In nearly every organization we work with, we find the same striking disconnect: employees believe they’re delivering exceptional service—but customers just aren’t seeing it that way.
Take one online retailer, where our Emotional Gap Analysis revealed a 35-point perception gap:
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66% of employees say they go above and beyond, but only 29% of customers agree.
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74% of employees believe they use common sense and discretion—yet just 38% of customers feel the same.
So what’s causing the disconnect?
Employees are often stuck working around outdated systems, inefficient policies, or clunky tools. They’re focused on how hard they’re working behind the scenes, masking friction and complexity from the customer.
But customers aren’t measuring effort. They’re measuring outcomes—and expect employees to be empowered, efficient, and use good judgment.
Bridging the gap starts with alignment. Here’s how:
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Fix the friction. Review and update policies and procedures that slow employees down or create unnecessary complexity.
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Empower smart decisions. Give employees clear guardrails so they can act with confidence in the moment.
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Make the invisible visible. Show customers the thought, care, and intention behind your actions and decisions.
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Train for visibility. Teach employees how to highlight their effort and judgment in ways that resonate with customers.
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Close the feedback loop. Regularly compare employee and customer perspectives to uncover gaps—and solve for them.
When employee effort and common sense decision-making are aligned with customer expectations, magic happens:
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Trust builds.
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Loyalty deepens.
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Profitability grows.
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And employees feel their work truly matters.
Want to learn more about employee and customer perception gaps—and how to align them for better experiences? Let’s talk ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ek_CxG9Z
