Leaving customers to fend for themselves can make them less confident in their choices and the company. Yet, when people notice that interaction is vital, employees are well-positioned to respond to customers' emergent needs. Employees can create value by reframing the service their employer provides and differentiating the business from its competitors. It can make a huge difference when customers know that someone is readily available and willing to help.

Connecting when it counts

When employees' effort to help is visible, customers not only appreciate and value their service more but often feel an urge to reciprocate.&nbsp; They will often take on some of the work themselves if the following conditions are met:<ul><li dir = "auto">They know how they can help.</li><li dir = "auto">They are able to help.</li><li dir = "auto">They believe their help is important.</li></ul> For example, at the company Getaway, which rents out tiny cabins in the woods, a notice states, "You'd make our day by doing your dishes or tidying up before you go." The majority of guests clean up after themselves.

Letting customers lend a hand

When employers help employees forge more meaningful connections between customers and employees, the organisation can become more profitable through higher prices, better word of mouth, increased loyalty, further purchases and cross-selling, and sales growth. Some of that value should be invested in making the roles of employees sustainable. Increasing compensation can make employees more productive as they aren't worried about their finances.

Making the work sustainable

Helping employees better connect with their customers gives them a better view of the impact their work is having. Employees feel their work is more meaningful and appreciated, which increases their engagement.

Demonstrating employees' Impact

Instead of eliminating an employee, leaders should ask if they can tailor the job to reduce routinised, dead-end encounters with customers and allow the employee to respond to their needs. Giving employees the time and space to focus on human tasks - connecting with other humans, and using empathy to understand problems and solving them - could cause employees to create more value.

Shifting the boundaries of the job

Before the pandemic, technology made it possible to automate customer interactions, causing many managers to look for ways to eliminate jobs. However, taking that approach now would be a mistake. Managers should instead focus on elevating employees to unlock more value by allowing them to have deeper and meaningful connections with customers. When customers see how employees work to solve their problems, it leads to higher customer satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to pay.

Shifting the boundaries of the job

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