By: John DiJulius from his latest blog post
Employee apathy creates Customer apathy – Today too many companies think it is a race to evolve their Customer Experience from costly human interactions to the bells and whistles of fancy technology like self check in/out iPads, apps, kiosks, marketing and by communicating solely through social media channels, and online support. While this is a necessary evolution for our business models, this must not come at the expense of sending our employees the message that it is no longer about you and what you do, you are no longer a critical piece of the Experience. Employees will feel less important, having a decreased sense of value and disconnection from the company’s purpose, which will create employee apathy. Employee apathy produces Customer apathy. Customer apathy is a sign of a terminally ill business. We cannot let our leaders and employees rely on technology as a crutch for the Customer Experience.
URX – Our employees need to be reminded and told constantly, “You are the Xperience.” (URX) That it is about them, how they interact with the Customer. Ipads, apps, websites, and kiosks don’t build relationships. People do. Employees who connect instead of communicate create loyal Customers. Consider making your 2016 CX theme around URX – “You are the Xperience.”
Carpe Momento – Employees need to be focused how they can provide a positive experience on EVERY interaction, whether it is face-to-face, click-to-click, or ear-to-ear. They need to Carpe Momento – Seize the Moment. Your Service Aptitude training needs to teach them how to do that. And while we have shared many great examples of this in past eServices, i.e. The Five E’s and FORD, another technique I would like to share is about how your employees can bring energy to a Customer interaction.
It is all about Energy – People love energy. The more energy they get the more they are willing to pay for it. Think about your favorite places. Do you want to walk into an empty restaurant, bar, clothing store, or even hair salon, with open seats everywhere and employees standing around? No way! When that happens, people will say there is a ‘lack of atmosphere.’ No, there is a lack of energy. We love energy, the hustle and bustle of positive movement. Think about walking into an Apple Store. Feel the energy? It is everywhere, people are interacting, playing with products, learning, being educated. It is all about the vibe. Let’s go teach our employees ‘you are the Xperience’ through carpe momento by providing energy in their interactions.
