Best Adrian Swinscoe Podcasts (2025)

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Closing the CX chasm - Interview with Jamie Anderson of UserTesting 55:38

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14h ago55:38

55:38

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast features Jamie Anderson, Chief Revenue Officer of UserTesting. Jamie joins me today to talk music, the mismatch between what companies believe they deliver and what customers actually experience, and how this can be fixed with human-first design. We also explore how AI risks disconnecting teams from real human…

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Are "silent complaints" killing your brand? (with Adrian Swinscoe of Punk CX) 37:25

12d ago37:25

37:25

Send us a text Most companies measure CX through surveys, reviews, and dashboards. But there is real danger in “silent complaints”: the underwhelming experiences that customers never report, but quietly share with friends or that stop them from coming back. In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, your host Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Adrian …

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Why do LLMs ramble on and on? (with Oliver Shoulson, Lead Dialogue Designer at PolyAI) 33:01

5d ago33:01

33:01

Send us a text Large language models are powerful tools — but why do they ramble on and on instead of just getting to the point? In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Oliver Shoulson, one of PolyAI’s original dialogue designers, to unpack why LLMs talk the way they do, and what that means for building natural-so…

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Creating a customer service system that scales without losing authenticity - Interview with Ty Givens of CX Collective 47:06

5d ago47:06

47:06

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Ty Givens, who is the Founder and CEO of CX Collective, where she partners with ambitious brands to build customer experience programs that don’t just keep up—they lead. Ty joins me today to talk about how emotional labour and systems thinking are missing from leadership, why there is a better way to r…

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Why should CX leaders care about data neutrality? 30:12

7d ago30:12

30:12

On this episode, we explore data neutrality — and why ensuring unbiased, reliable data is fundamental to delivering AI-powered customer experiences. AI is everywhere in today’s customer experiences, from chatbots handling order inquiries to copilots that help agents provide better support. However, the quality of these experiences depends entirely …

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Think you know Gen Z? Think again - Interview with Matt Powell of Great State 55:19

12d ago55:19

55:19

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Matt Powell, Creative Director at Great State, a digital product and service design agency. Matt joins me today to talk about some research that they recently released called Shifting States, which examines Gen Z behaviours and digital expectations. We explore the implications of this research, what it…

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Is agentic AI the answer to broken analytics? 29:41

21d ago29:41

29:41

Send us a text Analytics has always been the hardest part of the contact center. Dashboards are slow, incomplete, and rarely used outside of specialist teams. But what if analytics could be as simple as asking a question? In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, your host Nikola Mrkšić brings back Damian Sasso to explore how agentic AI is tran…

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Your new favorite colleagues aren’t human 32:15

28d ago32:15

32:15

Send us a text We all know AI agents can answer calls (with varying success rates depending upon their sophistication). But what if AI agents could also help CX leaders analyze their deployments, ask questions about their unique challenges and opportunities, and continuously improve? In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, Nikola Mrkšić sits …

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Why most brands build chatbots backwards - Interview with Sophie Cheng of Sinch 36:59

27d ago36:59

36:59

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Sophie Cheng, the Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Sinch, the global CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) provider. Sophie joins me today to talk about why most brands build chatbots backwards, why success hinges on journey-led design, not tech-first thinking, how to design real co…

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Presenting: AI Unraveled — The Future of AI Safety Testing 39:39

28d ago39:39

39:39

We’re bringing you a recent release of AI Unraveled, a podcast exploring groundbreaking research, innovative applications and emerging technologies that are pushing the boundaries of AI. On the episode “The Future of AI Safety Testing,” Bret Kinsella, GM of Fuel iX™ at TELUS Digital, shared his expertise on game-changing approaches to AI safety tes…

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Did OpenAI’s Realtime API just change everything? 32:33

1M ago32:33

32:33

Send us a text 🚨 OpenAI just made its Realtime API generally available, and it's got everyone talking. But is it a true game-changer, or just another update? In this episode, your host Nikola Mrkšić (Co-founder & CEO, PolyAI) is joined by Shawn Wen (Co-founder and CTO, PolyAI) to break down what this release really means: 🔹 Why Realtime API could k…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E72 - Adrian Swinscoe - Enhancing Customer Experience with AI 9:37

1M ago9:37

9:37

Send us a text Dive into the rapidly evolving world of AI with Adrian Swinscoe as we wrap up our three-part series on how to keep AI from becoming just another buzzword. This episode unpacks the flood of AI tools hitting the market, the challenge of maintaining a human touch in customer experience, and strategies to avoid the dreaded “tech for tech…

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Behind the Tech: How Dialogue Design Really Works (Deep Learning with PolyAI podcast, Ep. 82) 39:22

1M ago39:22

39:22

Send us a text Ever wonder what really makes an AI voice feel human? In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, an all-star panel from our dialogue design and engineering teams takes you behind-the-scenes to share how the hardest part of CX automation actually works. From latency and personalization to multichannel design and our in-house Raven …

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The value of hyperpersonalization and the state of CX - Interview with Greg Kihlström of The Agile Brand 1:01:17

1M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Greg Kihlström from The Agile Brand. Greg is a best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, and serves as an advisor and consultant to top companies on marketing technology, marketing operations, and digital transformation initiatives. A couple of months ago, Greg invited me to be a guest on his sho…

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Are you leaving revenue on the table in customer experience? 24:33

1M ago24:33

24:33

On this episode, we explore strategies that transform customer experience into a revenue engine — and how to communicate CX wins with language that resonates with C-suite executives. As customer expectations increase and budgets tighten, organizations are looking for ways to quantify the value of their CX initiatives. Our expert guests share proven…

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Raven v2 and the Race to Smarter Voice Agents with Matt Henderson (Deep Learning with PolyAI, Episode 81) 33:07

1M ago33:07

33:07

Send us a text In this episode, your host Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Matt Henderson, VP of Research at PolyAI, to unpack the state of large language models, their quirks, and what really matters when building smarter voice agents for customer service. Join us for a discussion on: - Why GPT-5 may feel more incremental than game-changing - Why reas…

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Envisioning a personal AI agent for every customer - Interview with Malte Kosub of Parloa 35:06

1M ago35:06

35:06

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Malte Kosub, the co-founder and CEO of Parloa, a provider of an enterprise-grade AI agent management platform for customer service. Malte joins me today to talk about standing out in an increasingly crowded field, his vision for how customer support will evolve over the coming five years, and what succ…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E71 - Adrian Swinscoe - Unlocking Value in Customer Journeys 9:17

1M ago9:17

9:17

Send us a text Ready to inject some punk spirit into your customer experience? In this episode of the Customer Success Playbook, Adrian Swinscoe joins Roman Trebon to explore the delicate art of reducing friction without losing that vital human touch. From the bustling cultural tapestry of Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival to personal tales of rock climb…

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“Everybody wants AI, nobody wants BS” with Brian Jeppesen, Fertitta Entertainment 33:22

2M ago33:22

33:22

Send us a text Brian Jeppesen, who serves as Director, Contact Center Operations at Fertitta Entertainment, joined your host Nikola Mrkšić to discuss his vision for the AI-powered contact center. Listen to hear Nikola and Brian cover: • How to overcome the challenges of staffing call centers during high-demand periods, including with virtual agents…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E70 - Adrian Swinscoe - Data and Customer Storytelling 8:14

2M ago8:14

8:14

Send us a text Ready to shake up your customer experience approach with some no-fluff, straight-to-the-point wisdom? In this episode, Adrian Swinscoe – author of *Punk CX* and *How to Wow* – joins Roman Trebon to deliver a masterclass on how real, actionable data combined with firsthand customer stories can transform your CX from good to unforgetta…

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078: Forward deployed engineers: From the frontline of bringing AI to the world 28:18

2M ago28:18

28:18

Send us a text This week, Nikola is joined by Becky Kershaw, Deployments Lead at PolyAI. Becky shares how using her own British accent for AI voice cloning increased engagement in outbound sales, showing the power of personalization and cultural fit. They also discuss the crucial role of forward-deployed engineers—AI engineers, product managers, an…

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077: Private equity roll-up strategies for AI, with Nathan Benaich 26:26

2M ago26:26

26:26

Send us a text Following up from Nikola Mrkšić and Nathan Benaich's recent article for Fortune -- ‘AI rollup’ investors think services firms can trade more like software companies. Here’s what they get wrong. Read here -- https://fortune.com/2025/06/27/ai-rollup-investment-strategy/ The buzz around AI roll-ups - buying low-margin service businesses…

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079: GPT-5 Era Starts Now: The AI Arms Race Just Escalated 20:44

2M ago20:44

20:44

Send us a text PolyAI co-founder and CTO Shawn Wen joins Nikola for a deep dive into the just-released OpenAI GPT-5 model. From model-flipping and 4o's depreciation to curbing sycophancy and determining which LLM out there is #1 for coding, they cover it all. Join us for a discussion on: • OpenAI's bold approach to upgrading and removing models 2 •…

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Presenting: What The Fraud? — The business of trust 41:49

2M ago41:49

41:49

We’re bringing you a recent release of What The Fraud?, a podcast from our partners at Sumsub, a global leader in identity verification, compliance and fraud prevention. On the episode, "The Business of Trust: Making Security Your Competitive Edge," Carolyn Fox, director of trust and safety at TELUS Digital, shared her perspective on how robust sec…

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Transforming CX with predictable AI and workflow automation - Interview with Rebecca Miller of Pega 39:00

2M ago39:00

39:00

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Rebecca Miller, Senior Product Strategy Manager in the customer service and sales automation division at Pega. Rebecca joined me on the podcast recently to talk about the recently announced Pega Self-Service Agent, the problem with the current solutions in the market, why Pega is taking a fundamentally…

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Overcome incrementality by reimagining customer and agent experience - Interview with NiCE's CEO and Staysure's COO 1:08:19

2M ago1:08:19

1:08:19

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast features two interviews. The first is with Scott Russell, CEO at NiCE, a provider of AI-driven customer service software that helps deliver automation & personalized experiences at scale. Scott and I talk about their recent Interactions events in Las Vegas and London, why many organisations are still uncertain…

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How can you alleviate cost pressures in customer experience? (feat. Adrian Swinscoe & Jelena Bajic) 32:11

2M ago32:11

32:11

On this episode, we explore how to alleviate cost pressures in customer experience — and unlock the potential for CX to drive business growth. CX leaders face several competing pressures: budget constraints, the need to demonstrate ROI and rising customer expectations. Our expert guests provide practical, actionable insights on creating value-drive…

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Customer Success Playbook S3 E69 - Gayle Gorvett - Scaling AI Governance Without Killing Innovation 22:24

2M ago22:24

22:24

Send us a text How do you build AI governance that scales without becoming the innovation police? In our final conversation with tech lawyer Gayle Gorvett, we tackle the ultimate balancing act facing every organization: creating robust AI oversight that moves at the speed of business. From shocking federal court rulings that could force AI companie…

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Five blind spots that get in the way of customer understanding and growth - Interview with Toni Keskinen of 180ops 1:00:29

2M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

Today’s interview is with Toni Keskinen, who is the Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer & Chairman at 180ops, a revenue intelligence platform built on account-based customer data that empowers B2B businesses to drive revenue growth, optimize operations, and enhance customer lifetime value. Toni joins me today to discuss five different blind spots tha…

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SRM and why it matters to growth and customer experience - Interview with Ryan Hamilton 44:05

3M ago44:05

44:05

Today’s interview is with Ryan Hamilton, an Associate Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, an author and the co-host of The Intuitive Customer Podcast with Colin Shaw. Ryan joins me today to talk about his new book (The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things), why an obse…

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Customer Success Playbook S3 E68 - Gayle Gorvett - Who's Liable When AI Goes Wrong? 12:38

3M ago12:38

12:38

Send us a text When AI systems fail spectacularly, who pays the price? Part two of our conversation with global tech lawyer Gayle Gorvett tackles the million-dollar question every business leader is afraid to ask. With federal AI regulation potentially paused for a decade while technology races ahead at breakneck speed, companies are left creating …

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Employee understanding and cracking the code of a better employee experience - Interview with Annette Franz 38:53

3M ago38:53

38:53

Today’s interview is with Annette Franz, an author, speaker and founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc. She is also an old friend of the podcast and appeared back in 2019. She joins me today to talk about her new book: Employee Understanding: A Three-Pillar Framework for Designing a Great Experience and Driving Business Success, the difference between e…

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Customer Success Playbook S3 E67 - Gayle Gorvett - AI Governance Essentials 10:02

3M ago10:02

10:02

Send us a text Ready to navigate the complex world of AI governance without getting lost in legal jargon? This episode delivers a masterclass in building ethical AI frameworks that actually work for your business. Global tech lawyer and fractional general counsel Gayle Gorvett breaks down the essential guardrails every company needs before diving h…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E66 - Jake McKee - AI Experience Design 14:41

3M ago14:41

14:41

Send us a text The final episode of this transformative series tackles the ultimate challenge: scaling AI experiences without sacrificing empathy. Jake McKee reveals why most companies approach AI transformation backwards—focusing on tools instead of relationships, replacement instead of enhancement. This customer success playbook episode demonstra…

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076: AI rollups: all VC sizzle and no stake? Thoughts from a recent Fortune article. 22:38

3M ago22:38

22:38

Send us a text Fortune article: http://fortune.com/2025/06/27/ai-rollup-investment-strategy/ Nikola reflects on his recent Fortune commentary (above) into the transformative potential of AI rollup strategies in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). He and Damien discuss the concept of AI rollups (where private equity firms consolidate service compani…

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Without context, an insight is worth nothing - Interview with Jochem van der Veer of TheyDo 50:48

3M ago50:48

50:48

Today’s interview is with Jochem van der Veer, the Co-Founder and CEO of TheyDo, a leading platform for journey management that helps organisations build seamless customer experiences by aligning teams around the customer journey. We discuss customer journeys, journey mapping, and data, highlighting how businesses risk exacerbating data overwhelm i…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E65 - Jake Mckee - Community VS Data Driven Road Map 18:32

3M ago18:32

18:32

Send us a text What happens when passionate customer feedback clashes with cold, hard data? Jake McKee tackles this age-old product dilemma with wisdom earned from years at Lego and building communities for Fortune 500 brands. This episode of the customer success playbook reveals why treating community building as relationship development—not just …

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How can brands scale their digital customer success programs efficiently? (feat. Samantha David of monday.com) 30:12

3M ago30:12

30:12

On this episode, we explore how B2B SaaS platform monday.com has scaled its digital customer success programs to support rapid growth — and how these programs are optimized to meet each customer at their specific point along the customer journey. As businesses expand, there are more customers to support and the same amount of time in each day. That…

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075: Human agent & AI cohesion in the contact center. What will it take? 23:11

3M ago23:11

23:11

Send us a text Nikola and Damien are back to discuss the ongoing evolution of AI in the contact center industry. We'll explore whether AI is truly replacing human workers or simply augmenting their capabilities, covering Klarna's automation efforts and recent Gartner predictions, and analyzing the challenges and opportunities in implementing AI sol…

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Voice still reigns in customer service - Interview with Nikola Mrkšić of PolyAI 55:06

4M ago55:06

55:06

Today’s interview is with Nikola Mrkšić, Co-founder & CEO of PolyAI, a leading supplier of Conversational AI for automated customer service. We talk about some recent research of theirs that finds that the phone still reigns in customer service, making the contact center into a ‘command center,’ why voice channels aren’t relics of the past but are,…

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Customer Success Playbook S3 E 64 - Jake McKee - AI Voice and AI Adoption 8:38

4M ago8:38

8:38

Send us a text The future of AI isn't just about technology—it's about relationships. Jake McKee, renowned as "the community guy," delivers a paradigm-shifting perspective on AI adoption that goes far beyond features and functionality. Rather than getting caught up in the technical capabilities, McKee advocates for designing the emotional connectio…

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074: AI and the State of Financial Services 20:11

4M ago20:11

20:11

Send us a text VP of Product Marketing Brian Thompson joins Nikola to discuss the current state and future prospects of AI in financial services, including banking and insurance. The chat covers the importance of human oversight in AI deployments, the evolving landscape in banking and FinTech, optimization of back-office processes, and how financia…

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The future of CX and agentic CX - Interview with Sid Banerjee of Medallia 40:54

4M ago40:54

40:54

Today’s interview is with Sid Banerjee, Chief Strategy Officer at Medallia, a leading provider of customer and employee experience management solutions. I first talked to Sid 11 years ago on this podcast when he was Founder & CEO at Clarabridge. This time around, we talk about what has happened in those intervening years, what brought him out of ‘r…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E63 - AI Revolution in Customer Success: From Chorus to Custom GPTs 11:38

4M ago11:38

11:38

Send us a text AI Friday delivers cutting-edge insights as John Huber reveals how artificial intelligence is transforming customer success operations. The conversation explores practical AI applications that are already delivering results, from conversation intelligence tools like Chorus for team coaching and customer context gathering, to emerging…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E62 - John Huber - Who Should Really Own Upsells and Cross-sells? 9:26

4M ago9:26

9:26

Send us a text Wednesday brings the burning question that divides CS and sales teams everywhere: who should own expansion revenue? John Huber tackles this contentious topic with nuanced insights drawn from his experience managing both dedicated CS-led expansion models and hybrid partnership approaches. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all answe…

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Customer-centric innovation and Amazon's PRFAQ - Interview with Marcelo Calbucci 36:40

4M ago36:40

36:40

Today’s interview is with Marcelo Calbucci, an entrepreneur, innovator, technologist, and author. Marcelo joins me today to talk about his new book: The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon’s Innovation Framework to Work for You, why Amazon uses it, the five principles of the PRFAQ, where and how it can be applied and what to expect when you are creati…

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073: What are everyday people using LLMs for, really? 21:52

4M ago21:52

21:52

Send us a text Damien and Nikola are back to discuss the transformative impact of generative AI in our everyday lives. The conversation covers everything from the rise of LLMs in personal development and therapy to DIY projects and coding. Discover how generative AI is reshaping industries, solving everyday problems, and why it's gaining traction i…

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What trends are shaping trust and safety programs in 2025? (feat. Peter Ryan and Ljubiša Velikić) 32:24

4M ago32:24

32:24

On this episode, we discuss trust and safety trends — including emerging challenges and opportunities — and how the evolution of technology is shaping CX leaders' priorities in 2025. Fraudulent activity, cyber attacks, data breaches and harmful user-generated content are on the rise. To combat these threats, robust trust and safety programs have be…

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Customer Success Playbook Podcast S3 E61 - John Huber - Blueprint for Strategic Alignment 6:36

4M ago6:36

6:36

Send us a text Summary This episode kicks off a compelling three-part series featuring John Huber, founder of Customer Success Architects, who brings two decades of experience building CS functions across five different SaaS companies. The conversation centers on the fundamental question every growing business faces: how do you launch a customer su…

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072: Introducing Owl: PolyAI's in-house speech recognition model 21:46

4M ago21:46

21:46

Send us a text Guest host Meghan Berton and VP of Engineering Razvan Kusztos cover the release of PolyAI's Owl ASR model, while dishing goss on the intricacies of developing high-performing speech recognition models. They discuss the significance of in-house SLU tech, the challenges of ensuring accuracy across different accents and environments, an…