Episode 16: Creators at the Core - How Artlist Reinvents Customer Support (Hayley Johnson)

What does it take to build a support team that’s not just answering tickets, but actually shaping the future of customer experience?

In this episode, Hayley Johnson (Head of Customer Success at Artlist) joins Nadav and Doron to share her playbook for turning support into a strategic powerhouse - where empathy, initiative, and smart use of AI are the new must-haves.

Along the way, you’ll hear how the concept of "Customer Experts" is emerging as the next evolution for support professionals ready to make a bigger impact.

Main Questions Answered (with Takeaways):

1. Is a killer help center better than an amazing support agent?

   • Hayley says: Not even close! Even the best help center puts the burden on the user. The future? Frictionless, AI-powered support that lets your team focus on what really matters—solving problems and building relationships.

2. How do you recruit and train a team that goes beyond basic support?

   • Artlist’s approach: Hire for empathy and passion, not just skills. New team members are immersed in the customer’s world and encouraged to challenge, improve, and innovate.

3. What’s the secret to transforming support agents into strategic contributors?

   • Free your team from repetitive tickets. Let AI handle the routine, so your people can become the “voice of the customer,” drive strategy, and deliver wow moments at scale.

4. How do you choose the right AI partner—and what happens if you get it wrong?

   • Hayley’s year-long search revealed that even big-name AI platforms can fail 20% of the time. For support teams, accuracy and trust are non-negotiable. Diligence and relentless testing are key.

5. Can you scale support, add expert roles, and NOT blow your budget?

   • With the right automation, Hayley kept her 2025 budget flat—while adding three new strategic roles. The result? A team that’s empowered to make a real business impact, not just close tickets.

   
   

   🎧 Creators at the Core: Redefining CX for the New Economy

   What does it take to build a support team that’s not just answering tickets, but actually shaping the future of customer experience? In this episode, Hayley Johnson (Head of Customer Success at Artlist) joins Nadav and Doron to share her playbook for turning support into a strategic powerhouse—where empathy, initiative, and smart use of AI are the new must-haves. Along the way, you’ll hear how the concept of "Customer Experts" is emerging as the next evolution for support professionals ready to make a bigger impact.

   Main Questions Answered (with Takeaways):

   
   

   1. Is a killer help center better than an amazing support agent?

      • Hayley says: Not even close! Even the best help center puts the burden on the user. The future? Frictionless, AI-powered support that lets your team focus on what really matters—solving problems and building relationships.

        
        

   2. How do you recruit and train a team that goes beyond basic support?

      • Artlist’s approach: Hire for empathy and passion, not just skills. New team members are immersed in the customer’s world and encouraged to challenge, improve, and innovate.

        
        

   3. What’s the secret to transforming support agents into strategic contributors?

      • Free your team from repetitive tickets. Let AI handle the routine, so your people can become the “voice of the customer,” drive strategy, and deliver wow moments at scale.

        
        

   4. How do you choose the right AI partner—and what happens if you get it wrong?

      • Hayley’s year-long search revealed that even big-name AI platforms can fail 20% of the time. For support teams, accuracy and trust are non-negotiable. Diligence and relentless testing are key.

        
        

   5. Can you scale support, add expert roles, and NOT blow your budget?

      • With the right automation, Hayley kept her 2025 budget flat—while adding three new strategic roles. The result? A team that’s empowered to make a real business impact, not just close tickets.

        
        

   Ready to rethink what support can be? Hit play and get inspired!