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“I believe in the power of recognition and empowerment leading to great employee engagement which is critical to guest engagement. Employee empowerment and recognition is the core of our culture and how we achieve outstanding customer service.” – Herve Humler
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba
As the sun rose on Workers’ Day, we paused to honour the unsung heroes, the diligent workers who form the backbone of our economy.
Their tireless efforts shape not only the products and services we consume, but also the fabric of our society.
Today, let me delve into the intricate relationship between workers and customer experience, exploring how their action can either elevate or tarnish the interactions that define our lives.
Customer experience is the sum of every touch point, every smile exchanged, and every digital interaction. However, what often remains hidden is the pivotal role played by workers – the architects of customer experience.
Elevating customer experience
Imagine stepping into your favourite eat out place.
The aroma of your favourite meal envelops you and a friendly waitress greets you with a warm smile.
As you devour the freshly prepared meal, you notice the seamless flow of work in the restaurant – the way the waitress anticipates your needs, the cleanliness of the space, and the soothing background music.
The workers’ commitment to excellence, their attention to excellence, their attention to detail, and their genuine care for your experience orchestrate this harmonious symphony.
How workers elevate customer experience
- Product knowledge: Well-informed workers guide customers, making informed recommendations and ensuring satisfaction.
- Empathy: A compassionate worker can turn a complaint into an opportunity for delight. This empathy is just not a soft skill, it’s a strategic asset for businesses aiming to create exceptional customer experiences.
- Consistency: Workers who consistently deliver excellence create a brand promise that customers trust. The actions of these workers directly impact customer perceptions, loyalty, and overall business success. Consistent workers also tend to create a stable and reliable foundation for exceptional customer experience.
When workers falter
However, let’s not shy away from the darker side.
Picture a chaotic retail store – dishevelled, disinterested staff, and long check-out lines.
The workers here inadvertently sabotage customer experience.
Their disengagement, lack of training, or indifference can leave customers frustrated, disillusioned, and unlikely to return.
How workers tarnish customer experience
- Indifference: A disinterested worker can turn a routine transaction into a forgettable experience by treating it as a mechanical process devoid of human connection. Customers walk away feeling like faceless entities, rather than valued individuals.
- Miscommunication: Lack of clarity or incorrect information can lead to customer dissatisfaction. This can be done through weak non-verbal and interpersonal skills, rushed communication, para verbal hints and tone, lack of clarity in written messages, assumptions and unstated expectations and selective listening.
- Inconsistency: When workers fail to uphold standards, the brand suffers. This is because the customer experience becomes unpredictable. Inconsistent adherence to policies, cleanliness, or safety protocols affects trust.
Bridging the gap
The chasm between good and bad customer experience lies in the hands of workers. Here is how leaders can bridge that gap:
- Identifying gaps: Leaders must scrutinise the employee journey. Where are the gaps? Is it training, communication, or motivation? Identifying these pain points is the first step towards improvement.
- Creative connections: Workers need not wear a “customer service” badge to impact customer experience. A janitor who keeps restrooms spotless contributes just as much as the call centre agent. Leaders should foster creative ways for workers to connect directly with customers.
- Journey maps unite: Integrate customer and employee journey maps. By aligning these paths, leaders gain insights into pain points. Perhaps the checkout process frustrates both workers and customers – fixing it benefits all.
- One view, one goal: Visibility matters. Leaders should provide a unified view of customer experience and employee experience. When workers understand their impact, they strive for excellence.
In this grand symphony of service, workers wield the baton. Their notes – whether harmonious or discordant – resonate through time.
Let us celebrate them not only on Workers’ Day but every day.
For they are the architects of our customer experiences, the silent conductors shaping our world.
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing consultant with a strong passion for customer experience. For comments, suggestions, and trainings, she can be reached at [email protected] or at +263 712 979 461, 0719 978 335, 0772 978 335
Online Reporter