CX is Getting Better, Are Customers Getting Worse?

The retail and customer service industry has never been more necessary. As customers return to in-person environments, retail workers have acted as a support system, guiding them through new safety policies and helping them navigate the evolving in-store and online experience. But, even though these employees have provided unwavering support throughout the pandemic, some customers are now taking advantage of their willingness — and, according to new accounts, many customers are on their worst behavior.

In a recent discussion of the adage ‘the customer is always right’, Business Insider notes that companies like Amazon are perpetuating the unreasonable standards that have led to this increase in unwieldy customer behavior. The customer-obsessed mindset has put the customer in charge, increasing the likelihood of harassment and mistreatment of service workers.

The eCommerce giant states in its guiding principles that its leaders start with the customer and work backward. Further, they work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust, which author Avery Hartmans claims has created a “world where many believe getting anything you want, when you want it, should be the norm, not the exception.”

This unruly behavior has gotten so bad that retailers are now encouraging their shoppers to show support for workers. Clothing retailer Gap recently teamed up with its competitors on a campaign to demonstrate support for employees facing harassment.  

Consider the Employee Experience

The customer-centric mindset has become a major topic of discussion this past year. Innovative companies like Amazon have attracted a fiercely loyal following by proving their ability to provide seamless, swift, and personalized support. However, what we don’t often consider is the impact this strategy can have on employees. If workers are ultimately being mistreated because of standards that value a customer’s satisfaction over an employee’s well-being, it can only succeed for so long. Without proper consideration of both parties, the employee and customer experience will end up suffering.

But, most companies are considering their employee in the equation; CCW Digital research found that 68% of companies view their contact center team as more valuable now than they did prior to the pandemic. And, many of these companies are working to reward them as such; employee-well being was ranked the number one focus for today’s contact center leaders. Therefore, it seems that many companies are working to create an environment that is beneficial to employees and customers.

How Can We Enact Change?

If companies are truly attempting to protect their workers and improve employee well-being, maybe these instances are in fact stemming from unreasonable customer expectations. If this is the case, initiatives like Gap’s latest campaign, urging customers to sign a pledge to support workers, may be more helpful. 

To enact a more dramatic change, Scotland recently announced new legislation marking threatening, harassing, or assaulting a retail worker a punishable offense. These behaviors will result in a fine, with penalties escalating to a prison sentence.

While this may not be necessary for every case, creating an environment that forces customers to become more introspective, in terms of how they treat service workers, can help shed light on the current mistreatment of employees. Additionally, promoting campaigns that illustrate the solidarity between a company and its employees can also help. Humanizing service workers will compel customers to form a more empathetic view of the employees they are interacting with. 

Further, customers should recognize the fact that mistreating and undermining service employees will only lead to diminished experiences. If service workers are unable to perform their job comfortably, turnover will increase, morale will decrease, and the service environment will ultimately suffer.

In the end, all of this is not to say a customer-centric service strategy is bad, it is simply to say that the mindset of the ‘customer is always right’ is often flawed. To provide good customer experiences, companies undoubtedly must consider the customer, but to facilitate exceptional experiences companies need the support of their frontline. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio PEXELS