The UK is still the market leader in fintech innovation. But with investment in the sector hitting a four year low, those looking to grow are looking across the pond. For many, the US is a land of fintech opportunity. American banking continues to lag behind Europe in several key areas: open banking adoption, fast payment systems, and truly mobile-native experiences. For nimble fintech businesses that have prioritised delivering a top-tier customer experience (CX), US soil is fertile ground for growth. ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported total revenue of $300 million for Q4, representing an 8% year-over-year growth [19] - Subscription revenue grew by 12% year-over-year in Q4, now making up 82% of total revenue, up from 79% a year ago [21] - Adjusted EBITDA margin increased to 26%, while free cash flow more than doubled year-over-year to a margin of 22% [10][23] - For the full year 2025, total revenue was $1.15 billion, growing 10% year-over-year, with subscription revenue growing 13% year-over-year [24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Enterprise AI revenue growth accelerated to 50% year-over-year, contributing significantly to the overall subscription revenue [19][10] - Core CCaaS subscription revenue growth accelerated to 8% year-over-year [19] - The enterprise business represented approximately 91% of total revenue on a last twelve months (LTM) basis, with LTM enterprise subscription revenue growing 15% year-over-year [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Gartner forecasts the market for traditional CCaaS to grow at a 9% CAGR and the GenAI customer service market to grow at a 34% CAGR through 2029, reaching a combined annual spend of $48 billion [11] - The company is experiencing strong traction in sectors such as healthcare and retail, with significant adoption of AI capabilities [86] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to lead in AI-powered customer experience (CX) by leveraging conversational data and enhancing its end-to-end platform capabilities [11][12] - A strong focus on partnerships, particularly with Google Cloud, is seen as a key driver for differentiation and innovation in AI solutions [13][79] - The company is committed to expanding its AI capabilities and enhancing customer experiences through new product innovations [12][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's positioning for continued success in 2026 and beyond, driven by strong demand for AI solutions [10] - The CEO highlighted the importance of a unified CX platform to meet evolving customer needs and the potential for significant market expansion [8][10] - Management acknowledged macroeconomic challenges but remains optimistic about the company's growth trajectory and operational excellence [3][10] Other Important Information - The company completed a $50 million accelerated share repurchase on February 2, buying back approximately 2.6 million shares, reflecting strong cash generation [27] - The company plans to host an Investor Day in late 2026 to provide additional details on strategic priorities and long-term financial outlook [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: Breakdown of AI revenue growth between new and existing customers - Management indicated that both new logo acquisition and penetration into the existing customer base are contributing significantly to AI revenue growth [31][32] Question: Future product changes and opportunities in AI - The new CEO expressed optimism about transforming the CX space through AI and traditional CCaaS, emphasizing the potential for new customer experiences [40] Question: Risks from LLM native platforms - Management highlighted the competitive moat provided by their orchestration capabilities and historical conversational data, which cannot be easily replicated by LLMs [60][62] Question: Sector performance and customer pain points - The company is seeing strong adoption in healthcare and retail, with customers focusing on improving their data strategies to leverage AI effectively [52][86] Question: Guidance for 2026 revenue and backlog contributions - Management clarified that the guidance for 2026 includes contributions from dollar-based retention rate (DBRR) and backlog, with a focus on consumption-based revenue from AI solutions [68][71]

Core Insights - TTEC Holdings, Inc. achieved three Gold Awards at the 2025 European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards, highlighting its excellence in customer experience technology and services [1][3]. Group 1: Awards and Recognition - TTEC won Gold Awards for Best Strategic Transformation Program, Best Multilingual Customer Service, and Best Approach to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) [3][5]. - TTEC Digital's partnership with Willis Towers Watson was recognized for integrating advanced analytics and omnichannel technology in UK contact centers, enhancing customer and colleague experiences [4]. - TTEC Greece's multilingual service model supports 16 languages and is driven by diversity, leading to high employee engagement and customer satisfaction [5]. Group 2: Additional Achievements - TTEC Greece also received a Bronze Award for Most Effective Management of Peak Demand and was Highly Commended for Most Effective Application of Technology to Support Operational Excellence [6]. - The company was a finalist for Best BPO Partnership and Best Strategic Transformation Program in partnership with Volkswagen Group UK [6]. Group 3: Industry Context - The ECCCSAs are recognized as Europe's largest awards program for customer contact and service organizations, emphasizing innovation and excellence in the industry [3][7]. - The judging process is noted for its independence and high standards, ensuring fair assessment of all finalists [7].

Core Insights - Target is focusing on customer experience (CX) improvements as a key strategy to return to sales growth under the leadership of incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke [3][4][6] - Comparable store sales decreased by 3.8% year-over-year in Q3 2025, with net sales down 1.5% to $25.3 billion [3][4] - The company plans to invest $1 billion in 2026 to support new store openings and remodels [4] Investment and Strategy - Target's investment will prioritize revamped store operations and new technology to enhance customer experience [4][6] - The retailer aims to reduce time spent on backroom tasks, allowing associates to focus more on customer interactions [6] - Lower-traffic stores will handle more digital order fulfillment, while higher-traffic stores will focus on in-store customer engagement [6] Technology and Operations - Target is modernizing its technology for inventory management, improving availability for its 5,000 most frequently purchased items by over 1.5% year-on-year [5][6] - The focus is on ensuring that frequently purchased items are in stock to enhance customer satisfaction [5] - Enhanced digital tools are being implemented to support associates in providing better customer service [5]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q3 2025, revenue was $519 million, a decrease of 1.9% from $529 million in the prior year [21] - Adjusted EBITDA was $43 million, or 8.4% of revenue, down from $50 million, or 9.5% [22] - Operating income decreased to $29 million, or 5.6% of revenue, compared to $34 million, or 6.4% [22] - Net debt was reduced by $119 million year-over-year, totaling $813 million [32] Business Segment Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the Engage segment, Q3 revenue decreased by 4% to $397 million, with operating income at $17 million, or 4.3% of revenue [22] - The Digital segment saw a revenue increase of 5.4% to $122 million, but operating income decreased to $12 million, or 9.5% of revenue [26] - Recurring revenue in the Digital segment declined by 9.8% due to the end-of-life status of a premise contact center solution [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Engage segment's backlog is $1.66 billion, representing 102% of the 2025 revenue guidance midpoint, up from 99% in the prior year [25] - The Digital backlog is $444 million, or 95% of the 2025 revenue guidance midpoint, an increase from 92% year-over-year [30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on AI-enabled customer experience (CX) solutions, blending technology with human interaction to drive growth [4][5] - Investments are being made in expanding executive leadership and enhancing AI capabilities to improve operational effectiveness [12][24] - The company aims to transition from traditional contact center solutions to AI-led consulting and journey orchestration [27] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in returning to historical growth rates and margins despite current financial metrics not reflecting business momentum [19] - The company anticipates solid bottom-line growth in Q4 2025, driven by healthcare business and new client growth [34] - Management highlighted the importance of adapting to market dynamics and leveraging partnerships with hyperscalers for innovation [13][34] Other Important Information - Free cash flow was negative $10 million in Q3 2025, an improvement from negative $100 million in the prior year [30] - The company has approximately 1,700 full-time engineers focused on AI projects, indicating strong capabilities in this area [46] Q&A Session Questions and Answers Question: Can you walk through the significance of your role in the healthcare opportunity and the investments made? - The investments made in Q3 are expected to lead to double-digit growth in the healthcare seasonal business year-over-year, establishing strong client relationships for future growth [38][39] Question: What does the net economic scenario look like when integrating AI into client experiences? - Integrating AI is expected to drive positive economic impacts, allowing for outcome-based pricing that enhances margins by reducing labor costs [41][42] Question: Do you have the sales and delivery headcount needed for the shift into AI consulting? - The company has approximately 1,700 engineers with AI backgrounds and is confident in its capabilities to meet client demands [46][49] Question: How will you further improve free cash flow given the current revenue dynamics? - The focus is on debt reduction, improving working capital, and managing capital expenditures to enhance free cash flow generation [51][53]

Core Insights - The article discusses the upcoming expert panel at the ICMI's Contact Center Expo, focusing on how Red Roof has transformed its call center into an award-winning, AI-driven customer experience [2][3] - The panel will feature key executives from Red Roof and ibex, highlighting innovative customer experience (CX) strategies and technology in the hospitality industry [2][3] Company Overview - Red Roof is recognized as a leader in the lodging industry, creating the Upscale Economy® segment and serving millions of guests annually with over 60,000 rooms across more than 700 properties in the U.S. and Japan [5] - ibex is a global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered customer engagement solutions, operating approximately 30 facilities worldwide and managing nearly 175 million customer interactions annually, contributing over $2.2 billion in lifetime customer revenue [6][7] Event Details - The panel discussion titled "The CX Revolution in the Hospitality Industry" is scheduled for October 29, 2025, from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Eastern time at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort [2] - The event is organized by the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), which has supported over 50,000 organizations globally since 1985 [4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported revenue of approximately $2.48 billion, an increase of 2.6% year on year on a constant currency basis and 4% year on year as reported [11] - Non-GAAP operating income was $305 million, which was below the guidance range due to excess capacity and investments in cybersecurity [12][15] - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $359 million, with a margin of 14.5% [15] - Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $2.78, $0.02 below the guidance range [15] - Adjusted free cash flow was $179 million, an increase of about $44 million year on year [15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from banking, financial services, and insurance clients grew 8% year on year [12] - Media and communications clients grew 7% year on year, driven largely by clients outside of the U.S. [12] - Revenue from retail, travel, and e-commerce clients grew 3%, with travel being a strong vertical [12] - Technology and consumer electronics, as well as healthcare verticals, were essentially flat [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is gaining market share and securing new wins by integrating AI, CX, and IT services [4] - Almost 40% of new wins this year included AI technology platforms as part of the solution [7] - A study from MIT indicated that externally sourced AI projects with strategic partners succeeded about 67% of the time, which is higher than internally built projects [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to establish itself at the forefront of industry changes by combining practical AI with human intelligence [6] - The IX AI technology suite is positioned to address clients' needs for both full and partial automation [7] - The strategy is focused on capturing growth opportunities in the AI space while maintaining strong cash flow [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in modest sequential quarterly margin improvement over the next few quarters [5] - The overall demand environment remains positive, with expectations for revenue growth as the company enters the final months of 2025 [19] - The company is optimistic about 2026 and plans to provide detailed guidance in the next call [20] Other Important Information - The Board has authorized an increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.36 per share [16] - The company returned approximately $64 million to shareholders in the quarter, including share repurchases and dividends [16] - The company plans to prioritize debt repayment while supporting dividends and share repurchase programs [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you unpack the margin guide down and the impact of excess capacity? - Management indicated that excess capacity was primarily due to tariff-impacted clients and that normalization is expected to take multiple quarters [22][25] Question: How is the IX suite ramping and what does the pipeline look like? - Management reported that 40% of new wins have integrated technology, with a mix of discrete billing and bundled offerings [28][29] Question: What are the expectations for margins moving forward? - Management stated that current margin pressures are one-off items and that they expect to return to historical margins as new deals ramp up [36][38] Question: Is the sales pipeline healthy and broad-based? - Management confirmed a healthy pipeline across strategic verticals and regions, with good momentum in major deals [48][49] Question: Can you discuss the decision criteria for transformational investments? - Management emphasized long-term relationships with clients and the expectation of reciprocation in terms of volume and opportunities [52][54] Question: What is the outlook for free cash flow and capital returns? - Management remains optimistic about increasing free cash flow in 2026 and plans to balance capital allocation between debt repayment, dividends, and share repurchases [60][63]

Core Insights - Cracker Barrel is focusing on enhancing customer experience (CX) and food quality to drive traffic growth, supported by a new logo and planned remodels as part of a multiyear strategy [3][8] - The loyalty program has seen significant growth, with membership increasing by 3 million year-over-year to 9 million, contributing over 35% of tracked sales [4][8] - The company is implementing the "Front Porch Feedback" feature to gather direct customer feedback, which will inform future improvements [5][8] Customer Engagement - The loyalty program's membership growth indicates strong customer engagement, with an increase of 300,000 members since August 19 [8] - Cracker Barrel aims to leverage customer feedback to refine its restaurant offerings and overall experience [8] - The company acknowledges the need to adapt to changing consumer expectations and preferences over the past decade [6] Service Improvement Initiatives - "The Herschel Way" service principles have been introduced to enhance guest experiences and align team members with updated service standards [7] - The company is addressing challenges stemming from recent backlash over a logo redesign and store renovations, which were only tested in four locations [5]

Core Insights - ibex is sponsoring the Customer Response Summit in San Diego, showcasing a presentation titled "Moments of Brilliance" in collaboration with Peloton [1][8] - The presentation will focus on innovative customer experience (CX) strategies and technology that enhance customer engagement and yield measurable results [2][3] Company Overview - ibex is a global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered customer engagement technology solutions, operating approximately 30 facilities worldwide [6] - The company employs over 33,000 individuals and manages nearly 170 million customer interactions annually, contributing over $2.2 billion in lifetime customer revenue each year [7] Event Details - The Customer Response Summit will take place from September 17 to 19, 2025, at the InterContinental San Diego, celebrating 15 years of advancing customer experience through collaboration and innovation [3][5] - A team of ibex CX experts will be present to discuss strategies for enhancing customer experience and demonstrate the company's AI-powered solutions aimed at optimizing contact center performance and reducing operating costs [4]

Core Insights - More than half of global executives (57%) are confident that AI will enhance customer experience (CX), yet only 17% believe their organization is currently optimizing CX effectively, indicating a significant opportunity gap [1][2] - The gap in CX optimization is a global challenge, with rising customer expectations presenting opportunities for companies that can close this gap [2] - Nearly three-quarters of respondents are optimistic about AI's benefits, with 33% believing it will be extremely impactful and 40% believing it will be impactful [3] CX Optimization and Spending Trends - Two-thirds of business leaders express confidence in their organization's resources for effective CX management, with 69% increasing investments in marketing resources and 73% boosting investments in tools and technologies for CX enhancement over the past two to three years [4] - Looking ahead, 76% of respondents expect increases in CX spending, with 53% anticipating increases of less than 10% and 23% expecting increases exceeding 11% [5] Strengths and Weaknesses in CX Strategy - The top strengths identified in CX strategy include brand promise, while the top weaknesses include omni-channel experience [6] - In the Asia-Pacific region, 57% of executives consider CX extremely important, but only 14% believe their company is very effective at optimizing performance [6] - 71% of respondents feel their organization is effective at maintaining customer trust in data practices, while 65% believe their company is transparent about data collection and usage [7] Execution Challenges - There is a contradiction where 64% of executives believe in their company's ability to gain actionable insights from CX data, yet they often fall short in execution, particularly in leveraging technology effectively [8] - The disconnect between confidence in CX strategy and the actual customer experience highlights the need for organizations to shift from intention to execution and commit to sustained investment in CX capabilities [9] Methodology - The insights are based on a global survey conducted by Protiviti and the University of Oxford, involving over 250 board members, C-suite executives, and other business leaders across 20 countries, representing more than 25 industries [9]