Transforming Customer Products and Services From Cost Centers to Profit Centers with Generative A.I.

This episode of the Convergence Podcast takes an in-depth look at the transformative journey of Doug Kramon, a leader in customer-centric innovation at ESPN Disney. Building on last week’s exploration of his ethnographic approach to customer care, Doug dives into the groundbreaking technologies and strategies his team uses to enhance fan loyalty and generate revenue. From leveraging generative AI to create empathetic and efficient customer interactions to transitioning customer care teams from cost centers to profit centers, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.

Ashok and Doug also discuss how customer feedback drives product innovation, the importance of integrating AI into human workflows, and how businesses can achieve long-term fan engagement. Plus, Ashok reflects on his own career in customer engineering and shares 11 practical tactics to redefine care teams as growth leaders within your organization.

Inside the episode…

• How Doug Kramon and ESPN use generative AI to enhance customer empathy while improving efficiency.

• The catharsis scoring model: what it is and how it delivers actionable data.

• Transitioning customer care teams from cost centers to profit centers through cross-selling and upselling.

• Real-life examples of using customer feedback to improve product design and reduce care team workload.

• The importance of segmenting and understanding your audience for tailored fan experiences.

• Doug Kramon’s take on the elegance of product design, featuring his favorite e-scooter innovations.

• Ashok’s 11 key strategies for transforming care teams into profit centers.

• How long-term roles in customer engineering can shape a career in strategy and product management.

Mentioned in this episode

• Generative AI applications in customer service

• The “Spire” or “Right” model for agent productivity

• Pure e-scooters and their link to Formula 1 innovation

• ESPN+ and personalized fan content

• Tools like Google Cloud Platform and Vertex AI

Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge.

Inside the episode...

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