For two days in Nashville, Gladly Connect Live 2025 united the brightest minds in customer experience innovation. From March 5-7, over 300 of the most influential brands in retail, eCommerce, and travel gathered to explore the next wave of AI-powered customer service.
The event brought together forward-thinking CX leaders from brands such as Crate & Barrel, Warby Parker, Tecovas, StockX, Breeze Airways, and more to share insights and real-world success stories. Sessions covered everything from identifying upsell opportunities to optimizing customer support during peak seasons, showcasing how AI is driving smarter, more strategic customer interactions beyond simple automations. Some notable speakers/sessions included:
- Kate Showalter of Crate & Barrel discussed how AI is reshaping customer service into a revenue-generating engine by optimizing upsell strategies.
- Lauren Inman-Semerau of Rothy’s demonstrated how their team uses AI to scale customer support during high-demand periods while preserving the human touch.
- Danny Cox of Breeze Airways shared how AI is being used to handle crucial customer interactions with empathy, ensuring smooth, proactive service for airline passengers.
- Andy Lisk of StockX highlighted how the brand uses AI to meet Gen Z’s expectations for instant, authentic, and seamless interactions.
Attendees also participated in interactive roundtables and fireside chats, giving them the chance to engage with experts about the future of AI in CX, automation, and customer loyalty.
The most significant takeaways from Gladly Connect Live sessions:
- Most companies are getting AI in customer service completely wrong.
Many companies see AI as a shortcut to cheaper customer service, but bad AI often does the opposite — driving customers away, increasing agent burnout, and ultimately leading to revenue loss. True AI success isn’t about replacing humans; it’s about making them more effective. When integrated seamlessly, AI enhances service quality and boosts efficiency. Anything less is just a costly mistake. - AI-powered voice is the next evolution of scalable customer service.
Beyond keynotes and panels, Gladly Connect Live 2025 showcased groundbreaking AI-driven product innovations, including Gladly’s new AI voice functionality. Sidekick for Voice, as they call it, has the ability to handle inquiries, take actions such as processing refunds and updating orders, and seamlessly transition to live agents when needed. - Revenue generation is possible through your (human) support team.
Let AI handle customer self-service inquiries so that your human agents can focus on more high-ticket interactions. Agents can become experts in specific products or services in your lineup, allowing them to offer tailored product recommendations, assist with significant purchases, nurture loyalty, and build lasting relationships through post-purchase follow-ups. - Your IT and CX teams should combine forces.
Too often, IT and CX teams work in silos, leading to blind spots that create friction. When CX leaders are involved in IT requirement meetings from the start, potential experience issues — like confusing user flows or frustrating checkout processes — can be caught early. Ensure your teams have proper communication to help drive customer satisfaction, retention, and long-term success. - Gen Z support channel preferences are shifting.
For Gen Z, there’s a noticeable shift in customer support preferences, with chat emerging as the preferred channel over email. This generation values immediacy and instant gratification, and chat provides real-time responses and the ability to engage in fast, seamless conversations. Ensure that your brand leverages this channel to meet Gen Z’s expectations.
Beyond the sessions: The full Gladly Connect Live experience
Gladly Connect Live 2025 didn’t just focus on sessions, it provided a full CX experience: Attendees explored AI-driven shopping activations, interacting with products from leading brands and getting a front-row seat to some of Gladly’s groundbreaking AI-driven product innovations.
Notable announcements included Gladly’s Sidekick for Social, AI-powered product recommendations, live translations for real-time multilingual support, and conversation analytics that track sentiment and identify customer engagement trends.
Networking opportunities were just as impactful. In addition to fun musical guest performances, attendees mingled with CX leaders in true VIP fashion at iconic Nashville locations like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Why you can’t afford to miss the next Gladly Connect Live
Gladly Connect Live 2025 showcased the potential of AI to make customer service more efficient, personalized, and scalable. Every moment was designed to foster collaboration, inspire fresh ideas, and build a community of leaders who are shaping the future of customer service.
With top brands setting new standards, cutting-edge AI innovations shaping CX strategies, and unmatched networking opportunities, this event marked a pivotal moment for customer experience.
If you were there, you witnessed the evolution of CX firsthand. And if you weren’t, don’t miss out on the next one — because the future of customer service is already unfolding.
