Accessibility drives customer acquisition - Interview with Joel Kellhofer of SignWow

Accessibility drives customer acquisition - Interview with Joel Kellhofer of SignWow

Author: Adrian Swinscoe | Customer Experience Strategy Expert January 29, 2026 Duration: 32:45

Today’s episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Joel Kellhofer, CEO of SignWow, which offers business BSL solutions, including Video Relay Service & Video Remote Interpreting, to make services accessible to Deaf customers. We talk about Joel’s background and experiences as a Deaf founder, some of the everyday communication barriers Deaf people face in public services, healthcare, hospitality, and retail, why brands often don’t design experiences that work for everyone, what they should be doing differently, and how SignWow can help. We finish off with some advice for brands looking to build standout, inclusive customer experiences, Joel’s Punk CX brand, and his very own good news story.

Note: Now, I should point out that today’s episode is a little different. Given that Joel is deaf, we are joined by his colleague, Emma McQuillan, Chief Interpreting Officer (CIO) at SignWow, who will be interpreting for us in real time. What I should also point out for those of you watching the video version of this podcast or listening to the audio version, you’ll experience some pauses after I ask my questions as Joel and Emma communicate via sign language before Emma answers the questions on Joel’s behalf. I hope that makes sense.

This interview follows on from my recent interview – From product-led innovation to a service-led experience model – Interview with Deborah Honig of Samsung UK & Ireland – and is number 571 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders who are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees.


There’s a lot of noise around customer experience, but Punk CX: Customer Experience Insights with Adrian Swinscoe cuts through it with conversations that feel more like a strategic workshop than a standard interview. Host Adrian Swinscoe, a customer experience strategy expert, brings a distinctively pragmatic and often contrarian perspective to each discussion. He sits down with a wide range of industry leaders, from entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, to unpack what it really takes to build an organization that people genuinely want to engage with. You’ll hear them delve into the interconnected mechanics of customer service, customer engagement, and the often-overlooked driver of it all: employee experience and engagement. The dialogue naturally explores how technology, from AI to broader digital transformation, can be leveraged practically rather than just hyped, and what it means to build adaptable, responsive organizations with high-performing teams at their core. This podcast moves beyond theory, focusing on the actionable insights and sometimes uncomfortable truths that define modern customer and business strategy. Each episode is designed to give you a tangible takeaway, whether you’re refining your own approach or challenging the status quo within your company.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Punk CX: Customer Experience Insights with Adrian Swinscoe
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