Going the Extra Mile in Customer Service

Many companies claim to be “customer-centric,” “customer-driven,” or even “customer-obsessed.”

Yet, in many cases, these claims fall flat in reality – and ironically, it’s the customer who suffers.

At the same time, agents representing these companies are told to “go the extra mile for the customer.” Originally, this idea was built on a foundation of strong leadership, effective training, streamlined business processes, and clear organizational communication.

But talking about “going the extra mile” means nothing without action to back it up. This article isn’t just about discussing the problem – it’s about inspiring real change.

Compounded Leadership Failure

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Customers are listening, and they’re not stupid. Whether you believe it or not, they see through empty promises.

AT&T, LinkedIn, and Facebook flood customers with surveys – product surveys, performance surveys, and endless “voice of the customer” requests.

They are not alone, but they stand out as some of the worst offenders. Here’s the real question: Why does nothing ever change? Why do these companies gather customer feedback yet fail to improve customer service, policies, or processes?

Leadership collects data but does nothing with it. No visible policy shifts, no customer-focused improvements, no acknowledgment that the customer is even being heard.

How do we, as customers, know this? Because agents lack the power to implement change. I recently contacted Xfinity/Comcast with an issue. I got nowhere with the agents, yet I was repeatedly offered a customer feedback survey.

I took the time to complete it, even indicating that I was open to a follow-up call. Nothing happened. The data was ignored.

If you’re sending surveys, you need to act on the results – transparently with your employees, openly with your shareholders, and honestly with your customers. Otherwise, surveys become a waste of time and a symbol of leadership failure.

And worse? Customers notice. They talk. They share their frustrations. And they start looking for alternatives. When companies claim to be “customer-obsessed” but don’t follow through, it’s nothing more than a used car sales pitch. Customers are tired of paying for cherries and getting lemons.

Failure to honour that commitment delivers a “Used Car Sales” pitch, and lawyers and politicians become more trustworthy than you and your company. Customers are tired of “lemons” when paying for cherries; is this clear enough?

Who Is Your First Customer?

If you think your first customer is the one buying your product or service, you’re wrong. Your first customer is your employees. And yet, employee mistreatment is a leading cause of high turnover.

You ask employees to “go the extra mile” for customers, yet you fail to go the extra mile for them. I am familiar with a well-known company, its operations, and its customer commitment. The company does an excellent job in employee relations, which leads to year-over-year success with external customers.

But the company has some deep-seated problems they are working on, and because they are honestly working on these issues, I am willing to give them anonymity for their efforts.

One of the most fundamental issues this company has is in product delivery; the operations in the warehouse prioritize outbound (customer shipping of products ordered) to the exclusion of quality. The products are more important than the people, which is a growing pain for this company.

By forgetting that the first customer is the employees, this group churns at phenomenal rates compared to other business units. Why? Because of the insanity of being left out of customer service.

Company benefits, time-off, vacation policies, “swag,” free merchandise, etc., none of this compensates for irrational operations that fundamentally treat the employee poorly and in a confused manner.

If your company is truly “customer-focused,” employees must be your top priority. When you invest in them, they’ll naturally invest in your customers.

Ask yourself:

When was the last time your employees were honestly engaged in voice-of-the-customer surveys and results?
When was the last time the employees knew they were the top priority in your business?
When was the last time operational policies and procedures were adjusted to remove confusion about employee worth and value?
Are your shareholders and investors treated better than your number one investor, your employees?

If investors see declining performance due to employee churn, they should be holding leadership accountable for failing their most important asset: their people.

By ignoring employees, you’re robbing both customers and shareholders.

Going the Extra Mile

Before a leader asks employees to “go the extra mile,” they should ask themselves:

Have I walked two miles with them first?

If the answer is no, then expecting extra effort is unrealistic and unfair. The best leaders never have to ask employees to go the extra mile – because their employees already want to.

Great leadership means looking sideways before looking forward – lifting up employees through: