors of the Customer Strategist Journal as they discuss their favorite trends, stories and facts from the newest issue, "The Great Re-Engagement."

Retail stores underwent dramatic changes in the last two years. Jeff Bradbury, Senior Marketing Director at Hughes Network Systems, discusses next steps in the increased digitalization of retail stores and trends that are reshaping the shopper experience.

The editors of the Customer Strategist Journal came together to discuss their favorite CX stories, trends, and insights from 2021.