Yesterday our Customer Experience network event brought together over 30 of our SSF UK members to Cadent Gas in Coventry for a powerful exploration of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the customer experience landscape.
Hosted at a time when organisations are navigating rising customer expectations and tighter operational budgets, the event focused on building smarter, leaner, and more human-centric service models through AI and automation.
The day kicked off with a brilliant Bingo icebreaker, It instantly set a collaborative tone, helping everyone introduce themselves and uncover some fun, unexpected facts about each other. Safe to say—it definitely broke the ice!. Attendees were then introduced to Cadent Gas, with Daniel Edwards, Head of Customer Centre Operations, offering insights into the organisations mission and customer service ethos.
Michael Lapper, Head of Change & Insights at Cadent Gas, delivered a compelling session on the organisation’s recent technology advancements. He highlighted how strategic investments in digital tools have significantly improved customer outcomes and outlined the future AI roadmap—emphasising integration, agility, and customer-first design.
Our first interactive session of the day explored how AI and automation are enabling smarter digital experiences. Attendees examined how integrated systems and intelligent data use can enhance satisfaction, boost retention, and increase customer lifetime value. The session encouraged participants to reflect on their own digital maturity and identify opportunities for innovation. This was also preparation for our Dragons Den Live in the afternoon.
Matt Aubin, Business Development Manager at Esker, was up up next showcasing how AI is streamlining customer service operations. From categorising requests to integrating with ERP systems, Matt demonstrated the tangible benefits of Esker’s solutions and intelligent automation in Shared Services environments.
The afternoon culminated in a dynamic team challenge: “Smarter Experiences, Leaner Operations”. Members collaborated to build and pitch compelling AI business cases to a panel of “Dragons,” focusing on measurable impact, stakeholder buy-in, and customer-centric innovation. The energy in the room was phenomenal as members came together to collaborate, share challenges, and celebrate success stories. In a fun and engaging Dragons’ Den-style challenge, each team identified an opportunity, built a business case, and pitched their AI-powered innovation to our panel of Dragons. The ideas where nothing short of inspiring, from the practical to the wildly imaginative:
🧱 Billy's Brick's on online brick manufacturer
🌸 Verdanta Bloom a TikTok Florist & Gift Company
💘 daAIting a GenAI Dating App
This session was a fantastic reminder of what happens when passionate professionals unite to share, challenge, and innovate. The creativity, strategic thinking, and collaborative spirit on display truly showcased the power of our SSF UK community.
🎉 Congratulations to Billy's Bricks who won the pitch!!!
As the event wrapped up, one message was clear: AI is not just a technological upgrade—it’s a strategic imperative. By combining innovation with empathy, organisations can unlock new levels of service excellence and operational efficiency.
📣 Big shout out for the balloon arch - it looked amazing and had featured our logo and what an amazing lunch we had!!!
🙏 Thank you to all our SSF UK members that took the time to join us, what a brilliant day of connecting, networking, sharing and pitching.
🙏 Thank you to Network Leaders Daniel Edwards and Cathie Fillingham for all your hard work and support creating a fantastic day.
🙏 Thank you to Cadent Gas for hosting us.........the balloons, goody bags, prizes and a delicious lunch, we have been truly spoilt.
🙏 Thank you to Matthew Aubin and Esker for sponsoring and featuring at our network event today!!
📅 The next network event will be the Reflection Session taking place online on September 16th at 11am where we will be discussing what we have shared across the year and the lessons learned and practical takeaways from this year's events and within your own teams and organisations. More information to share soon!!
