Zingtree

Things Zingers achieved this #Halloween: ✅ Scared the life out of a few #kids ✅ Dressed up our #pets without their permission ✅ Ate lots of candy ✅ Played some pickleball Hope you had a great Halloween! 🎃

10 best practices I've picked up from Customer Support leaders when procuring new software: 1. Identify the specific pain points you want to address—not just macro goals like reducing AHT or boosting CSAT. Dive deeper. Are your agents juggling 10 tabs during a call? Let’s address that. 2. Look at vendors that directly address these pain points. It’s tempting to grab the tool that promises everything. But does it nail what you really need to accomplish? 3. Reach out to customer support leaders who’ve implemented a similar use case with that vendor. Сold-message folks on LinkedIn—these leaders are willing to share. Ask about their experience with the vendor's team, implementation speed, challenges, and ROI. 4. Test it out before purchasing. Identify a specific use case that moves the needle and see if the vendor can put together a custom demo. See how their solution can solve your problem. 5. Don’t always haggle on price just to get the best deal. If the price isn’t fair for the vendor, they may not provide hands-on support. Instead, aim for a fair deal for both sides. Calculate the ROI, build a business value case, and research market pricing. A vendor who feels valued is more likely to go the extra mile. 6. Bring more stakeholders into the loop. Get IT, Security, and your implementation folks involved from the get-go. Their insights can save you headaches down the road. 7. Be transparent during the buying journey. You’re not just buying software; you’re starting a long-term partnership with this vendor. It’s important to make it a positive experience for both parties. 8. Ask for the vendor’s product roadmap. Do their short-term plans and long-term vision sync with your needs and your organization's goals? It’s good to be aligned on the future with no crazy surprises. 9. Get to know the people behind the product. Software doesn’t solve problems without people. Spend time with the vendor’s team and see if you can build a long-term partnership with them. 10. Ask tough questions about the vendor’s projects that didn’t go as planned. How did they handle it? Their answers will tell you a lot.

Marc Benioff is warning us that #AI is overhyped and even pointing fingers at Microsoft. Talk about a plot twist! 🤔 #AIagents are here, and they’re here to stay. I’m against people who think, “Oh, AI is never going to work, screw this.” It’s all in the expectation setting and approach to implementing AI. I agree with Marc: AI isn’t a magic wand that will solve every problem overnight. But rather than assigning blame, let’s address this real issue. When AI vendors claim that AI will revolutionize everything instantly, they risk helping no one at all. Implementing AI isn’t like installing a universal app; it’s more akin to tailoring a bespoke suit. You need deep #customization based on the problem, use case, complexity, industry specifics, company size, legacy systems, and other factors. It’s like giving every tennis player the same training regimen. You wouldn’t have a marathon runner and a weightlifter follow identical workouts, right? They have different goals, body types, and needs. Consider a century-old insurance company with complex regulations and on-premise systems with limited APIs. Plugging in an isolated AI agent could be disastrous. The risk of non-compliance and data mishandling is enormous. Now contrast that with a modern tech startup like a food delivery app, like DoorDash. Issues or mistakes are not detrimental to their business. The real breakthrough? Pinpointing specific areas where AI can genuinely make an impact and tailoring solutions to fit. Start small. For instance, in customer support, use AI to handle routine queries like password resets or account balances, freeing up human agents for more complex issues. So yes, I can agree with Marc that AI is overhyped and like him I'm a believer in this technology. I do see that AI solutions are advanced now and will continue to advance. But making AI tech solutions work for large established enterprises is very complicated; need to take a custom approach, prioritize challenges, and implement AI solutions that give guaranteed wins without risks. — What’s your take? Are we setting ourselves up for disappointment by overhyping AI? 💬

Are #AIagents just glorified #chatbots? Are they going to replace human agents? I hear these misconceptions a lot from customers and investors. Let’s break it down. Chatbots are great for handling basic tasks, like answering simple FAQs—what we often call the “low-hanging fruit” at #Zingtree. But AI Agents are so much more. They are autonomous, capable of making decisions and completing tasks throughout an entire customer interaction—not just the easy stuff. Think of them as the next step in process automation, not the next iteration of chatbots. Imagine you have an iPhone 13 and usually get a new model every three years. An AI Agent could notice this pattern and remind you to buy the iPhone 16 when it’s released, as you’re more likely to choose it over other models. To achieve even this simple task, AI Agents need to understand the context. Just like humans, they require real-time data, clear goals, and the ability to work within your systems and processes. This context is distributed across your enterprise—in your CRM, order management system, and knowledge base. AI Agents need access to navigate this information effectively. However, AI can’t always be 100% autonomous. Human agents shouldn’t worry about AI taking over their jobs. AI Agents need to be monitored and guided by humans who can approve or override decisions when necessary. For instance, in healthcare, AI Agents can perform pre-screening on a website, by collecting patient symptoms and location to match individuals with the appropriate medical facilities. However, the final diagnosis and prescription decisions are still made by medical professionals. That’s why at Zingtree, we believe that AI Agents isn’t the best term—it gives the wrong impression of replacing human roles. We call them *AI Actions*. — What does AI Agents mean to your organization?

🎾 Having spent years fully immersed in #tennis, I always recognize that the lessons from this “individual” sport translate directly to leading a #company. Here’s how tennis experience helps me to become a better #CEO: 1. Embracing the process When you start a company, you must build everything from the ground up and trust the process. It’s very similar to my tennis career. I came alone to the US at 14 with a strong passion for tennis. I started to build a new team around me—a new family and coaches that supported my journey of getting a tennis scholarship for high school and college education.  Having a growth mindset, a strong work ethic, and doing the right things over and over again, despite losing matches and people doubting, helped me achieve my tennis goals. Embracing the process has helped me appreciate both the highs and lows and kept me motivated to go after it every day. 2. Recognizing the power of team Despite tennis being an individual sport, it requires a strong support system—coaches, family, and mentors. I was fortunate: I had a family, coaches, and supporters who helped me physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially to pursue my tennis passion. Similarly, at Zingtree, I have an incredible team, investors, and advisors who believe in our vision and help us execute it. Success truly takes a village, both on the court and in business. 3. Adapting quickly to wins and losses In tennis, you have just 20 seconds between points. Whether you’ve just hit an amazing shot or made a mistake, you have to reset quickly because you’ve got to get ready for the next point. Even Roger Federer who won about 80% of his matches only won about 54% of total points. One of the greatest players in tennis lost nearly as many points as he won. In startups, one moment you might land a big customer, and the next, face a setback. Learning to navigate these highs and lows swiftly is crucial. 4. Feeling responsible for something greater I’ve always felt a responsibility to all the people who supported me. From a young age, I didn’t go after my tennis goals just for me, it was also for all the people who supported me. It made me fight for them day in and day out. That sense of responsibility also drives me as a CEO. I strive to ensure that my team grows, our customers are happy, and we are succeeding together. It’s about playing for something bigger than yourself. Let’s get ready for the next point! — Has your personal passion ever influenced your professional life? I’d love to hear your stories! 👇

Recently, I was asked how I gather the right #team at different stages of a company’s growth. Here’s how I think about it: 1. Well-rounded teammates for early-stage growth In the early days of a #startup, you need people who can wear multiple hats. They need to have skills in one area, such as product, sales, or recruiting. But they can jump in, figure things out, and make good progress in other areas. It's like being a well-rounded athlete; not only is this person good at shooting basketballs, but they are also good at running, jumping, catching, and throwing. At this stage, flexibility is key, because you’re doing everything from product, sales, customer success, support, and payroll to recruiting yourself. 2. Blending specialists as you grow As the company grows, the mix changes. You still need those chameleons, but now you blend in specialists—like a great #salesengineer or a strong #finance person. I’ve personally learned the value of setting up a solid financial foundation early on. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about building the right metrics and systems that can support your growth. Trust me, it’s a lot easier to do this at the start than to go back and fix it later. 3. Culture of healthy debate It’s not just about skills. You need people who fit the culture and aren’t afraid to speak their mind. I don’t want a team of “yes” people. I want a team that debates, challenges each other, and pushes for the best outcomes. At #Zingtree, our leadership team has heated discussions—sometimes it looks like we’re fighting! But we’re all passionate about the end goal: to make the company better. That kind of open, honest debate is what drives real progress. — How do you build your team? 👇

I’m a therapist now, apparently 🧘♂️📞😬

Another great on-site, this time with First Central! Pete Lee, Guillaume Tarralle - “GT”, and John Ruberto had an amazing session with their fantastic group. We’re honored to hear it was the best vendor session they’ve ever had! 

Support teams vs. EHR systems – who’s winning? Spoiler: it’s not us 😅 

New week, another mile-long to-do list 📋💼