As organizations transition to a post-pandemic world, they are leveraging superior customer experience as a differentiator and an engine for growth. Organizations are also recognizing that, along with the customer, the agent is a pivotal component of Customer Experience (CX). In fact, the two are inextricably linked – a good agent experience consistently leads to a good customer experience and vice versa. But in a world of finite resources and competing priorities, the agent experience is often ignored and existing efforts are not enough to improve agents’ overall satisfaction with their experience at work.

With the augmented role of customer service agents at the center of a seamless CX model, organizations have started to recognize the tangible benefits of enhancing the agent journey. They have started working toward improving agent experience by addressing agents’ pain points, eliminating skill gaps, and providing them the tools they need to succeed in order to ensure consistent, engaging customer experiences that drive positive business and talent outcomes, long-term sustainable growth, and brand equity.

In this viewpoint, we examine the connection between agent and customer experience, including its broader business impact. We recommend that organizations should work with an agent-centric mindset and thoughtfully deploy technology and restructure business processes to prioritize agents’ physical and mental well-being.

• What is agent experience, and how does it impact customer experience and the broader business?
• What workplace challenges do agents face, and what are the key drivers of agent experience and engagement?
• What measures should companies take to improve agent experience?