ACE advises: Recently I watched a friend trying to resolve a water damage issue with her insurance company. The representatives could not find her policy. Three different people tried with no resolution. She provided all of her personal information except the policy number — she was traveling and didn’t have it.
As I listened, I wondered: Is this what customer service looks like today? I had experienced something similar with my health care company. What training did these representatives receive?
Uncertainty is not going away. This situation highlights workforce concerns: generational differences, workforce development, purpose and technology. What to do?
1. Generational differences: Many employees prefer a defined task and move on. Extended problem-solving — especially with a frustrated customer — can be stressful. Leaders must clearly communicate expectations, including persistence and customer care. Training and coaching reinforce those expectations.
2. Workforce development: Leaders need to prioritize the skills required for each role, including how AI will or will not be used. Employees transitioning into new positions, including leaders, require ongoing development and support. Do this and competence and confidence grow.
3. Organization purpose: Purpose shapes behavior. In the example above, did the employees see their role as helping people with stress? Research shows employees with a strong sense of purpose at work are 5.6 times more likely to be engaged and successful, according to Gallup.
4. Technology: Tools such as artificial intelligence can improve efficiency. However, technology does not solve problems by itself. It enables people to solve them more effectively with effort. Do employees use AI to learn or avoid learning by having it do the work?
As uncertainty, artificial intelligence and employees with limited people skills increase, the leadership challenge is to make the workplace more human rather than less. When employees feel supported, vendors and customers feel heard. The result is what every organization wants: capable employees and customers who return.
ACE board member Francis Eberle, of Price Associates, is a leadership and organizational advisor, speaker and author. He can be reached at francis@price-associates.com
