In the trades, most companies talk about “customer experience” like it belongs to one department: the call center, marketing, or the frontline team.

But the truth is simpler, and way more powerful:

Customer Experience is everyone’s job.

From CSR to dispatcher…

From payroll to accounting…

From warehouse to IT…

From leadership to the janitor…

Every role either reduces friction or adds friction.

Every decision either builds trust or erodes it.

In this episode, we break down the idea of Group CX — a culture where the entire organization owns how the customer feels:

✔ how back-office teams shape loyalty

✔ why EX = CX²

✔ how leadership tone flows outward

✔ why “that’s not my job” destroys trust

✔ and why loyalty is built internally first

If you work in plumbing, HVAC, or electrical service — and you’re serious about building a company customers want to call — this episode is for you.

Customer experience isn’t a department.

It’s the way you treat people.

Inside and out.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

In the trades, your brand isn’t built in the boardroom.

It isn’t built by marketing.

It isn’t built by leadership decks or mission statements.

Your real reputation is built by the people you probably pay the least, the CSRs answering the phones, the dispatchers managing chaos, and the installers walking into customers’ homes every single day.

In this New Year’s Eve episode, we go deep on what real CX leadership looks like in blue-collar service companies; plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and beyond. We talk about why most companies undervalue the front line, how that destroys loyalty, and what leadership must change if we want to build organizations people are proud to belong to.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Merry Christmas, everyone!

[Verse 1]

Chestnuts roasting, phones on fire

Caller says “I just need a quote” (liar)

Hold music slaps like it’s 2003

“Your call is very important” — allegedly

Coffee’s dead, patience thin

CRM spinning like “log in again”

Snow outside, chaos within

Welcome to Christmas in the call center, friend

[Pre-Chorus]

We’ve got fake snow

Fake cheer

But the problems are very real this year

[Chorus]

All I want for Christmas

Is a booked call

Not a “just checking prices,” not a voicemail stall

I don’t need cookies, I don’t need cheer

I need dispatch open and a tech nearby here

Deck the halls with AHT

Fa-la-la-la-la, please don’t yell at me

If your heat turns on by the end of the night

You’re welcome.

Merry Christmas.

Click five stars.

[Verse 2]

“Can you come today?”

“Yes, but let’s define ‘today.’”

“Why is there a dispatch fee?”

Because gas costs money and so do we

Membership pitch? Tasteful, light

Like eggnog with a little bite

Not upselling joy, just keeping it real

You want heat? Cool. Here’s the deal.

[Pre-Chorus]

No carolers

No sleigh

Just someone saying “We can be there today”

[Chorus]

All I want for Christmas

Is a booked call

A real decision, not a maybe-text-fall

I don’t need silence, I don’t need peace

I need a customer who’s ready to proceed

Deck the halls with QA notes

Fa-la-la-la-la, please don’t quote Yelp

If your water’s hot and your pipes don’t fight

You’re welcome.

Merry Christmas.

Good night.

[Bridge (Spoken, deadpan)]

This is not a Hallmark movie.

This is a strip mall.

At 7:43 PM.

With a frozen sewer line.

And yes

We can still help you.

Breakdown

Empathy’s not “I understand”

It’s “I’ve got this, here’s the plan”

No script angels, no soft glow

Just competence with a festive bow

[Final Chorus (Bigger, Dumber, Louder)]

All I want for Christmas

Is a booked call

A clean address and a yes-that’s-all

No ghosting, no “I’ll call you back”

It’s Christmas Eve, we both know that’s cap

So light the tree, pour the wine

We’ll keep the phones alive

If your house survives the night

Thank a CSR

Who skipped delight

[Outro]

Phones go quiet.

Queue hits zero.

Someone microwaves leftover ham.

Another Christmas saved

By people you’ll never see.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

In this episode from the archives, we remember remote work, wfh, wfa, etc. And what it took to provide floor support for your team.

How does this change in the era or RTO?

It doesn't.

All the lessons you learned from managing remote or hybrid teams still apply. All the communication skills you learned are still valid. All the leadership lessons you learned still matter.

This episode, at it's core is about providing resources and support to your team, it doesn't matter how close or how far away they are.

Don't be dumb.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

AI was supposed to fix customer service.

Instead, many companies are rehiring humans.

In this episode of CX Riot Radio, we break down why customers are still skeptical of AI, why contact center leaders are more optimistic, and where the disconnect is costing companies trust and loyalty.

We unpack new research on AI in customer service, the growing backlash against chatbot-first CX, and why 2025 is shaping up to be the year businesses realize empathy, judgment, and real human connection still matter.

Article Cited: https://www.techfinitive.com/2025-the-year-of-rehiring-humans-after-ai-fails/#:~:text=exceptional%20customer%20experiences.%E2%80%9D-,Hiring%20back%20humans,the%20same%20speed%20as%20before%E2%80%9D.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Wow, you made your customer satisfied. Way to do the bare minimum.

This episode is about how customer loyalty is more important than satisfaction.

And a simple trick that doctors hate that will get you that loyalty!

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

In this episode of CX Riot Radio, we dive straight into the heart of what separates average trades companies from unstoppable ones: urgency and ownership.

You’ll hear how urgency creates momentum, how ownership creates accountability, and how together they become rocket fuel for customer experience. If your shop feels slow, reactive, or stuck in neutral, this episode is your blueprint for lighting the fire again.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Modern America is drowning in usury, perversion, cheap pleasure, and spiritual collapse, and most people are too numb to notice. In this episode, we tear into the real roots of our cultural decay: porn addiction, adultery, political hubris, weakened churches, and the abandonment of tradition. Featuring the raw fire of Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the Desert Fathers, we confront the demons we refuse to name and lay out the path to fight them: discipline, repentance, prayer, fasting, brotherhood, and personal responsibility.

Fix yourself, and you can help fix the world. But the first battle? That one you fight alone.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Customer retention in the trades is won or lost in tiny “moments of truth.”

In this episode, we break down how booking failures, bad invoices, and late technicians can destroy loyalty—and how to turn those moments into magic that keeps customers for life.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

In this episode from the archives (March 2022), we break down why consistent brand messaging isn’t just “nice to have”—it’s the backbone of every customer touchpoint you’ve got. From your first marketing impression to every call, chat, and DM, the message has to match.

We dig into how each social platform has its own personality—and why posting regularly on TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook matters if you want to stay relevant.

You’ll hear why Wendy’s nailed their brand voice on Twitter while other companies crashed and burned by trying to be funny when their brand wasn’t built for it.

We also talk about the danger of “set it and forget it” scheduling tools. Yes, Hootsuite saves time, but if you’re not monitoring your replies in real time, you’re missing the whole point of social. Engagement has to feel human, aligned with your brand, and consistent across the board.

You’ll learn how outdated scheduled posts can cause policy conflicts, how employee engagement can strengthen your message, and how your call center, dispatch, and frontline teams all play a role in reinforcing the same story.

If you want a brand that feels solid, trustworthy, and unforgettable—your messaging has to stay tight everywhere your customers interact with you.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Everything is tracked. Nothing is owned. Houses come with fifty-year mortgages. Cars report back to their manufacturers. Every song, show, and tool lives behind a subscription. Convenience replaced ownership, and people became products.

Attention is currency. Phones feed dopamine addictions. Dating apps turn connection into microtransactions. “Buy Now, Pay Later” schemes and payday loans keep the working class chained to debt while tech companies and banks harvest data and profit.

It’s cyberpunk without the heroes: high tech, low life. The only real resistance left is to unplug, own what you can, and stop feeding the machine.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Give 'Em The Pickle: https://youtu.be/lwYrB7y_VmY?si=pMAY-5ohR3XMmFE3

In this episode of CX Riot Radio, we break down Bob Farrell’s legendary customer-service lesson Give ’Em the Pickle! and translate it into the r world of plumbing, HVAC, and home services.

We dive into what “the pickle” really means for the trades: doing the small extra things that make customers feel valued, showing up on time, explaining repairs clearly, cleaning up your work, and following up after the job.

You’ll learn how to turn the “pickle philosophy” into a company-wide culture, how to train and measure it, and why it’s the ultimate differentiator in a market flooded with “good enough” service.

If you want your team to stop chasing transactions and start building loyalty... this is the episode that shows you how.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Sorry for the AI Slop Voice.

Most companies say they care about customers, but their actions tell a different story. In this episode of CX Riot Radio, David Powers tears into the profit-first mindset that’s killing trust in the trades.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Another one from the archives, all the way back from August 2023.

Customer Service isn't for everybody, and that's okay.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

We've all had bad managers, terrible supervisors, awful team leads, and non-existent advancement plans (right?). Here's how to break the cycle and become the leader you needed at the beginning of your career.Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

This episode gets raw about failure, not the motivational poster kind, but the real, bloody-knuckled kind that breaks you down and forces you to rebuild. From living in a van at 21 to blowing up CX initiatives and learning to fail forward, this episode digs into why failure isn’t the end, it’s the forge.

Because success might change your circumstances, but failure changes you.

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Heyyyy!

This weeks episode of CX Riot Radio is a Space Opera Business Fable.

Here is part 2 of my new book Legend of the Five Stars: The Rise of the Sorcerous Maleficum: A Business Fable. You can buy it on Amazon at this link: https://a.co/d/fe4tVMd

Enjoy!

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Heyyyy!

This weeks episode of CX Riot Radio is a Space Opera Business Fable.

Here is part 1 of my new book Legend of the Five Stars: The Rise of the Sorcerous Maleficum: A Business Fable. You can buy it on Amazon at this link: https://a.co/d/fe4tVMd

Enjoy!

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

Some industries carry heavy baggage—plumbing, airlines, used car lots—places where customers often expect the worst. In this talk, we break down how companies in these “bad rep” industries can flip the script and win loyalty through world-class customer experience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why first impressions make or break the service journey

• How to use technology (without letting clunky tools ruin trust)

• The importance of clear communication and expectation setting

• Why technician professionalism and presentation matter as much as skill

• How follow-ups and thank-yous create lasting relationships

• The role of empathy when customers are stressed, frustrated, or in crisis

By focusing on empathy, professionalism, and proactive communication, companies in challenged industries can not only improve customer experience—but completely reshape their reputations.

If you’re in the trades or any business where trust is hard-won, this conversation gives you the playbook to stand out and succeed.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

“If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve.” In this raw 30-minute manifesto, David Powers calls out the state of blue-collar call centers — where they excel, where they lag behind, and why leadership too often ignores their true value. From paper-thin training to duct-taped technology, from fragile morale to inconsistent customer experiences, this episode lays bare the outlaw reality of the trades.

But it’s not just diagnosis — it’s a rallying cry. David delivers a blueprint for evolution: structured onboarding, outlaw coaching cultures, consistent customer flows, proactive communication, tech investment, and a rebrand of the call center as the company’s true revenue engine.

This isn’t corporate lip service. It’s punk-rock CX. If you lead, work in, or depend on a blue-collar call center, this episode is your call-to-arms. The future belongs to the outlaws who dare to evolve.

Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx