Yerevan hosted the first major International Customer Experience Conference in Armenia.

On March 25-26, Yerevan hosted the first major customer experience conference organized by the Armenian Customer Experience Association (CXAA). The event brought together leading industry experts, senior executives and representatives of the business community not only from Armenia, but also from the UK, USA and Romania.

The conference became a platform for discussing the role of customer-oriented strategies in modern business, the impact of customer service quality on company growth, and the integration of CX as a business model rather than just a separate function.

The conference was attended by more than 80 specialists from 22 organizations of various industries: telecommunications, banking system, retail, insurance, financial services, IT, and betting, etc.

To provide valuable and detailed content, the selection of speakers was based on three main principles: international experience and engagement, innovative and fundamental approaches, and influence shaping public opinion.

The main speakers were՝

• Jan Golding —  "Strategic Customer Service"

• Gabriela Superior — "CX KPIs and a set of ROI Tools"

• Vakhe Baloulian — "CX and business values"

• Shushanik Galtaktsyan —  "Customer experience and psychology".

Two in-depth panel discussions were also held during the conference, in which the heads of Armenia's leading organizations participated as moderators and speakers.

The first panel discussion, "Inside-out Experience: The CX-CE Connection," focused on the relationship between employee experience (CE) and customer experience (CX), highlighting how internal culture shapes values that are focused on external customers. 

The discussion was attended by: Astghik Sargsyan (Ucom, HR Director), Armine Mkrtchyan (Merakipal, CEO, Organizational Transformation Coach), Gor Yesayan (PhD and Clinical Therapist), Natalie Ghukasyan (Earlyone, Product Manager), Grigor Baghdasaryan (CX & Automation Manager).

The second panel discussion on "CX as a business model, not a Department" focused on the role of CX as the strategic foundation of the organization. The participants discussed how to integrate customer experience at all levels of the business, ensuring sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

The discussion was attended by: Armen Kocharyan (VOLO, co-founder of UAE), Edgar Karapetyan (Galaxy Group, Director of Strategy and Innovation), Irina Seilanyan (Armenian Card, Consultant, Board Member), Tigran Jrbashyan (Ameria Group, Director of MAS).

One of the important parts of the event was the Honorary Board Membership award ceremony, during which Jan Golding, Gabriela Suupitou and Vacse Balulia were awarded honorary membership in the CXAA for their valuable contributions to the development of a customer service culture.

The conference was also notable for the Networking opportunity: regional experts discussed plans and strategic approaches related to the local market with international experts, thanks to which they received new ideas that are more relevant in the global market.

The event ended with a closing ceremony, during which participants, speakers and guests received symbolic gifts in the form of plant seeds and a vase with the inscription "before the tree appears, the seed begins its journey." Each participant took with them a small individual experience, which will continue beyond the conference, growing the seed of a small plant.

This idea has become a symbol of growth, development and long-term impact, reflecting the process of forming a customer service culture.

During the event, a "CX community tree" was also formed by the hands of the participants. The participants left their fingerprint on the branches of the tree painted on canvas, which symbolized the unity of the community, everyone's contribution and how the CX ecosystem develops with the joint participation of people.

The Armenian Customer Service Association continues to develop the CX ecosystem in Armenia, bringing together professionals and promoting customer-oriented thinking in business. This was an important first step, which not only showed that the CX specialist was no longer "alone", but also pointed the way to creating a bold CX environment. A path that will undoubtedly change the Armenian economy towards a more human-centered and value-oriented business environment.