Gareth Bray is Business Development Director and WhatsApp Guru at Premier CX. He is based in Odiham, Hampshire, UK.

Over 100 billion WhatsApp messages are sent daily by users - that's more than a million messages on the platform every second. Between 1 to 3 billion of these daily messages is a customer talking to a business.

Gareth was on the Meta team when they launched WhatsApp in Europe so he has a long background using this asynchronous messaging tool. In many global markets WhatsApp has entirely redefined customer service. In Brazil and India it can be used to locate local businesses and almost all businesses engage with customers using WhatsApp.

It's not so prevalent in the US (although still over 100m users) or Europe, but should more companies be looking at this tool?

After all, as so many CX directors look to AI for a quick win, they could be exploring a tool that is used billions of times daily and offers a way to engage with customers that is much more convenient than webchat. It's also free for the customer and very low cost for the business.

Mark Hillary called Gareth to explore WhatsApp and why more companies should be considering this messaging app.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-bray-207105a/

https://www.premiercx.co.uk/

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Summary:

Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the rise of WhatsApp as a customer service channel, particularly in Brazil and India, with Gareth Bray from Premier CX. WhatsApp's asynchronous support allows for convenient customer interactions, improving efficiency and reducing costs by 85%. Bray highlights that 1 billion people weekly message businesses on WhatsApp, and the platform's user base in the US is growing rapidly. WhatsApp offers features like decision trees, video clips, and integration with CRM systems, enhancing customer experience and agent efficiency. The platform's automation and AI capabilities are also emphasized, with a focus on agentic AI that allows customers to accomplish tasks within a flow.

CCW 2026 took place at the end of February 2026 in Berlin. Peter Ryan was there on the conference floor. He took a microphone and tried to capture several comments and ideas from the delegates - what was the conference about and what were the key themes that people in CX are focused on in 2026?

https://www.ccw.eu/en/

CCW conference delegates who spoke to Peter Ryan:

Axendi

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-r%C3%B6hr-%C5%82ukasik-596b3932/

Humphrey Davies

BPO Search

https://www.linkedin.com/in/humphrey-davis

Daniel Castilla

Alliance BPO

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-castilla-328b0734/

Corina Amza

Rockstart

https://www.linkedin.com/in/corina-a-73650660/

Chrissie Porter

CCMA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissie-spencer/

Simon Rainbow

Pose CX

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rainbow-5197393/

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NOTE: this recording was made on the floor of the CCW conference so the sound quality is not the usual quality we would use on the podcast, but we live and learn about the best ways to report from events like this!

Summary:

Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the CCW Berlin 2026 show, highlighting the event's international reach and focus on AI. Peter interviewed a number of people on the floor of the conference.

Key points included the need for broader event content beyond AI, the importance of networking, and the challenge of differentiating AI solutions. Attendees appreciated the international networking opportunities but criticized the over-focus on AI. Simon emphasized the need for clear AI use cases to enhance agent and customer experiences. The event was praised for its networking potential and international representation.

Michel Stevens is Course Director at the CXM Academy. He is also a managing partner at goCX. He is based in Antwerp, Belbium.

The CXM Academy aims to build training for the real world - interactive and culturally relevant.

In this conversation with Peter Ryan, Michel talks about CX events. Why are so many of them so repetitive? Why are they flooded with the same speakers talking about the same subjects? Why do events focus on getting 1,000 through the door rather than on high quality information?

https://open.cxm.academy/

https://www.gocx.eu/en/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelstevens/

Summary:

Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the state of CX industry events, highlighting concerns about repetitive content, lack of thought leadership, and the dominance of AI discussions. They introduce an interview with Michel Stevens, who criticizes the traditional conference model for its focus on scale over depth. Stevens advocates for smaller, more intimate events that prioritize interaction and curated content. He suggests that organizers should emphasize interaction, curate events carefully, and be honest about their business models. The conversation underscores the need for events to evolve to provide genuine value and meaningful connections.