[Editor’s Note: This post was last updated on October 4, 2021.]
This Tuesday is “Customer Experience (CX) Day.” Held the first Tuesday every October, CX Day is a global celebration of the companies and professionals that create great customer experiences.
As is the case each year, in the days leading up to this annual event, there are countless articles and blog posts advising people what to do on CX Day (e.g., “27 Ways to Put the Customer First on CX Day”; “11 Ways to Celebrate CX Day”; “5 Ways to Make the Most of CX Day”; and on and on).
And then, of course, on CX Day itself, companies roll out the red carpet for their customer-facing employees, recognizing their efforts to deliver a great customer experience, while trotting out a few senior executives to extol the contributions of these critical staff members.
But it’s what happens the day after CX Day that’s most telling:
That’s when, at many companies, the senior executives disappear behind their mahogany desks, taking refuge in their executive offices, sequestered from the general employee population.
That’s when the giddy companywide celebration of customer-facing roles recedes, replaced with the less appealing perceptions that dominate the other 364 days of the year… that these are entry-level, dead-end, back-office, administrative jobs that are devoid of any glamour.
That’s when customer-facing employees realize they’re working for a company where customer experience is put front and center… one day a year.
And, so, my challenge to you is to make every day CX Day:
To create a work environment where every job is infused with purpose, where every employee sees the link between what they do and what the customer experiences.
An environment where gratitude is the norm, where employees are routinely recognized for their contributions to company success.
An environment where senior executives can frequently be found sitting alongside, conversing with and learning from customer-facing staff.
An environment where, quite simply, customer-facing roles are the ones people aspire to hold.
Jon Picoult is the founder of customer experience advisory firm Watermark Consulting, and author of “FROM IMPRESSED TO OBSESSED: 12 Principles for Turning Customers and Employees into Lifelong Fans” (McGraw-Hill, Nov. 3, 2021). As a consultant and a speaker, he’s worked with the CEOs and executive teams of some of the world’s top brands. Follow Jon on Twitter or Instagram, or Subscribe to his monthly eNewsletter.