Podcasts are no longer just a nice addition to your content and marketing strategy — they’re a necessity. As of last year, there were 850,000 active podcasts with over 48 million total episodes in all of 2021, a 20% increase from 2020. Podcasts offer listeners the flexibility to tune in and learn about a wide array of subjects, on-demand from anywhere, at any time.
Not only should businesses be considering podcasts as part of their own marketing strategies, but they should also be utilizing the wealth of insights in podcasts to evaluate and improve their own customer experiences. Customer experience (CX) professionals have to make a concerted effort to keep up with the ever-changing CX field. Podcasts are a tried and true way for these professionals to not only learn but to keep listeners up to date with technological advances within the industry.
Jump down to our list of the top CX podcasts or continue reading to discover what elements make for a great CX podcast that will improve your already-growing customer experience strategy.
Listen and subscribe to our podcast:
Components of a Great CX Podcast
Like all media, podcasts take different approaches to style, criteria and approach to the topic. There’s a world of podcasts out there, so how do you know where to dedicate your time? Here are what we think make up an impressive and incredible podcast that’s worth your time:
- Hosts with vetted experience: Both the beauty and the curse of podcasting are that anyone can start one. That’s why it’s important to vet your podcast host. Have they worked in the industry? For how long?
- Dynamic topics: There’s a world of podcast options out there. Be sure to pick one that covers a wide breadth of topics so that you’re more in the know.
- Forward thinking: While the past can be helpful for the future of CX, more than anything listeners need to be aware of where the industry is going and the role CX plays in the future of their businesses.
- Consistent schedule: Being an active podcast listener makes you a hungry learner. Choosing a podcast with a consistent posting schedule is helpful to keep your CX knowledge current.
Our Top 10 Customer Experience Podcasts
While there are dozens of customer experience podcasts out there to choose from, business leaders should invest their time in those that help them think differently about dynamic topics in the industry and question their CX techniques for strategic improvement. Here’s our list of favorites:
1. What It Means by Forrester
Led by two of Forester’s VPs, each episode of What It Means invites a Forrester analyst to discuss the hottest topics in customer experience, from tech-driven innovation and CX design to B2B buying trends and marketing planning. The team at What It Means defines themselves as truly customer-obsessed, and hopes that you will be, too.
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 25-35 minutes
2. Amazing Business Radio
Customer service expert and New York Times bestselling author Shep Hyken hosts this dynamic customer-centric podcast. Hyken brings together leading professionals and customer experience experts who offer tangible tips and insights specifically to take your business to the next level of success.
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 25-30 minutes
3. Customer Success Leader
This podcast is dedicated specifically to data optimization and customer onboarding. Discover the successes, struggles and inside strategies from thought leaders ready to help you maximize your company’s potential.
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 20-30 minutes
4. Experience This!
Customer retention expert Joey Coleman and social media expert Dan Gingiss host this lively podcast. Their ‘quick-hit’ segments deliver customer-focused tips, tools and trends for optimizing your brand strategy through customer service.
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 30-40 minutes
5. The Chief Customer Officer Human Duct Tape Show
Author of Chief Customer Officer 2.0, Jeanne Bliss leads us on a journey amongst C-suite leadership alongside executives from global companies like Airbnb and Adobe. This podcast focuses on the role of a CX leader and how they work to unite their company, all in the name of their customer.
Episode Frequency: Monthly
Episode Length: 45 minutes
6. Harvard Business Review
The HBR IdeaCast is a great resource for insights, up-to-date trends, as well as the practicalities of how cultural shifts impact business. Populated by industry leaders and thinkers, this energetic podcast has something for everyone.
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 20-30 minutes
7. The Modern Podcast
A leader in customer experience, host Blake Morgan is a keynote speaker, customer experience futurist and contributor to Forbes and the Harvard Review. She has also authored two books on CX and delivered a keynote on the customer of the future at our own Kustomer NEXT event.
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 25-35 minutes
8. The CX Leader Podcast
Host Steve Walker provides detailed insight for CX leaders on how to unlock the customer experience potential, to better engage with customers, and to inspire those same customers to do more business with them. Previous guests on the show have included Steve Bederman of NobleBiz, hospitality guru Christine Trippi, and CX expert Jeannie Walters (host of Crack the Customer Code, #10 on this list).
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 20-30 minutes
9. Gartner ThinkCast
Gartner ThinkCast is Gartner’s business-centric podcast that “puts you at the intersection of business and technology.” The podcast is focused on helping businesses gain a competitive advantage and build a more successful organization in the digital era through insights from top experts.
Episode Frequency: Biweekly
Episode Length: 20-30 minutes
10. Crack the Customer Code
Started in 2014, Crack the Customer Code’s podcast is dedicated to helping business owners and customer-facing professionals enhance their business strategies for greater CX. Listeners can hear from presidents, chief experience officers and other CX experts from top organizations discuss hard-hitting topics such as AI in CX, CXM and design impact on customer experience.
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Episode Length: 15-30 minutes
Learn Customer Service Secrets on the Kustomer Podcast
Alongside our 10 favorites within this list, the Customer Service Secrets podcast from Kustomer is devoted to sharing highly coveted secrets from customer experience professionals across industries. Our host, VP of Growth Gabe Larsen, shares his own experiences in the customer service space, while also drawing on the knowledge of experts and thought leaders who are making strides in their various fields. Gabe has spent the majority of his career gaining knowledge of customer experience and applying it at companies such as Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Gallup, InsideSales.com and Kustomer.
With the insights from CX leader Kustomer, listeners gain knowledge that they can apply directly to their own career, regardless of their job title, in each and every episode. Listen to the Customer Service Secrets Kustomer podcast today.
