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.

Roger Barlow is Director of LATAM Translations. He is based in São Paulo, Brazil.

Roger is British and has lived in Brazil since 1998. Since 2001 he has focused on helping Brazilian companies engage with a global audience. This involves a significant amount of translation from and to Portuguese.

Multilingual CX is a subject we have often covered on CX Files so Mark decided to call up Roger because of his experience managing a company that is entirely focused on translation. How has AI impacted translation and will we see a complete replacement of translation because AI can now do this work?

The answer may be surprising. AI is getting better, but the reality is still that many humans don't understand each other so there are many subtle messages and meanings that may still require human attention.

CX leaders considering a complete move to automated multilingual support may need to take these ideas on board - day-to-day basic services can be automated, but it's still not possible to achieve 100% accuracy using AI in translation or interpretation.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-barlow-87270991/

http://latamtran.com.br/en/

Summary:

Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the impact of AI on translation services with Roger Barlow, who runs LATAM Translations in São Paulo. Barlow highlights that while AI can handle basic translations, it struggles with nuances and context, especially in complex documents like ESG reports. He notes that most of his work comes via email, and the pandemic led to a permanent shift to remote work - WFH is now normal. Barlow also mentions that AI is often used without permission, leading to errors. He predicts a potential pushback against AI-driven translation due to its limitations in conveying subtle meanings and maintaining document quality.

Michael Gray is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Spacial Working. He is based in London, UK.

Spacial Working is focused on helping companies to create a flexible work environment that embraces both working from home and working in offices. The aim is to create a flexible arrangement that works well for the company and employees.

The media often reports that WFH is finished and most employees are heading back into offices, but the reality is quite different. There is less WFH than during the pandemic period, but it has plateaued and is not dropping much further - so there is much more flexibility today compared to 2019.

But many companies still struggle to make it work well so what does Michael advise?

https://spacialworking.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgray7/

Summary:

In this CX Files episode, Mark Hillary speaks with Michael Gray, Chief Strategy Officer at Spacial Working, about what the pandemic really changed — and what it didn't — in customer experience operations. Gray explains that work-from-home in the contact center industry is not a temporary COVID experiment but part of a much longer evolution enabled by technology and workforce expectations. While some executives continue pushing return-to-office mandates, the evidence shows the future is hybrid: organizations must redesign recruitment, training, management, and performance measurement rather than simply sending agents home with laptops. Flexible working can improve retention and productivity, particularly for parents, carers, and geographically distant employees, but only if supported by proper monitoring, communication structures, and culture. The real challenge for CX leaders is no longer deciding whether remote work works — it is learning how to operationally manage a permanent hybrid workforce.

Disclosure:

Mark Hillary is a research adviser to Spacial Working

Jacqui Turner founded the Turner Corner Leadership Academy. She is based at Great Malvern, which is close to Stratford-Upon-Avon in the UK.

The academy is focused on customer service training, leadership programmes and coaching interventions. Training followed by coaching with Jacqui's team has been proven to make training much more effective, in terms of staff productivity, performance and business results.

In this discussion with Peter Ryan, Jacqui talks about vulnerable customers. How do businesses define their vulnerable customers and how can they design CX that works better for customers with special needs or the need for greater consideration?

Vulnerability in CX design is often overlooked, but it is essential and for many types of regulated business this is mandatory.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-turner-leadership-trainer/

https://turnercorner.co.uk/

SUMMARY:

Peter introduces Jacqui Turner, who emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing vulnerabilities in customer service. Jacqui highlights that vulnerability can manifest in various forms, including age, health issues, financial struggles, and digital illiteracy. She stresses the need for organizations to have policies and training for handling vulnerable customers across different communication channels. Jacqui also advocates for AI technology to be designed with vulnerability in mind to maintain accessible communication.

Rob Joubert is the founder and CEO of Boomerang BPO. He is based in Cape Town, South Africa.

2025 was the 20th anniversary year for Boomerang, so at the end of the year Peter Ryan called Rob to talk about BPO and CX trends and what it takes to build a successful BPO operation from the ground up.

20 years into the journey, what has Rob learned about what clients want from a BPO partner in the 2020s?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-joubert-89176011/

https://boomerangbpo.com/

Last November, Leigh Hopwood, CEO of the CCMA (Contact Centre Management Association), was on the CX Files talking about the 25th anniversary of the European Contact Center and Customer Service Awards (ECCCSAs).

https://cxfiles.libsyn.com/cxfiles/leigh-hopwood-ccma-25-years-of-the-ecccsas

At those awards on November 25th 2025, The Best Customer Service Into Europe award was won (gold) by TUI working with Transcom.

https://ecccsa.com/2025-winners/

Peter Ryan recently called Leo Ooms (TUI) and Dario Bakovic (Transcom) to talk about the award and what it takes to build a BPO partnership that can win a prestigious 'Best in Europe' award...

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Leo Ooms

Head of Customer Services BPO TUI Group

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

https://www.tui.com/

Dario Bakovic

Head of Global Accounts EMEA at Transcom

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dario-bakovic/

https://transcom.com/