In this playful, high-energy keynote teaser, Dan Gingiss (with a cameo from his AI avatar) unveils AI Meets Customer Experience: Expect the Unexpected. While the hype around artificial intelligence continues to grow, Dan emphasizes that the true differentiator is not just the technology, it’s the customer impact.

The keynote focuses on four practical use cases where AI transforms CX:

1. Hyper-personalization – AI anticipates customer needs and preferences, creating seamless personalized journeys. Example: a coffee shop knowing your order before you do.
2. Predictive analytics – Using AI to analyze customer behavior and optimize operations, helping brands predict demand and eliminate friction.
3. Advanced virtual reality – Shopping and service experiences powered by immersive, futuristic environments (think Ready Player One applied to retail).
4. Next-generation customer service – Adaptive AI systems that pivot in real time to handle inquiries and resolve issues at scale.

Attendees can expect interactive demonstrations, real-time engagement, and memorable stories that bring each use case to life. Dan promises an epic opening, a powerful finale, and practical takeaways that will leave leaders thinking differently about how to integrate AI into CX strategies.

In this keynote clip, Dan Gingiss emphasizes that people only share two types of experiences: really good ones or really bad ones. He illustrates this with humor, noting that nobody ever tells a friend about a “perfectly average restaurant.”

Gingiss argues that competing on price is a losing game and that product differentiation has become increasingly difficult. The real battleground, he says, is customer experience. A memorable experience not only delights customers but also sparks word-of-mouth promotion, which is more powerful than any marketing campaign. In fact, he jokes that if he never has to run another traditional marketing campaign again, it will be too soon because the best marketing comes from customers themselves sharing positive stories.

However, he notes with concern that two-thirds of consumers cannot remember the last time they had a good experience. This gap presents a massive opportunity for businesses willing to prioritize CX. By being the brand that delivers consistently remarkable experiences, companies can stand out and build lasting loyalty.

Gingiss reassures leaders that great customer experience doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive, or time-consuming. It doesn’t require a massive multi-year transformation. Instead, it begins with building a culture of customer-centricity, where every employee regardless of role considers how they can improve the customer’s day. From front-line staff to back-office operations, each interaction contributes to the overall experience.

He closes by underscoring that every employee has the power to make a difference and that when organizations collectively focus on enhancing experiences, they not only win customers but also create advocates who drive growth.

Dan Gingiss, introduced as one of the world’s top 30 customer experience professionals, takes the stage with a simple but powerful message: “There is something far more effective than another marketing campaign — a remarkable customer experience.”

He begins by pointing out a truth most leaders know but rarely act on: competing on price is a race to the bottom, while competing on product or service has become nearly impossible in industries where offerings are commoditized. What’s left, Gingiss argues, is the one differentiator that cannot be copied as easily: customer experience. Not only is it more sustainable, it’s also the cheapest and most efficient way to grow and retain a business.

The key, he says, is recognizing what customers actually share. People don’t talk about average moments; they share really good or really bad experiences. This insight gives companies an enormous opportunity to stand out simply by providing positive, shareable moments.

Yet Gingiss highlights a troubling statistic: two-thirds of consumers cannot remember the last time any brand exceeded their expectations. Despite interacting with dozens of companies each week, most people are left uninspired. While this reality is “incredibly sad,” he frames it as a massive opportunity. For organizations that choose to prioritize CX, it means the bar is set low and the ability to surprise and delight customers is within reach.

He emphasizes that customers today want relationships, not transactions. They are looking to connect with brands on a deeper level, to feel valued beyond the purchase itself. By focusing on relationships, engagement, and care, companies can transform customers into advocates.

Closing on an empowering note, Gingiss reassures the audience that creating remarkable experiences doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. It’s about being intentional and human. Every person in the organization has the potential to be “the experience maker.” His challenge: “Go forth and create remarkable experiences for your customers.”

Dan Gingiss frames a powerful equation: Expectations + Emotion = Willingness to Share. When brands exceed expectations, they create positive emotion and customers eagerly share because genuinely great experiences are still rare. When brands merely meet expectations, emotion flatlines; there’s nothing “remarkable” to remark on. When brands miss expectations, negative emotion drives high sharing, often amplified on social media. The solution: flood the market with positive moments so “the lovers are louder than the haters.”

Dan illustrates how small signals shape big perceptions, using signs and micro-moments. A witty Manhattan storefront sign communicates honesty and personality; a harsh “no courtesy cups” notice triggers distrust and a mental spiral about corner-cutting. Policies can exist without sounding punitive, tone matters. He contrasts a gas station’s “Customer service is priceless” message with fast-food refill warnings that go viral for the wrong reasons.

He spotlights elegant design fixes that anticipate real behavior: a busy restaurant replaces “push/pull” with “in/out” on swinging doors to prevent collisions; a hotel’s motion light guides guests at night; a bakery’s oversized trash opening fits cups—but purposely not trays, solving two pains at once. He shows how brands can turn mistakes into marketing ASOS reframes a printed typo as a “limited edition,” earning massive engagement. Even a urinal “target” proves you can craft an experience anywhere.

Shifting to social care, Dan explains that customers now “talk back,” and responsive brands win advocacy. He shares Crock-Pot’s rapid, empathetic response to a TV-fueled backlash, turning anger into public support. At Discover, mimicking a customer’s playful tone and resolving the issue converted a skeptic into a loyal cardholder within 13 minutes—still happy years later.

Dan closes with seven practical actions: be available where your customers are; don’t fear complaints (they reveal what to fix); truly listen beyond survey scores; respond to everyone (except trolls); show empathy publicly; fix root causes to reduce service volume; and tightly align marketing with service so campaigns and care reinforce each other. The throughline: design for positive emotion, remove friction, and make sharing your ally.