Customer Experience 
IT and technology are huge drivers of CX, helping businesses streamline processes, enhance customer interactions, and stay ahead of the competition.
For Joseph Steen, VP of Technology at Altitude Trampoline Parks, his love of technology has taken him to new heights. He sat down with Nextiva to discuss his career, Altitude’s expansion strategy for scaling CX across franchises, and more.
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From Circuit City to Altitude
Joseph has served in various tech roles over the course of his 15-year career, but it all started at Circuit City. He was captivated by technology and the role it played in efficiency, improving business operations, and enhancing the customer experience. He wanted to learn all the tricks of the trade — and he did.
When he had the opportunity to join Altitude and take on a new and exciting role, he couldn’t wait. What excited him most was “the opportunity to lead in developing those cutting-edge technologies and the belief in the power of what innovation can solve in complex business challenges.”
Today, his primary role is expanding innovation, integrating enhancements to the guest experience, and implementing technology to create a safe and fun experience for all guests.
The Evolution of CX During His Career
As we know all too well, technology is constantly changing and evolving, taking customer experience along for the ride. During his Circuit City days, Joseph says customer interactions were much more transactional. Today, it’s a whole different story.
Altitude relies heavily on technology built into its business platforms to drive data analytics and AI. This helps the company personalize its marketing, tailor messaging, and streamline online bookings.
“The evolution of CX for us has really been around convenience, customization, real-time engagement, and then driving continuous innovation and improvement as technology changes,” says Joseph.
One of the biggest shifts he has seen in CX over the years is customer expectations. Today’s consumers expect that you know them and their preferences from the first time they interact with you, and they want a personalized experience that leverages data to make their experience even more seamless. Businesses have to adapt to communicate with customers across all channels rather than just choosing the few that are most convenient for them.
👉 More Reading: The State of Customer Experience in 2024
How Technology Is Shaping Altitude
With so many rapid changes in the CX and tech landscape, it can be difficult to keep up. That’s the main challenge Joseph experiences in his role at Altitude. He’s always striving to identify new technology early and find a practical use for it, determining how (or if) it can help enhance the guest experience.
Staying ahead of the curve involves continuous education and adapting to new trends, but it’s also important to know when a new form of tech just isn’t the right fit for your goals. That’s the balance Joseph is always trying to strike to ensure Altitude is constantly deploying emerging tech to keep at the forefront of competition while not throwing itself into every new trend without a solid strategy.
“[Technology] is pivotal to shaping our business and our customer journey,” says Joseph. “At Altitude, everything we do is leveraging technology to enhance guest experience.” For example, the company deployed a CRM tool on its website to streamline guest bookings and ensure personalization while collecting essential customer data and info to drive new sales.
Altitude also standardized an enterprise VoIP platform, leveraging conversational AI to add another layer to the guest experience to quickly and efficiently give customers the information they need without anyone from Altitude even picking up the phone.
Scaling CX With Nextiva
Altitude ultimately partnered with Nextiva to improve its communication infrastructure, better manage customer interactions, and improve operational efficiency. It needed a reliable, scalable solution to handle its growth needs as the franchise expanded into multiple locations. Plus, the company was impressed with features like advanced call flow options and integrations with existing platforms that would make the switch a cinch.
“Nextiva provided a best-in-class solution for us for all the communication features that we needed, from HD voice to mobile app,” says Joseph. “It really was everything, including integrations to a call center platform, so it was really the ideal choice for us for addressing that large challenge.”
The results after the switch to Nextiva’s Unified-CXM platform?
Guest satisfaction skyrocketed. Altitude’s Google reviews said it all: Guests were amazed at how quickly they were able to resolve simple problems thanks to advanced call routing and self-serve options that the company didn’t previously provide.
Eighteen percent of calls were immediately handled by the Nextiva platform using the new self-serve solution, empowering guests to help themselves and avoid frustration and long wait times.
As for the cost of the new system, Joseph says it paid for itself. Rolling this out across its franchise saved Altitude up to 80% on platform costs alone, plus it saved the company additional labor costs and improved the guest experience beyond measure.
Joseph’s Goals for the Future of Altitude
Joseph has a lot in store for the future expansion and enhancement of Altitude and its multiple locations. He plans to leverage conversational AI built into the Nextiva platform to enhance guest experience and advance self-serve solutions for guests while also addressing the high cost of labor in the parks.
In addition, he wants to explore generative AI to help create more personalized content and analyze customer data to generate tailored messaging rather than generic responses.
But he always puts the customer first. Joseph constantly asks for customer feedback from guests to understand their journey and what they’re looking for in a guest experience. And you can bet he will continue leveraging technology and innovation to get there.
Hear more tips and advice from impressive CX leaders
Watch the on-demand virtual summit, Inside the Mind of a Customer Experience Innovator, to learn strategies and best practices from the top minds in the industry.
