.jpg)
The Kiwi CX Collective
Welcome to the C-Suite Conversations, the official podcast of CCNNZ, created for and by the contact center and customer experience community. Join us as we take a deep dive into the three core pillars of performance in our industry—Product, Process, and People. Each episode features a relaxed, in-person interview with a top-level leader, celebrating their wins, exploring the lessons they've learned, and getting to the heart of what's really working in their operations. This isn't about shiny case studies; it's about real, honest conversations that will help you feel seen, inspired, and better equipped to lead your team.
The Kiwi CX Collective
The Paradox of Power: Why Great Leaders Serve First - S1EP9
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
“People don’t want to know how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
In the high-pressure world of Auckland Transport, where service is measured in real-time by thousands of daily commuters, Henry Gray (Head of Customer Care) believes that the true heart of CX isn’t found in a script, but in the Samoan principle of tautua—the belief that the pathway to leadership is through service.
On this episode of The Kiwi CX Collective, Henry shares his 25-year journey from a frontline CSR to a boardroom leader. He challenges the industry to move beyond "desensitised" service and instead embrace manaakitanga, creating a culture where staff feel protected and customers feel heard.
What we explore in this episode:
- Operational Innovation: How Auckland Transport achieved a 25% reduction in call volumes by simply giving customers more control through "Live Departures" and IVR technology.
- The 30% Stress Tax: A deep dive into the alarming reality that many agents carry 30% of their work stress home, and why leaders must move from one-off training "events" towards long-term wellbeing programmes.
- Predictive Engagement: Why using data to proactively reach out to customers makes them three times less likely to call back for the same issue.
- Aggregation of Marginal Gains: The discipline of getting 1% better every day and understanding that while success is a habit, failure can be one too.
- The "Untangibles" of Leadership: Why tone, humility, and EQ are the true markers of a world-class team, even in an AI-driven world.
Henry’s message is a powerful reminder that leadership is a "privileged responsibility." If you aren't leading with a genuine desire to uplift your people and your community, you are missing the most vital part of the job.
Guest: Henry Gray, Head of Customer Care at Auckland Transport
Connect with Henry:
LinkedIn: Henry Gray
Keywords: Leadership, CX, Manaakitanga, Auckland Transport, Contact Centre, Servant Leadership, Staff Wellbeing, Predictive Engagement, Operational Excellence, Tautua, New Zealand Business.
