If your organization is looking for results, consider Avaya’s new formula for success: CX+EX=BG. To spell it out, offering a great customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) leads to business growth (BG).
Avaya CEO Alan Masarek and other senior executives at Avaya ENGAGE focused on the benefits of focusing on your customers and supporting your employees. “We want to be the leading CX solution for the enterprise,” said Masarek. “Brands differentiate based on CX, and we want to drive outcomes without disruption.”
Later in the session, ML Maco, chief revenue and customer experience officer, outlined how EX is also crucial to business growth. “Your agents are in the center of the conversation with your customers,” she said. “That means the agent is a business-critical role in all our companies as their working experience will affect their interactions with your customers.”
As for business growth, Maco cited a Harvard Business Review 2020 study, “Are You Undervaluing Your Customers?” that found loyalty leaders – companies at the top of their industries in Net Promoter Scores or satisfaction rankings for three or more years— grow revenues roughly 2.5 times as fast as their industry peers. “Earning customer loyalty is firmly in the interest of both shareholders and management,” said study author Rob Markey. “Yet companies and investors continue to prioritize quarterly earnings over customer relationships.
Success stories
To highlight how a rewarding employee experience can boost business growth, Avaya brought leaders from two highly successful companies to the stage to discuss their support strategies. “When we hire, train and coach agents, we look for people who can enhance our brand and extend the pixie dust,” said Ben Yon, director, infrastructure and support, Disney. He cited the example of an agent who spent a long time on the phone talking to a customer from the UK who thought a Disney theme park was simply a larger version of her neighborhood playground with lots of swings and merry-go-rounds. “That’s a very different type of call, compared with someone who has been to our parks hundreds of times.”
Yon added that Disney replaced the traditional average handle time for customer calls with a trust index. “We want our agents to be consultants to our customers, rather than penalizing them for a longer-than-expected call.”
Southwest Airlines also looks for ways to support its agents, said Sherrie Mulligan, director, business strategy and initiatives. The airline has about 3,300 representatives in 18 states who work remotely and handle contacts from flight crews and ground crews, as well as customers.
“We want our agents to have a sense of belonging,” Mulligan said. “So, we have regular wellness checks and other activities.” Southwest also has an agent advisory board that provides input into current issues, and brings selected agents to its headquarters to meet with the technology teams and partners.
Reflecting on how the pieces of the CX puzzle come together, Josh Mueller, chief marketing officer, said Avaya is dedicated to helping organizations on their journeys to business growth. As he said, “You have to understand the voice of the customer, while ensuring you meet the needs of your employees.”
