How Unified Customer, Employee, and Partner Journeys Will Reduce CX Friction in 2026

Companies pulling ahead will share a common trait: They'll no longer treat customer experience, employee experience, and partner experience as separate disciplines.

The Calabrio/Verint Consolidation: Opportunity and Outlook

Execution will determine whether the Calabrio/Verint consolidation becomes a market-shaping success for Thoma Bravo or a gateway for new AI-native WEM entrants. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

It’s Time to Reemphasize the Critical Importance of CX

Poor service isn't just a reputational risk. It's a direct and measurable threat to profitability.

Why Bridging AI-to-Human Support Will Define CX in 2026

In 2026, customer experience leaders will stop debating AI versus human support and start competing on how seamlessly they can connect the two.

Did Holiday Traffic Unwrap your Experience Debt?

It's time for a debrief: Did your customers feel an experience debt, one that will be paid by you in the form lost loyalty and revenue?

In a World of Autonomous Agents, How Do Brands Stay Sticky?

Brands that combine emotionally resonant awareness tactics with rich machine-readable data will be the ones that stick.

AI in the Contact Center: Transforming Value Creation

AI automation has already shown its value for standardized, high-volume processes. Now, genAI and agentic AI can deliver humanlike service in less standardized interactions.

What the Best-Performing CX Teams Did Differently in 2025

Leading teams in 2025 didn't chase quick wins; they invested in human-centric design, clean data, and iterative innovation to deliver measurable outcomes.

From Back End to Brand Impact: Why Software Engineers Belong in CX Strategy Rooms

At the end of the day, the customer experience is about how well a product works. Engineers shape those impressions daily.

When Machines Become Teammates: The Next Era of Human Empowerment

The future of customer success will belong not to those who automate the most but those who learn to collaborate best.

How AI Is Helping Consumers and Retailers This Holiday Shopping Season

AI-powered shopping is expected to boom this season, but retail AI implementations are only as good as the data that fuels them.

Aligning Your Brand’s Vision With Customer Perception

Close the gap between brand vision and customer perception by using data, consistent messaging, and empowered teams to build authentic connections that drive loyalty and long-term growth.

The Rise of AI Twins: Why Agentic Automation Will Put the CR Back In CRM

AI will finally fulfill the 30-year-old promise that CRM is the enterprise connection to the customer.

4 Ways Corporate Call Centers Are Using AI Today

Executives experiencing AI FOMO should take heed to the AI projects that are succeeding.

Agentic AI Is Revolutionizing How Companies Interact With Customers

Agentic AI is redefining customer experience by enabling autonomous, real-time, and personalized interactions at scale.

The Domino Effect: Why Your CRM Must Capture Every Customer Moment

Miss one customer moment in your CRM, and the domino effect can cost you loyalty, efficiency, and revenue.

How Not to Lose Track of Agentic AI’s Primary Purpose: Providing World-Class CX

Agentic AI is enabling autonomous support, help for human agents with complex queries, and real-time insights into customer behavior, which all adds up to a great CX.

Basic Service Checks a Box; Standout Service Changes Minds

Turn customers into advocates by making genuine human connection an essential service component.

AI Voice and Chat: When to Prioritize Each for Maximum Customer Engagement

The question is not which approach is inherently superior, but rather which approach is better for your particular business, use case, and customer base.

Succeeding with a Multigenerational Contact Center Workforce

Leaders must embrace flexible, inclusive strategies that leverage generational strengths, prioritize well-being, and foster a shared sense of purpose.