While it’s important to listen to your customers and their experiences, they only see one piece of the puzzle. Your employees can provide extra insight into customer service, from a different viewpoint. That’s a lot more valuable information about how the customer experience works as a whole, rather than a single anecdotal experience.

Consider who manages the customer experience within your company. How much face time do they have with customers? How in-touch are they with the target market? To whom do they consult for information? Your employees are the face of the company. They’re the ones who bridge the gap between the behind-the-scenes operations and the customer experience  They are the voice of authority when it comes to how the business practices meet the needs of the customers.

All of this valuable insight is for naught, however, if your employees fear repercussions for sharing bad experiences. They will never give constructive feedback on ways you can improve if they fear retribution. Similarly, if they don’t see their suggestions ever being implemented, they will stop sharing as well. To combat this, you must create an open system that is easy to use, offers support for the employees, and acknowledges those who speak up.

To do this, invite them from the get-go to share experiences that went well, or problems they see in how they are required to handle certain aspects of the customer experience.

One way to create an open share policy is to hang a large flow-chart of the processes and policies in the breakroom, or some other place only employees will see. Make it dry-erase safe, or keep a stack of sticky notes next to the chart, and allow employees to place suggestions over policies or procedures they would change or improve. Have other employees to initial next to ones they agree with. Hold a “town hall” meeting and discuss these suggestions. If a certain suggestion has become prominent and it’s decided a significant change should be made, invite the employee who offered the idea to meet with the decision-makers to give the best detail and insight into the changes they would make.

When it’s not practical or feasible to implement a suggestion or improvement, be transparent with your employees so they don’t assume they were overlooked or ignored. Explain to them why their suggestion couldn’t be put into action at that time, or at all. Discuss other options or how employees can better navigate the circumstances as they combat the problem.

Don’t waste the valuable knowledge your employees are gaining as they interact with customers. You must show them that you value their feedback. When your employees are truly made a part of the decision-making part of the company, they will feel valued. If employees feel empowered to speak up about problems and improvements, not only will you see an improvement in the customer experience, but in your employees’ attitude toward work in general. When they are truly invested in their work because they know what they do matters and will be acknowledged, there is more motivation to work hard and have a positive impact on the customers.

Encouraging your employees to learn and take control of providing a positive customer experience also opens the door to upward mobility for them. Consider employees who take the feedback program seriously, and seem to be genuinely interested in the care of the customers, and the efficiency and success of the company. As employees make valuable suggestions and implement improvements, reward them and make it known that open positions will be filled by those who show a vested interest in the wellbeing of both the customer and company.

Start prioritizing the voice of employee in your company and see a change in company culture, the customer experience improve, and other improvements trickle through all aspects of the company.