Customer Service Is Not a Department, It's a Leadership Imperative
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Most companies struggle with customer service skills because too many of their leaders think it’s not their job.
They say, “That’s for the customer service team.” Wrong. It’s for everyone.
In a recent Chapman & Co. survey, 73% of US-based consumers rated customer service as crucial to their satisfaction with a business. More critically, 24% said just one poor customer service experience could result in them abandoning a brand completely.
Customer service isn’t a department. It’s not a script. It’s not a last-minute “make it right” discount. It is a fundamental leadership responsibility for two important reasons:
- Because, as a leader, customers are in your span of care regardless of your role.
- Because customer experience is a direct reflection of how your leaders treat their own teams.
The experience customers receive is a mirror of what your team experiences from you. They won't have much to give if they aren’t respected, empowered, or supported in their own work environment. If they’re micromanaged, they’ll pass that control-freak energy to the customer. If they feel unseen, they’ll make customers feel the same. If they’re operating in fear—of leadership, of making a mistake, of speaking up—they will play it safe, and safe doesn’t create loyalty or solve a challenging customer interaction. Your people can’t give what they don’t get.
Everyone Is Customer-Facing
The best companies understand this. More specifically, they embrace the idea that "Everyone is customer-facing." The software engineer who never speaks to a customer still writes code that impacts their experience. The specialist with product knowledge who never meets customers still designs solutions they'll love. The accountant who manages billing affects whether a customer stays or leaves. The HR team that hires new employees and deploys employee training shapes the service DNA of the organization. There is no "back office" in a customer-centric company.
Look at the Ritz-Carlton. Every employee—from the front desk to housekeeping to accounting—has a budget per guest to address service recovery issues on the spot. There are no approvals and no red tape. Leadership has said loudly and clearly, “We trust you to care for our customers.” That trust empowers team members to take ownership of customer issues and, ultimately, the guest experience.
Or take Zappos. They built a billion-dollar brand on exceptional customer service. Their call center reps don’t have scripts or time limits. They have one job: make the customer happy. That service culture came straight from leadership. Because when employees are empowered, customers feel it.
Then there’s Chick-fil-A—a fast-food brand that dominates in customer loyalty. Not because their chicken sandwiches are radically different but because their employees consistently deliver an experience that feels warm, personal, and attentive. That’s not an accident. It’s a culture engineered by leadership—where service isn’t just a task; it’s an expectation modeled from the top down.
And getting this formula right brings a reward beyond customer satisfaction and loyalty. In our recent survey, 66% of consumers said they would be willing to pay more for better customer service.
The Real Test: How Are You Leading?
So, if you want better customer service outcomes, start by looking in the mirror. Ask yourself:
- Do my team members feel trusted to make decisions, or are they just waiting for my orders?
- Does every team member understand how their role impacts the customer experience, even if they never interact directly with customers?
- When mistakes happen, do we focus on blame—or on learning and improvement?
- Am I coaching my team with the same care and attention I expect them to give customer needs?
Because here’s the deal: customer experience starts long before a customer walks through the door. It starts with leadership. It starts with you.
Your Next Move
No more excuses. If you want world-class service, build a company where every single person knows they’re customer-facing—even if they never meet a customer. Here’s how:
- Define what great customer service looks like. Not just for frontline teams but for every role in the company, including C-suite. Then, provide customer skills training to empower team members to act on that service vision authentically.
- Empower employees to excel at service. Give them real decision-making authority, not just lip service.
- Model it daily. Your team will never treat customers better than they are treated by leadership (that's you!).
- Reinforce it relentlessly. Reward service-minded behaviors, share customer success stories, and make service excellence part of your performance expectations and metrics.
Customer service isn’t a department. It’s a culture. And it’s a direct reflection of your company's leadership.
Lead like it matters—because it does. Prepare your teams to deliver care that customers can feel. Contact us to get started.
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Meet the Author
Barry Kirk,
Partner
Barry Kirk currently serves as a Partner for Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute where he leads a team of consultants and our customer loyalty practice.
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