It’s Time to Reemphasize the Critical Importance of CX
Customer service quality has been an issue for consumers and a priority for businesses since time immemorial. Despite advances in technology and countless books and articles on how to do better, the battle is far from won.
A recent survey showed that a record-high 71 percent of respondents think most companies need to improve. Another study found that the share of consumers who are satisfied with their customer experiences declined for a fourth consecutive year. The consequences of poor customer service ripple outward quickly. Consumers quit brands and take their spending with them. The damage is often amplified during the holiday season, when service organizations are already stretched thin.
The Cost of Poor Service
Poor service isn’t just a reputational risk. It’s a direct and measurable threat to profitability. Customers who endure long wait times, repeated transfers, or disengaged customer service employees are less likely to remain loyal to a brand. Each unresolved interaction erodes trust, lowers lifetime value, and adds to the cost of replacing lost customers.
These breakdowns are symptoms of deeper operational strain inside customer service contact centers. When service quality dips, it often means that employees on the front lines are overwhelmed, that internal systems are misaligned, or that leaders lack the real-time visibility needed to respond to changing conditions. During peak seasons, those cracks widen.
Volume Reveals Cracks in Customer Service
Periods of heightened demand, whether driven by promotions, product launches, service disruptions, or unexpected events, place immediate strain on customer service operations. Call volumes surge, customers seek fast answers to routine questions, and complex issues stack up behind them. What may seem manageable under normal conditions quickly becomes a stress test for systems, processes, and people alike.
When organizations rely on static schedules, rigid workflows, or disconnected data, leaders are forced into reactive mode. Instead of adjusting in real time, they scramble to rebalance workloads after service levels have already slipped. Customer-facing employees are asked to move faster without better tools or support; supervisors spend more time firefighting than coaching; customers experience longer wait times and inconsistent service. Over time, this pattern leads to frustrated customers, exhausted employees, rising attrition, and a noticeable decline in service quality—all of which erode loyalty on both sides of the interaction.
It’s no surprise, then, that nearly three-quarters of North American customers say most companies need to do customer service better. They’re not asking for perfection, just more reliability, responsiveness, and respect for their time. Incremental fixes and surface-level improvements aren’t enough. Service leaders need to fundamentally rethink how customer service is designed, supported, and delivered, then build operations that can flex with demand while still prioritizing the people at the center of the experience.
Technology as Lever, Not Shortcut
Many organizations are turning to AI and automation to respond to this urgent challenge. But technology alone cannot solve customer experience problems. In fact, poorly implemented technology can make them worse. Customers don’t want to feel processed. They want to feel heard. That’s why the human element of customer service still matters so much, especially when issues are emotional, complex, or time sensitive.
Technology is not a substitute for empathy. It should in fact help create conditions where empathy can flourish. The goal is to support human involvement by removing friction, reducing cognitive load, and helping customer service employees be more fully present for the customers they serve.
Smarter Automation Creates Lasting Value
The most effective customer service strategies today focus on human-centered, real-time automation. Real-time analysis and employee-assist tools offer support; they help employees stay grounded during difficult calls by providing guidance, surfacing relevant information, or flagging when a customer’s frustration is escalating. Instead of leaving employees to manage stress alone, responsive, real-time automation can step in with timely, supportive intervention.
At the same time, automating routine inquiries like return policies or order tracking frees employees to focus on what humans do best: solving nuanced problems and building rapport. Customers get faster answers for simple needs, and better attention when it really matters.
The business impact is significant. Customers feel understood rather than rushed. Employees feel supported rather than depleted. And organizations see stronger retention, higher satisfaction scores, and increased repeat business.
Better CX Starts with Better EX
One of the most consistent truths in customer service is also the simplest: supported employees deliver better customer experiences. When they’re overworked and underappreciated, service quality becomes impersonal. Effort is rationed. Engagement fades. Customers can sense that.
But when employees feel valued—when workloads are balanced, tools actually help, and leadership is responsive—the dynamic changes. Employees are more willing to go the extra mile. They listen more closely. They correct service failures more effectively. That discretionary effort is what separates average service from exceptional service.
And it shows up on the bottom line. Organizations that invest in employee experience see lower attrition, reduced hiring costs, and stronger customer loyalty. The connection between EX and CX isn’t abstract; it’s operational, emotional, and financial.
A Moment for CX Transformation
Customer service is not just a cost center. It’s a strategic differentiator, and increasingly, it can be a profit driver. But realizing that potential requires a shift in mindset. Leaders must stop treating poor service as an isolated issue and start addressing the operational and human factors that cause it. They must move beyond surface-level automation and invest in smarter systems that work in real time, adapt to variability, and put people first.
The companies that succeed will be those that recognize a simple truth: customers don’t experience your technology. They experience your people. And when your people are supported, empowered, and equipped with the right tools, everyone wins—customers, employees, and the business itself.
Jennifer Lee is the president and Co-CEO of Intradiem, a company transforming customer service operations through dynamic workforce orchestration and people-first innovation. Lee’s career began on the frontlines of the contact center, where she learned firsthand the challenges and potential of customer service work. Over two decades later, she now leads a company she once supported from the inside, proof that empathy and accountability can coexist at scale. Jennifer joined Intradiem in 2015 as director of customer success. Since then, she has been chief strategy officer and chief operating officer.