Amazing Business Radio

By Shep Hyken & C-Suite Radio

Amazing Business Radio features customer service expert and New York Times bestselling author Shep Hyken who interviews leading business professionals and other customer experience experts. Each guest... more

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How many episodes does Amazing Business Radio have?

The podcast currently has 559 episodes available.

Amazing Business Radio episodes:

November 11, 2025AI-Powered Personalization Featuring Rick Elmore
How Handwritten Notes Build Customer Loyalty in a Digital Age
Shep interviews Rick Elmore, founder of Simply Noted. He talks about how his company uses advanced handwriting robots and AI to create personalized handwritten notes at scale, to enhance customer relationships and stand out in today's digital world.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
How can companies send personalized handwritten notes to thousands of customers efficiently?

How do handwritten notes compare to email and direct mail in terms of open rates?

What is the impact of personalized handwritten notes on customer retention rates?

How does sending handwritten notes help businesses stand out from digital competitors?

How does sending personalized handwritten notes at scale improve employee engagement and morale?
Top Takeaways:  
Getting a handwritten note (or one that looks handwritten) instantly makes the recipient feel special and appreciated. When customers receive an envelope with a handwritten address and a stamp, they are more likely top open it. When it includes a personalized message in the form of something tangible, tactile, and written with a pen, they are more likely to keep it.

Personalization builds strong customer relationships. A way that businesses can do this at scale is to use technology like robots that can mimic human handwriting and powerful AI software to create thousands of truly personalized notes.

Handwritten notes have much higher open rates than regular mail. Studies show that almost every handwritten note gets opened, while most promotional letters or emails get ignored or thrown away. When someone sees a real envelope with a stamp and handwriting, it feels personal. This makes handwritten notes a powerful tool for getting attention.

Sending handwritten notes helps businesses reduce customer churn. It is not just about showing appreciation and acknowledging customers, but it can also make them want to stay and keep buying from you. Businesses have found that thank-you notes and anniversary cards help increase loyalty. Even just a simple "thank you" can have a significant impact and keep clients engaged for years.

Authenticity matters with personal messages. In the age of social media, customers can easily take a picture of a personal handwritten note and share it online. Large language models and intelligent software allow you to generate different messages for thousands of customers, each tailored to their interests or previous experiences. This way, no two notes are exactly alike, even if the general message is the same.
The best business opportunities may be in your existing customer base. Instead of constantly chasing new customers, take time to appreciate the ones you already have. Small, personalized gestures can deliver a significant return on investment by building long-term relationships and brand loyalty.

Plus, Shep Hyken and Rick Elmore show how personalization works, sharing examples of successful brands like Chewy using handwritten notes to stand out and strengthen customer relationships. Tune in!
Quote: 
"We're drowning in digital noise. What's old is new again. People crave authentic experiences and want to feel valued. A personalized handwritten note is what helps businesses win loyal customers and long-term relationships."

About:  
Rick Elmore is a former NFL athlete, an award-winning entrepreneur, and the founder of Simply Noted, a leading U.S.-based handwritten direct mail company. He helps organizations build meaningful human connections with their customers at scale.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

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27min
November 04, 2025 Scaling Customer Success with Melissa Puls
Building Loyalty at Every Step of the Customer Journey

Shep interviews Melissa Puls, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Customer Success and Renewals at Ivanti. She talks about the importance of customer success, the subscription business model, and how AI is transforming customer experience.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more: 
1.  What is customer success?
2. What is the difference between customer success and customer support?
3. Why is it important to start the customer success process as soon as a deal is signed?
4. What impact does proactive customer service have on customer satisfaction and loyalty?
5. How can businesses use a subscription model to build long-term customer relationships?
Top Takeaways: 
·       A business isn’t just about making money. It’s about getting and
keeping customers. Profit will result when you serve your customers well.
·       Customer success is different from customer support. Customer
support helps when there’s a problem or technical issue, but customer success aims to keep problems from happening in the first place. Customer success teams work with customers from the beginning of the relationship to make sure they are fully utilizing the features of a product to serve their business. They proactively reach out before issues even become problems.
·       The renewals don't start when a subscription ends. They begin
with the very first interaction, making sure that customers are happy and using the product well from the start. When customers are happy, the decision to keep doing business with you becomes easy.
·       The best companies try to anticipate issues and reach out before
they happen. Checking in, providing helpful information, and teaching customers how to get the most from your product are what create loyal customers.
·       Companies can use data and technology, such as AI, to spot patterns in customer behavior and predict what customers will need next. By paying attention to how customers use a product and when they might need help, businesses can step in with support before a small issue becomes a big problem. This reduces customer churn by giving them confidence that your team will be there for them when needed.
·       Delivering a great customer experience takes teamwork across
marketing, sales, support, and customer success. All parts of the company need to work together to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience.
·   Plus, Shep and Melissa discuss how every business, regardless of industry, can successfully adopt a subscription model that keeps customers coming back. Tune in!

Quotes: 
"Customers buy from other customers. Create advocates in
your customer base."
"The most exciting thing about customer experience is to be
able to correlate and collect information that your customers give you to make
their experience better."
"Many people confuse customer success with customer
support. In reality, customer success is about proactively ensuring customers
never need to call support unless there's a genuine technical glitch."
"Anticipate your customer's needs before they even know
they need it. Use the data and technology like AI to predict issues and churn
so that you can get more productive."
"The best companies out there put customers at the center
of everything they do. That is how they are going to grow today and into the
future."

About:  Melissa Puls is the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Customer Success and Renewals at Ivanti, overseeing the entire customer journey from awareness to renewal. She is focused on helping companies enhance every stage of the customer experience.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. 

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28min
October 28, 2025Happy Customers Create Happy Employees Featuring Sean Crichton-Browne
Creating an Actionable Customer-Centric Company Culture
Shep interviews Sean Crichton-Browne, co-founder of Market Culture and co-author of The Human Culture Imperative. He talks about how organizations can drive business success by focusing on building a customer-centric culture of empowered employees.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
What's more important, happy customers or happy employees?

How does starting with the end goal of happy customers encourage better customer service?

What role does leadership play in creating a strong culture of customer-centricity?

How can a company's internal culture directly impact the quality of the customer experience?

How does employee engagement influence customer loyalty and retention?
Top Takeaways:  
Whenever you're working to improve customer experience, it helps to begin by picturing how you want your customers to feel at the end. Imagine what you want the customer's experience to be. Work backward from your goal, which is happy and loyal customers, and figure out what is needed at every level of the organization to achieve it.

Happy employees create happy customers, but flipping this idea on its head can create great results for your organization as well. Making customers happy can actually make employees feel better about where they work. It leads to a better work environment that motivates and engages employees.

When customers are satisfied with the product or service, employees don't have to respond to as many complaints or stressful situations, which makes their jobs more enjoyable and fulfilling. Happy customers often give positive feedback, creating a sense of pride for everyone on the team and encouraging even better service.

Listen to your customers. Ask them what they want and what's important to them. When you focus on understanding and meeting those needs, you create a connection between leadership, employees, and customers.

Empowering employees, especially those who deal directly with customers, improves the customer experience. When staff can act quickly to solve issues or offer solutions, without always needing a manager's okay, problems get fixed faster, and customers feel seen, heard, and valued.

The stories told inside a company, whether big or small, have a lasting impact on culture. When employees hear about coworkers going the extra mile for customers or leaders making decisions that put customers first, they inspire similar behavior that can be operationalized for consistency.

Plus, Sean shares more "golden nuggets" from his latest book, The Human Culture Imperative. Tune in!
Quote: 
"Put the customer at the center of the business and focus on their satisfaction. Because if we don't have a customer, we don't actually have a business."
About:  
Sean Crichton-Browne is the co-founder of Market Culture, a company dedicated to helping organizations understand and implement customer-centric cultures. He is the co-author of The Human Culture Imperative: The Leader's Playbook for Innovation and Sustainable Growth.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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30min
October 21, 2025Why Customers Hate You: Turning Pain Points Into Customer Loyalty Featuring Lance Gruner
How to Build Meaningful Customer Relationships by Investing in Employee and Customer Experience
Shep interviews Lance Gruner, CX expert, keynote speaker, and author. He talks about the intersection of AI and customer experience, the importance of leadership accountability, and key insights from his new book, 10 Things They Hate About YOU: A CX Playbook for Leaders.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
How does artificial intelligence impact customer service interactions?

Why is it important for business leaders to personally experience their own customer journey?

Should companies be concerned about AI replacing human customer service agents?

How can businesses leverage AI to make customer service agents more effective?

Why do broken processes cause customers to leave, and how can businesses address them?
Top Takeaways:  
One of the fastest ways to lose customers is to have processes that don't work as they should.

Leaders need to understand what customers go through every day. The best way to do this is to "walk the property," which means experiencing the company's products or services just like a customer would. By seeing things from the customer's point of view, leaders can spot problems and understand where things fall short.

Artificial intelligence is changing customer service. It can make agents smarter by helping them access relevant information faster and deliver more personalized responses. However, it is important to remember that AI is just a tool, not a cure-all. It is only as good as its programming and the system that it is added into.

Make using self-service easy and inviting. When introducing new technology or self-service options, don't just point customers in the right direction. Lead them there and show them how it works. If a customer needs help, solve their problem first, then take a moment to teach them how they could do it themselves next time.

Customer relationships are built on trust. When companies fail to deliver on promises, like missing deliveries or not solving problems, customers stop believing that the company will take care of them. Long-term loyalty is built on consistency, transparency, and trust.

Investing in training for team members pays off because it leads to better service and happier customers. Make sure they are well-versed with your current processes before adding new steps and technology into their workflow.

Small details send big messages about how much a company cares about its customers' experience. Companies that pay attention to every touchpoint, no matter how minor, such as a friendly gesture or easy-to-find information on a website, earn their customers' respect and trust.

Plus, Lance shares a few of the 10 things they may hate about you and your brand. Tune in!
Quote: 
"When done right, using AI can improve speed and accuracy, help with personalization, and give employees more time to focus on high-value work."

About:  
Lance Gruner is a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience in the customer service and hospitality industries. He has helped global companies such as the Ritz-Carlton and Mastercard deliver outstanding customer experiences.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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29min
October 14, 2025Creating the Engagement Effect Featuring Steve Spangler
Transforming Ordinary Customer Moments into the 'Best Day Ever'
Shep interviews Steve Spangler, Emmy award-winning television host, STEM educator, and bestselling author. He talks about his new book, The Engagement Effect, and how leaders, teachers, and businesses can create powerful, engaging experiences that ignite emotional connections, build trust, and inspire action.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
How can leaders create more engaging experiences for their customers and employees?

How can emotional and intellectual connections drive stronger customer loyalty?

Why is it important for businesses to treat engagement as an experiment rather than a fixed process?

How can leaders and managers inspire employees to deliver exceptional customer service?

How can companies operationalize the "best day ever" experience for both customers and team members?
Top Takeaways:  
Engagement is about creating experiences, not transactions. Create an experience that connects emotionally and intellectually with your customers by making them feel involved and valued.

Treat engagement as an experiment. Try new things, see what works, and don't be afraid to fail or make changes. When leaders create a culture where it's okay to try and sometimes fail, employees feel more comfortable contributing and taking risks.

The way you treat your employees and customers shapes their experiences and loyalty. Positive experiences lead to better engagement, while negative ones can create lasting disengagement.

It's not enough to have a great product. What elevates your brand is how you present it. What creates a loyal following is getting people excited, curious, and the desire to be involved.

Allow your customers to help craft their experience. Sometimes, your customers will create powerful moments themselves, and your job is to set the stage and then step back. Invite feedback and participation. Pay attention to what they find most meaningful and operationalize it so that it becomes a part of the typical experience.

Approach leadership with a teacher's mindset. The best leaders don't just tell people what to do. They inspire, guide, and help others discover answers for themselves.

Plus, hear how Steve's viral Mentos-and-Diet-Coke experiments, Chewy.com's famous pet owner story, and more real-world examples bring the engagement effect to life. Tune in!
Quote: 
"The engagement effect is when you emotionally and intellectually connect to an experience, and it makes the customer move forward with an action."

About:  
Steve Spangler is an Emmy award-winning TV host, STEM educator, and bestselling author. He is known for making science unforgettable through TV, social media, and live demonstrations. With over 4.3 billion video views and years on DIY Sci and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he has inspired millions worldwide. His latest book, The Engagement Effect: Cultivating Experiences that Ignite Connection, Build Trust, and Inspire Action, is out now.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. 

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31min
October 07, 2025How Any Business Can Deliver a Luxurious Customer Experience Featuring Neen James
Transforming Ordinary Interactions into Luxury Experiences
Shep interviews Neen James, leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of Exceptional Experiences. She talks about how any business, regardless of size or price point, can create a luxury-level customer experience by focusing on making customers feel seen, heard, and valued.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
What are the common misconceptions about delivering a luxury customer experience?

How can businesses provide a luxury-level service even if they are not selling expensive products?

How does high-quality service contribute to a feeling of luxury for customers?

What are the five luxury levers that businesses can use to elevate their customer experience?

What are the four experience mindsets that influence how customers perceive and value luxury?
Top Takeaways:  
Luxury is not just about the price tag. It's about the experience you create for people, whether you're selling a high-end product or something affordable.

Every brand can deliver a luxury-level experience by paying attention to details and adopting a mindset that every customer deserves to feel valued and appreciated, regardless of what they buy or where they shop.

Luxury can sometimes be a divisive term because of the misconception that it is only for the select few. Just as every customer deserves a luxurious experience, every employee is capable of creating it. Whether you're a cashier, a manager, or someone at a front desk, you can deliver luxury through quality service and attention to detail.

A luxury experience often involves engaging all five senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. For example, some stores let you touch the products, smell good food, or hear pleasant music, making the visit more enjoyable and memorable. This creates a lasting emotional connection that makes people want to come back.

The heart of a luxury experience is making every customer feel important. Listen carefully, pay attention to their needs, and show appreciation for their choices. When you build an emotional connection, it creates loyalty and sets your business apart from the competition.

Not every customer defines luxury the same way. Neen shares the four luxury mindsets; 1. Reluctant and Removed, 2. Pro Prioritizer, 3. Confident and Content, and 4. Luxury Lover. To discover your luxury mindset, take this self-assessment.

Plus, Neen talks about the five actionable "luxury levers" that she writes about in her book, Exceptional Experiences. Tune in!
Quote: 
"Luxury is defined with five words: high quality, long-lasting, authentic, unique, and indulgent."

About:  
Neen James is a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of several books, including Folding Time: How to Achieve Twice As Much In Half The Time and her latest, Exceptional Experiences: Five Luxury Levers to Elevate Every Aspect of Your Business.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. 

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27min
September 30, 2025What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses Featuring Mita Mallick
Building Better Employee Experiences Through Leadership
Shep interviews Mita Mallick, marketing and culture change expert and bestselling author. She talks about her book The Devil Emails at Midnight and the impact of internal workplace culture on employees and customers.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
What impact does internal workplace culture have on the external customer experience?

How can leaders set healthier communication boundaries with their employees?

How can companies create an inclusive culture that values both employees and customers equally?

What are some negative leadership behaviors that can affect employee engagement and customer service?

Why is it important for leaders to address problematic employee behavior immediately?
Top Takeaways:  
Employees are sometimes the 'forgotten customers' in a business. Just as companies focus on serving their external customers, it is important to also care for internal customers, your team members.

When employees feel valued and respected, they are more likely to treat customers in the same way. The quality of service on the outside is often a reflection of how employees are treated within the organization.

The worst behaviors in any workplace become part of its culture if they are allowed to continue. Whether it's disrespect or disengagement, what leaders and team members let slide becomes the norm.

Leaders should consider whether their personal habits force their team members to sacrifice their personal time. Work doesn't need to spill into all hours of the day and night. For example, when employees feel pressured to respond to emails outside of their work hours, it can cause burnout and stress. Even a simple message like "no need to respond right away" can help set healthy boundaries.

When things change, you have to be willing to revise your goals. Have an honest conversation with your team to find out if they have all the tools and resources that they need to achieve a goal. If not, find out if you can help them or if it is time to set more realistic goals.

Admitting when you are struggling shows strength, not weakness. If someone is dealing with personal struggles, being open about it helps others understand and can make the workplace more supportive.

Bad bosses can teach as much, if not more, than great bosses. Watching what doesn't work and feeling the impact of negative behaviors can inspire people to do the opposite.

Great leaders regularly examine their own behavior. It's easy to spot toxic bosses in others, but it is harder to recognize those traits in yourself. Leaders should take the time to ask themselves, "Am I making it harder for someone to succeed here?"

Plus, Mita shares memorable stories of bad bosses she's encountered (including herself) and the lessons from those experiences. Tune in!
Quote: 
"The biggest complaint in any relationship, whether at home or work, is a lack of time for each other. If you're not making time for your team, you really need to ask yourself why you're leading them."

About:  
Mita Mallick is an inclusive marketing expert and cultural change agent known for transforming organizations. She's the bestselling author of Reimagine Inclusion and , The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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28min
September 23, 2025Balancing AI, Personalization, and the Human Touch Featuring Chris Koehler
How AI and Data Shape Modern Customer Experience and Engagement
Shep interviews Chris Koehler, Chief Marketing Officer at Twilio. He talks about creating exceptional customer experiences by leveraging personalization, customer trust, and AI.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
What defines an amazing digital customer experience today?

How can businesses personalize digital interactions?

Why is trust crucial in building long-term customer relationships?

Why is it important for companies to use customer data responsibly and transparently?

How does reducing friction impact customer satisfaction and retention?
Top Takeaways:  
Personalization isn't just about using someone's name but about remembering their preferences, past actions, and making timely suggestions that fit their needs. When customers receive an experience that feels like it was made just for them, it leaves a strong, positive impression.

Customers love it when a company remembers who they are and what they like, so they don't have to repeat themselves every time they interact or use another channel to communicate.

Customers expect brands to use their data wisely and responsibly. It's not just about protecting information. It is also about applying it in ways that matter to customers. Trust is built when companies use data to solve problems or anticipate customer needs.

Transparency is the foundation of customer relationships. When companies are up front about when customers are talking to AI and make it easy for them to connect with a human when necessary, they like the experience and feel respected and cared for.

Making every step in the customer journey easy encourages customers to keep doing business with a company. If it's quick and simple to sign up, get help, or find what they need, customers are much more likely to come back.

Customers want to communicate in the way that fits their situation and preferences. Companies need to be mindful of where their customers want to interact with them, whether it is by phone, chat, email, or social media.

Different generations may have different preferences for communicating with a brand, but everyone likes having options. For example, customers may start with a chatbot but end up needing to talk to a human to solve complex or sensitive issues. Modern customer expectations include a consistently positive experience across multiple channels.

Automating routine tasks through AI can make processes faster and more consistent, but it shouldn't detract from the human element of customer service. While technology can handle simple tasks quickly and efficiently, there are complex issues that need human intervention.

Plus, Chris shares important and interesting stats on customer experience, AI, and personalization from Twilio's 2025 State of Customer Engagement Report. Tune in!
Quote: 
"At the end of the day, people really don't care which channel they use. They just want the problem solved."

About:  
Chris Koehler is Chief Marketing Officer at Twilio, a cloud communications platform that enables businesses to seamlessly integrate messaging, voice, and video capabilities into their applications to enhance customer engagement.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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30min
September 16, 2025Closing the Customer Experience Gap Featuring Jeff Rosenberg
The Five Customer-Centric Strategies
Shep interviews Jeff Rosenberg, Co-Founder & Partner of WideOpen and author of The CX Imperative. He talks about the importance of holistic customer experience and the common gaps between company perception and customer reality.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
What makes a successful customer experience strategy?

What are the main reasons companies struggle to meet customer expectations in today's marketplace?

How can businesses identify and close the gap between perceived and actual customer experience?

How can companies effectively gather deep, meaningful feedback from their customers?

How does technology create distance between companies and their customers, and what can they do to overcome it?
Top Takeaways:  
Companies often make the mistake of thinking CX is only about handling complaints or questions. Every part of the journey matters and contributes to how a customer feels about a brand. It includes every interaction a customer has with a business, from the first time they hear about the brand to the buying process and all the way through to using the product or service.

Many companies believe they are delivering excellent customer service, but their customers may disagree. Recognizing and working towards closing that customer experience gap is an opportunity for companies to get it right with their customers and gain a competitive differentiator in their industry.

To truly understand your customers means seeing things from their perspective. It is important to learn about what your customers think about when they use your product, what problems they encounter, and what would make their experience better.

Customer service is not just a department. It's a philosophy. Every employee, including those who do not have direct customer contact, needs to understand their role in shaping the overall customer experience.

Jeff also shares the five strategic practices that need to work together to ensure that a company becomes more customer-centric and can focus on customer experience.
Insights: Gather deep, human-centered insights across the entire customer lifecycle that help you understand what customers are thinking, feeling, and experiencing at every stage.

Strategy: Develop a clear and simple CX strategy that defines how you want customers to feel after interacting with your brand.

Blueprints: Intentionally design and map out the end-to-end customer journey, so that resources and touchpoints align smoothly.

Operating Model: Organizing teams, roles, and processes to consistently deliver on the customer experience across all departments.

Culture: Changing the culture so employees have more inspiration and understanding of why they should care about the customer.
Plus, Shep and Jeff discuss the "great distancing" and why companies need to avoid it as they add more technology. Tune in!
Quote: 
"There's a (customer experience) gap between what companies think they deliver and what customers actually experience. That gap presents an opportunity for companies to get it right with their customers and to build competitive differentiation."

About:  
Jeff Rosenberg is the co-founder of WideOpen and author of The CX Imperative: Five Strategic Practices for Renewal of the Customer-Centered Enterprise.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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32min
September 09, 2025Gen Z's Influence on Customer Experience and Loyalty Featuring Craig Crisler
Community, Loyalty, and Human Touch in Customer Experience
Shep interviews Craig Crisler, CEO and co-founder of SupportNinja. He talks about how brands are adapting (or not) to meet younger customers' expectations, and the importance of blending technology with genuine human connection in CX.
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  
What makes loyalty programs appealing to Gen Z customers?

How does Gen Z's approach to customer loyalty differ from previous generations?

Why is it important for brands to focus on building community within their loyalty programs?

How does personalized service contribute to repeat business and customer loyalty?

Why should companies continuously evolve their loyalty programs for new generations?
Top Takeaways:  
Gen Z consumers, people roughly between 18 and 28 years old, are quickly becoming one of the most influential groups of spenders. Their preferences are shaping the way companies design their services and loyalty programs.

Loyalty programs must evolve over time to meet the changing needs and habits of new and younger customers. Brands that don't update their loyalty strategy risk losing relevance as younger customers will look elsewhere for more meaningful rewards.

While loyalty programs often offer perks like discounts or points, creating a sense of belonging and exclusivity resonates more with Gen Z customers. For example, loyalty clubs that invite them to events or offer early access to new products go beyond just saving money and make customers feel like they are part of something special.

It's easy to fall into the trap of generational stereotypes like "Millennials are lazy" or "Gen Z can't focus." The truth is every generation has slackers as well as go-getters. Instead of hiring employees based on which generation they belong to, focus on attitude, personality, and drive.

Gen Z shoppers are drawn to brands that build real experiences and communities around their products. Creating experiences helps customers form memories and connections that keep them coming back.

Successful loyalty programs prioritize the personal aspect of the customer experience. Small gestures, such as using a customer's name or offering information relevant to their needs, can make a huge impression. Customers like to return to brands that make them feel welcome and valued on an individual level.

When brands reach out to customers at a younger age, they can build lifelong loyalty. Companies that nurture these relationships as customers grow are more likely to keep them for decades, and the trust from the start pays off in long-term customer retention.

Businesses should use AI to make things easier but not forget that real conversations matter. AI should enable, not erase, the connections between companies and their customers. Customers of all generations still want to talk to actual people who understand their needs and can provide help.

Plus, Shep and Craig share customer loyalty strategy examples from brands like Nordstrom, Ikea, Starbucks, and Delta. Tune in!
Quote: 
"Gen Z leans in on the idea of community in loyalty programs. They want a sense of belonging and love feeling treated special by the way a loyalty program works."

About:  
Craig Crisler is the CEO and co-founder of SupportNinja, a people-focused company that provides full-cycle outsourced customer support solutions for emerging brands around the world.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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30min

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How many episodes does Amazing Business Radio have?

The podcast currently has 559 episodes available.

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