Converting Operational Excellence into Growth with WM

WM proves that operational excellence drives growth, even in essential services. The company leverages its massive scale (20 million customers, 60,000 employees) and operational data to create a competitive differentiator and capture market share.

In this episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Michael Watson, SVP and Chief Customer Officer at WM, explains this strategy. He details the company’s unique operational model, which integrates sales, revenue, and customer experience functions under his leadership—a forward-thinking strategy that breaks down the departmental silos common in large enterprises. This powerful alignment allows WM to drive profitable growth while relentlessly championing environmental and customer responsibility, offering a crucial lesson for listeners.

Key Insights From Our Conversation:

• Core CX Demands: Reliability and Responsibility. Understand why the company makes these two non-negotiable factors the foundation of every customer interaction.
• The “CX Vitals”: Discover the “CX Vitals,” their data-driven system for measuring success across the entire customer journey (Onboarding, Serving, and Resolving).
• AI for Proactive Growth: Find out how “Connected Truck” tech and AI predict customer needs, recommend service upgrades, and turn operational data into new revenue.
• The “Brand Ambassador” Frontline: Hear how a People-First culture and smart tech empower frontline drivers as “brand ambassadors,” driving low turnover and exceptional service.
• The Automation Tightrope: Michael reveals the key enterprise challenge: balancing automation and efficiency with the human touch to maintain customer trust.

Tune in to discover how WM proves that operational rigor and a people-first culture are the most reliable accelerators for market share and customer lifetime value. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!