It’s National Customer Service Week in the UK, and we get the views from two 8×8 industry stalwarts: Lisa Orford, Global Vice President of Contact Centre at 8×8, and Chris Angus, VP CPaaS & CX Expansion, EMEA at 8×8. Both share their thoughts on what this week really means and what the takeaway for organisations should be.
Lisa is an experienced product director with over 15 years’ experience in the Contact Centre and Telecoms space, with a solid background in operations and product management, from conception to delivery. Lisa Orford, VP for Contact Centre at 8×8 comments:
“Customer experience is the bedrock for companies to build trust, but that experience isn’t just up until the point of sale. Organisations need unshakeable loyalty to stay ahead in this competitive market, and that comes from exceptional experiences across the entire buying journey. Customer service professionals around the world are, without a doubt, one of the main contributors of value for their companies every single day. National Customer Service Week is a great opportunity to recognise the hard work and achievements of these individuals. It’s also an excellent reminder for companies to return the favour.”
“We know that organisations that view customer service as a value centre achieve 3.5x revenue growth compared to their internal peers. That’s because the richest source of customer insights comes directly from the people who are closest to them day in and day out. The data that they collect and generate can be the catalyst for new revenue streams and stickier relationships if powered by the right technology. However, no AI tool on the planet can or should replace the human element.
“Technology allows us to alleviate unnecessary stress, streamline workflows, and allow the humans driving the customer experience to focus on more complex or sensitive problems. Chatbots may solve problems, but humans are the ones people remember. Efficiency is remembered in the moment, but empathy is remembered the longest. A chatbot can make it easy, but it’s the human who leaves a lasting mark.”
CX Day 2025 does indeed offer an opportunity to reflect on the evolving landscape of customer experience and the role intelligent technologies are playing in shaping it. The conversation is no longer about whether to adopt AI, but how organisations can leverage it to complement human empathy, streamline customer journeys, enhance employee experience, and deliver measurable business outcomes.
Chris Angus, VP CPaaS & CX Expansion, EMEA at 8×8, shares his perspective on how AI, when applied thoughtfully, can become a force multiplier for both customers and employees.
“As we mark CX Day 2025, it’s never been more important to reflect on what “great customer experience” really means, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping it. There’s no shortage of hype around AI, but let’s be honest: customers aren’t impressed by buzzwords. They’re impressed by seamless service, speed, empathy, and a sense that the brands they interact with understand them. That’s where AI can be transformative – if we use it right.
“Customer expectations are rising, agent satisfaction is declining, and operational complexity is ballooning. AI is often pitched as the solution to all of it, but it’s not a silver bullet. It’s a toolkit that must be wielded thoughtfully and always with the human experience in mind. The real risk for many businesses isn’t jumping into AI too quickly. It’s doing nothing. The cost of maintaining the status quo is often higher than you think.
“Agents don’t fear AI. They’re crying out for it. They’re not asking to be replaced, they’re asking to be supported. AI helps remove the mundane, such as repetitive queries, manual logging, basic triage, so agents are freed to focus on what humans do best: empathise, problem-solve, and build trust. That shift from reactive call handler to empowered customer advisor reduces burnout, improves performance, and most importantly, leads to better customer experiences.
“The question we should all be asking this CX Day isn’t ‘should we use AI’, but ‘how well are we using it?’. Are we implementing it with purpose, empowering people at every level, and keeping the human at the centre? The brands that succeed in this new era of CX won’t be the ones with the most AI, they’ll be the ones who use it to deliver the most authentic experiences, consistently, intuitively, and with care.”
