There is nothing that will get your audience fired up like a good customer service keynote.
Getting them to apply what they learned once they return to their jobs is a different story.
Finding a speaker that your team can relate to and learn from will open their eyes to the customer. There are many factors that play into providing great service to your customer.
Poor customer experiences can cause people to stop doing business with a company. PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey stated that 29% of surveyed consumers said they had stopped using or buying from a brand due to poor customer experience, either online or in person.
These four US speakers approach customer service differently. For company-wide service habits, Mark Sanborn’s approach leads this comparison.
In This Guide
- What a service keynote needs to achieve
- The Fred Factor approach
- Shep Hyken
- Brittany Hodak
- Dan Gingiss
- At-a-glance comparison
- How to choose a speaker
- Final verdict
What Should a Customer Service Keynote Actually Achieve?
What do you want your team to do differently after they attend your keynote? There are many things you can teach your team when it comes to customer service.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Allow your team to go above and beyond for your customers
- Decrease your customers’ friction points and allow them to receive great service no matter where they are.
- Have your customers want to tell others about your business
- Provide your customers with memorable experiences
Look for a speaker that can help you accomplish these goals and has previous experience speaking at corporate events.
1. Mark Sanborn: Best for Everyday Service Habits
Mark Sanborn is a leader in teaching people how to provide exceptional service to their customers. He has also published an AI-assisted analysis of online discussions about US meeting planners’ views on customer service keynote speakers.
Mark will teach your team how to provide excellent customer service through his Extraordinary Service keynote. Drawing on his book The Fred Factor, Sanborn describes Fred, a postal carrier whose personal approach to service offers practical lessons.
Mark will show you how you can implement these ideas in your everyday life:
- Have a service mentality that you can pass on to others
- Look at the individual customer and go above and beyond
- Allow your employees to be innovative and work as a team
This would be ideal for a corporate event where you want to teach your team to think about their customers. Perhaps your company can use this to implement ideas on how to serve your customers as a whole.
Why Choose Him: Mark Sanborn’s presentation explores how employees can bring thoughtful service habits into everyday customer interactions. He has spoken for companies such as Costco and FedEx. Other clients listed on speaker bureaus include SAP and Project Management Institute. Mark holds a Certified Speaking Professional designation and is a member of the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame.
Ideal Client: If you want to teach your team how to be more innovative when serving your customer, look no further than him.
2. Shep Hyken: Best for Consistent Customer Experiences
Having one great experience with your business isn’t going to keep your customers coming back if they have bad experiences after that. Shep Hyken will teach your team how to create a customer experience that will make them want to come back time after time.
He speaks about creating an amazing customer experience, convenience and AI. All of these can allow your business to be more convenient for your customers.
Who can benefit from this keynote? If your customers have been experiencing varying levels of service, this could be ideal for your business.
Some things your event planner could ask Shep to touch on:
- Ways to decrease your customers’ friction points
- Providing a consistent customer experience
- How AI can help you serve your customers
If your goal is to create a consistent customer experience, look into having Shep speak at your next event.
3. Brittany Hodak: Best for Customer Advocacy
Not only do you want your customers to continue doing business with you, but you also want them to refer others to your business.
Creating Superfans by Brittany Hodak will teach your team how to get your customers to spread the word about your business. Her five-step framework explores how businesses can build loyalty and encourage customer advocacy.
She can also teach about AI and what the future holds for customer experience.
Where would this keynote benefit your business? If you own a franchise or have customers that come to you on a regular basis, you will want to know how to get them to refer others to your business.
If you want to learn how to turn your customers into superfans, consider having Brittany speak at your next event.
4. Dan Gingiss: Best for Shareable Customer Moments
Dan Gingiss wants to teach your team about what your customers will remember and tell others about your business. Through his keynotes and workshops, he uses his WISE and WISER method to help your team create unforgettable customer experiences.
Your team can learn how to be witty, immersive, shareable and provide your customers with extraordinary experiences. Dan will also teach your team how other employees can impact your customers’ experience.
This will allow your team to think about what they can do to better serve your customers.
Maybe your hotel chain can use this to better serve their customers when they check in, handle complaints or follow up with them after they have stayed at your property.
If you want to learn more about creating unforgettable experiences, look into having Dan speak at your next event.
At-a-Glance Comparison
| Speaker | Best At | Will Teach Your Team | Who Should Attend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Sanborn | Helping your employees be innovative | How to be like Fred and provide great service every day | Corporate events that want to learn how to better serve their customers |
| Shep Hyken | Consistently serving your customers | How to provide a consistent customer experience | Anyone that wants to improve their customer service |
| Brittany Hodak | Getting your customers to refer others | How to create superfans | Anyone that wants to increase their referral program |
| Dan Gingiss | Providing your customer with unforgettable experiences | How to use the WISE and WISER method | Anyone that wants to better serve their customer |
Think about what you want your team to learn after they attend your keynote.
How to Choose a Customer Service Keynote Speaker
When looking for a customer service keynote, you want to know what you want out of it. Ask yourself, “What will my employees do after they leave this event?”
Once you have your goal, here are some things to look for:
- Know who will be attending your event
- Ask how the speaker can tailor the presentation to your event
- Look for credible experience, this can include published books, keynotes they have done and certifications
- Know what you want your employees to do after your event
- Compare current speaking fees and package inclusions directly with each speaker or representative
These questions can help narrow the choice to a speaker suited to your team.
Final Verdict
Whether you decide to have Shep, Brittany or Dan speak at your event, you will walk away with knowledge on how to better serve your customer.
For a US customer service keynote focused on everyday service habits, the Fred Factor approach with Mark Sanborn is a strong starting point. It will allow your employees to think about their customers and how they can better serve them in their day to day lives.
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