What if the way you measure customer support is setting your team up to fail? What if prioritizing speed is costing you real relationships? And what if the real customer experience (CX) advantage isn’t more tech, but a culture where teams are actually happy to help? In this episode, Stacy Sherman and Priscilla Brooke, CX leader at Buzzsprout, share bold strategies to move beyond reactive service and redefine it as true customer success. You’ll learn how to use employee well-being as a KPI, foster cross-functional collaboration, and implement AI in ways that enhance—not replace—your team’s impact. If you’re serious about creating loyalty—not just closing tickets—this conversation will change how you lead.
Key Questions Explored:
- How can automation enhance, not replace, customer support?
- Why is employee well-being a critical metric for customer success?
- What common mistakes are companies making when implementing AI in support?
- How can businesses foster cross-functional collaboration to improve CX?
- What role does a “Happy to Help” culture play in retaining loyal customers?
Valuable Insights Shared:
Doing CX Right means prioritizing human connections, even in an automated world. Stacy and Priscilla share the importance of blending empathy with technology, ensuring that AI assists support teams instead of overshadowing them.
Key Topics Discussed:
- The impact of AI and automation on customer support
- Employee well-being as a key performance indicator (KPI)
- Building a “Happy to Help” culture
- Cross-functional teamwork for seamless customer success
- The evolving role of customer support as customer success
Practical Takeaways:
- Use employee well-being metrics to gauge customer support success.
- Create clear boundaries where automation complements rather than replaces human interaction.
- Foster a collaborative culture across departments to deliver a consistent customer experience.
- Train support teams to prioritize empathy in every customer interaction.
- Implement AI where it’s most effective, leaving complex, emotionally driven tasks to humans.
Companies Mentioned:
- Buzzsprout: Priscilla shares insights from Buzzsprout’s approach to customer support and its emphasis on authenticity.
Leadership Advice:
For leaders, Stacy and Priscilla emphasize that success in customer support doesn’t come from focusing solely on speed—it comes from creating authentic, human-centered experiences that exceed expectations. Satisfaction is not enough.
Looking Ahead – Industry Predictions:
Expect a growing emphasis on blending automation with human-centric support, where AI will take over repetitive tasks, and human teams will focus on complex, emotional, and value-driven customer interactions.
Final Thought:
In a world dominated by automation, the businesses that will thrive are those that make their support teams feel genuinely valued and equipped to help. Are you leading your team in a way that combines technology with empathy?
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About Priscilla Brooke:
Priscilla is the Head of Podcaster Success for Buzzsprout, a podcast-hosting service based in Jacksonville, Florida.
From a young age, Priscilla has had a love for people and has harnessed that passion throughout her career. After studying advertising at the University of North Florida, she found a path to customer support and has loved every minute of it. For the last eight years, she has led the Podcaster Success team at Buzzsprout, working directly with podcasters as they start podcasting and keep podcasting! In 2024, she launched Happy to Help, a podcast about making excellent customer support the standard, not the exception.
Priscilla cares deeply about using empathy, patience, and kindness to connect with all types of people. Outside of work, you can catch Priscilla laughing along with her favorite comedy podcasts or rooting for the New York Yankees!
About Stacy Sherman:
Stacy Sherman is a professional speaker, advisor, and founder of Doing CX Right® consultancy, helping companies build unbreakable loyalty across customers, employees, and partners for lasting retention and growth. With 25 years at top companies, a Marketing MBA, and certifications in Journey Mapping and UX, she provides a proven, research-backed framework that drives real business impact. A trusted, award-winning CX leader, Stacy is recognized as a Top Global CX Guru and ICMI Top 25 Influencer (2021-2025). She continues to shape the future of CX through LinkedIn Learning courses, workshops, best-selling books, and her award-winning podcast, equipping professionals with the strategies to deliver measurable results, competitive advantage, and enriched experiences.
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A Gift For You:
Do you want to know if your customer experience creates loyal advocates who genuinely love your brand? Are your employees inspired to champion your mission as others in your industry view you as the gold standard they strive to reach?
Take FREE CX Assessment to uncover:
- Barriers limiting your brand’s growth and impact.
- Factors that drive stronger customer connections and deeper loyalty.
- Strategies to create meaningful experiences that set your brand apart.
Doing customer experience the right way can transform your business and enrich the lives of the people you service. Don’t leave it to chance.
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