February 10, 2026

Customer Experience Beyond Distinction Featuring Scott McKain

24 minutes

How CX Leaders Can Navigate the Turbulence of an AI-Transformed World

Shep interviews Scott McKain, award-winning speaker and best-selling author. He talks about his latest book, Beyond Distinction: How Leaders Transcend the Turbulence of an AI-Transformed World, and how leaders and organizations can create meaningful, distinctive customer experiences in an AI-transformed world.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  

Why is consistency important in providing an excellent customer experience?

What role does emotional connection play in building customer loyalty?

How should companies leverage technology to improve customer service without losing the human touch?

What are some effective ways to deliver a proactive customer experience?

Why is standing out from competitors not enough to build lasting customer relationships?

Top Takeaways:  

Standing out from competitors is important. However, simply being different is not always good. Distinction is when what we do is unique, compelling, and memorable in a way that is impactful and meaningful to the customers we seek to serve.

Consistency wows customers. Amazing customer experiences are built on doing small things right, every time. When every interaction is handled with care and attention, customers learn to trust the brand.

Technology, like AI, can make your business faster and more efficient, but loyalty comes from how you make customers feel. Even with simple gestures like remembering someone's name or checking whether the customer got everything they need, it's the human touch that keeps people coming back.

Use AI to save money and handle repetitive tasks efficiently, giving your team more time to focus on resolving customer issues and building stronger relationships.

Every organization should be very precise about what they aren't, just as clear as they are about what they are.

Real competitive advantage does not come from reacting to trends or to what your competitors are doing. If you are constantly in reaction mode, you are already behind. Staying ahead means anticipating your customers' needs before they realize what they want.

Artificial Intelligence amplifies the values and habits a business already has, good or bad. If a business is committed to consistently providing excellent service, AI will help them do so even better. If a business is running on broken systems or is only focused on cutting costs, AI could make those problems worse.

Plus, Scott shares more insights from his latest book, Beyond Distinction: How Leaders Transcend the Turbulence of an AI-Transformed World. Tune in!

Quote: 

"Tasks go to technology, but emotion and customers go to human beings."

About:  

Scott McKain is a Hall of Fame speaker, business advisor, and the founder/CEO of the Distinction Institute. He is the best-selling author of ALL Business is STILL Show Business, Iconic, Create Distinction, and his latest, Beyond Distinction.

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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By Shep Hyken & C-Suite Radio

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