October saw CX Network host the first annual edition of All Access: AI+Data in CX. Expert speakers from DoorDash, Rabobank, Nomad Foods, the Government of Canada, Nextiva and Verint joined us to discuss data readiness, AI ethics and conversational AI, among other things.
If you couldn’t make it, we’ve got your back.
We have pulled together the key takeaways from each session for a quick read below. You can also watch all sessions on demand via our CX Replay page.
Navigating conversational AI and generative AI in regulated industries
Our first session explored Rabobank’s navigation of AI and generative AI in the highly regulated financial industry. Erwin Pellemans, product manager for robots and AI at Rabobank joined us for a fireside chat to kick off the series.
Erwin shared that Rabobank began implementing specialized chatbots in 2019 (notably a long time before the generative AI boom), starting with bots focused on specific tasks like VAT queries. By clearly defining the bot’s capabilities and limitations, they could manage initial user expectations.
At first, employees were hesitant to adopt the technology, questioning the need for a chatbot when they had access to help desks and manuals. Over time, users adapted as they experienced the convenience these bots provided.
When asked about mitigating hallucinations, Erwin said that "hallucinations are always there" to some degree. Rabobank mitigates this risk by restricting the model's sources and conducting post-output checks for accuracy.
He highlighted the importance of human oversight when working with AI, saying "You always need to check, you always need to go back to the source".
Watch the full interview here.
Leveraging AI and data to elevate CX
Our series sponsors at Verint joined the conversation to explain how to overcome the challenges presented by using AI in CX, including siloed customer data, misalignment across teams and ineffective AI implementation. Dhiren Patel, VP, GTM for data insights bot and Kyle Kovacs, manager for solutions consulting at Verint presented the session.
Dhiren began by highlighting the challenge of managing data across silos: diverse software platforms, geographic locations and multiple partners. He noted that the ultimate goal for CX practitioners is to “improve CX and reduce cost…by giving enough information and insight to the contact center agent or the contact center bot.”
Recognizing that customer interactions span multiple channels (e.g., phone, digital), Patel stressed the need for a data repository that captures information from these diverse sources to build a comprehensive view of each interaction.
Kyle also emphasized that as customers increasingly navigate across multiple channels, organizations need to “link those experiences together” by building “connected customer journeys” and “listen[ing] everywhere” customers interact, from in-store experiences to contact center operations.
Kyle then cited examples where retailers were working with Verint. He noted that Verint’s AI technology “update[s] agent scripts” and improves “same day fulfilment” through bot-driven insights. This allows agents to resolve issues effectively and improve CX in real time.
Navigating the future of CX: Personalization, omnichannel and data security
Our sponsors at Nextiva joined the series to discuss omnichannel personalization and data security. Kate Hodgins, senior director, portfolio product marketing and customer marketing at Nextiva started by emphasizing the importance of personalization when building customer loyalty, saying “that feeling of being recognized, remembered and valued is really what personalization brings to the table."
She pointed to the role of AI in personalization, noting that "AI can make personalization more impactful by analyzing past behaviors, preferences and interactions to help anticipate customer needs and make relevant suggestions."
Like Kyle and Dhiren, Kate advocated for the criticality of connected customer experiences across channels but noted that siloed data is a major barrier to making this a reality.
"Siloed systems lead to fragmented experiences, and with upwards of 90 percent of customer data unstructured, creating a single source of truth is essential but challenging," she said.
Learn how to overcome this challenge by watching Kate’s session on demand here.
Harnessing consumer insights to drive innovation and growth at Nomad Foods
Alex Hardy, director of consumer insights and analytics at Nomad Foods, discussed how to make sense of large quantities of data and how to foster data literacy across a large organization, among other things.
When asked about cutting through the noise to get to key insights, Alex said that it is important to focus on key metrics and KPIs to ensure the dashboard does not get overloaded.
He recommended looking at “What is going on, what is the ‘so what’, and the ‘now what?’” explaining that this approach “helps to harness lots of information [and identify] the most important pieces that we might focus on”.
We discussed how to build data literacy and the importance of data accessibility.
Alex noted that insights teams must tailor their insights to their audience and share the most critical pieces of information. This enhances engagement across departments and facilitates data-driven decision making.
The ’consumer moments’ approach aims to bridge the knowledge gap for non-technical employees, making complex consumer insights more digestible and relevant. The approach involves creating brief, five minute presentations, tailored for each team, which are then displayed at the beginning of team meetings.
“We're just taking five minutes in front of their meeting... to explain something and say, 'this is what brand equity means, and this is why it’s important to you and to Nomad Foods in general’.”
Alex also advocated for standardized data dashboards that are accessible for all employees.
“Clear, simple dashboards are great…whether you're in a local market, or you're the CEO sitting in the center,” he said.
Learn more about Alex’s approach here.
Building trust and overcoming challenges: AI and data strategy
Continuing with the theme of data readiness for AI, we interviewed Somaieh Nikpoor, data science and AI strategy lead at the Government of Canada.
Somaieh underscored the importance of data quality, saying: “There’s no good AI system without having good quality data as well.” She touted the importance of collaboration between business and IT teams, pointing out that “approaching this sort of data sharing and data integration… requires both business expertise and IT expertise”.
She then went on to discuss cloud migration, which can often be timely and expensive while disrupting usual service and capabilities. She advocated for a phased approach to cloud migration to minimize service disruption, advising the audience to “identify key areas that need to be migrated first… then move to the others.”
Towards the end of the session we turned to AI ethics. Somaieh noted that having strict AI guidelines is critical to ensure ethical AI deployment and gain the trust of users. She explained the Canadian government mandates that all federal departments must comply with the directive on automated decision making.
Departments must conduct algorithmic impact assessments, which involve evaluating the use case, data, objectives and potential impact of AI systems.
“This assessment ensures that AI systems align with the ethical standards... it evaluates if an AI system is risky, and what is the level of risk,” she said.
Transparency and explainability were also emphasized, with Somaieh stating that “we have to prioritize the use of AI models that can provide explanation for the decisions they are making”.
To learn more AI ethics, data readiness and cross-departmental collaboration, watch the full interview here.
Accelerating research impact at DoorDash
Our final session in the series was a fireside chat with Zach Schendel, head of research at DoorDash.
Zach explained that DoorDash fosters a culture where research is integral to operations. Zach stated, “Doordash customer obsession is a company value,” reinforcing that research insights are not just welcomed but expected at all levels.
He added: “The expectation from the CEO down, for all people, is to…understand and empathize with the needs of all of the audiences that you're working with.”
This culture is further evidenced by initiatives like the “We Dash” program, which requires all employees to engage in the delivery process (“dashing”) to better understand the customer experience.
Zach shared that employees beyond the research team are encouraged to do their own research projects, also.
When asked how DoorDash democratizes research while maintaining quality, he said: “If the research is worth doing...one of the ways that we have to help facilitate work is office hours.”
By offering office hours and logistical support, his research team helps others to conduct their research effectively. He added: “We'll do all the logistics for you...all you have to do is sit with us for 20 minutes in a brief review,” ensuring that the quality of insights remains high even when conducted outside the research department.
Hear more from Zach and learn about exciting examples from his extensive experience by watching the session on demand here.
Quick links
- 4 things to know from All Access: Customer Loyalty & Retention
- 8 things we learnt about the future of contact centers from our expert panel
- Improve CX across omnichannel platforms with customer journey management