Industry News

Zendesk’s customer experience research reveals power of one “seamless conversation”

Published

6 years ago

January 31, 2020

Elisabeth Zornes, Chief Customer Officer at Zendesk

“Customer expectations are at an all-time high, and loyalty is fleeting,” according to the annual flagship report from leading global CRM provider Zendesk, which provides customer experience software to industry brands such as Big Fish Games, GameSys, Mr Green, LeoVegas, White Hat Gaming and more. At a time where brand allegiance is transient across land-based and online brands, the research provides insights into how companies, from start-ups to successful pioneers, can drive service and ensure customer reliability…

Zendesk, Inc., which serves more than 150,000 customers across a multitude of industries in over 30 languages, has been established in the gaming industry for more than twelve years and has recently released its annual Customer Experience Trends Report 2020 research, identifying trends that translate to gaming companies of all sizes.

Elisabeth Zornes, Chief Customer Officer at Zendesk explained: “While customer expectations continue to rise, the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2020 shows that companies aren’t living up to these expectations. For example, according to the report, many of the channels people want for fast, efficient resolution aren’t being offered. In fact, only a third of companies offer self-service options like knowledge base help centers, and less than a third offer chat, social messaging, in-app messaging, bots or communities.”

The issue of tech-based service solutions isn’t restricted to just iGaming as the report also highlights the increasing market saturation in land-based and hospitality too. “Businesses are facing competition from companies that are providing purpose-driven solutions in service of the customer, raising the stakes for everyone,” she said. “Well-established and iconic brands like the Four Seasons remain one step ahead because they invest in new technologies in continued pursuit of an easy and excellent customer experience.

“This presents a challenging landscape, and for companies that are struggling to navigate, the report identifies what businesses of all sizes, in every industry, can do to provide excellent customer service and create loyal customers, starting with the initial sales process.”

Based on global survey results and the Zendesk Benchmark, an index of product usage data from more than 45,000 global companies using Zendesk’s leading customer experience platform, the 2020 report highlights how the most successful companies achieve their position by executing four essential customer service attributes. These comprise: maintain one seamless conversation; harness customer data; embrace artificial intelligence; and, give customer experience a seat in the C-suite.

“Customers today expect uninterrupted conversations that don’t start or stop in the middle of their interaction or get lost in a different communication channel,” Zornes said. According to the report, half of customers will switch to a competitor after just one bad experience, and 80 percent will leave after multiple bad experiences. The research also reveals that service is a primary driver of customer loyalty, second only to price in determining whether customers feel loyal to a brand.

When it comes to data, the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2020 findings show that customers prefer companies to keep track of their data if it leads to better experiences, with more than 75 percent of customers wanting the personalization that comes with better insights. Being able to manage and interpret data is crucial for understanding customers and proactively identifying opportunities to better serve them.

Speaking about AI innovation in customer service, Zornes added: “As AI innovation becomes more accessible, it represents the future of customer service, and there is still a huge opportunity for companies to start taking advantage of the technology. Our findings show that only 37 percent of customer experience teams are using AI. However, high-performing customer experience teams are twice as likely to embrace AI, incorporating the technology across more channels and interactions with customers.

“And finally, in terms of C-level customer service approach, the most successful companies are tapping into the value of prioritizing the customer experience, and forward-thinking companies are bringing in leaders who can understand and champion the customer.”

While these four attributes aren’t a shortcut that immediately equals success, they are definitely a step in the right direction as customer service continues to evolve in the next decade. Focusing on the approach companies can take going into 2020 and beyond, Zornes concluded: “We are in an entirely new era of customer expectations to such an extent that service can make or break a company. To build a loyal customer base and truly differentiate themselves, companies of all sizes across industries and geographies must provide an easy and frictionless customer experience, earning and re-earning a customer’s business with every interaction.”

To learn more about the most important trends in the customer experience industry, the full the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2020 can be downloaded via https://www.zendesk.com/customer-experience-trends/.

Ainsworth Game Technology

AGEM Announces Board Of Directors Elected at 2026 Annual Meeting

Published

22 hours ago

March 17, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

agem-announces-board-of-directors-elected-at-2026-annual-meeting

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) announced that its membership elected a new Board of Directors at its 2026 Annual Meeting. AGEM Board Chair Ryan Comstock, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Ainsworth Game Technology, was not up for election as he transitions into the second year of his two-year term as Chair and led the meeting which approved one-year terms on the Board of Directors for:

• Elaine Hodgson, DIRECTOR (President / CEO, Incredible Technologies)

• Lauralyn Sandoval, DIRECTOR (Vice President of Gaming Strategy & Business Development, Aristocrat Gaming)

• Phil O’Shaughnessy, DIRECTOR (Vice President, Global Communications, Government Relations & Sustainability, IGT)

• Steve DiMasi, DIRECTOR (Senior Vice President of Global Government Affairs & Business Development, Light & Wonder)

• Randy Gilbert, SECRETARY (Chief Executive Officer, TableTrac)

• Thomas Jingoli, TREASURER (President & Chief Operating Officer, Konami Gaming).

The AGEM Board of Directors also approved one-year terms as ex-officio/non-voting members on the Board of Directors for:

• Cassie Stratford, EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR (Senior Vice President, Legal Operations & Compliance–Boyd Gaming Corporation; Global Gaming Women Advisory Board Member)

• Bob Parente, EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR & ASSISTANT TREASURER (Executive Vice President & Chief Business Development Officer, Light & Wonder).

The post AGEM Announces Board Of Directors Elected at 2026 Annual Meeting appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Industry News

QTech Games recruits banking and AI leader Jonny Youssef as CTO to drive next phase of its growth journey

Published

23 hours ago

March 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-games-recruits-banking-and-ai-leader-jonny-youssef-as-cto-to-drive-next-phase-of-its-growth-journey

QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has appointed Jonny Youssef as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the next phase of the company’s technology organisation, innovation and technology strategy as QTech accelerates its global expansion. Jonny will lead the continued development of QTech’s platform architecture and engineering organisation, focusing on scalability, AI-driven capabilities and next-generation tools designed to support operators and content partners across fast-growing markets. Jonny brings more than 20 years of technology leadership experience across banking, fintech, SaaS platforms and AI-driven innovation. His background combines enterprise-scale infrastructure expertise with hands-on experience building and scaling digital platforms and emerging technology systems. Previously, Jonny served as Head of Innovation for Swedbank Group Lending & Payments, where he led digital initiatives across lending, payments, APIs and digital channels within one of the Nordic region’s largest banking groups. He has also held senior technology leadership roles at Entercard Group, overseeing technology infrastructure and mission-critical production environments supporting large-scale payment operations across Nordic markets. Alongside his enterprise leadership experience, Jonny has founded and scaled several technology ventures and digital platforms. As a technology founder and CTO, he has led the design and development of international platforms operating across Europe and Asia, building distributed engineering teams and scalable digital infrastructure.

In recent years, Jonny has contributed to the development of next-generation AI and sustainability technology initiatives, including work with Circular Living and Biotonomy, where advanced AI, IoT and Edge AI systems are used to power intelligent environments, autonomous infrastructure and real-time operational insights. Beyond his commercial initiatives, he is also a board member and early contributor to The AI Community of Sweden, a national innovation network connecting professionals, enterprises and academia to collaborate on AI innovation. At QTech Games, Jonny will focus on strengthening the company’s technology foundations as it continues to scale globally, enhancing AI-driven functionality, automation and analytics capabilities that enable partners to unlock greater value from the platform. He will also oversee QTech’s engineering and technology teams to ensure continued innovation while maintaining the speed, reliability and integration flexibility that have become hallmarks of QTech’s aggregation platform.

QTech Games’ CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jonny to QTech at an important moment in our growth journey.

“He brings a rare combination of enterprise technology leadership, platform-building expertise and forward-looking innovation in AI and automation. His experience across banking infrastructure, global digital platforms and emerging technology ecosystems makes him uniquely positioned to guide us through its next phase of technological evolution.

“As we continue to expand across emerging markets, Jonny’s leadership will help ensure we remain at the forefront of innovation — delivering scalable infrastructure, AI-driven insights and powerful technology solutions that help our partners grow.”

Jonny Youssef added: “QTech Games has built a strong reputation as one of the most innovative and reliable aggregation platforms serving emerging markets.

“What impressed me most is the company’s focus on speed, simplicity and partner success — combined with a clear ambition to continue evolving the platform through technology. I’m excited to join the team at a time when AI, automation and data-driven capabilities are creating new opportunities to deliver even greater value to operators and game providers.

“My focus will be on strengthening the platform architecture, scaling our technology capabilities with AI and supporting the next phase of QTech’s growth.”

The post QTech Games recruits banking and AI leader Jonny Youssef as CTO to drive next phase of its growth journey appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

GameOn

GameOn Expands Fractional CMO Division with Appointment of Roxana Nazalu

Published

23 hours ago

March 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

$gameon-expands-fractional-cmo-division-with-appointment-of-roxana-nazalu$

GameOn, the specialist iGaming marketing and PR agency, has added Roxana Nazalu to its growing GameOn CMO team.

Roxana joins as a Fractional CMO and in a consulting capacity. She will be responsible for supporting clients across campaign strategy, creation and implementation.

Roxana is one of the most experienced iGaming marketers in the industry, having worked for some of the biggest names in the business.

This includes the likes of Las Vegas Sands, Casimba Gaming, Aspire Global and Pragmatic Play.

This experience led her to launch Orange Synapse, a specialist agency serving iGaming providers in markets across the world.

Roxana’s appointment as a Fractional CMO Consultant marks a deeper collaboration between GameOn and Orange Synapse, allowing each to offer a wider range of products and services to its respective clients.

GameOn’s Fractional CMO service has gone from strength to strength since launching back in October 2024.

Led by Alex Wilson, it allows clients to unlock the benefits of a full-time CMO but on a fractional basis, making it the perfect option for start-ups and smaller organisations in growth phase. It’s also a great option for established organisations, allowing them to embrace marketing as a revenue engine and not just a support function, but with board-level accountability.

Alex Wilson, Head of Marketing Division at GameOn, said: “We are delighted to welcome Roxana to the GameOn CMO team at such a pivotal moment for our agency. Since launching our fractional service in 2024, the demand for high-level strategic leadership, without the overhead of a full-time executive, has exploded.

“Roxana is a powerhouse in the iGaming space and her track record with global giants like Pragmatic Play and Las Vegas Sands speaks for itself.

“By bringing her expertise into the fold, we’re not just adding a consultant, we’re significantly deepening our strategic offering and ensuring our clients have access to the very best marketing minds in the business.”

Roxana Nazalu, Fractional CMO Consultant at GameOn, added: “Joining forces with GameOn is a natural evolution for me and a fantastic opportunity for Orange Synapse.

“I’ve always admired GameOn’s reputation for delivering clear, results-driven PR and marketing within the iGaming sector. This collaboration allows us to offer a truly holistic service, bridging the gap between high-level strategy and technical implementation for slot studios, operators, affiliates, payment providers and other industry stakeholders.

“My focus will be on helping clients navigate complex markets and scale their brands with the agility that the fractional model provides. I look forward to working alongside Alex and the team to drive meaningful growth for our partners.”

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