Are Your Employees Switching Off From CX? - Why Employee Engagement in Customer Experience Matters

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Over the past few months, we’ve noticed a subtle trend in some of the companies we work with: employees seem less engaged in the customer experience (CX) journey. There’s a hesitancy to give feedback, less energy in participation, and a growing sense of detachment. It raises an important question - why?

Is it a by-product of hybrid working? Perhaps the sense of connection or influence has faded with more time spent away from the workplace. Or maybe it’s the familiar “busy fools” syndrome - where employees are so caught up in day-to-day demands that there’s no headspace left to think about the bigger picture.

But there’s another, more uncomfortable possibility: what if they think it doesn’t matter? That their voice won’t be heard. That management won’t act on it anyway. And when that mindset takes hold, progress stalls.

Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: ignore employees at your peril - not just for their sake. In 2-years of conducting CX assessments IIC has seen a clear correlation where demotivated or disillusioned employees lead to unhappy customers.

It doesn’t matter whether someone is customer-facing, behind a desk in the back office, or working in a warehouse - everything they do contributes to the customer experience. Every internal process, system update, delivery, invoice, and interaction has a ripple effect that eventually reaches the customer. And if employees lose sight of that, the experience starts to break down.

So, what can you do?

Start by listening - genuinely. Make it easy and safe for employees to share feedback, and most importantly, act on it. Even small actions taken in response to employee insights show that their input is valued.

Next, connect the dots. Help everyone in the organisation understand how their role - no matter how behind-the-scenes - impacts the end customer. Make customer experience something that belongs to everyone, not just the frontline.

Finally, recognise and celebrate those who embody a customer-first mindset. Enable and upskill them to become customer champions and recognise the role they play in delivering great customer experiences. Appreciation is a powerful motivator.

CX doesn’t live in branding documents or customer surveys alone. It lives in the attitudes and actions of your people. If they’re switched off, your customer experience will be too. But get them engaged, and you’ll unlock one of the most powerful assets in your business.

To learn how employee engagement and customer experience go hand in hand, or if you want to create your own Customer Champions contact us today.

0800 024 8895

enquiry@investorincustomers.com

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