AWS x Calabrio: An Exclusive Interview with Dave Hoekstra (AI Magazine & Mobile Magazine)
A superior CX is built on a deep understanding.
Calabrio’s AI on the AWS platform provides the tools to find intelligence in every interaction.
In today’s competitive landscape, the focus of customer interaction has shifted from isolated service events to delivering a holistic customer experience (CX). Success is no longer measured solely by call times, but by the overall perception a customer holds.
As Calabrio’s Product Evangelist, Dave Hoekstra, explains, a genuinely great CX hinges on a simple but powerful outcome: “It’s how that customer feels after that interaction.” The new paradigm means organisations moving beyond functional support and architecting a seamless, intelligent journey. The contact centre, in its modern form, sits at the very heart of the transformation.
Building a seamless foundation for the customer journey
A disconnected customer journey is a primary source of frustration. When a customer has to repeat an issue across different channels or to other agents, their experience is immediately fractured. The root of the problem is often a fragmented technology stack.
That is why a cloud-native architecture, like the one offered by Calabrio on Amazon Web Services (AWS), is foundational to a modern CX strategy. Its purpose is to eliminate the silos that customers feel so acutely.
By ensuring that communication platforms, CRMs and other systems can integrate seamlessly, the technology provides a unified view of the customer. For businesses, it means “we don’t need to spend time, money or resources trying to make different systems communicate; they just work together,” explains Dave.
For the customer, it means the agent they speak to is already aware of their history and context, leading to a smoother, more empathetic and efficient resolution. Technical integration forms the invisible framework that builds a positive customer experience.
Using AI to understand and enhance the human element of CX
A unified data foundation allows AI to analyse and understand the nuances of the customer journey. The goal is not to replace human interaction but to enhance it by focusing on what truly matters to the customer.
Dave frames the modern customer expectation clearly:
“I don’t care if it’s a computer I’m talking to or a human, I want the answer that I need and I want the resolution that I want.”
AI provides the tools to deliver the customer’s expectations. Instead of manually reviewing a tiny fraction of interactions for quality, it can analyse every single one, identifying not just process adherence but the customer’s sentiment and emotion. This allows organisations to move beyond simple monitoring.
The data-driven coaching focuses on empathy, active listening and effective problem-solving — the human skills that define a superior CX experience.
“The goal is to transform those who are listening to calls into coaches, using AI to provide the insights they need to guide and develop their teams more effectively.” Dave Hoekstra, Product Evangelist, Calabrio
Meeting the customer where they are
Furthermore, by improving agent tools and wellbeing, organisations empower the very people responsible for delivering that final, critical human touchpoint.
Ultimately, creating a modern CX is about using technology to enable a more human and connected journey.
By strategically integrating cloud platforms with powerful AI, organisations can address a fundamental customer expectation. As Dave explains: “They want you to meet them where they are,” whether that’s on a call, in a chat or via email.
Leveraging these tools allows businesses to move beyond reactive problem-solving and start proactively understanding, analysing and shaping the customer journey.
The result is an experience that not only meets expectations but consistently exceeds them, fostering long-term brand loyalty.
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