Fast Company
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Your customer service problem isn’t a customer service problem
A team member's persistent headache was ultimately resolved by treating a misaligned jaw, revealing the importance of addressing root causes, not just symptoms. Similarly, many companies experience poor customer service, which is often a symptom of underlying poor employee engagement. Engaged employees consistently outperform disengaged ones, leading to higher customer loyalty and satisfaction. Therefore, improving customer experience necessitates treating the core issue of employee disengagement, rather than just implementing customer service training.To elevate employee engagement, organizations must first make it a strategic priority, similar to other critical business metrics. This involves forming a dedicated engagement unit and holding them accountable with clear goals and metrics. Furthermore, specifying desired outcomes for employee engagement programs ensures they are targeted and measurable. Crucially, involving employees in co-creating these programs prevents resources from being wasted on initiatives that don't address their actual concerns. Finally, continuous measurement, monitoring, and refinement of engagement programs are essential for long-term success. By investing in employee engagement with the same intensity as customer engagement, businesses can effectively resolve customer experience headaches. This approach, followed by customer experience training, will lead to significant improvements in overall customer experience.