The Rodney Dangerfields of Corporate America

Pity the call-center workers. They get no respect. A British TV series makes fun of them, comedians mock them, they are low-paid, and everybody loves to tell stories about customer-service failures. But at their best, these frontline employees can dramatically improve your brand and business. Considering the influence they have on our success, it’s time we give them the respect they deserve. Coach them. Guide them. Reward them. And don’t forget—listen to them. Do you know what your brand sounds like over the phone?

We must remember that customer service is not limited to the call center. Customer service has evolved into a multichannel, cross-enterprise, state-of-the-art function. And with the addition of new channels, such as social media, you’ve given some employees megaphones that could leave your organization with little room for error. The workers in these groups and in contact centers are brand ambassadors for you on the phone, e-mail, chat, Twitter, and Facebook. They are expected to ferret out dissatisfaction, solve problems, and delight your customers in record time. In short, they are evolving from underappreciated phone operators to frontline defenders of your brand and reputation.