8x8's John DeLozier: Don't Ignore Gen CX

(Pictured above: 8×8’s John DelLozier on the keynote stage at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, April 11.)

CHANNEL PARTNERS CONFERENCE & EXPO — If you don’t meet the expectations of Generation CX, you may end up in the graveyard of companies that didn’t get it.

That’s the message John DeLozier, 8×8‘s channel chief and vice president of channel strategy and execution, shared with attendees during his keynote titled “It’s a Revolution: the New Speed of Business,” at this week’s Channel Partners Conference &  Expo.

Previously with CenturyLink, DeLozier joined 8×8 as its channel chief last summer

The Generation CX “revolution” is taking place now, DeLozier said. When it comes to expectations and experience, “we’re not forgiving, we don’t give second changes, it only takes one time to lose us,” he said. They’re not buying the “propaganda” of what their expectations should be, he said.

“It’s speed, speed, speed … how do we get faster,” he said. “What’s limiting customers from being faster? Too many and too little. Way too many tools available. Silos everywhere … and way too little collaboration among them. And if you’re a cloud company … it doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods, just siloed up in the sky.”

Nearly half of companies are dissatisfied with ease of use, DeLozier said. There’s lots of problems, but there’s also opportunity, he said.

“Our mutual customers, and you as an agent or a partner, will rely on our abilities, and together we’re going to instill confidence in those customers,” he said. “That’s why I came to 8×8. We can collaborate on where they are … with our X Series (voice, video, chat, contact center in the cloud).”

8×8 is flexible and allows mix and match communications across a company, DeLozier said. Also, 8×8 can make changes “on the fly” to suit customers’ needs, he said.

“Our CEO is committed to the channel,” he said. “We compensate fairly … no conflict, we don’t use terms like harmony. We’re going to continue to invest in Gen CX.”

The days when a company’s CEO sends his/her CIO to Enterprise Connect with a shopping cart to pick technologies to bring to the company’s customers are over, DeLozier said

“Those CIOs can’t hide, they need you to help meet the customers where they are,” he said. “You’re a part of the revolution, like it or not.”