In this episode, guest Andreas Heckmann, executive vice president of product engineering and head of customer solution support and innovation at SAP, and Rob Markey discuss the past, present, and future of cloud innovation as it relates to machine learning, artificial intelligence, organizational and customer challenges and opportunities, and cost savings. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Andreas, you can...

In this episode, guest Kentaro Kawamori, CEO and cofounder of Persefoni Inc., and Rob Markey discuss the interconnection between Net Promoter Score and organizational sustainability. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Kentaro, you can find him on Linkedin. Bain & Company is an investor in Persefoni. Together, we’ve created a unique partnership combining breakthrough carbon footprint analytics with...

In this episode, Jason Barro, Bain & Company partner, and Rob Markey discuss NPS Prism and how it’s used across various industries to drive consumer sentiment. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Jason Barro, you can find him on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Bain Fellow Fred Reichheld and Rob Markey discuss how Earned Growth and operational indicators can provide both inspiration and learning to an organization. We also explore companies’ most common Net Promoter Score mistakes, and we participate in a live audience Q&A. Please share your feedback on the podcast here. If you’d like to learn more about Fred Reichheld, you can find him on LinkedIn. This episode was sponsored by NPSx℠, a new venture from Bain & Company...

In this episode, Mike Salguero, founder and CEO of ButcherBox, and Rob Markey discuss how a purpose-driven, direct-to-consumer meat subscription service aims to improve people’s health, mitigate environmental damage, and make farming more sustainable and ethical. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Mike Salguero, you can find him on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Zack Anderson, chief data and analytics officer at National Westminster Bank (NatWest), and Rob Markey discuss how garnering a deeper understanding of customers’ perspectives improves a company’s data analytics and why a more streamlined approach to extracting customer information improves client satisfaction. Zack also highlights his top strategies to ensure consumers remain responsive and satisfied with a company’s offerings, approaches, and targeted communications. If...

In this episode, Evan Siegel, vice president of financial services and business development at eGain, and Rob Markey discuss why customer-focused bankers need to learn how to listen to consumers’ true financial needs and wants, and why empowering consumers to take charge of their financial health wins their long-term trust. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Evan Siegel, you can find him on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Bryan Rutberg, founder and principal of 3C Communications, shares how and when to advocate on behalf of the customers you serve, and Rob Markey discusses how enhancing relationships with customers and prioritizing frontline employees' learning opportunities builds rapport vs. merely building up scores. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Bryan Rutberg, you can find him on LinkedIn. Download...

In this episode, Carolyn Saunders, former senior vice president, Consumer & Small Business (Retail), International Banking, for Scotiabank and current Bain external advisor, and Rob Markey discuss how enhancing relationships with customers and prioritizing frontline employees’ learning opportunities builds rapport vs. merely building up scores. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Carolyn Saunders, you can...

In this episode, Nate Henderson, BILT’s founder and CEO, and Rob Markey discuss how to make a great customer experience an empowering experience, how to raise Net Promoter Score℠, and how BILT leverages analytics to improve customer sentiment. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Nate Henderson, you can find him on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Ilenia Vidili, a customer-centricity adviser and author of Journey to Centricity, and Rob Markey discuss why connecting to customers means understanding what they value. When companies use their voice to stand up for something they truly believe in or to advance and improve society, customers notice. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Ilenia Vidili, you can find her on LinkedIn. Order Ilenia's...

In this episode, Jon Picoult, founder and principal at Watermark Consulting, and Rob Markey discuss why creating fewer problems for consumers drives more value interactions and how to deliver a cost-effective experience customers value long term. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Jon Picoult, you can find him on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Barbara Higgins, former chief customer officer of Duke Energy, and Rob Markey discuss what customer loyalty in the utility industry looks like as well as Barbara's strategies and techniques to cultivate lasting trust. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Barbara Higgins, you can find her on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Dr. Jason Guardino of The Permanente Medical Group and Rob Markey discuss how healthcare organizations like Jason’s are helping physicians and care facilities create meaningful and valuable patient experiences that promote better care outcomes. If you’d like to provide feedback on the show, please fill out our survey here. If you’d like to learn more about Jason Guardino, you can find him on LinkedIn.

In the workplace, biased language and treatment can often slip by without consequence, leaving those discriminated against feeling powerless or unheard. But Just Work cofounders Trier Bryant and Kim Scott believe integrating bias disruptors in the workplace can help all who experience or observe bias speak up and address it in the moment. In this episode, Kim, Trier, and I discuss how bias disruptors can contribute to a just work environment and what leadership can do to root out and...

Bias. We all have it. We form quick assessments of someone’s character off of their appearance alone, for instance. But those quick assessments can undermine customer and workplace relationships. What if more people were aware when bias was creeping into their perspective? In this episode, Kim, Trier, and I discuss what a “just” work environment looks like—one in which bias, prejudice, and bullying are addressed early on. And we explore how proactive leaders who encourage all employees to...

Since its somewhat humble beginnings mailing DVDs back-and-forth with customers in red envelopes, Netflix has evolved into an iconic digital insurgent known not only for its seamless entertainment experience, but also for its award-winning studio and production output.  In this episode, Todd Yellin, vice president of product at Netflix, shares his perspective on Netflix’s history, a few of the company’s latest developments, and how customer analytics and feedback enables the company to keep...

It seems obvious: When customers feel loved and appreciated by a company, they stay longer, buy more, and enthusiastically return. But how do you get boards and shareholders to abandon quick profits and invest in the long-term goal of customer satisfaction? In this episode of the podcast, Fred Reichheld, a Bain fellow, creator of the Net Promoter System, and author of the new book Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers, shares how leaders should be using NPS...

“Love” isn’t a word you often hear in business. It seems to run counter to the calculated numbers and tedious plans crafted in many boardrooms. But in his new book Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers, Fred Reichheld, a Bain fellow and creator of the Net Promoter system of management, makes it clear: Loving your customers is the key to continued success.

It’s trendy right now for leadership teams to craft lofty statements of purpose. But Darci Darnell, a Bain partner and coauthor of the new book Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers, says the organizations that succeed in inspiring their teams with the company’s sense of purpose don’t just craft these mission statements, they help employees understand their role in these missions.

Despite the pressing challenge of digital native insurgents, incumbent companies have struggled to shift to a customer-centric strategy, fearing shrinking shareholder returns and being weighed down by operational hurdles. However, Maureen Burns, a Bain Partner and coauthor of the new book Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers, says there is no tradeoff between doing well for shareholders while still delivering for customers.

A central theme in Fred Reichheld's new book, Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers, which releases December 7, is purpose. For Fred, a well-defined company purpose is the engine that drives success. But it’s not enough. To succeed, an organization’s No. 1 goal should always be to make customers’ lives better.

After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, USAA took a public stance on racial justice. But Tony Wells, USAA’s chief brand officer at the time, says the organization’s conversation began privately. Given the company’s history of strong internal communication and employees’ deep sense of mission, Wells believed that they were set up for successful discussions and change.

It’s tempting to attribute USAA's success to its special expertise in serving military personnel. But Tony Wells, USAA’s former chief brand officer, says it comes down to empathy for the unique challenges members face. In this episode, Tony shares how USAA lives its mission every day, how the company quickly adapted to support employees and customers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and how it continues to prepare for disruption.

Former tech executive Kara Goldin, author of the new book “Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts And Doubters,” shares the story behind Hint Water: How her quest to find an alternative to diet soda led to the creation of an entirely new type of beverage. Her story reveals how persistence and a singular focus on meeting core customer needs can result in outsized success.