CX without the BS

Episode Archive

Episode Archive

36 episodes of CX without the BS since the first episode, which aired on May 23rd, 2024.

  • 5 Reasons Why AI Makes Customer Service Worse

    August 5th, 2025  |  9 mins 32 secs
    ai customer support problems, ai dashboards issues, ai in call centers, ai in customer service, ai myths in business, ai tool review, ai vs human support, bad ai examples, broken ai promises, contact center ai, cx mistakes with ai, cx without the bs, fake personalization ai, how to fix customer experience, real cx talk, robotic customer service, smart support tips, tech buyer ai guide, technology advisor podcast, why ai fails in support

    AI was supposed to fix customer experience — but most companies are just frustrating people faster.
    In this week’s episode of CX Without the BS, we expose 5 big ways AI is making CX worse (and how to fix it).

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    Is Your UCaaS Vendor Lying About AI?

    August 4th, 2025  |  4 mins 53 secs
    ai call routing problems, ai fail examples, ai in ucaas, ai myths in ucaas, ai powered ucaas, ai red flags, cx without the bs, fake ai warning signs, how to spot fake ai, level365, press 1 for sales, real ucaas solutions, small business phone system, smart call routing, technology advisor tips, ucaas ai, ucaas demo advice, ucaas for smbs, ucaas phone menus, ucaas tips, unified communications ai

    If your customer is still hearing "Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support" — that’s not intelligence. That’s a script with a buzzword mask. In this episode of CX Without the BS, we’re breaking down the #1 red flag that tells you your vendor might be full of it.

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    Do Cold Calls Still Work in 2025?

    July 30th, 2025  |  42 mins 9 secs
    ai in sales, appointment setting tips, b2b sales tactics, cold calling tips, cold outreach, customer experience, cx podcast, how to cold call, how to follow up in sales, linkedin outreach, outbound sales strategy, sales authenticity, sales call mistakes, sales call script, sales development, sales development podcast, sales objections, sales pipeline, sdr coaching, sdr training

    Cold calling isn't dead - bad cold calling is. In this episode, I sit down with John from LevelUp Leads to break down how SDRs can stop sounding robotic, block objections before they happen, and finally build real pipeline through human connection.

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    How Do I Get More Replies to Cold Emails?

    July 23rd, 2025  |  37 mins
    b2b sales email tips, cold email strategy, cold outreach that works, customer experience sales, customer journey starts in sales, cx and sales connection, email automation problems, email copywriting tips, email deliverability tips, fix your sales emails, how to get more sales meetings, human touch in sales, outbound sales done right, real vs fake personalization, sales copy that converts, sales development strategy, why buyers are confused

    Cold outreach isn’t just sales – it’s your first customer experience touchpoint, and if your email confuses people or doesn’t feel human, they’re never gonna buy from you.

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    5 Warning Signs Your Support Is Failing

    July 16th, 2025  |  11 mins 53 secs
    bad support signs, business growth tools, business support system, call center issues, contact center help, customer ghosting, customer retention, customer service problems, customer support mistakes, cx strategy, cx without the bs, fix support issues, how to improve customer service, small business churn, smb support tips, support burnout, support red flags, tech advisor tips, ticket escalation problems, ucaas sales

    Your support system might be quietly chasing away your best customers. In this episode of CX Without the BS, I break down 5 sneaky signs your CX is failing — and how to fix it fast.

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    Is AI Hurting Customer Experience?

    July 8th, 2025  |  12 mins
    ai emotional analysis, ai fails customer support, ai in customer service, ai mistakes in support, ai transcription errors, ai vs humans, bad ai examples, call center ai problems, call center burnout, contact center burnout, contact center innovation, customer service tools, customer support automation, cx strategy, cx technology, cx without the bs, hybrid ai models, real customer experience

    AI was supposed to make customer service easier, but it’s quietly burning out your agents and making support worse – here’s why.

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    10 Discovery Questions EVERY Tech Advisor Needs

    July 1st, 2025  |  9 mins 10 secs
    business phone system problems, contact center discovery, customer experience questions, cx sales tips, cx without the bs, improve customer experience, level365, missed call tracking, phone system red flags, smb communication issues, smb phone system, tech advisor training, technology advisor tools, ucaas sales, unified communications, voip discovery questions

    Most SMBs aren’t choosing the wrong phone system on purpose – they’re just not asking the right questions. In this week’s CX Without the BS, I’m breaking down 10 brutally honest questions that expose hidden CX problems fast. Listen, learn, and level up.

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    5 Mistakes SMBs Make When Choosing UCaaS (and How to Avoid Them)

    June 24th, 2025  |  7 mins 46 secs
    best ucaas for smbs, business communications, call data, cheap ucaas problems, customer experience, flexible contracts, long-term contracts, phone support, phone system mistakes, reporting tools, small business tech, smb mistakes, smb tech advice, smb ucaas mistakes, support issues, tech advisor tips, ucaas, ucaas integrations, ucaas pitfalls, ucaas providers, unified communications

    In this episode, we uncover the five critical mistakes SMBs make when choosing a UCaaS provider – and how you can avoid them to save time, money, and stress.

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    Is Your CX Provider Lying to You?

    December 2nd, 2024  |  1 hr 53 secs
    business consulting, business technology, business transformation, channel management, channel partners, contact center solutions, customer experience, customer experience management, customer service solutions, cx technology, enterprise solutions, sales strategy, smb solutions, smb technology, tech industry analysis, tech industry critique, tech sales, technology advisory

    What if there was someone who could cut through the noise and tell you exactly what's wrong with today's CX industry - especially when it comes to serving small and medium-sized businesses? Meet Daniel Vaughan, a refreshingly honest voice who's challenging the status quo and exposing the truth about what really matters in customer experience.

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    How to Fix BAD Customer Service | Why Your Company Story Matters to Customers

    August 9th, 2024  |  53 mins 3 secs
    brand alignment, brand narrative, brand promises, business communication, company culture, corporate storytelling, customer engagement, customer experience, customer feedback, customer journey, customer loyalty, customer retention, customer satisfaction, customer service tips, cx improvement, cx strategy, employee empowerment, frontline employees, story archetypes, storytelling

    Discover how crafting a compelling company story can transform your customer experience, empower your employees, and turn dissatisfied customers into loyal fans by aligning your brand's promises with real-world actions.

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    Customer Service Secrets | Turning DISASTERS into Opportunities

    August 2nd, 2024  |  47 mins 36 secs
    ai in customer service, airline customer service, airline loyalty programs, airport chaos, brand loyalty, crowdstrike outage, customer complaints, customer experience, customer feedback, customer retention, customer satisfaction, customer service recovery, cx, cx technology, delta airlines, flight cancellation, frontier airlines, frontline employees, personalized solutions, service failure, skymiles, travel industry, travel problems

    A travel nightmare turns into a masterclass in customer loyalty as Delta Airlines demonstrates how effective customer service recovery can transform a potentially disastrous experience into an opportunity to strengthen brand allegiance, highlighting the critical importance of empowering frontline employees and prioritizing personalized solutions in creating exceptional customer experiences.

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    Top 3 AI Myths in Contact Centers: BUSTED

    July 26th, 2024  |  52 mins 10 secs
    ai chatbots, ai cost savings, ai customer service, ai hype in cx, ai implementation challenges, ai in business, ai marketing claims, artificial intelligence in call centers, contact center automation, contact center efficiency, contact center technology, customer experience trends, customer service leadership, customer support technology, cx innovation, cx technology evaluation, cx without bs, employee experience, future of customer service, human agents vs ai

    A contact center industry veteran exposes the truth about AI in customer experience, revealing both its transformative potential and the rampant marketing hype, while emphasizing the enduring importance of human agents in delivering exceptional service.

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    Can Small Businesses Really Use AI? | 5 Ways AI Can Help Your Small Business TODAY

    July 19th, 2024  |  59 mins 30 secs
    ai adoption trends, ai automation, ai business applications, ai chatbots, ai customer satisfaction, ai ethics, ai for smbs, ai in contact centers, ai in customer service, ai industry insights, ai job impact, ai regulation, ai risks and benefits, ai roi, ai technology advancements, artificial intelligence business, customer experience technology, cx innovation, future of cx, small business ai

    AI expert Jason Lowe reveals how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing customer experience, offering unprecedented opportunities for businesses of all sizes while simultaneously posing potential risks that demand careful consideration and regulation.

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    What are the BEST AI Tools for Customer Support?

    July 12th, 2024  |  47 mins 43 secs
    ai consultants, ai customer service, ai hype, ai implementation, ai in business, ai roi, ai tools, ai vs human support, chatbots, clarity cx, contact center solutions, contact center technology, conversational ai, customer experience, customer service automation, customer support technology, cx innovation, cx software, cx software comparison, cx trends, future of customer service, machine learning, omnichannel support, palomar

    AI expert exposes the hype and reality of artificial intelligence in customer experience, offering practical insights on how businesses can leverage genuine AI solutions to transform their contact centers and improve customer service.

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    Fix Your Customer Service Like We Fixed Our Health

    June 28th, 2024  |  36 mins 42 secs
    ai hype, ai implementation, ai in business, business improvement, business strategy, business success, business transformation, customer experience, customer retention, customer satisfaction, customer service, customer service nightmares, cx without bs, diet and exercise, gastric sleeve, health and business, lifestyle changes, long-term solutions, marketing bs, personal growth, quick fixes, sustainable progress, technology in business, weight loss, weight loss journey

    Personal weight loss journeys mirror business transformations, revealing how quick fixes in both health and customer experience can lead to devastating consequences, while emphasizing the importance of building strong foundations for lasting success.

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    The Biggest Problems in Customer Service (and How to FIX Them!)

    June 21st, 2024  |  41 mins 26 secs
    accent neutralization, ai advancements, ai and human interaction, ai ethics, ai in business, ai in customer service, brian nichols podcast, call center technology, cloud-based contact centers, contact center solutions, customer experience, customer satisfaction, customer service agents, customer service challenges, customer service innovation, cx industry trends, cx technology, cx technology evolution citations: [1] https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/2717721/d9af5fae-6583-4060-a0db-37928195c6b1/jon heaps on cx without the bs (1)_otter_ai.txt, cx without the bs, jon heaps interview, noise elimination, offshoring customer service, sanas ai, tom milligan

    Jon Heaps, a pioneer in the CX industry, shares his incredible journey from the early days of cloud-based contact centers to groundbreaking AI solutions that are revolutionizing customer service by removing language barriers and empowering agents to deliver exceptional experiences.