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    <title>CX without the BS - Episodes Tagged with “Tech Buyer Ai Guide”</title>
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    <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
    <description>Most CX podcasts are built for Fortune 500 buyers with seven-figure budgets and dedicated transformation teams... This one isn't. CX Without the BS is for the technology advisors, IT leaders, and business owners working in the trenches of SMB and mid-market companies - the "forgotten 5000" who get pitched enterprise solutions they can't afford and ignored by vendors who don't think they're worth the support call. Host Brian Nichols brings real practitioner perspective from the unified communications and contact center space. No guru theater. No vendor hype. No recycled LinkedIn thought leadership dressed up as expertise. Just the actual conversations advisors and buyers need to be having... about why CX deployments fail, where vendors quietly cut corners, which product categories are oversold, and what questions you should be asking before you sign a three-year contract. Each episode pulls from real customer scenarios, market situations, and the framework laid out in Brian's book, The CX Compass. Some episodes are solo deep dives. Others bring in practitioners, advisors, and operators who can break down the mechanics of what actually works - and what's quietly broken behind the demo. If you're tired of buzzword bingo and ready for the version of CX nobody's willing to say out loud... you're in the right place. Subscribe, share it with an advisor or buyer who needs it, and let's cut through the noise together.</description>
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    <itunes:subtitle>Honest takes on customer experience and UCaaS for the SMB and mid-market buyers enterprise vendors forgot... hosted by Brian Nichols.</itunes:subtitle>
    <itunes:author>Brian Nichols</itunes:author>
    <itunes:summary>Most CX podcasts are built for Fortune 500 buyers with seven-figure budgets and dedicated transformation teams... This one isn't. CX Without the BS is for the technology advisors, IT leaders, and business owners working in the trenches of SMB and mid-market companies - the "forgotten 5000" who get pitched enterprise solutions they can't afford and ignored by vendors who don't think they're worth the support call. Host Brian Nichols brings real practitioner perspective from the unified communications and contact center space. No guru theater. No vendor hype. No recycled LinkedIn thought leadership dressed up as expertise. Just the actual conversations advisors and buyers need to be having... about why CX deployments fail, where vendors quietly cut corners, which product categories are oversold, and what questions you should be asking before you sign a three-year contract. Each episode pulls from real customer scenarios, market situations, and the framework laid out in Brian's book, The CX Compass. Some episodes are solo deep dives. Others bring in practitioners, advisors, and operators who can break down the mechanics of what actually works - and what's quietly broken behind the demo. If you're tired of buzzword bingo and ready for the version of CX nobody's willing to say out loud... you're in the right place. Subscribe, share it with an advisor or buyer who needs it, and let's cut through the noise together.</itunes:summary>
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    <itunes:owner>
      <itunes:name>Brian Nichols</itunes:name>
      <itunes:email>brian@briannicholsconsulting.com</itunes:email>
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  <title>5 Reasons Why AI Makes Customer Service Worse</title>
  <link>https://cswithoutthebs.fireside.fm/5-reasons-why-ai-makes-customer-service-worse</link>
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  <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
  <author>Brian Nichols</author>
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  <itunes:author>Brian Nichols</itunes:author>
  <itunes:subtitle>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).</itunes:subtitle>
  <itunes:duration>9:32</itunes:duration>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;Is AI actually making your customer experience worse — not better?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Everyone says AI is going to revolutionize customer service. Speed up support. Make it personal. Save money. But the truth is, for most businesses, AI is adding friction, not fixing it. If you've ever screamed "REPRESENTATIVE!" into your phone while stuck in an endless AI loop, you already know the pain we're talking about.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In this episode of CX Without the BS, we cut through the hype and break down the top 5 ways AI is failing real customers. From fake personalization to broken dashboards, and robotic empathy to frustrated support reps — we’re calling out the BS that vendors and execs keep selling you.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This isn’t an anti-AI rant. It’s a wake-up call. AI can help your CX... but only if it’s used the right way. And right now? Most companies are using it like a band-aid on a bullet wound. We give you the blueprint to fix it — with practical, real-world advice that actually works.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you’re a tech buyer, tech advisor, or someone just trying to not get burned by another AI promise, this is your cheat code. You’ll walk away with five clear fixes that will make your AI actually useful — and your customer experience way less frustrating.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Because in 2025, AI doesn’t make you stand out. Good CX does. And the companies who get this right? They’re going to win. Hit play — and let’s fix what’s broken. &lt;/p&gt;
</description>
  <itunes:keywords>AI in customer service, CX without the BS, why AI fails in support, bad AI examples, AI customer support problems, real CX talk, AI vs human support, contact center AI, how to fix customer experience, CX mistakes with AI, tech buyer AI guide, AI in call centers, technology advisor podcast, broken AI promises, AI tool review, fake personalization AI, robotic customer service, AI dashboards issues, smart support tips, AI myths in business</itunes:keywords>
  <content:encoded>
    <![CDATA[<p>Is AI actually making your customer experience worse — not better?</p>

<p>Everyone says AI is going to revolutionize customer service. Speed up support. Make it personal. Save money. But the truth is, for most businesses, AI is adding friction, not fixing it. If you've ever screamed "REPRESENTATIVE!" into your phone while stuck in an endless AI loop, you already know the pain we're talking about.</p>

<p>In this episode of CX Without the BS, we cut through the hype and break down the top 5 ways AI is failing real customers. From fake personalization to broken dashboards, and robotic empathy to frustrated support reps — we’re calling out the BS that vendors and execs keep selling you.</p>

<p>This isn’t an anti-AI rant. It’s a wake-up call. AI can help your CX... but only if it’s used the right way. And right now? Most companies are using it like a band-aid on a bullet wound. We give you the blueprint to fix it — with practical, real-world advice that actually works.</p>

<p>If you’re a tech buyer, tech advisor, or someone just trying to not get burned by another AI promise, this is your cheat code. You’ll walk away with five clear fixes that will make your AI actually useful — and your customer experience way less frustrating.</p>

<p>Because in 2025, AI doesn’t make you stand out. Good CX does. And the companies who get this right? They’re going to win. Hit play — and let’s fix what’s broken.</p>]]>
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  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p>Is AI actually making your customer experience worse — not better?</p>

<p>Everyone says AI is going to revolutionize customer service. Speed up support. Make it personal. Save money. But the truth is, for most businesses, AI is adding friction, not fixing it. If you've ever screamed "REPRESENTATIVE!" into your phone while stuck in an endless AI loop, you already know the pain we're talking about.</p>

<p>In this episode of CX Without the BS, we cut through the hype and break down the top 5 ways AI is failing real customers. From fake personalization to broken dashboards, and robotic empathy to frustrated support reps — we’re calling out the BS that vendors and execs keep selling you.</p>

<p>This isn’t an anti-AI rant. It’s a wake-up call. AI can help your CX... but only if it’s used the right way. And right now? Most companies are using it like a band-aid on a bullet wound. We give you the blueprint to fix it — with practical, real-world advice that actually works.</p>

<p>If you’re a tech buyer, tech advisor, or someone just trying to not get burned by another AI promise, this is your cheat code. You’ll walk away with five clear fixes that will make your AI actually useful — and your customer experience way less frustrating.</p>

<p>Because in 2025, AI doesn’t make you stand out. Good CX does. And the companies who get this right? They’re going to win. Hit play — and let’s fix what’s broken.</p>]]>
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