This page provides details about Shep Hyken (person) which was ranked #14 out of 175 in the list of brands (18 mentions (4% share)) in answers from AI models (Anthropic Claude Sonnet (latest), OpenAI ChatGPT Latest, Google Gemini Flash (latest), X.AI Grok (latest)) when they were asked the following 3 questions: "What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.", "If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.", "What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry." on Dec 30, 2025 by AI Chat Watch.
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] tps://www.fullview.io](https://www.fullview.io)
- Cobrowsing and session replay for support teams
33. **Fin by Intercom** - [https://www.intercom.com/fin](https://www.intercom.com/fin)
- AI customer service bot powered by GPT-4
## Industry Experts & Thought Leaders
### Individuals
34. **Shep Hyken** - [https://hyken.com](https://hyken.com)
- Customer service expert and keynote speaker
35. **Jeanne Bliss** - [https://www.customerbliss.com](https://www.customerbliss.com)
- Customer experience executive and author
36. **Jay Baer** - [https://www.jaybaer.com](https://www.jaybaer.com) [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] n.com/learning/)** - Customer service courses
- **[Coursera](https://www.coursera.org/)** - University-level customer service courses
- **[Udemy](https://www.udemy.com/)** - Practical customer support training
## 👥 Influential Experts & Thought Leaders
### Customer Support Experts to Follow
- **[Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/)** - Customer service expert, author, and speaker
- **[Jeanne Bliss](https://www.customerbliss.com/)** - Customer experience executive and author
- **[Jay Baer](https://www.jaybaer.com/)** - Marketing and customer experience expert
- **[Annette Franz](https://www.cx-journey.com/ [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] Secrets Podcast](https://www.getsalefish.com/podcast)** - By Gabe Larsen
- **[The Customer Service Revolution Podcast](https://www.dilanoconsulting.com/podcast/)** - By John DiJulius
- **[Experience This!](https://www.experiencethisshow.com/)** - Customer experience show
### YouTube Channels
- **[Shep Hyken](https://www.youtube.com/user/ShepHyken)** - Customer service tips
- **[Myra Golden](https://www.youtube.com/c/MyraGoldenCustomerService)** - Customer service training videos
## 🎤 Important Events & Conferences
### Major Conferences
- **[CCW (Customer Contact Week)](https://www.customercontactwe [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] " by Matthew Dixon](https://www.effortlessexperience.com/)** - Reducing customer effort
- **["Hug Your Haters" by Jay Baer](https://www.huggyourhaters.com/)** - Handling complaints
- **"Be Your Customer's Hero" by Adam Toporek** - Practical customer service advice
- **["The Cult of the Customer" by Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/books/)** - Creating customer loyalty
- **"Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue" by Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman, and Lincoln Murphy** - CS fundamentals
---
## 🎯 Getting Started Checklist
1. **Join Support Driven Slack commun [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] stroqa.com](https://www.maestroqa.com) - QA for modern support teams
- **Klaus** - [https://www.klausapp.com](https://www.klausapp.com) - Conversation review and QA
- **Loris** - [https://www.loris.ai](https://www.loris.ai) - AI-powered QA automation
## Influential Figures & Thought Leaders
### **Shep Hyken** - [https://hyken.com](https://hyken.com)
Customer service expert, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Regular contributor on Forbes.
### **Adam Toporek** - [https://www.adamtoporek.com](https://www.adamtoporek.com)
CX expert, speaker, and author of "Be Your Customer's Hero"
### **An [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] om)
- [Deloitte](https://www2.deloitte.com)
- [PwC](https://www.pwc.com)
- [Cognizant](https://www.cognizant.com)
---
## 3) Recognized experts & thought leaders (practitioner education, strategy)
A few widely recognized voices in customer service/customer experience content and training:
- [Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com)
- [Jeanne Bliss](https://www.jeannebliss.com)
- [Jeff Toister](https://www.toistersolutions.com)
- [Annette Franz](https://www.cx-journey.com)
- [Blake Morgan](https://www.blakemorgan.com)
Industry research/analyst organizations that frequently cover customer support to [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] ](https://www.icmi.com/) (contact center training, resources, events)
- [HDI](https://www.thinkhdi.com/) (support/service management community + events)
- [CXPA (Customer Experience Professionals Association)](https://www.cxpa.org/)
## 5) Influential experts, authors, and voices to follow
- [Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/) (customer service keynote/author)
- [Jeff Toister](https://www.toistersolutions.com/) (service training, customer service operations)
- [Jeanne Bliss](https://www.jeannebliss.com/) (customer experience leadership)
- [Blake Morgan](https://www.blakemorgan.com/) (CX author/ [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] CSAT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_satisfaction), [Net Promoter Score (NPS)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_promoter_score), [Customer Effort Score (CES)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_Effort_Score)
---
## Influential figures & thought leaders (widely cited in support/CX)
- [Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/)
- [Jeff Toister](https://www.toistersolutions.com/)
- [Blake Morgan](https://www.blakemorgan.com/)
- [Dan Gingiss](https://www.dangingiss.com/)
- [Matt Dixon](https://www.mattdixon.org/) (author known for “effort” framing; see book source: [The Effortless Experience (Po [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] bal leader in customer experience solutions.
* **[Concentrix](https://www.concentrix.com):** Focuses on technology-infused customer engagement at a massive scale.
### 3. Recognized Experts and Thought Leaders
These individuals shape the philosophy and strategy of modern customer service.
* **[Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com):** A customer service expert and author of *The Cult of the Customer*.
* **[Jeanne Bliss](https://customerbliss.com):** Known as the "Godmother of CX" and a leading consultant for C-suite leaders.
* **[Blake Morgan](https://www.blakemichellemorgan.com):** A futurist focused [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] uiring deep CRM integration.
* **[Gorgias](https://www.gorgias.com/)**: The primary helpdesk for E-commerce brands (specifically Shopify stores).
### 2. Influential Experts & Thought Leaders
Following these individuals on LinkedIn or Twitter will help you understand "Customer Centricity."
* **[Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/)**: A customer service expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author.
* **[Jeanne Bliss](https://customerbliss.com/)**: Known as the "Godmother of CX," she pioneered the role of the Chief Customer Officer.
* **[Bill Quiseng](https://billquiseng.com/)**: An award-winning sp [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] lopment. [DevRev](https://devrev.ai)
* **Trends to Watch:** "Proactive Support" (contacting customers before they report an issue) and "Hyper-personalization" using LLMs. [Gartner CX Trends](https://www.gartner.com/en/customer-service-support)
### 4. Influential Figures and Thought Leaders
* **Shep Hyken:** Customer service expert and author of *The Amazement Revolution*. [Hyken.com](https://hyken.com)
* **Jeanne Bliss:** Pioneer of the "Chief Customer Officer" role. [Customer Bliss](https://www.customerbliss.com)
* **Jay Baer:** Expert on customer experience and word-of-mouth marketing. [JayBa [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] omer-service).
Market size: CX software projected at $45B by 2027 per [Grand View Research](https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/customer-experience-management-market).
### Recognized Experts and Thought Leaders
Influencers shaping the field via books, podcasts, and keynotes:
- **[Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/)**: Author of "The Customer Focus," hosts "Amazing Business Radio"; CX Hall of Famer.
- **[Jeanne Bliss](https://jeannebliss.com/)**: "Chief Customer Officer" pioneer; co-founder [Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA)](https://www.cxpa.org/).
- **[Des Traynor](htt [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] er focus, multiple locations.
- **[Zendesk Frontier](https://frontier.zendesk.com/)**: Product updates and CX innovation.
- **[CX Network World Series](https://www.cxnetwork.com/events)**: Virtual/regional summits.
- **[Customer Service Revolution](https://hyken.com/customer-service-revolution/)**: Shep Hyken's annual event.
Virtual options via [Hopin](https://hopin.com/) or [Eventbrite CX events](https://www.eventbrite.com/d/united-states/customer-experience-conferences/).
### Active Communities and Forums
Places for peer advice, integrations, and best practices:
- **[Zendesk Community](https://comm [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] om/products/rescue).
Reviews and alternatives: [GetApp Customer Support Software](https://www.getapp.com/customer-service-support-software/).
### Influential Experts and Reviewers to Follow
Follow these experts for insights on CX (Customer Experience) trends, best practices, and leadership:
- **Shep Hyken**: Bestselling author, speaker on "Amaze Every Customer." [Shep Hyken](https://www.hyken.com/)
- **Jeanne Bliss**: CX pioneer, author of "Chief Customer Officer 2.0." [Jeanne Bliss](https://jeannebliss.com/)
- **Jay Baer**: Founder of Convince & Convert, consults on customer retention. [Jay Baer](h [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] rt Software](https://www.getapp.com/customer-service-support-software/).
### Influential Experts and Reviewers to Follow
Follow these experts for insights on CX (Customer Experience) trends, best practices, and leadership:
- **Shep Hyken**: Bestselling author, speaker on "Amaze Every Customer." [Shep Hyken](https://www.hyken.com/)
- **Jeanne Bliss**: CX pioneer, author of "Chief Customer Officer 2.0." [Jeanne Bliss](https://jeannebliss.com/)
- **Jay Baer**: Founder of Convince & Convert, consults on customer retention. [Jay Baer](https://www.convinceandconvert.com/)
- **Des Traynor**: Intercom co-fou [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] nference](https://www.icmi.com/conference/)
- **Customer Contact Week (CCW)**: Largest CX event with executive keynotes. [Customer Contact Week](https://www.customerexperienceupdate.com/customer-contact-week)
- **CX Network Events**: Regional CX summits. [CX Network](https://www.cxnetwork.com/)
- **Shep Hyken's Customer Service Revolution**: Motivational and practical. [Customer Service Revolution](https://www.customerservicerevolution.com/)
- **Dreamforce** (Salesforce): Huge service track. [Dreamforce](https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/)
Virtual options often available; check Eventbrite [Eventbri [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] iews**:
- [G2 Best Customer Service Software 2024](https://www.g2.com/categories/customer-service-management).
- [Capterra Top Picks](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/).
### Influential Figures and Thought Leaders
Key voices shaping strategy via books, podcasts, and keynotes:
- **Shep Hyken**: Bestselling author on "The Moment of Truth" in service. [Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/).
- **Jeanne Bliss**: Pioneer of customer experience leadership. [Jeanne Bliss](https://jeannebliss.com/).
- **Jay Baer**: Focuses on customer retention/happiness. [Convince & Convert](https://www.convinceand [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ategories/customer-service-management).
- [Capterra Top Picks](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/).
### Influential Figures and Thought Leaders
Key voices shaping strategy via books, podcasts, and keynotes:
- **Shep Hyken**: Bestselling author on "The Moment of Truth" in service. [Shep Hyken](https://hyken.com/).
- **Jeanne Bliss**: Pioneer of customer experience leadership. [Jeanne Bliss](https://jeannebliss.com/).
- **Jay Baer**: Focuses on customer retention/happiness. [Convince & Convert](https://www.convinceandconvert.com/).
- **Annette Franz**: CX metrics and culture expert. [CX [...]