Why Customer Experience Is Every Leader’s Responsibility

Every customer interaction with a company, whether digital or face-to-face, shapes their perception of the brand. And that perception has real consequences. It influences whether they’ll return, refer others, or walk away for good. 

Customer experience (customer experience) is more than a metric or department; it reflects an organization’s values, priorities, and people. Forward-thinking companies are embedding customer experience into the fabric of their operations, from leadership and hiring practices to how they deploy technology and measure success.

This week on America Back to Work, Jen Sanning, Forrester’s Executive Partner, shared what it takes to build a truly customer-centric organization and why doing so can be a strategic differentiator in uncertain times.

Defining Customer Experience and Why It Matters

Forrester defines customer experience as “the customer’s perception of their experience with your company, from first to last touchpoint, across all channels.” 

As Sanning explains, this perception drives business outcomes such as repeat purchases, customer referrals, and brand loyalty.

“Better customer experience leads to better business outcomes,” she says. “It’s as simple, and as complicated, as that.”

She adds that the discipline of customer experience extends beyond a team or function. It includes capabilities like customer journey mapping, voice-of-the-customer research, and design thinking. It’s a mindset that must permeate leadership, operations, and strategy.

The Employee-Customer Connection

Sanning’s reflections on her time at Quiznos revealed a vital truth: unhappy employees rarely create happy customers.

“Engaged employees deliver better experiences,” she notes, pointing to research from Dell showing that engaged workers earned twice the Net Promoter Score (NPS) of their disengaged peers.

At Forrester, employee experience is evaluated through five drivers: progress, purpose, autonomy, mastery, and connection. These aren’t just feel-good principles—they are business imperatives. Sanning urges leaders to invest in learning, create clarity of mission, and foster belonging.

“A customer-centric culture isn’t about compliance, it’s about connection,” she says. “That’s how you create teams that go above and beyond.”

Navigating Economic Volatility with Customer Experience

When times get tough, some companies react by cutting corners or slashing customer service budgets. But Sanning cautions against that instinct.

“You can buy customers with promotions, but you keep them with experience,” she says.

In periods of uncertainty, retaining current customers is not only more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, but it’s smarter. Sanning encourages brands to “connect the dots” for employees, showing how their efforts directly affect loyalty and retention.  

Strategies for a Customer-Centered Culture

Sanning believes customer obsession must start at the top. She recounts a former CEO who embedded company values into every meeting and made customer impact part of everyday conversation.

“Put the customer in the room,” she suggests. “Ask: what would they think about this decision?”

Customer experience leaders must also focus on education and empathy. She highlights Hyatt’s “familiarization tours,” which put service reps in the shoes of guests. It’s a powerful example of how shared experience fosters deeper understanding and care.

The Role of Technology, AI, and Data

Technology plays a dual role in customer experience today. On one hand, AI and automation streamline processes and offer 24/7 service. On the other hand, they can strip away the human touch.

“The easy tasks are automated, leaving reps to handle only the hardest interactions,” Sanning says. That can lead to burnout without the right training and support.

She also points to the rise of “dark data”, valuable customer insights buried in silos. Organizations are now creating centers of excellence to consolidate and activate that data across departments, turning insight into action.

Why It’s Time to Act

Disengaged service professionals, volatile economies, and rising customer expectations all threaten business stability. But as Sanning emphasizes, customer experience is the throughline that ties together strategy, culture, and growth.

Ultimately, Sanning reminds us that business is human. Customers want to feel valued, and employees want to make a difference. Leaders have the power and responsibility to make both happen.

“Customer experience is not someone else’s job,” she says. “It’s everybody’s.”