In earnings call after earnings call, executives credit staff for providing exceptional customer experience. There’s good reason: Frontline employees provide the service brands are known for.

On the employee side, staff want to serve customers, but don’t always believe businesses are adequately staffing workplaces to keep pace with changing customer demands. Some employees are distrustful of AI and are slow to adopt technology meant to improve customer outcomes. 

Companies that invest in employees are reaping the benefits. Airline customer satisfaction reached new heights in 2024, an accomplishment experts credited to airline staff. After engaging employees through signature training, the Department of Veterans Affair increased customer trust in the agency. 

As Judy Weader, principal analyst at Forrester, told CX Dive, employees are invested in CX — businesses just need to support them.

“They’re emotionally invested in things being better for the customer because when things aren’t going well for the customer, they’re always the ones bearing the brunt of it,” she said. “They want things to be different. They just need help.”

Here are 6 stories on how employee experience drive CX: