Customer journeys have become more complex, more connected, and more personal. Yet for many organizations, the experience still feels fragmented when customers move between channels, repeat information, or wait too long for the right support. In this CX Today interview, Nicole Willing speaks with Mike Clifton and Max Schwendner, co-CEOs of Alorica, about how enterprises can rethink customer experience through real-time data and emotionally aware AI support.
Clifton argues that the traditional idea of a customer journey as a straight path no longer reflects how people actually engage with brands.
“Don’t think of the customer journey as a linear path anymore. It’s now more of an ecosystem, where interactions jump between different functions to fulfill the need of that customer.”
That shift creates a major opportunity for businesses, but also a risk. AI can help organizations predict intent, reduce friction and give agents better context. Yet Clifton warns that successful companies are not simply “throwing more AI” at customer experience. Instead, they are focusing on outcomes, data access, orchestration and how AI can make people more effective.
Schwendner adds that customers increasingly expect multimodal support. They may want to text, use a chatbot, move to a live agent, or return to a digital channel, depending on the issue and their personal preference. That makes one-size-fits-all CX harder to justify.
Clifton and Schwendner discuss how sentiment analysis, historical context, and escalation signals can help AI agents understand when a customer is frustrated, why they are frustrated, and what happened in previous interactions. This gives human agents the insight they need to respond with empathy and solve problems faster.
Schwendner also highlights the importance of knowing when AI should disengage, explaining that automation becomes damaging when it keeps customers trapped in the wrong experience, especially when frustration is already rising. In high-stakes moments, such as suspected fraud or billing issues, a bot that keeps asking questions can damage the customer relationship. The future lies in AI that supports human judgment and improves complex service moments.
“Emotionally aware AI will know when it’s time to disengage. You don’t want to create a bad customer experience because a bot wouldn’t stop.”
The conversation also explores where AI can remove friction, from reducing endless IVR menus to helping agents understand previous interactions, sentiment, and escalation risks. Watch the full interview to learn how to build more dynamic, emotionally intelligent customer journeys.
