Dennis Parker

Dennis Parker

Customer Experience partner leader, EMEA

Amazon Web Services

Dennis Parker

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned working in CX?

Trends change quickly, adoption happens slower but differentiation becomes invisible. I always put myself in the shoes of the consumer and in many cases I am a consumer to the brands I support, some of my interactions with brands has become almost frictionless to the point I do not even notice. I bought car insurance without ever talking to anyone and it was completely self-service, when did this happen?. I’ve learned that truly exceptional customer experience requires a customer-centric mindset, a deep understanding of pain points and desired outcomes, and a commitment to delivering frictionless, seamless interactions that become invisible to the customer.

What’s the No. 1 challenge facing CX teams right now? And how should they navigate it?

The main challenge at the moment surely has to be where to start! With the all of the enhancements around AI and the emergence of virtual agents coupled with Agentic AI I think how to prioritise becomes the immediate challenge. For me it then becomes foundational. what do I need to do to unlock CX innovation for the business? this always leads me back to data and the readiness of data to power CX innovation. We have seen emergence of composable data platforms to support customers with these foundational elements to support AI and personalisation use cases.

Which is your favorite CX event to attend and why?

I have always been a fan of the Contact Centre CX events such as The Forum, CCW, CCMA . More recently I have had the chance to visit a number of partner events focused on a wider set of CX use cases, participating in round tables at these events provide a fascinating view of the convergence of CX personas in customers and emergence of marketing use cases across Contact Centre.

What’s your big prediction for the future of CX?

AI, its got to be that. Hasn’t it? I honestly see AI built into every thought process and decision made so I will not call this out as the future, it is the now. For me it is the emergence of Composable Customer Experience, Businesses are embracing a composable approach to customer experience, leveraging best-of-breed solutions from multiple technology partners. By adopting this composable mindset, businesses can select the most suitable solutions from a diverse ecosystem, while creating a consistent approach for Data and AI. This trend is driven by the need for agility, flexibility, and the ability to deliver personalised, seamless experiences tailored to unique business needs. Traditional CX platforms are giving way to a more modular, composable approach, where organisations can mix and match various components and services to create a customised technology stack. This enables organisations to deliver truly differentiated and tailored customer experiences, addressing their unique business challenges and customer needs, this model allows innovation and adaptability. As new technologies and customer expectations evolve, businesses can easily swap out or integrate new components without disrupting their entire CX ecosystem. This flexibility lets companies stay ahead of the curve and continuously optimise their customer experiences. As the demand for personalized, seamless, and innovative customer experiences continues to grow. By embracing this approach businesses can unlock new levels of customer engagement, loyalty, and competitive advantage.

How will you keep contributing to the CX community?

Customer Experience is a fascinating area, it is a unique where each and every person is individually impacted by interactions with brands. I think as customer experience to mean each individuals unique perception of their engagement with a brand. This means that there is no right or wrong CX and the way that I will contribute is the same as how I will grow, it is being exposed to similar people with a view of customer experiences and sharing and listening to their unique experiences in this space.