What does it really take to create customer loyalty in an increasingly automated world?

In this episode of Experience the Reformation, Lou Carbone sits down with longtime loyalty expert, Harvard Business School senior lecturer, and Bain & Company advisory partner Rob Markey, co-author of The Ultimate Question 2.0 and one of the architects behind the Net Promoter System.

Lou and Rob explore why so many organizations struggle to turn customer feedback into meaningful change, how companies can move beyond treating Net Promoter Score as simply another metric, and why the true measure of customer success lies in the underlying value of customer relationships.

The conversation takes a deeper turn as they examine the impact of AI and automation on customer experience. Rob challenges the idea that we should simply try to “humanize” technology. Instead, the real question is: How do we retain human relationships with customers as technology becomes more deeply embedded in the experience?

At the center of that relationship is one essential ingredient: trust.

Rob shares his perspective on the moments that can strengthen or threaten customer relationships, the importance of knowing who your true customers are, and the organizational behaviors CEOs can put in place to create loyal customers and sustainable long-term growth.

A thoughtful conversation about loyalty, trust, customer value, leadership, and what it means to remain human in the age of AI.