VP, CX Insights & Community at PartnerHero | Talking about creating your customer experience from scratch. I build and scale customer-facing teams that give a shit and can help you do the same.

I transitioned from being a barista to working in customer experience 20 years ago, and life hasn't been the same since.

I've been fortunate enough to work at companies like Wistia, Atlassian, Trello and Appcues. I've worked with amazing customer-facing folks to create scalable strategies and delight customers. 

Now, I spend my time helping to elevate leaders of teams and empower them to create the best customer experience. Employee-centered teams with simple, beautiful processes are where I find my joy.

Outside of my work with Boldr, I also consult and write for businesses such as Help Scout, HubSpot, and others. Let's work together!

Mercer Smith

Every so often I see someone say: “Customer support just doesn’t want to help.” And I am almost always like "wait wut."

No one wakes up thinking, “You know what would really make my day? Getting yelled at by a stranger on the internet.” or “I hope this escalates so I can do more emotional labor for the same pay.” There is absolutely zero incentive for a support rep to not help you. Helping you = resolution. Resolution = fewer follow-ups. Fewer follow-ups = a better day.

Do you really think a human would rather be trapped in a hostile, circular conversation than just solving the problem? What people interpret as “they don’t want to help” is usually just policies they didn’t write, tools they didn’t choose, rules they can’t override, and systems that make everything harder than it needs to be.

Most support people want to help, but might not have the tools or privileges required to do so. Beyond that, they literally just want to keep their job. It's not that deep and they don't have a personal vendetta against you.

CX Strategy & Solutions at Boldr; Author of CXOXO | Talking about creating your customer experience from scratch. I build and scale customer-facing teams that care and can help you do the same.

Pro-tip: if you are going to travel wearing your work gear (branded etc), maybe don't be a grossy.

Example: talking about how to make foreign people sound "less foreign" because "no one wants to talk to them."

If you were in the Manila Silver Kris lounge at 8.31am on Saturday, Jan 17th, this is for you: accent "translation" software is gross. The folks that "no one wants to talk to" usually speak like, probably (on average) two more languages than you do. You suck.

Imagine getting upset about something I wrote on LinkedIn, and meanwhile I’m over here typing with fingers that look like this 👀

No alternative text description for this image

new year, same me.  A bad CSAT score is not a reflection of your team members.

Customers use CSAT to say:
 – “Your policy is garbage.”
 – “Your product is jacked.”
 – “I had to reach out when I'd rather just be NOT doing that.”

Stop judging humans by metrics that measure company failures. Use it if you want, but be clear about what you're actually trying to measure.

Last night was the kind of dinner that makes a few hours disappear.

Boldr and Richpanel hosted a small, invite-only conversation on CX Transformation Through AI: Humanizing the 2026 Experience and it was exactly what we hoped for: candid, practical, and genuinely human. Huge thanks to everyone who showed up ready to share real stories (and real opinions), ask better questions, and build on each other’s thinking. Tagging ya: Alex, Kellie, Colin, Jason, Olivia, Ashley, Ashley M., Jordan, Ken, and Sid.

I pulled together a short report to accompany the night: a mix of fresh research and anonymized field notes from the conversation. If you’re thinking about how to scale CX with AI without losing the human connection, it’s worth a skim.

A few themes that stuck with me from the convos:

1. Customers want AI when it’s simple, and a human when it’s not. The “best” experiences weren’t fully automated. They were well-designed blends with a clear escape hatch.
2. Agent-side AI is where a lot of the real wins are right now. Summaries, drafting, translation, routing make for less cognitive load, better consistency, faster resolution.
3. Context handoffs are still broken far too often. If customers have to repeat themselves, the experience feels colder instantly no matter how “smart” the bot is or how kind the human is.
4. Human connection is becoming a premium differentiator. The stories people shared about handwritten notes, thoughtful follow-ups, and community moments were a reminder: loyalty is emotional.

If you're curious for more, here's the Gamma link to the report that I will send out to all of our attendees as well: https://lnkd.in/gYFkPfG6 If you read it, I’d love to hear what resonates (or what you disagree with).

And one more thing: I’d love to do more of these. If we brought a small, facilitated dinner conversation to your city, where should we go next? NYC feels like an obvious next stop, but tell us what you’d vote for and if you'd be interested in attending or hosting.

How all of my emails after two weeks of vacation are going to find me tomorrow.

Sixteen years ago, one of my first talks (shout out ElevateCX) was basically about how support people should ingratiate themselves to engineers so they’d help build the tools we needed to do our jobs, and I meant it sincerely. That was the move. You were a “lowly support person,” so you built relationships, baked cupcakes, asked nicely, and hoped your request didn’t get deprioritized.

Later, at Trello, Ben McCormack and I spent an absurd amount of time building janky terminal tools just to get basic visibility into things we needed. It worked, technically. But it was duct tape and vibes. 

Yesterday, I built a small app to fix a really silly manual process in my personal life. From idea to working thing took less than 2 hours. Here’s what the app does: forever, I’ve used a random number generator and a spreadsheet to pick the next book I read. It’s clunky, but it worked. Then, in the middle of the night, I finished a book and absolutely did not have it in me to manually count rows and roll dice like it was 2009. So instead, I built a tool.

It scrapes my Audible, Libro, Libby, and Kindle libraries, pulls all the books into a single list, and lets me press one button to randomly pick what I read next. While I was filming the demo video, I realized there was one more feature that would make my life easier. You can literally see me type it in and it’s implemented moments later.

That’s when it really clicked how outdated our conversations still are.
We keep talking about AI like it’s THE TOOL. Auto-replies. Deflection. Summaries. Fine. Cool. But that’s not the real shift: the real shift is that support DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT ANY MORE.

As a support person today, you can build the thing you need. You don’t need an engineer’s blessing. You don’t need to lobby for priority. If you understand the problem—and support always does—you can create a solution that works for you. But no one is talking about that?

We’re still framing AI as something that happens TO support, instead of something support can use to build, fix, and unblock itself. The bottleneck isn’t engineering access anymore. It’s whether we’ve updated our mental model of what’s possible.

Support has always been closest to the pain. Now it’s close to the power, too.
If we’re not talking about that, we’re missing the point entirely.

A lot of people replied to my last post with some version of: “Yes, exactly. They want to help. They just don’t have the tools.” Cool, we agree. But like, so what?

If your team WANTS to help but keeps getting blamed for bad experiences, that’s not a motivation problem. We've established that’s a systems problem. and SPOILER: systems are fixable.

Question if your team can actually solve problems, or if they mostly spend their day explaining why they can’t. If most of their job is apologizing for policies, waiting on approvals, or escalating basic stuff, you didn’t build a support team, you built a human buffer.

Ask yourself how often the same issues keep coming back. If the same complaints, questions, and edge cases show up every week, that’s not customers being annoying. That’s a signal. Something upstream is broken, and your team is absorbing the emotional fallout. Quantify that and fix it.

Get curious about what you’re actually rewarding. If your metrics prioritize speed, deflection, or “closing” over real resolution, you’re training people to rush, not help.

Dive in to how much real authority your team has. If every refund, exception, or fix needs approval, you might think you're creating financial safety for your business, but you're actually just creating more backlog. You're making a bigger wall between your team and the customer.

If you want your team to help more, make it easier for them to help. Most support people already care (I say most because there were some folks on the last post that said that wasn't true, hahah). Your job as a leader is to stop making it so hard for that to matter.

Not work-related, but YOLO: My son is doing a science fair project looking at the intelligence of different types of cats (hairless versus non-hairless). If you have a cat and feel so inclined to fill this out, we would really appreciate it! Once per cat:

Open article: 🐾 How Smart Is My Cat? by docs.google.com

Are you trying to get in on this? It's gonna be pretty good! Let me know if you'd like an invite and I'll see what I can do...I might know a guy.

We're hosting an intimate, invite-only panel in Austin with our partners at Richpanel. 

Join Mercer Smith, and Olivia Parker as they explore how AI is reshaping customer experience without losing the human touch.

What to expect:

• Practical insights on designing human-centered CX enhanced by AI
• A look at what CX leaders are prioritizing for 2026
• A thoughtfully curated group of 20 DTC and tech leaders

And after the conversation, we’ll slow things down with great food, drinks! 

Drop an “I’m interested” in the comments to save your spot (limited seats).

📅 January 29, 2026
📍 Austin, TX (venue shared upon approval)
🎟️ Invite-only | 20 seats

Customers don’t think in channels. Your data shouldn’t either.

In this co-written blog with Richpanel we show how to build a minimum viable omnichannel data model that finally keeps context where it belongs. We also include a channel map template to help you get started.

For CX leaders who want to go deeper, we're co-hosting an event in Austin with Richpanel at the end of January focused on building continuity across human + AI interactions.

Hope to see you there 👀

Read the full article here: https://hubs.ly/Q03ZZYL50

Open article: One customer brain for 2026: building the minimum viable omnichannel data model by hubs.ly

One customer brain for 2026: building the minimum viable omnichannel data model

Have you heard me talk about how you need to change your presentations to be more executive-facing if you want to actually get buy in and budget? And have you simultaneously been like "yeah okay sure but how?" (I hope not because I always try to give examples and steps to follow along, but fine.)

WELL LUCKY FOR YOU Craig Stoss AND I ARE OVERACHIEVERS AND not only are we going to give you a framework, but we also have examples of before and after slides USING the framework.

Don't snooze, we're going live in a few hours: https://lnkd.in/gKk3ufiE

New year, new Masterclasses! We are back fresh and reloaded with new sessions for our CX leaders. 

Join us and KODIF this January 22nd for a masterclass on how to turn CX data into executive-ready stories that drive buy-in, trust, and investment.

This session is ideal for CX, operations, and customer support leaders who need to communicate impact clearly, influence decision-makers, and consistently win investment for their teams.

See you there! 👀

Tyler Sellhorn, Aitana Rangel Garibay and 32 other attendees

View event: Executive-ready CX storytelling

so stoked to be able to support Gruns. <3

It's a new year. Six months ago, I shared a list of software and service partners who have supported our staggering growth at Grüns. 

I want to spotlight some new partners and continued heavy hitters who are making an impact in this next chapter of growth.

None of this is sponsored. Our team is simply grateful for the individuals behind these platforms, who are putting in the work to support Grüns.

Skio - subscriptions
Postscript - sms
Haus - incrementality
Northbeam - MTA
Siena AI - empathic CX
Boldr - CX extension
NoFraud - fraud prevention
Fulfil - ERP
Loop - returns
Numeral - taxes
Gladly - CX
Crstl - EDI connection
onbrand.com - partner activations
NeonPixel - TV performance
ShipNova - supply chain
Hark - voice of the customer
Motion (Creative Analytics)
Replo - site build
Archive - social listening
Order Editing - post-purchase edits
Chargeflow - chargebacks
PLTFRM - retail
Raindrop - creative production
Baker Tilly - audit and tax
J.P. Morgan Disruptive Commerce - LOC & banking
Ramp - credit card & AP
WithCoverage - insurance
Yolodex - persona creation
Hightouch - reverse ETL
AthenaHQ - lifecycle personalization
FrontrowMD - medical badging
Tracksuit - brand awareness tracking
Hetal Retail - retail analytics
Great Northern - retail display

I hope these partners are helpful for your business as well!

Last week on the CXL peer group call, we ended up in a conversation that I SWEAR every support/CX leader has had in some form but somehow we all keep treating it like a personal failing instead of shitty biz practice.

How many times have you been told that to be considered for a promotion, you need to do the work of the new role (plus your existing role). Your calendar fills up and the “extra” work starts showing up without clear role evolution or compensation. It's "for your development."

One person said something that stuck with me: if someone wants you to step into a bigger lane without paying you for it yet, the only sane move is: “Cool. Help me understand how this role evolves over time.” Not “someday.” Not “we’ll see.” Literally: what changes in 6 months, what changes in 12 months, and how will success be evaluated. Because if the company can’t answer that, someone else in the market will.

And here’s the piece I feel annoyingly strongly about: don’t let yourself get into the pattern of doing the bigger job without being compensated for it. The first “sure, I can cover that” is the easiest moment to set a boundary. After 6–8 months of wearing the extra hats, it turns into debt. And businesses are gonna business; if they can juice you, they will. 
I liked the flipped perspective though, too: sometimes it is less about immediate comp and more about increasing your luck surface area. However, if you take on this “extra,” what are you no longer able to do that might be worth more?

We also got into a super useful comp angle that I don’t hear enough leaders talk about: if base salary is capped, get creative. Stipends tied to projects. Variable comp tied to outcomes. Commission if you’re helping with pre-sales. A defined time-boxed trial with an explicit renegotiation date. There are ways to avoid the “just keep doing it forever” trap that don’t require a dramatic ultimatum.

Anyway: I’m sharing because I think everyone talks about career growth and comp negotiation, but we don’t talk enough about the patterns that quietly trap support leaders: the title band-aids, the unpaid scope creep, the “you’re so capable” tax, the way helpful people accidentally train companies to underpay them.

If you’re navigating one of these right now, here are two questions from that call that I think are worth stealing:

1. What does this role look like 6–12 months from now, and what specifically changes (scope, decision rights, comp), if I execute well?
2. What am I agreeing to do temporarily that I might accidentally make permanent?

PartnerHero

Sr. Manager, Strategic Partnerships

Partner Success Manager

IncipitCareer, LLC

Coach PhDs and other highly-skilled, highly-educated jobs seekers on career pivots that align with their values, interests, and skills in 100% virtual environments
Leverage strong relationship-building and communication skills to gain client trust and build productive working relationships quickly
Support clients through full-cycle of job search: self-assessment, skill identification, resume/cover letter writing, networking, interviewing, negotiation
Advise clients on job search process across multiple industries
Serve as subject matter expert in my field:  present virtually on resume and cover letter writing, job search process to national and international audiences

Founder, Coach

University of Oregon - Charles H. Lundquist College of Business

Create and facilitate 12-month career development program to help domestic and international students in MS Finance program land jobs in finance and data analytics industries
Track placement data before and at graduation, 3 months, 6 months post graduation.  Create reports for relevant stakeholders including senior leadership
Identify trends in hiring and placement data to effectively coach current students
Coach MS Finance and MBA domestic and international students in effective strategies for internship and job searches
Plan and execute employer site visits and in-class presentations from career professionals across finance industry to provide networking opportunities for students
Establish relationships with alumni, recruiters, and finance professionals to create professional development opportunities for students. Use Salesforce to manage and report on relationships and engagements

Graduate Advisor, MSF and MBA Professional Development

PenFed Credit Union

Supported Talent Acquisition team in hiring for a variety of roles 
Served as 1/2 of team that recruited 32 undergraduate interns for the Summer 2018 internship program.  Exceeded hiring goals.
Awarded PenFed Impact Award for outstanding efforts in successful intern recruit  
Screened resumes from 3,000+ applications, processed applications in Taleo including credit and background checks 
Scheduled and conducted phone and video interviews
Communicated with candidates about status updates and extended verbal offers
Assisted with editing job descriptions and posting positions in Taleo
Confirmed internal candidates are eligible for positions using PeopleSoft
Collaborated with hiring managers to ensure candidates meet their requirements

Talent Acquisition Coordinator

Alvord Taylor, Inc.

Recruited for experienced and entry-level positions in 250 person organization including high-turnover entry-level roles.
Managed all internal recruiting and hiring as well as external recruiting and hiring for 4-6 searches simultaneously
Partnered with program managers to find candidates that best fit their needs
Created recruiting and outreach strategies to identify candidates that best fit the organization's mission and needs resulting in reducing open roles from 30 to 8 within 3 months.
Extended offers of employment and managed salary negotiations
Ensured candidates completed new hire paperwork and began the onboarding process
Collaborated with HR team to onboard new hires and present during New Employee Orientation

Recruiting Specialist

University of Oregon

Go Intern! Internship Program
Coordinated internship program serving up to 90 students per term and two-credit career classes serving 100+ students per term
Generated $88,000 in annual revenue through strategically growing the program
Grew internship program by 60% within three years by redeveloping curriculum to emphasize students' teamwork, communication, problem-solving skills
Supervised instructors and intern advisors

Collaborated with employers to develop internship programs or positions


Career Connections Program (career classes)
Collaborated with Employer Relations Team to recruit employers to participate in internship program and to serve as guest experts in career classes 
Collaborated with Career Center staff and 4 partners from College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, and School of Journalism to instruct 8 classes on job search preparation per academic term
Created agendas for and lead weekly instructor meetings to support instructors and facilitate sharing of best practices 
Established and maintained relationships with faculty and academic deans 

Career Counseling 
Met with students individually to discuss job search strategies, networking, mock interviewing, resume and cover letter writing
Assisted students with identifying local and regional employers for volunteer opportunities, internships, part-time, full-time jobs
Led workshops on resume and cover letter writing, job search, interviewing, and MBTI/SII interpretations. Supervised Graduate Employees.

Assistant Director, Academic Programs, UO Career Center

Program Administration/Recruiting
Administrated a program offering career classes to undergraduates at the University of Oregon Create curricula, taught classes, supervised up to 6 undergraduate and 2 graduate student assistants
Successfully recruited up to 200 career professionals from a wide variety of industries and occupations to connect with students for informational interviews within a 4-6 week time frame each quarter
Collaborated with Career Center and university staff and faculty to implement projects

Career Counseling
Coached and counseled graduate and undergraduate students in individual appointments on making career decisions, executing a successful job search, how to network effectively, and write resumes and cover letters that demonstrate their strengths and skills.
Presented workshops to undergraduate and graduate students on a variety of career-related topics
Collaborated with faculty and staff members on workshops

Project Management 
Oversaw transfer of career professionals' profiles from an Access database to an online one (worked with web developer) 
Created 4 classes in the College of Arts and Sciences to meet the needs of Social Science, Natural Science, and Humanities majors (in collaboration with university registrar and CAS associate deans) 
Developed survey of university graduate students to ascertain their usage of resources such as the Graduate School and the Career Center (in conjunction with an assistant dean of the Graduate School and Career Center web developer)

Search Committee Member
Pathway Oregon Coordinator, 2008

Assistant Director, Career Connections Program

I wear two hats:  I work as a Senior Partner Success Manager and as a career coach, supporting people who want to leave academia and land jobs in other industries.  I'm great at seizing opportunities to make things happen whether that's starting a conga line at a concert or a new line of business. I've also successfully built relationships that have helped the business exceed revenue metrics QoQ as well as supported partners' growth.

I am a problem-solver who likes to create solutions to help my business partners and my clients.  I use my ability to see patterns and connections between data points, feedback, and ideas to solve problems, improve structures, and exceed goals.  I help my clients see the big picture and provide accountability, tools, and support for them to achieve their objectives.  

I create programs that help people identify and achieve their career goals. I love helping people get unstuck and move forward in their career pivots.  I assist clients at various stages of the pivot and job search process: from the "I don't know what to do next" phase of career development through networking, preparing resumes, applying, interviewing, and negotiating offers.

I'm happiest when I can bring together my interests in helping others, solving problems, and being creative. I'm passionate about helping people find the right fit--whether that's a new employee or a new career-- and brainstorming ways to get there. I relish the challenge of analyzing programs to see how they can be improved, and I'm not shy about offering suggestions.

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The Battle

Mercer Smith

Kristine Lodge PhD

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The Battle

Mercer Smith

Kristine Lodge PhD

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