Filip Popovic, Head of Relationship Centre at Avon, shares how reframing a call center as a “relationship center” can elevate organizational interactions. He emphasizes forming strong connections with representatives and customers to drive loyalty. He reflects on two decades of hands-on experience across multiple roles. Leaders will gain perspective on cultivating trust and deeper engagement.

"We are the voice of our consumers, and that’s a very difficult role because you are like a bomb in a management team—you are the one complaining. Our role is to be an advocate for our consumers, and everyone should play that role with consistency. No compromises." – Filip Popovic

Filip Popovic’s insights underscore the transformation of contact centers from cost centers to dynamic experience centers that enhance revenue and customer loyalty. He stresses the importance of cultivating strong relationships with customers and representatives, positioning the contact center as essential for improving customer experience (CX). Filip demonstrates how contact centers can become revenue-generating hubs, encouraging leaders to view the voice of the customer as a strategic asset, fostering cross-departmental collaboration to integrate customer insights into broader business strategies.

Afshan Kinder explores how Chief Customer Officers can overcome internal hurdles to drive growth. She discusses the role of AI, strategic clarity, and frontline insights in enhancing customer engagement. Afshan also provides actionable advice on treating BPO partners as strategic assets and fostering alignment to accelerate organizational success.

“To be forward-thinking, you’ve really got to be transparent. You don’t necessarily have to share all your mistakes, but you need to be clear about what’s working and what’s not, without pointing fingers. We focus on what’s been done well and show how doing things differently can enable you to be prosperous in the future.” - Afshan Kinder

Afshan Kinder’s insights emphasize understanding and engaging employee and customer voices is vital for effective change management. She also mentioned C-suite clarity and a culture of trust is what drives successful transformations. Moreover, treating BPO partners as strategic assets boosts customer experience and success.

Justin Robbins, Founder & Principal Analyst at Metric Sherpa, challenges preconceived notions in the contact center industry. He explores the concept of understanding the "business of the business" to transform contact centers from cost centers to value centers. Justin shares how impactful insights from customer interactions can drive strategic change across organizations. Using real-world examples, he emphasizes curiosity and collaboration to maximize organizational impact.

"False conclusions are a type of misalignment with how we measure success and how we talk about performance improvement that’s causing us to feel like things are really good when, in a lot of cases, they’re not — and even if they’re good right now, that is no insurance policy of it being good today, tomorrow, or anytime in the future." - Justin Robbins

Justin Robbins’s insights emphasize the transformation of contact centers from cost centers to strategic value creators. It focuses on continuous improvement, leveraging cross-departmental insights, and redefining contact centers as hubs of strategic intelligence. By addressing key challenges like executive sponsorship and prioritizing high-impact efforts, the discussion inspires leaders to drive meaningful change and elevate the role of contact centers in business success.