For years, contact centers were viewed as cost centers. Today, the smartest organizations are realizing they’re one of the biggest drivers of customer loyalty, revenue growth, and brand trust.
That was the focus of a recent Senior CX panel discussion moderated by Deepak Selvaratnam and Vicki Brackett featuring:
- Lisa Diehl, Senior Director of Global Consumer Care from Freshpet
- Matt Woody, VP and Director of Contact Centers from First Financial Bank
- Brian Jeppesen, Director of Contact Centers from Fertitta Entertainment, that includes brands like Landry’s, Golden Nugget Las Vegas, Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Joe’s Crab Shack and more)
The conversation covered AI, customer trust, employee experience, knowledge management systems, and the evolving role of the contact center in industries ranging from banking to hospitality to consumer care.
The contact center is now the voice of the customer.
One message came through loud and clear: the contact center is no longer sitting “in the dungeon.” It’s becoming the voice of the customer inside the organization.
Lisa Diehl shared how consumer care teams often identify customer concerns before they ever appear in reports or dashboards. Matt Woody explained how moving the contact center into the line of business gave his teams a stronger voice in strategic decisions. Brian Jeppesen talked about using customer insight data and AI to reduce friction, improve loyalty, and even generate significant revenue growth through upsell programs and smarter customer journeys.
AI is accelerating transformation, not replacing people.
AI was a major topic throughout the discussion, but the panelists agreed on one important point: technology should support people, not replace them.
As Brian said, “Digital when you want. Human when you need.”
Customers want convenience and speed, but when something becomes emotional or complicated, empathy and human connection still matter. That’s especially true in banking, hospitality, and pet care, where trust plays a huge role in customer relationships.
The panel also emphasized the importance of strong knowledge management systems. Whether customers connect through voice, chat, email, or self-service, organizations need consistent information across every channel. Without strong knowledge governance and accurate content, even the best AI tools fall short.
Reducing customer effort drives loyalty.
Another major takeaway was customer effort. The easier companies make it for customers to do business, the stronger loyalty becomes. All the panelists shared examples of reducing customer friction, lowering call volume, and improving customer retention simply by listening more closely to what customers were experiencing.
The bottom line: Contact Centers are evolving
Service delivery isn’t the pure art it once was. It’s become a science — dynamic, evidence‑based, and constantly evolving.
The discussion closed with a reminder that contact centers are evolving, not disappearing. AI may replace repetitive tasks, but it also increases the value of skilled customer service professionals who can solve problems, build trust, and create meaningful customer experiences.
And in today’s world, every interaction is a brand moment.
Want to listen to the entire conversation about “Is Your Contact Center Actually Delivering Value?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk106ldGR9I
Want to be part of the next roundtable?
If you’d like to join an upcoming session or bring this conversation into your organization, reach out to Vicki or Deepak directly. We’re already shaping the next discussion—and it’s going to be even bigger.
Special thanks to Vicki Brackett and Deepak Selvaratnam for sharing these insights.
