Why Employee Engagement Matters to Customer Service

Employee engagement is vital to the success of customer service (CS) teams as it increases productivity, customer satisfaction, retention, collaboration, and dedication at work. When customer service employees are engaged, they feel safe, highly regarded, and healthier. In turn, they become a valuable asset and part of a company’s brand. Below, we’ll dive deeper into the importance of employee engagement and how to boost it among your CS agents.

Expert Insights

As Bloomfire’s COO, I’ve seen firsthand the pivotal role customer service plays in our organization and the broader business landscape. 

Interactions between customers and employees can fortify or fracture brand loyalty. You might expect companies to go above and beyond to empower their CS teams, nurturing their skills, capabilities, and job satisfaction. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. 

Many organizations struggle with disengaged, overwhelmed, and burned-out customer service professionals. These challenges contribute to higher turnover rates, leaving a trail of disgruntled customers in their wake.

Contrary to popular belief, strengthening employee engagement doesn’t have to be dictated by grand gestures of care in the workplace. Positioning your employees for success by providing them with the necessary tools is one example of a simple strategy you can implement to keep them engaged.

Why Employee Engagement Will Improve Customer Service Outcomes

Every company aims to keep employees engaged and satisfied in their roles to avoid high turnover. Yet, not all leadership teams are convinced that investing more in engaging CS representatives should be a priority when allocating their budgets—especially amid an economic downturn. Nonetheless, driving sufficient resources to improve engagement can positively impact your organization’s top goals and margins for the following reasons.

1. Engaged Employees Delight Customers

Employees with high levels of engagement are generally more productive and provide better customer service. For instance, CS agents who are happier at work handle customer inquiries and issues more efficiently, leading to reduced ticket resolution and wait times. 

Happier employees are more inclined to exceed expectations because they find genuine fulfillment in achieving positive customer outcomes. This, in turn, leads to higher customer loyalty rates and increased revenue. In fact, research by Khoros showed that 43% of customers are more inclined to buy from a brand after receiving excellent service.

2. Engaged Employees Are Less Likely to Quit

Reducing employee turnover is not only cost-effective but also vital for maintaining productivity and customer satisfaction. Replacing an employee involves recruiting and onboarding, which adds extra expenses to the company. High turnover can also lead to inconsistencies in service quality. With 87% of disengaged employees more likely to leave the company, you’ll face a revolving door of CS agents that forces your team to start over with training frequently. 

On the other hand, CS agents who feel valued, supported, and recognized don’t only develop loyalty and dedication to their work and team. They also become advocates for your company and its success, taking ownership of their part in the organization.

“The quality of content with relevant information is always in there. Bloomfire has saved customer service reps time and ensured they get questions answered.”

3. Engaged Employees Collaborate and Cooperate

Working with disengaged team members can hinder overall team success. Low engagement makes overcoming obstacles, seizing improvement opportunities, progressing toward shared goals, or fostering effective teamwork challenging. Additionally, negative attitudes and subpar performance can spread throughout the team. 

Conversely, engaged employees aligned with critical objectives are more inclined to collaborate and cooperate effectively, driving collective success. They are more likely to be enthusiastic about getting involved in cross-collaborative initiatives as they perceive them as a means of employee empowerment, particularly among CS representatives.

4. Engaged Employees Are More dedicated to Company Goals

Engaged employees are passionate about delivering the best possible customer outcomes. They’re personally invested in their success as individual employees, their team, and the success of the organization as a whole. Plus, they understand the significance of their role in realizing the company’s north star.

When genuinely invested in their work, employees naturally go above and beyond. They’re not just waiting for instructions. But they’re actively seeking ways to contribute, developing new ideas, and taking the initiative to solve problems.  This proactive approach, combined with a willingness to persevere through obstacles, is crucial for any company to fortify customer experience and employee engagement. 

How to Boost Employee Engagement Among Customer Service Reps

With the importance of employee engagement spelled out, it’s only a matter of improving your team’s engagement. While you can come up with customer service engagement activities to boost morale and satisfy this goal, there are three actions that you should take consistently to keep a high level of employee engagement in your CS teams.

1. Listen to Feedback and Respond Accordingly

Customer service agents not only want to give you feedback to channel their predicaments and pain points, but these insights can also help you add value to the company internally and externally.

Allowing employees to share their ideas and concerns shows them you care about their experience. Applying their feedback and making tangible improvements will help relieve burnout and prove your commitment to their success and happiness.

Additionally, remember that your CS reps communicate more with your customers than potentially any other team members at your organization. By regularly talking with reps about what customers have to say, you can key into prime opportunities for adding value and pass these insights along to your product teams, sales teams, and leadership.

2. Empower Them With Knowledge

Of course, one of the best ways to engage employees is to set them up for success. While that means competitive pay and good benefits, it also means ensuring every team member can access all the information they need to do their job. 

Employees shouldn’t have to rely on management (or each other) whenever they encounter a challenging customer question or concern. Instead, equip them with a user-friendly knowledge management platform so they know they always have all the information they need to succeed.

This will boost employee confidence while ensuring customers benefit from a high-quality and consistent experience every time.

3. Commit to Your Employee Value Proposition

Your employee value proposition (EVP) goes beyond your website or when you attract talent to your company. You can expect great enthusiasm among your CS teams when you’re steadfast in your commitment to providing what you promised in your job offer. Most high-performing employees are easily motivated when they sense you’re fulfilling your end of the bargain. 

However, remember that EVP is not just about compensation and perks. It should also be reflected in your leadership style, company values, and initiatives that keep you and your employees on the same page. For instance, if you promise career development during recruitment, a strategy map helps employees feel engaged, allowing them to visualize their future in your company.

Invest in Employee Engagement for Customer Service Success

Your customer service team’s success hinges on employee engagement. Engaged employees are not only more satisfied and productive but also instrumental in delivering exceptional customer experiences. By actively listening to their feedback and empowering them with knowledge, you can foster a workplace where they thrive, propelling your organization toward achieving its objectives.

And by investing in your customer service employees, you are paving the way for more tremendous organizational success.

This blog post was originally published in September 2021. It was updated and expanded most recently in November 2024 to reflect new information and best practices.

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About the Author

Sam Schneider

Samantha is an expert in organizational efficiency and effectiveness, drives our customer-obsessed culture, and is a champion for inclusivity at Bloomfire. Her leadership has inspired our team to create products that our customers love, which has been rewarded with great loyalty. Sam focuses on operational excellence, particularly in customer success organizations.