Customer Success Playbook S3 E40 - Shep Hyken - Why "Fine" is a Four-Letter Word in Customer Experience

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Get ready for a masterclass in customer service strategy with the legendary Shep Hyken. In this milestone episode of the Customer Success Playbook podcast, Shep breaks down key takeaways from his newly released "2025 State of Customer Service and CX" report. Discover why being merely "fine" won't cut it anymore, how consistency trumps heroics, and the one word that defines customer loyalty.

Detailed Analysis: In this lively and enlightening conversation, Kevin Metzger and Roman Trebon sit down with renowned speaker and author Shep Hyken to unpack the shifting expectations shaping the future of customer service. Shep's insights challenge the outdated belief that "satisfactory" is good enough. Spoiler alert: it's not. According to his report, 27% of customers say they'll start looking elsewhere if a company only delivers a satisfactory experience. In his words, "Fine is the F-bomb of customer experience."

But what does it take to rise above "fine"? Shep doesn’t just point to grand gestures; instead, he emphasizes the power of small, consistent actions. Whether it’s using a customer’s name or always being helpful and approachable, it’s about showing up reliably and slightly exceeding expectations. Shep shares how legendary brands like Ritz-Carlton win not by going over the top, but by being just 10% better than average—consistently. That 3.3 on a 5-point scale? That’s where magic lives.

This episode is packed with actionable gems for anyone in customer success, support, or CX leadership. If you're looking to fine-tune your 2025 customer strategy, Shep delivers the roadmap with charm, clarity, and a touch of humor.

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Episode Transcript

Kevin Metzger (00:05):
Customer success.

Roman Trebon (00:10):
Hi everyone, and welcome to the Customer Success
Playbook podcast, your go-to foractionable insights on modern
customer service and experience.
I'm your host Roman.
Joined by me, as always, is mycohost, Kevin Metzger.
Kevin, happy Monday.
We have an amazing guest linedup.
I am so excited about this.
Um, you ready to get going?

Kevin Metzger (00:30):
Ready to get going.
Very excited.
Today we're thrilled to haveShep Hyken, world renowned
keynote speaker and customerservice and customer experience,
and the author of the JustReleased 2025 State of the
Customer Service and CX report.
Shep, welcome to the Shep.

Shep Hyken (00:48):
Hey, thanks.
Great to be here.
Excited to talk about anythingrelated to customer service and
experience.
It's what I live and breathe.

Roman Trebon (00:55):
I know Shep Shep we're so excited when we first
started this podcast, uh, twoand a half years ago.
A little quick anecdote.
I said, Kev, you know, who's,who are we gonna have on the
show?
And, and we started listinglike, potential guests down the
line and your name popped up.
And I said, I don't think we'reever gonna get there, Kev.
Well, today's the day we'vegotten there.
You're joining the show and, uh,it, it's a milestone for, for

(01:15):
the podcast.
Well, you should have called metwo years ago.
I would've said yes.
Yeah, we had a work up to it.
You may have said yes, Shep, butwe had a work up to it.
So, uh, I feel like we, we havea sense of accomplishment now
that we're, uh, a hundredepisodes in and, and you're now
joining us, so Well, thank you.
Yeah.
Awesome.
Well let, let, let's get intoit.
Shep, uh, from your, from your2025 state of the customer

(01:38):
service and CX report, what'sthe single most important
insight you'd give to any brandor organization looking to
elevate their customer servicestrategy in 2025?

Shep Hyken (01:49):
There's like two or three main points in there.
But let me just first say thatthe most convenient experience
you can provide will win.
All things being equal productpricing, if you just make it
easier for the customer.
The other thing is to recognize,and I'll just give you two of
them.
Uh, we found that, I think it's,uh, 26.

(02:09):
Yeah, well, it's about one infour, 27%.
I'm looking at it right here.
27% of US consumers, and by theway, we survey what's
essentially a, a match to the UScensus of population.
Everybody from Gen Z at 18 yearsold, all the way up to age 70,
which are the boomers.
So there's four generationsrepresented.
Same.

(02:29):
We look at gender, ethnicity,geography.
This is a cross section of theUnited States, and here's what
we found is that 27%, that'sbasically one in four.
If all you do is satisfy, yourcustomers are gonna be looking
for other opportunities to dobusiness with companies that do
a little bit more than just givethem an okay experience.
And in other words, satisfactoryis average.

(02:50):
It's just okay.
It's just fine if you will.
Fine is not fine.
It's the FBO of customerexperience.
Stay away from the four letterword that starts with F that is
known as fine.
Love it.
Love it.

Kevin Metzger (03:03):
So Chef, what's an example of the customer
experience that's above andbeyond that keeps customers
coming back?

Shep Hyken (03:12):
So, let's, I, I'm gonna give you an answer that
isn't what you probably expect.
'cause above and beyond I.
To me, that only happens whenthere's a problem or you notice
a special occasion.
You know, I could be a server ata restaurant and overhear a
couple talking about their 10year anniversary and surprise
them with a piece of cake and acandle that's above and beyond.
They weren't expecting it.

(03:33):
If you call me with the problemand it's a difficult problem,
and I figure out a way to solveit for you.
I that might be considered aboveand beyond, but day in and day
out, you're probably not gonnahave these opportunities.
So the companies that win inExcel that people say, I love
doing business with them,there's the word always followed

(03:53):
by something positive.
So it's a consistent andpredictable experience.
They're always so helpful.
They're always so knowledgeable.
They're always so friendly.
Even when there's a problem, Iknow I can always.
Count on them.
So that word always followed bysomething, uh, positive.
And that's why uh, I think beingamazing and creating that
experience that gets people towant to come back again and

(04:14):
again is within grasp and reachof anybody in any business.
They just have to recognize thatsimple idea that, you know, we
just need to be consistent andmeeting expectations the other
way of doing it.
And, and I have had a greatopportunity to talk several
times with Horse Schultz of.
Ritz Carlton fame.

(04:34):
He was the first president andco-founder of the Ritz Carlton
Hotel Chain.
And I said, what does it take tobe the iconic brand worldwide
recognized for a greatexperience?
And he says, you just need to bea little above average, not over
the top, above average, just alittle.
And I said, how much is alittle.
Because I've been preaching alittle above average all the
time.
And by the way, if all you do issimply consistently meet the

(04:56):
expectation, you don't have togo above and beyond.
That's better than averagebecause most companies can't do
it.
But he defined above average aslittle things that count.
For example, using the guest'sname when they check in, um,
maybe when they get out of thecar, the person working the door
looks at the luggage tag.
Ask, are you Mr.
Hyken?
Yes, I am.

(05:17):
Well, welcome to the Ritz.
You come inside.
This is Mr.
Hyken.
He's here to check in.
Uh, then the person later onsees me walking through the hall
and said, Mr.
Hyken, how's your room?
So they're using my name, buthis definition was little things
and I said, gimme a number.
And he said, 10% better thanaverage.
That's it.
That's what it takes.
So on a scale of one to five,where one is bad and five is

(05:37):
amazing, three is right in themiddle, that's average.
So 3.3 is what makes you aniconic brand.
But here's the key, back to theword I use consistency.
You slip down to being justaverage or below average.
Uh, and the overall experienceyou're done.
Love it.
Shep, this

Roman Trebon (05:56):
is amazing insight.
This is terrific.
You're gonna come back and joinus on Wednesday, I hope, right?
With more, more insight.
I'm there.
I'm already there.
You're back on Wednesday.
Awesome.
I love it.
Um, for our audience, uh, I hopeyou enjoyed our, our first
episode with Shep.
We, we we're, he's guaranteedhe's coming back for one more
episode.
We can hope we get him twice forour, our, our entire three part
series.
Um, for our audience.

(06:17):
Sure.
It would be a hard series.
If I only came back twice, Iwill be here.
I guarantee it on Shep's comingback two more times.
We're getting'em all week.
All right.
You heard it here first.
Alright.
Uh, Wednesday is our one bigquestion.
We're gonna focus on balancingprice sensitivity, uh, and
delivering a, a remarkableexperience.
Shep will talk more about that.
Stay tuned.

(06:38):
Uh, make sure you subscribe likethe show.
You'll be notified when thatnext episode gets released.
Kevin, until next time.
Keep on playing.