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.