Wildfires, floods, total loss — what happens when disaster strikes and people need help navigating the chaos?Gavin Blair, COO of Bright Harbor and former CX leader at Lemonade, joins Lauren Wood to break down why disaster recovery is failing the empathy test — and what needs to change. From the California wildfires to the broken insurance system, Gavin reveals how frontline teams can rebuild trust in the moments that matter most. This conversation covers why insurance is so difficult to navigate, how Bright Harbor is reshaping disaster recovery with AI and human connection, and the simple CX strategies that can turn devastation into a structured path forward.If you think empathy and efficiency can’t coexist in high-stakes CX, think again. Key Moments: 00:00: Who is Gavin Blair, COO of Bright Harbor?02:17 Bright Harbor's Mission and Inception04:08 Challenges in Insurance CX06:18 Empathetic CX Through Disaster Recovery11:08: Citizens’ Optimism & Resilience After LA Fires14:51: Training Empathetic and Responsive Teams23:05 Role of AI in Enhancing Empathy33:51 Why Responsiveness is the Most Important Part of CX41:43 Gavin’s Advice for CX Leaders Everywhere –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org
Full Episode
I have been blown away by the resilience, focus, and even at times, optimism around folks who have just lost everything that they have. In Southern California, some residents are finally getting to see what's left of their homes.
I want to get into how you support people through this insanely crazy time.
There's nothing more awkward than jumping on the phone with a disaster survivor and saying, how's it going? It really doesn't land well. And you learn that very fast.
It's not enough to just listen to someone. They need to get that you're listening.
We're starting every conversation with, how are you holding up? And it just lets people immediately know what you're acknowledging about their situation. And even in the formalities of starting the conversation,
When there is a disaster happening that we just change our tone and show that empathy, ask a different question. How are you hanging in there? It's such a small shift, but it has a massive impact how that customer is going to feel. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Experts of Experience. I'm your host, Lauren Wood.
Today, we are speaking to Gavin Blair, the COO of Bright Harbor, where we will be exploring how Gavin and his team are rebuilding trust in moments of total loss, quite literally. After helping Lemonade reinvent their customer experience, Gavin's now tackling one of the most emotionally charged challenges in business, guiding families through wildfires, floods, and climate disasters.
We're going to dig into how frontline teams are showing up for customers in these dire situations, how AI is enhancing human connection, and why most disaster recovery operations fail the empathy test.
And I will say that this is an extra special episode for me because after the devastating California wildfires that have impacted many of my close friends and neighbors, as well as just barely missing my home, we are going to talk about really what's happening in California and how Bright Harbor is supporting so many people in need. Gavin, thank you so much for coming on the show.
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