Shep Hyken: Customer Service

Shep Hyken is the Chief Amazement Officer and customer experience authority who helps organizations embed CX as a culture.

Quick Facts:

Highlights:
  • Inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime speaking achievement.
  • Served over 1,200 clients and authored 3,000+ industry articles.
  • Known for blending humor, storytelling, research, and engaging delivery to embed “amazement” into culture.


Formats Available:

Preferred Audiences: CEOs, heads of customer service, marketing and operations leaders, HR, and customer-facing teams.

Outcomes:
  1. Realize CX is not a department but a company-wide philosophy that drives competitive advantage.
  2. Learn practical strategies—like the “Convenience Revolution”—to reduce friction and boost loyalty.
  3. Empower teams to create consistent “moments of magic” that encourage repeat business and advocacy.
Reviews: (0 reviews)
  • Travels from: St. Louis, Missouri
  • **Fee range: On Request

Talent Services

Keynote Topics:

Our customers are smarter than ever before. They no longer compare us to a direct competitor, but instead to the best customer experience they have ever had from anyone in any company.

 

 The customer service and CX bar have been raised. Now, more than ever, we must deliver an amazing customer experience that sets us apart from our competitors.

 

 In this fast-paced and informative presentation, Shep shares strategies and tactics that the best organizations use to differentiate themselves from their competitors and create fierce customer loyalty.

 

 He will pull the best content from his books and articles most appropriate for your audience. This could include simple, common-sense strategies to create a customer-focused culture and more!

 

 The audience will walk away with ideas they can put to use almost immediately.

How easy are you to do business with?

 

 Whether you know it or not, your customers compare you to the easiest companies to do business with, such as Amazon, Apple, and others. They set the benchmark when it comes to an easy and friction-free experience.

 

 A convenient customer experience could be what differentiates you from your competition. When all else is equal (your products and service), the company that offers an easier—as in more convenient—experience will win.

 

 Shep reveals the six Convenience Principles that will give you a competitive edge. It’s time to join the revolution—the Convenience Revolution!

We’ve experienced (or are currently experiencing) scary times, such as a rocky economy, employment issues, supply chain issues, and even a worldwide pandemic.

 

 Amid tough times and/or a crisis, we must stay focused on taking care of our customers and employees.

 

 Shep shares ideas and tactics to help maintain and improve customer service and CX during tough times and beyond.

  • Creating a Customer Service Culture
  • Internal Customer Service
  • Customer Service | CX
  • Moments of Magic
  • Cult of the Customer
  • Technology and AI in Customer Service and CX

Talent Short Bio

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE, is a globally recognized keynote speaker, customer experience (CX) expert, and bestselling author—with multiple titles in both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal lists. As the Chief Amazement Officer at Shepard Presentations, Shep works with Fortune 500 brands and small businesses alike, proving that extraordinary customer experience (“amazement”) is the most effective competitive differentiator.

Inducted into the National Speakers Association’s Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement, he delivers high-energy, content-rich presentations grounded in decades of experience and research about CX psychology and organizational culture.

Shep Hyken is an Award-winning Keynote Speaker and World-Renowned Keynote Speaker in Customer Service & Customer Experience.

Shep has worked with the world’s best brands to help them build a culture centered around the customer. His presentations consistently get rave reviews for being engaging and informative.

The National Speakers Association inducted Shep into it’s Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the professional speaking industry.
A Global Authority on Customer Service & Customer Experience

Shep Hyken has been at the forefront of the CS/CX Revolution for decades. His experience runs the gamut from helping notable companies like Disney and FedEx to improve their already outstanding customer service, to helping small and mid-sized organizations transform poor customer experience into a highlight of the organization.

Shep has seen it all.

While his experience is long, and his books are legendary in the industry, Shep continues to be laser-focused on the biggest challenge facing every organization — making the customer come back.

Shep has worked with companies and organizations renowned for building loyal relationships with their customers and employees for decades.

Revolution, Amaze Every Customer Every Time, Be Amazing or Go Home, The Convenience Revolution, and I’ll Be Back.

Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Twitter

Talent Videos

Shep Hyken Speaker Showreel

Customer service expert Shep Hyken explains why satisfaction isn’t enough, how small actions create loyalty, and why every interaction must focus on the next time.

In this keynote, Shep Hyken stresses that customers no longer compare businesses only to direct competitors but instead to the best experiences they’ve had anywhere. Excellence in hospitality, retail, or dining sets the bar for every industry.

He challenges the idea that “satisfied customers” equal loyal ones, citing research that shows 60–70% of satisfied customers don’t return. Satisfaction is mediocrity, he argues: “Fine is the F-bomb of customer service.” Loyalty is built by consistently delivering service that is better than average, every time, so customers decide to return.

Hyken demonstrates how he tailors each presentation to client needs by asking two key questions: what three ideas should the audience take away, and what would success look like a year later? This ensures practical alignment and actionable outcomes.

He emphasizes the importance of first impressions—eye contact, smiling, body language—as moments that set the tone for all interactions. He illustrates the power of “the extra question,” such as clarifying needs, upselling, or cross-selling appropriately, and recounts personal stories and audience examples, including a haircut customer whose car broke down in the rain. A stylist went barefoot to jumpstart the car, creating a “moment of magic” the customer would never forget.

Hyken closes by reminding businesses that loyalty is not about a lifetime but about “the next time.” If companies are predictably and consistently better than average, they earn the customer’s trust to come back again and again.

Key Moments

00:00 – Customers compare experiences across industries, not just competitors
00:30 – Why customer satisfaction isn’t enough; “fine” means mediocre
01:20 – Loyalty built by focusing on the next time, not a lifetime
02:00 – How Shep customizes presentations for each client
03:05 – The importance of first impressions: eye contact, smiles, body language
04:00 – Asking the “extra question” to understand and better serve customers
05:20 – Audience story: a stylist jumps a customer’s car in the rain, creating loyalty
07:00 – Hyken’s process of recapping and reinforcing client-specific key takeaways
08:15 – Final reminder: consistency creates loyalty, one interaction at a time

Customer service expert Shep Hyken shares the inspiring story of Richard Montañez, the janitor who created Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and explains why acting like an owner drives innovation.

In this keynote-style lesson, Shep Hyken revisits one of his favorite customer service principles: act like an owner. He begins by recalling the story of an 18-year-old server whose guests thought he owned the restaurant because of the pride he took in his work. Hyken then introduces the extraordinary real-life story of Richard Montañez, a janitor at a Frito-Lay plant in California.

Inspired by then-CEO Roger Enrico’s call to “act like an owner,” Montañez spent nearly a decade learning all he could about the company. During a ride-along with a salesperson in a Latino neighborhood, he noticed that Frito-Lay’s snack shelves lacked spicy options. At home, he experimented with chili powder on Cheetos, creating the prototype of what would become Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Montañez boldly pitched his idea directly to the CEO, and when asked about potential market share, he stretched his arms wide: “This much.” His initiative impressed leadership, leading to a career shift from janitor to executive, eventually becoming Vice President of Multicultural Sales for PepsiCo America.

Hyken emphasizes two key lessons: first, that employees who embrace ownership can create breakthrough ideas by thinking beyond their roles; and second, that great leaders must be willing to listen to those ideas. While not every suggestion will become a global success story, every idea has potential. Adopting an “act like an owner” mindset fosters innovation, pride, and customer-focused excellence.

Key Moments

00:00 – Introduction: why “act like an owner” matters in service and leadership
00:40 – Early example: an 18-year-old server mistaken for the restaurant owner
01:10 – Richard Montañez, janitor at Frito-Lay, embraces ownership mindset
01:50 – Discovers lack of spicy snacks in Latino neighborhoods; experiments at home
02:30 – Pitches idea to Frito-Lay CEO; proposes massive market potential
03:00 – CEO’s response: “Put the mop away, you’re coming with us”
03:20 – Montañez rises to PepsiCo executive, VP of Multicultural Sales
03:45 – Two lessons: initiative from employees, openness from leaders
04:30 – Conclusion: every idea has potential; act like an owner to drive innovation

Talent FAQ's

Yes. All presentations are custom-designed to align with audience goals and organizational needs.

Customer experience, loyalty, service culture, convenience, internal service strategies, and motivational culture change.

Estimated live speaking fees range between $30K–$50K; virtual sessions typically fall between $20K–$30K.

Talent Resources

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