Highlights:

  • Marty Elwell joined RingCentral as VP of Customer Support 6 months ago.
  • We checked in with Marty to learn more about his journey and vision for RingCentral’s customer support

A new chapter

After speaking with RingCentral’s new VP of Customer Support, Marty Elwell, one thing is immediately clear—he has the expertise and vision to take customer support to the next level. 

With hands-on leadership experience at Google and Intuit, where he managed global teams and customer service operations, combined with a strong foundation in liberal arts that sharpened his communication and leadership skills, Marty brings a well-rounded approach to enhancing customer support.  

Having transitioned from leading Small Business Group (SBG) care to overseeing the full customer support organization, Marty finds himself energized by the opportunity to guide an already high-performing team toward even greater success.

The current state of customer support

Reflecting on his first six months, Marty has focused on assessing RingCentral’s customer support operations. “There’s a lot that’s going really well,” he notes, pointing to RingCentral’s recent record CSAT score in Q3 and Q4 2024 for standard support—a number that surpasses industry standards for SaaS companies. 

Marty also identified areas of opportunities particularly when it comes to modernizing the customer journey. “I’m focused on simplifying both the agent experience and the customer journey by pushing for more automation and intelligent self-help options,” he says.

AI as a tool for transformation

RingCentral has already integrated AI-driven features in our product, but Marty emphasizes that we have the potential to go even further. He envisions AI as a powerful tool to revolutionize customer support by reducing customer effort and enabling agents to focus on more complex inquiries.

“We’re evolving our customer-facing chatbot to an Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) that will serve as the primary entry point for customers seeking support from RingCentral.” Marty shares. 

Combining what we know about the customer with what the IVA can determine about their intent—whether it’s paying a bill or upgrading their service—RingCentral can either resolve their query in real time or quickly direct them to the best person in RingCentral to support.

Marty also sees AI as a powerful tool for improving the customer-agent handoff. “One of the most frustrating experiences for customers is when they’ve repeated their issue to an AI system, only to have to explain everything again to a live agent,” he explains. “AI can do the investigative work upfront, ensuring agents have the context they need, making the transition smoother and more efficient for everyone.”

A unique perspective on leadership

Marty’s diverse background offers valuable insights into his leadership approach. With an undergraduate degree in English literature and a master’s degree in creative writing, Marty admits that his liberal arts background has played an unexpected but crucial role in his career. “Understanding language and communication has been so valuable—especially in a global organization,” he shares. “It’s all about finding the right words to connect with people across cultures and backgrounds.”

Marty’s advice to other leaders? “Be a sponge. Apply the skills you have, but always be open to learning. And don’t focus too much on fixing your weaknesses—lean into your strengths and amplify them.”

The future of customer support

As Marty reflects on the future of customer experience at RingCentral, it’s clear that his first six months have laid a strong foundation for continued innovation and growth. With his global experience, leadership ability, and dedication to improving both the customer and agent experience, he’s well on his way to transforming RingCentral’s customer support operations for years to come.

Originally published Mar 13, 2025