Nextiva announced Winning the Customer Experience Race, a new book by Edwin Margulies that gives CX and IT leaders a decision rubric, cross-industry playbooks, and data practices that make AI pay off. The guide shows where to automate, where to keep humans in the loop, and how to centralize interaction data so agents and AI perform in the moment.

“Winning the Customer Experience Race reflects our mission to deliver powerful, easy-to-use customer experience technology.” – Yaniv Masjedi

The timing reflects what CX teams are seeing in the field. In a recent Nextiva study of more than 1,000 CX leaders, 92% reported adopting AI, yet only 9% described their programs as mature. Teams juggle an average of six or more tools, and 81% said consolidating customer data into a single system would improve CX. Leaders agree that smooth handoffs between AI and humans are essential, but 90% still struggle to remove friction.

The book responds directly to that need. Each chapter follows a consistent pattern, highlighting top automation targets, current business challenges, and industry-specific use cases, so readers can zero in on their world and borrow ideas from others. It is designed to be used non-linearly, as a planning aid for teams.

Early endorsements include Mark Harris of KinISO Software, adviser and author Adrian Swinscoe, and telecom author Ray Horak.

“Leaders want a credible path to outcomes, especially as all businesses navigate this world of agentic AI. Winning the Customer Experience Race shows how to bring customer interactions and data together so AI makes teams faster, customers happier, and the business measurably stronger. It reflects our mission to deliver powerful, easy-to-use customer experience technology,” said Yaniv Masjedi, Chief Marketing Officer, Nextiva. Recent recognition from peer-reviewed sources and market reports underscores that focus.

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Inside the book

The guidance is concrete and repeatable:

• A decision rubric for where automation fits. Teams evaluate volume, complexity, and emotion, and keep high-emotion, high-complexity moments human led.
• Data as the CX system of record. The book explains why centralizing interaction data at the moment of engagement is foundational for AI accuracy and agent effectiveness.
• Pilot to scale. Readers get a pragmatic sequence: audit workflows, start with high-volume repetitive tasks, measure, and iterate with analytics and feedback loops.

Cross-industry examples leaders can use now

• Insurance. Real-time transcription, summarization, and sentiment improve documentation, speed claims, and reduce rework. The book includes a benefits table and a walk-through of routing, agent assist, and post-call notes.
• Service providers and contact centers. Agent assist retrieves knowledge articles in context, auto-notes the call, and flags sentiment, letting agents focus on the customer while the system captures the details.
• Healthcare. Use cases cover billing and claims workflows, coding automation with NLP, and RPA for routine validations, all with attention to privacy and staff adoption.

The book can be read cover to cover or chapter by chapter. It also points to a companion resource, Mastering the Customer Experience, which provides an eight-step discovery and evaluation plan, templates, and tools to turn ideas into a roadmap.

This release follows continued momentum for Nextiva, including leadership placements in 31 of G2’s Winter 2025 reports with number-one rankings in 13 and being named a Strong Performer in the 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ “Voice of the Customer” for Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS).