Customer Experience & Ops Leader - 10+ Years Scaling CX Globally

LORI BUNTZEN

917-***-**** ***********@*****.*** https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-buntzen-be-epic/

Customer Experience, Retail, and Operations leader with 10+ years of experience scaling high-volume CX organizations across DTC, eCommerce, Omnichannel, and B2B businesses. Proven operator who drives measurable improvements in CSAT, NPS, conversion, retention, and customer effort while increasing speed and efficiency through process optimization and automation. Experienced leading and scaling teams from early-stage startups through mid-market and large, globally distributed organizations. Trusted cross-functional partner to Product, Operations, Marketing, and Finance, known for translating customer insights and VOC (Voice of Customer) into revenue growth, cost reduction, and operational clarity.

Misen Inc - VP, Head of Customer Service and Engagement Sep 2025 - Present (Remote)

● Redesigned return reason architecture to surface true customer friction points, enabling clearer VOC reporting and tighter cross-functional alignment with Product, Ops, and Marketing to address root causes rather than symptoms.

● Over a three-month period, improved AI bot performance and deflection quality, resulting in a 39% increase in CSAT through retraining intents, tightening escalation logic, and closing content gaps.

● Rebuilt agent performance tracking and productivity expectations, increasing average output from 75 tickets per day to more than 100 tickets per day (30% increase) without sacrificing response quality.

● Cleaned up and standardized macros and workflows, improving First Response Time by up to 25% and reducing agent cognitive load and manual effort.

● Partnered with Marketing to apply VOC insights across the customer journey, reducing repeat contacts tied to unclear messaging and post-purchase friction.

EBY - Sr. Director, CX Insights & Site Merchandising Sep 2024 - Sep 2025 (Remote)

● Rebuilt the returns and exchange experience within 4 months by restructuring reason codes, incentives, and paths, shifting refund-to-retention behavior from 70/30 to 30/70 and materially improving retained revenue.

● Expanded EBY from email-only support to a fully omnichannel CX operation (chat, social, phone, and reviews) in 4 months, establishing consistent workflows, service standards, and performance tracking across channels.

● Increased agent-driven revenue from approximately $2,000 per week to over $10,000 per week within 6 months by realigning CX workflows, incentives, and training, thus converting CX from a cost center into a revenue-generating function.

● Took ownership of site merchandising and CX-led funnel optimization, partnering with Product and Marketing to remove friction and improve conversion from 2.5% to 3.7%.

● Led web and UX enhancements, including sizing tools and fit guidance, reducing fit-related tickets and returns, improving customer satisfaction, and increasing repeat purchase behavior.

● Launched concierge-style customer outreach and VOC programs, directly informing product iteration and driving the relaunch of a core style that became a top seller and increased sales by 40%.

● Fully onboarded Gorgias AI and automation and re-platformed key CX tools including returns (Loop to Redo) and reviews (Stamped to Okendo), improving efficiency, deflection, and customer trust.

● Built and moderated the reviews program, increasing average customer ratings from 2.7 to 4.9 within 6 months. AS Beauty Group - Sr. Director, Customer Experience & Insights Feb 2023 - Sep 2024 (Hybrid)

● Consolidated CX operations from two BPO partners into a single 45 FTE BPO team with one dedicated lead within 30 days, improving accountability, simplifying channel ownership, and increasing operational efficiency while managing an in-house team of 8.

● Led CX operations through rapid brand expansion, supporting multiple new brand launches while maintaining service quality and revenue performance.

● Partnered directly with company owners to define sales strategy and brand relaunch priorities, aligning CX, merchandising, and customer insights to support growth objectives.

● Vetted and implemented new CX and commerce platforms within the first 90 days, improving agent efficiency, reporting visibility, and operational consistency across brands.

● Launched phone support and built a Customer Success/Sales function from the ground up in under 4 months, hiring and training the full team.

● Introduced success-led sales motions within CX, converting the department from a cost center into a revenue-generating channel within two quarters while maintaining strong CSAT.

● Established standardized workflows, KPIs, and performance expectations to improve execution, accountability, and scalability across teams.

Spanx - Director, Global Customer Experience Community Oct 2021 - Feb 2023 (Remote)

● Increased global customer satisfaction by 20% through targeted workflow improvements, KPI alignment, and hands-on coaching across CX teams.

● Boosted CSAT by 43% and improved first-contact resolution by 30% by redesigning support interactions and elevating agent execution standards.

● Elevated NPS by 25% by launching structured customer feedback loops and ensuring consistent cross-functional follow-through.

● Built and scaled social support teams with clear, channel-specific response strategies, improving speed, tone consistency, and issue resolution across platforms.

● Launched and operationalized review moderation to protect brand trust and ensure timely, accurate customer responses.

● Managed a hybrid CX organization consisting of 55 offshore BPO agents and 10 in-house specialists, maintaining performance and service quality at scale.

Mentored and promoted two in-house specialists into newly created departmental roles, aligning individual career goals with business needs and strengthening team retention and leadership bench. E.C. Scott Group - Director CX, Training & Sales Operations Feb 2018 - Oct 2021 (Hybrid)

● Built and scaled CX, training, and sales operations across multiple luxury beauty brands, supporting both wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels.

● Opened and operationalized national retail accounts including Bluemercury, Ulta, and Target, by aligning CX standards, training programs, and sales operations to retailer requirements.

● Launched the company’s first eCommerce operation from the ground up within 6 months, establishing customer support workflows, post-purchase experience, and service infrastructure where none previously existed.

● Led the business through the COVID-19 transition, shifting from a 90% retail-driven model to 70% DTC by building digital CX operations and direct customer support capabilities.

● Developed and delivered cross-brand training programs to ensure consistent product knowledge, service quality, and sales execution as distribution and channels expanded.

● Partnered closely with Sales and Leadership to support rapid growth while maintaining operational discipline and customer experience quality.

EDUCATION

Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ Bachelor of Arts in English, with coursework in Business Management

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