Customer Experience and AI Innovation Leader Joins eGain to Accelerate Knowledge Automation VisionSUNNYVALE, Calif., March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eGain Corporation (NASDAQ: EGAN), the leader in AI-powered knowledge management for enterprise customer service, today announced the appointment of Steve Pappas as Head of Innovation. In this role, Pappas will help shape eGain's product and market expansion strategy at the intersection of AI, knowledge management, and customer experience — accelerating the c ...

Core Insights - TTEC has appointed Chris Brown as president of TTEC Digital, effective immediately, succeeding David Seybold who will depart on April 30, 2026 [1][2] - Brown's leadership is expected to drive TTEC Digital's global strategy, P&L management, and operational execution, leveraging his extensive experience and institutional knowledge [2][3] Leadership Transition - David Seybold will remain with TTEC until April 30, 2026, to ensure a smooth transition [2] - Chris Brown has been with TTEC since 2015 and previously served as Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO, focusing on corporate development and strategic partnerships [3][4] Chris Brown's Background - Brown has over two decades of experience advising technology and services firms on M&A, capital markets, and strategic transformation, with a focus on SaaS, AI, and cloud sectors [4] - He has held senior leadership roles in investment banking at UBS and management consulting at Mercer, and played a key role in the acquisition of Liquid Robotics by Boeing [4] TTEC Digital's Vision - Brown emphasized the unique capabilities of TTEC Digital in combining talent, technology partnerships, and AI expertise to deliver value for enterprise clients globally [5] - TTEC Digital is recognized as the world's largest pureplay CX technology and services provider, enhancing customer engagement and operational efficiency [5][6] Company Overview - TTEC Holdings, Inc. is a global consulting, technology, and managed services company focused on data, AI, and customer experience [6] - The company offers outcome-based solutions that span the entire enterprise and improve customer interactions across various channels [6]

This story was originally published on CX Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CX Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Bob’s Discount Furniture is seeing customer satisfaction ratings above 90%, President and CEO Bill Barton said the company’s first-ever Q4 2025 earnings call Tuesday. Barton credits the strength of Bob's in-store service and omnichannel experiences. The number is based on internal customer survey data, according to an S-1 filing. The retailer’s associates crea ...

Core Insights - TTEC has won multiple honors at the 2026 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, including three Gold, one Silver, and three Bronze awards, highlighting its innovation in AI-driven customer experience and sales excellence [6][14]. Awards and Recognitions - TTEC's Learning Wizard Suite received a Gold award for Customer Service or Call Center Training Practice of the Year, recognized for accelerating associate readiness and enhancing frontline performance [7]. - Natalia Woźniak was awarded Gold as Sales Representative of the Year for her sustained excellence and leadership [7]. - Batuhan Yorgancilar earned Gold as Rising Star in Sales (Under 30) for his impactful contributions to emerging sales programs [8]. - TTEC Poland received a Silver award for Best Use of Thought Leadership in Complex Sales, showcasing its innovative approach to navigating complex enterprise environments [9]. - TTEC Greece was recognized with a Bronze award for Achievement in Global Customer Service Excellence, emphasizing its scalable multilingual customer experience delivery model [15]. - The SmartHire solution was awarded Bronze for Best Use of AI Integration in Contact Centers, demonstrating TTEC's commitment to leveraging AI for optimizing hiring processes [15]. Company Strategy and Vision - TTEC's President John Abou emphasized the importance of combining innovative AI solutions with human expertise to achieve measurable outcomes, particularly as enterprises undergo AI transformation [11]. - The Stevie Awards celebrate organizations that drive measurable impact and innovation across industries, aligning with TTEC's mission to enhance customer experience through advanced technology [11].

Core Insights - TTEC Digital has been recognized for its expertise in customer engagement and data analytics, receiving a Google Public Sector Partner Expertise Badge for Customer Engagement [1] - The company has completed the Google Partner Development Sprint for Data and Analytics, emphasizing its commitment to delivering advanced AI solutions for government agencies [2] Company Achievements - TTEC Digital's recognition and completion of the Data and Analytics Sprint demonstrate its capability to enhance constituent engagement using Google Cloud technology [3] - As a Premier Google Cloud Co-sell Partner, TTEC Digital holds an exclusive status among top Google partners globally, highlighting its strong partnership with Google [4] Service Offerings - TTEC Digital specializes in transforming customer experiences for public sector organizations by integrating industry expertise with human-centered design, data analytics, AI, and consulting services [3] - The company provides a range of services including AI-enhanced customer engagement, customer acquisition, tech support, and fraud prevention, leveraging next-generation digital technology [5]

Core Insights - Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results with revenues below expectations and earnings exceeding estimates, showing a year-over-year decline in revenue but an increase in earnings [1][6]. Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share were $2.61, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.48, and increased by 1.2% from $2.58 in the previous year [6]. - Total enterprise revenues were $13,814 million, falling short of the consensus estimate of $13,907 million, and declined by 1% from $13,948 million in the prior year [7]. - Gross profit decreased by 1.2% to $2.88 billion, with a gross margin remaining flat at 20.9% year over year [7][11]. - Adjusted SG&A expenses were $2.19 billion, down 1.8% year over year, with SG&A as a percentage of revenues decreasing by 20 basis points to 15.8% [8]. Operational Highlights - Best Buy adapted to a dynamic holiday environment with uneven consumer demand, adjusting marketing and labor deployment in real time [2]. - Key focus areas included computing and mobile phones, with growth in emerging technology segments like AI-enabled devices and gaming accessories, although big-ticket items like home theater and appliances saw continued softness [3]. - The company emphasized efficiency improvements across fulfillment, customer care, and supply-chain functions, leveraging technology for enhanced personalization and delivery speed [4]. Customer Experience and Market Response - Customer experience improvements were noted across satisfaction metrics, leading to a 7.1% increase in BBY shares following the quarterly update [5]. - Domestic revenues totaled $12.58 billion, reflecting a 1.1% year-over-year decline, while international revenues were $1.24 billion, meeting estimates and increasing by 0.5% year over year [9][12]. Future Outlook - For fiscal 2027, Best Buy expects revenues between $41.2 billion and $42.1 billion, with comparable sales projected to fluctuate between a 1% decline and 1% growth [16]. - The company anticipates a gross margin improvement of 30 basis points, driven by growth in advertising and the U.S. Marketplace platform [16]. - Adjusted operating margin is expected to be between 4.3% and 4.4%, with adjusted earnings per share forecasted at $6.30 to $6.60 [19].

Twilio (NYSE: TWLO) 2026 Conference Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Twilio - **Industry**: Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) Key Financial Metrics - **2025 Revenue Growth**: 13%, up from 9% in 2024 [9] - **Operating Expenses (OpEx)**: Reduced by 1% in 2025 [12] - **Cash Flow**: Generated nearly $950 million in cash in 2025, guiding for over $1 billion in 2026 [14][100] - **Free Cash Flow Return**: Returned 90% of free cash flow to shareholders through buybacks in 2025 [101] - **Stock-Based Compensation (SBC)**: Reduced SBC as a percentage of revenue by 2 points, targeting 10% by 2027 [90] Growth Drivers - **Organic Growth**: Broad-based growth across multiple products and channels [10] - **Self-Serve Channel**: Grew 28% in Q4 2025, driven by AI-native developers and improved onboarding processes [26][67] - **Voice Product Growth**: Grew in the high teens in Q4, marking its highest growth rate since 2022 [20][22] - **Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate (DBNER)**: Increased to 109 from 106 earlier in the year, driven by strong performance in voice and messaging [55] Strategic Initiatives - **AI Integration**: Positioned as a foundational infrastructure layer for AI, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency [19][153] - **Workforce Optimization**: Focus on workforce planning and automation to improve operational leverage [16][132] - **M&A Strategy**: Recent acquisition of Stytch to enhance identity verification capabilities, viewed as a strategic adjacency [103][113] Market Position and Competitive Landscape - **Super Network**: Nearly 5,000 unique carrier connections globally, providing a competitive moat against potential disintermediation by LLMs [29][31] - **Regulatory Compliance**: Operates in over 180 countries, adhering to unique regulatory requirements [34] Pricing Strategy - **Geographically Targeted Price Increases**: Evaluating pricing strategies, with a focus on volume and cross-sell rather than immediate pricing impacts [124][130] Future Outlook - **2026 Guidance**: Organic growth expected at 8%-9%, with Q1 guidance at 10%-11%, indicating a stronger start compared to 2025 [47][50] - **Investment Focus**: Prioritizing organic growth, capital return to shareholders, and efficient M&A [154] Additional Insights - **Voice and AI-Driven Products**: Growth in voice services attributed to the shift towards AI-powered solutions, allowing for scalable and cost-effective communication [162][164] - **Employee Retention**: Despite changes in compensation structure, employee retention metrics remain strong, aided by a remote-first work environment [96] This summary encapsulates the key points from the Twilio conference, highlighting the company's financial performance, growth strategies, market positioning, and future outlook.

Core Insights - LivePerson has launched Syntrix, a simulation and evaluation platform aimed at helping enterprises confidently deploy customer-facing AI and enhance customer interactions with both AI and live agents [1][2] Group 1: Syntrix Overview - Syntrix is designed to provide brands with the assurance needed to deploy customer-facing AI safely, offering visibility, control, and confidence to scale operations [2] - The platform allows brands to transition from reactive learning to proactive simulation and continuous evaluation, ensuring strong governance practices and meaningful business outcomes [2][3] Group 2: Operational Impact - Early estimates indicate that Syntrix can significantly impact operational efficiency for enterprise brands [3] - The platform enables continuous stress-testing of AI agents against diverse customer personas and edge-case scenarios, ensuring predictable performance regardless of the underlying AI model [5] Group 3: Training and Cost Efficiency - Syntrix replaces traditional manual role-playing for live agent training with scalable AI-powered simulations, allowing new hires to practice complex conversations and receive instant feedback on performance metrics [5] - The platform can reduce new hire ramp time by up to 30% and save an average of $3,500 in onboarding costs per agent [5] Group 4: Future Developments - The launch of Syntrix marks the first phase of a broader platform, with plans for future enhancements that will include advanced intelligence for automating analysis and preventing customer experience failures [3]

Core Insights - Forrester has announced the agenda for its global customer experience (CX) event series, which includes three major events scheduled for 2026 [1] - The events are CX Summit EMEA in Amsterdam from June 8–10, CX Forum East in New York City from June 16–17, and CX Forum West in San Francisco from June 29–30 [1] - There is increasing pressure on CX, marketing, and digital business leaders to utilize AI for enhancing customer journeys and automating services and operations [1]

This story was originally published on CX Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CX Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Staffing levels are the No. 1 barrier to providing customers exceptional products and service, according to a Gallup survey of 23,000 employees during Q3 2025. Across employment positions, 37% of employees cited having the right number of people to do the work as the top barrier; notably, leaders, managers and project managers saw staffing as a larger problem ...