What Amazon Taught Us About The Future of Customer Engagement

In early 2021, news broke that Amazon transportation workers were peeing in bottles to make shipments on time. Via their Twitter account, Amazon denied the claim, stating, “If that were true, nobody would work for us. The truth is that we have over a million incredible employees around the world who are proud of what they do, and have great wages and health care from day one.”

This tweet poured gasoline on the rumored dumpster fire. Hundreds of Twitter users took to the platform to provide evidence of truck drivers peeing in bottles because they either couldn’t find a bathroom or didn’t have time. Despite Amazon’s later apology, the damage was done: citizens were seen picketing the streets, advocating for Amazon workers' and truck drivers' rights.

Two years later and brands are still navigating the issue Amazon exposed: how employees are treated will affect the way consumers approach the brand. CEI’s recent Market Study, the Future of Customer Engagement, uncovered that “more than 57% of companies say the reputation of their employee experience [is a] top priorit[y] when designing an engagement strategy.” In other words: to improve user engagement, companies are first improving employee experience.

Why does employee satisfaction matter so much to customers?

Brands could argue that what goes on behind the scenes is neither here nor there as long as they deliver on customer promises. There are two reasons this way of thinking won’t get them far, however.

First, “empowered employees are famously more likely to provide great service and achieve meaningful connections with customers.” Happy employees, especially in the customer experience sector, approach their job in a more positive way and are more likely to treat users with kindness and respect. Additionally, happy employees are less likely to look for other work, ensuring that your staff stays full of experienced agents that know the ins and outs of the business. It’s how Trader Joe's keeps its customer experience so far above par.

Second, customers are increasingly looking to interact with brands that reflect their personal values and their selves. Engaging with a brand is a choice—there are plenty of other options, probably in similar price ranges, for customers to opt into instead or yours. Customers want to see employees at companies that look like them, speak like them, and are from the same places as they are. Of course, this does not mean that all of the employees at a small-town toy store should be children. Perhaps, though, the employees could be locals with children of their own that keep them in tune with market trends, Preschool teachers who want an after-school job, or adults who are just really obsessed with board games and trinkets. As Brian Cantor, Managing Director of CMP Digital, puts it in our September Market Study, “If employees and leaders do not even slightly mirror the audience, what confidence will buyers have that the brand understands their values and empathizes with their concerns?” Short answer: no confidence whatsoever.

There are many aspects of a stellar customer experience: personalized sales and marketing efforts, strong support interactions, and exceptional products. An often underestimated one, however, is the employee experience. Keeping your diverse set of employees happy with their positions and giving them the tools they need to succeed will do more than improve retention rates—it will increase customer engagement and overall satisfaction.

For more on this topic and the Future of Customer Engagement, check out CEI’s recent market study and register for our November online event with the same title.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash