Customer Experience

8×8, Inc. has extended its partnership with Southampton FC, continuing as an official partner for Men’s and Women’s First Teams through the 2025/26 season. 8×8’s cloud-based technology is integral to the club’s operations, enhancing matchday experiences and fan engagement through streamlined communications. The partnership focuses on fostering deeper connections with supporters via personalized interactions and timely updates. The renewed agreement includes increased brand visibility and collaborative community outreach programs, leveraging 8×8’s unified platform to elevate fan experiences and operational efficiency.

A new report by Zopa and Juniper Research forecasts UK banks could save £1.8 billion by 2030 using generative AI. The savings, largely from back-office automation and personalized customer service, may come at the cost of 27,000 finance jobs. While AI automates routine tasks, the report stresses the need for workforce reskilling to manage AI systems. Digital-first banks are better positioned than legacy institutions, highlighting the need for traditional banks to adapt.

Verint Engage 2025, the annual CX Automation conference, will feature Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky as a keynote speaker. Ledecky will inspire attendees with her message, “Make the Impossible Possible,” and share insights on achieving peak performance, drawing parallels between her journey and business challenges. The conference, held in Orlando, Florida in September 2025, will focus on AI-driven CX and how leading brands are achieving stronger outcomes.

A public dispute has emerged between an Xpeng executive and a tech company concerning the durability of its smart glasses. The Xpeng executive corroborated user complaints on social media about audio distortion and repeated malfunctions, criticizing after-sales service. The glasses, launched in September 2023, aim for daily integration with features like notifications, but face scrutiny over their build quality.

Infosys and Adobe have formed a strategic partnership to revolutionize customer experiences using AI. The collaboration integrates Infosys Aster™, an AI-powered marketing suite, with Adobe’s capabilities. This enables brands to create unified, personalized experiences at scale, streamline workflows, and drive growth by leveraging AI for marketing transformation and enhanced customer engagement.

Verint’s “State of Customer Experience 2025” report reveals AI adoption is crucial for businesses. Key findings include consumer preference for AI-driven solutions and digital channels and demand for quick issue resolution. Speed of service now outweighs empathy. A negative experience can greatly impact brand loyalty. Excellent CX drives repeat purchases and recommendations.

Duluth Trading Company (DLTH) announced a workforce reduction of 51 positions (3% of its workforce) on June 4, 2025, to streamline operations. The move aims to optimize the business model, sharpen brand messaging, and improve the customer experience. The company, known for durable workwear and humorous marketing, caters to a hands-on lifestyle through online, catalog, and retail channels. Anticipated costs are less than $1 million.

Chesapeake Bank has appointed Grant Garber as Assistant VP, Director of Fraud Prevention, and Nate Cobb as Assistant VP, Director of Operations. Garber will lead the new fraud prevention department, leveraging his compliance expertise. Cobb, with his operational background, will oversee operational infrastructure. These appointments, following the bank’s AARP BankSafe Trained Seal award, reflect Chesapeake Bank’s commitment to strengthening security, optimizing operations, and enhancing customer experience.