 On April 20, Alec Dalton will join a panel of colleagues from the Customer Institute for a wide-ranging discussion on the "state of CX". Speaking during the Digital Customer Experience Series - Europe, hosted by WISDOM, the panelists are expected to exchange ideas on the opportunities and challenges facing customer experience today.
Alongside Alec, you'll hear from three fellow board directors of the Customer Institute:
Click the link below to register for this engaging event, and benefit from the full conference agenda and networking opportunity.  Literally and figuratively, Alec Dalton lent his voice to "Voices of CX" during a recent episode of the acclaimed podcast. Hosted by Mary Drummond, Chief Marketing Officer of voice-of-the-customer pioneer Worthix, the two talked about a range of topics covering service psychology and strategy.
In summary, Alec pointed out how well hospitality principles translate across industries: the need for emotionally-sensitive services extend from hotels to hospitals and restaurants to retail. Service systems from Disney and The Ritz-Carlton provide examples of how best-in-class organizations can apply consumer and employee psychology to deliver consistently-satisfying customer experiences. Mary and Alec further explored the quality sciences, noting that the "optimal" level of quality is where generally-great service is supported by always-great service recovery: Alec spoke about the service recovery paradox and its ability to help organizations heal when service goes sour. Click the link below to hear their full conversation and access to the full library of "Voices of CX".  Success for modern customer experiences means developing digital capabilities, whether your industry is high-tech or hands-on hospitality. On March 29, Alec Dalton expressed that perspective as a panelist for the 2022 Digital Customer Experience Summit hosted by the Strategy Institute.
Alec spoke alongside co-panelist Kate Whalen, a CX leader at Ford Motor Company, and moderator Josh Mabus, President and Chief Creative Officer of Mabus Agency. Their wide-ranging discussion was suitably titled "Enriched CX Understanding: How to Delight Customers in the New Digital Experience Economy", and the trio explored ways to harness digital technology to engage customers at an emotional level. From his hospitality vantage point, Alec described the need to link customer relationship management (CRM) and voice-of-the-customer (VoC) systems to build actionable customer profiles and monitor lifetime satisfaction. Kate, Josh, and Alec also echoed the need to apply human-centered design when developing experiences, and Kate described examples from web design work with Ford. The gist of the conversation centered on the importance (if not imperative) of treating all brand touchpoints as communications channels, which should reflect a brand's voice while helping customers stay satisfied in the long- and short-terms. Click here to learn more about the summit, and consider attending other great events hosted by the Strategy Institute. As its name implies, the hospitality industry is characterized by the welcoming and reception of guests at an emotional level - beyond the functional needs of a hotel bed for a good night's sleep, or a nourishing meal in the restaurant. As technologies continue proliferating in the industry, and as services digitize in the process, the need for empathy remains ... and may become more important than ever. Recently, Alec Dalton spoke about this transition with Peter Dorrington, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the marketing analytics powerhouse Anthrolytics. After a brief history lesson on the role of behavioral science in hospitality, from the placement of waste bins in Disney Parks to the emergence of robotic servers in hotels and restaurants, Peter and Alec spoke about the importance of brand equity in COVID-era hospitality. They also considered the service recovery paradox, the opportunity for goodwill to foster service recovery. While focused on hospitality practices, these ideas can transcend all B2C businesses, and insights from organizations like Anthrolytics can strengthen service design and delivery. Tune into their conversation by watching the video below, or listen here on PodBean.
Tune-in and hear Alec and Gavin exchange their experience with the service philosophies of leading brands, including The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards and Disney's Five Keys. They even share personal memories from family vacations that prove "moments that matter" actually matter. Along the way, you will glean tips and insights to help you design customer service approaches that delight employees, dazzle customers, and deliver strong business results.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 - or perhaps because of those challenges - emerging hospitality leaders have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to kick-start their careers. On January 18th, Alec Dalton shared that perspective with entrepreneur James Lemon, the founder of the international hospitality community Otolo. During their live-streamed "Lobby Talk", Alec walked the audience through his own career, provided some practical tips for networking, and even offered some recommendations from his hotel, restaurant, and events bucket list (preview: both Alec and James need to brush-up on some barterable skills before they head to Burning Man!). Find a recording of the full conversation here, and join Otolo (for free!) to connect with a growing community with thousands of hospitality leaders worldwide.  It may be a new year, but some things stay the same. That includes Customer Experience 2 reigning once again on BookAuthority's list of the "Best New Customer Experience Books to Read in 2022".
Originally published in July 2020, Customer Experience 2 follows the format of its best-selling predecessor and was similarly edited by Naeem Arif and Andrew Priestley, along with Ian Golding. The book curates essays from 24 leading minds in CX, coming together in a compendium on CX strategy. In addition to topping the charts in 2021, it was also highly recommended by Qualtrics and ranked #1 on Amazon in several "Hot New Release" categories worldwide. Alec's contribution to Customer Experience 2 applies the "cost of poor quality" framework to customer experience management. He outlines key considerations that leaders should make when balancing the costs of defect prevention and recovery versus investments in operational excellence. Order your own copy of Customer Experience 2, and find Alec's other publications while you're perusing this award-winner.  Each year on the first Tuesday in October, the customer experience community celebrates the professionals and companies that make great customer experiences happen - a celebration known as CX Day. This year, Alec Dalton will connect with global audiences during doubleheader events. Join to hear his latest thinking, and learn with other CX colleagues worldwide. Global CX DayOn October 5th, the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) will unite its global network during a virtual summit. This year's event features an array of speakers, all with a focus on the theme of creativity. They will help you answer a critical question: How do you become your best self in the Experience Economy? Click here to see the exciting schedule and exceptional speaker line-up. Alec Dalton's keynote from 11:20-11:50 AM EDT will have you consider showmanship in customer service. Using lessons from the hospitality industry's COVID-19 response, Alec will highlight some steps any organization can take to keep customers engaged during challenging times. Attendees will leave with a framework for successful CX communications and adaptive experience design. Click the button below for complimentary access to this free event. CXPA's UK NetworkBefore he steps onto the global CX stage, Alec will join the CXPA UK network's online event between 9:00-10:00 AM EDT. This session will also center around showmanship in CX, exploring a framework for engaging experiences. Alec will lean into his experience working for legendary brands like Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton to share examples of best-in-class techniques for service delivery.
The event also includes a session by Sarah Corney of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Sarah will talk about the reality of embedding a CX culture in organizations, and about the use of service design and design thinking to maintain innovation momentum. Both Alec and Sarah's sessions will include time for breakout discussions, inviting attendees to share reactions, seek advice, and discuss other hot topics. Join the action by registering via the link below.  Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving safety requirements and social norms are significantly affecting how organizations deliver exceptional experiences. This is especially pertinent to the human-centered hospitality industry, where person-to-person interaction is undergoing rapid innovation.
To learn how leading companies are considering this challenge, join the upcoming webinar "Designing Experiences for Guests of the Future". Worthix's Chief Marketing Officer (and host of "Voices of CX" podcast) Mary Drummond will lead a discussion with both Alec Dalton and Adam Walker, Executive Director of Consumer Foresight and Market Exploration for The Walt Disney Company. Takeaways will include:
Register here to join the "live" session, which will be hosted on August 12th between 12:00-1:00 PM EDT.  From restaurants to resorts, the hospitality industry demands strong operations management to delight guests, develop employees, and deliver financial returns. To teach these critical competencies, Alec Dalton partnered with Drs. Peter Szende and Michelle (Myongjee) Yoo as co-editors of the new textbook Operations Management in the Hospitality Industry. Published by Emerald Publishing, this introductory text provides students with fundamental techniques and tools to analyze and improve operational capabilities of any hospitality organization.
This book spans a breadth of topics critical to today's operations leaders. Each chapter - authored by industry experts - surveys key theories, frameworks, and industry examples, with additional depth achieved through engaging learning features. Consider this chapter outline:
Uniquely, the book is set out in standalone chapters that can be digested individually or together; allowing flexibility for instructors and readers seeking to learn specific subject matter. Whether a student preparing for their career, or a professional seeking tools, readers will gain valuable knowledge from Operations Management in the Hospitality Industry. To purchase print or digital copies, visit Emerald Publishing's bookstore or Amazon. |
