Thank you! My journey has been shaped by a deep passion for helping brands grow by blending customer insights with impactful strategies. Over the years, I’ve worked across brand management, demand generation, and product marketing, always keeping a customer-first, and data-minded approach at the forefront of my mind. My entire marketing career has been about understanding what customers want – whether it be the features they want in a car (BMW and Porsche), their unique business challenges (Polycom, Cisco, Five9), or their expectations when engaging with their favorite brands (Contentsquare). As a marketer who likes to blend creative thinking with a strategic, growth mindset, I’ve always put data at the heart of important business decision or recommendation.
Before joining Five9, I was CMO at Contentsquare and Selligent Marketing Cloud, where I developed a profound appreciation for how technology transforms customer experiences. It was at these companies that I expanded my understanding of how data impacts marketing decisions, from the earliest stages strategy development and then campaign execution (Selligent Marketing Cloud), to mid-funnel customer relationship nurturing and engagement data (Contentsquare), to now post-conversion customer service and experience intelligence at Five9.
Here at Five9, I lead a marketing team driven by the company’s innovative solutions and ambitious vision to bring joy to the Customer Experience (CX). We focus on elevating the brand, empowering our global customers, and redefining the future of how CCaaS delivers valuable customer experiences.
Tell our readers how your passion for people, processes, and technology shaped your approach to driving business growth.My leadership mantra is: if someone has the mindset, but not the skill set, it’s my job to give them the toolset to succeed. My passion for people, processes, and technology stems from believing that growth happens at the intersection of these three elements. People are the heart of any organization, and understanding their needs—whether they are customers or employees—is meaningful.It helps me understand nuanced situations, perspectives, ambitions, and challenges – and more clearly illuminates my role in helping them succeed.
My leadership approach is business-minded skills and passion come first and functional abilities come second; the combination of those things translate into a deep understanding of the business and developing strategies for growth. I want my team to walk away feeling empowered, autonomous, motivated by my guidance, and encouraged to collaborate and make decisions that propel the business forward.
As consumer behavior continues to evolve, how do you see AI playing a critical role in meeting these new expectations, particularly during high-demand periods like the holiday season?AI has become indispensable in not only meeting evolving expectations, but also anticipating how consumers will change. It has empowered businesses to spot trends early and to respond quickly and on a large scale. Whether answering common questions or managing routine tasks, AI can take the load off human workers, allowing them to focus on more complex interactions. The same can be said for Five9 in the customer service and experience space. We are working with enterprises of all types to activate customer and company data to deliver personalized and valuable experiences.
We saw this as especially important during peak times, like the holiday shopping rushes, where fast, personalized service is critical to maintaining customer loyalty. Consumer survey data shows that 48% of people prioritize fast shipping and delivery during their holiday shopping. AI effectively optimizes these processes as it provides real-time updates and handles inquiries at a high volume without compromising quality. For example, if things are out of stock or delivery is delayed, AI is a tremendous tool for communicating those updates to customers before they become frustrated. AI is invaluable for personalizing experiences, as it can be used to anticipate customer needs and questions with tailored solutions.
With Gen Z and Millennials becoming more receptive to AI-driven interactions, how do their expectations differ from older generations when it comes to customer service experiences?We know Gen Z and Millennials are digital natives who have grown up online. Their expectations are higher, but they’re also unique in that they are incredibly self-motivated to solve problems independently. Their expectations are rooted in the desire for speed, convenience, and personalization. They expect customer service interactions to be quick, efficient, and solutions-oriented. This strong preference for digital-first solutions makes them inherently more receptive to AI-powered interactions. So much so that 63% of Gen Zers and 60% of Millennials say they trust and prefer information provided by AI-powered customer service bots.
In contrast, older generations, while adopting AI more rapidly, still tend to favor human interaction in customer service experiences. For instance, we found that 86% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation prefer speaking to a real human for customer support. However, as AI continues to improve, both generations are coming to appreciate the benefits of automation, especially when handling routine queries.
The challenge for businesses is striking the right balance between AI and human interaction to meet the different preferences of each generation, while ensuring that all customers feel valued and heard.
How do you provide AI-powered solutions that contribute to building long-term brand loyalty, especially when younger consumers are often seeking highly personalized, and seamless experiences?Building long-term brand loyalty is all about delivering efficient, personalized experiences that resonate with diverse customers. Younger consumers expect seamless, tailored interactions, and AI is crucial in delivering that. By leveraging data from past interactions, AI can anticipate a customer’s needs and provide relevant, real-time support. This helps businesses meet customer expectations without making them feel like just another case number.
Our survey highlighted that 40% of consumers believe positive customer experiences directly translate into brand loyalty. AI helps deliver these positive experiences by making interactions faster, more personalized, and more efficient.
The key is using AI to complement human agents; while AI can handle routine questions, human agents can step in for more complex issues that require more profoundunderstanding. This balance not only improves the efficiency of customer service but also makes customers happier.
How do you ensure AI-driven solutions like Five9 AI Agents deliver a high level of personalization?Personalization is at the heart of what makes Five9 AI solutions so valuable. We use machine learning to analyze customer data and identify patterns that allow us to predict needs and offer tailored responses. The more AI interacts with a customer, the more it learns, which means it can deliver increasingly relevant and personalized experiences over time.
By seamlessly integrating with CRM systems, Five9 AI Agents can recognize returning customers, anticipate their needs based on previous interactions, and offer proactive recommendations or solutions. This blend of data-driven insights and adaptive learning ensures interactions feel personal and human-like, allowing companies to foster stronger connections with customers.
We also make sure that our AI agents work seamlessly alongside human agents. When a situation arises that AI can’t resolve, it escalates to a human agent who can provide the personal touch and deeper understanding necessary for a valuable and effective interaction.
As technology continues to advance, what future trends in AI do you think will have the biggest impact on redefining customer service experiences?AI will become increasingly capable of anticipating customer needs, making interactions smoother and more personalized. Looking ahead, consumers will take more control of their own experiences, pushing brands to understand and cater to their preferences. As generative AI evolves, businesses can resolve issues before customers even ask, making service even more seamless and proactive. For example, Five9 customers are using solutions like Five9 GenAI Studio to improve self-service and build AI models trained off business-specific data, ultimately boostinginformation accuracy for customers and agents alike.
Ultimately, personalization will be key to business success and AI enables brands to create truly unique experiences that build stronger, more loyal connections with customers.
What are some common challenges businesses face when trying to balance automation with the need for personalized service, and how can AI technologies address these challenges effectively?Over-reliance on automation can result in impersonal experiences that frustrate customers,; while underutilizing it can strain resources, leading to delays and inefficiencies. AI can address this by handling routine, transactional tasks like order tracking or FAQs, allowing human agents to focus on more nuanced and complex interactions. Tools like Five9 Genius AI Suite also equip agents with contextual insights, enabling them to offer more personalized support. How do you measure the success of AI-driven customer service solutions?
Success is measured in several ways, from customer satisfaction scores to the speed at which we resolve customer issues. We track how well AI handles inquiries, how much it improves over time, and how efficiently we can scale customer service during peak periods. Beyond what the data shows, there’s critical qualitative data, like customer reviews and feedback.
Equally important is the impact of AI on employee satisfaction. When AI handles routine tasks, human agents are relieved of tactical, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks and can focus on more complex customer needs, leading to higher job satisfaction and better customer outcomes. Ultimately, it’s about balancing customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and employee engagement to create a positive impact across the board.
What advice would you offer to businesses that are just beginning to adopt AI technology in their customer service strategies to ensure they deliver personalized, human-like experiences while also staying agile in meeting the evolving expectations of different consumer generations?For businesses beginning their AI journey, a thoughtful, strategic approach is essential. Here are a few key recommendations to ensure success:
- Deploy AI Technology that Makes the Most of Business Data: Do not rush into deploying AI if it doesn’t serve a specific purpose or use business data to enhance its AI output and customer value.
- Preserve the Human Element: Use AI to enhance—not replace—human interactions. Design workflows that prioritize seamless transitions to live agents for complex or emotionally sensitive issues.
- Invest in Training: Train agents to work alongside AI tools effectively, empowering them to leverage insights and context provided by AI.
- Prioritize Transparency and Trust: Clearly communicate to customers when they’re interacting with AI and emphasize ethical practices in data usage.
By adopting a customer-first mindset and staying agile with emerging technologies, businesses can create AI-driven experiences that feel personal and innovative, meeting the diverse expectations of all generations.
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A quote or advice from the author:
Technology is powerful in helping strengthen human-centric communication. When merging the best of data insights and human-powered connection, customers feel more deeply understood. Simply put, technology is a complement to the work real people are doing. That’s the most valuable way to connect with customers and build loyalty and trust.
Niki Hall, Chief Marketing Officer at Five9
Niki Hall, Chief Marketing Officer Niki Hall is Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Five9. Her focus is on all areas of B2B marketing, including demand generation, partner marketing, product marketing, field enablement, branding, corporate communications, analyst relations, channel marketing, marketing analytics, and events.
She rejoins the company after serving as VP of Marketing for nearly two years starting in 2017. Passionate about people, process and technology, her personal philosophy is that people are a company’s greatest asset, and actively invests heavily in creating and motivating best-in-class teams to scale companies. With over 20 years’ experience in marketing, Niki has established and grown business market positions by developing clear, differentiated positioning while building and extending value, increased awareness, and driving demand and market differentiation. Before Five9, Niki was CMO of digital experience analytics company Contentsquare, where she was responsible for building the brand, raising awareness, and cementing Contentsquare as a major player in the global CX market. As a four-time Stevie winner for Women in Business, Niki has also been a recognized on INSIDER’s list of 19 execs shaping the future of marketing technology. Previously, Niki was CMO at Selligent Marketing Cloud and held marketing leadership roles at Poly and Cisco. Niki has a bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing from California State University East Bay. LinkedIn.