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The Power of Fusing Customer and Employee Experiences

What occurs when a vibrant internal culture aligns with customer experience? The outcome is a transformative “fusion” that unlocks new opportunities, leading to improved customer satisfaction, reduced costs, and accelerated growth. This notion was recently highlighted by Denise Lee Yohn during her keynote address at the Medallia Experience 2025 event in Las Vegas.

Denise Lee Yohn’s insights, shaped by her extensive experience, resonate strongly within the realm of brand strategy. Her latest publication, Fusion: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies, underpinned the central theme of her presentation. The essence of “fusion,” according to Merriam-Webster, encompasses several definitions, two of which particularly capture Lee Yohn’s approach:

• A blending, or as if melting, bringing together diverse elements into a cohesive entirety.
• The fusion of atomic nuclei, resulting in significant energy release, mirroring the potential of merging diverse experiences.

When customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) are integrated, the impact significantly exceeds their individual contributions, a principle succinctly described by Lee Yohn as “fusion.” This perspective aligns with observations made in organizations that prioritize customer engagement; often, those recognized as excellent workplaces also excel in delivering superior customer service. For instance, brands like Ritz-Carlton, Disney, Costco, and Zappos not only shine in customer ratings but are also lauded for their exemplary workplace cultures.

While likening CX and EX to atomic fusion may seem ambitious, the metaphor serves to highlight the explosive potential of their integration. Lee Yohn stressed that focusing solely on customer experience without simultaneously addressing employee experience is only half the solution. She asserts, “If you want to be perceived differently on the outside, you have to think and act differently on the inside.”

To achieve this type of fusion, Lee Yohn suggests three essential strategies, which I have expanded upon:

Promote Customer Empathy Across the Organization

Lee Yohn pointed out a surprising statistic: only 14% of employees understood their company’s customer initiatives. This disconnect raises a crucial question: how can employees feel engaged in enhancing customer experience if they are unaware of their organization’s efforts? Consistent and clear communication across all levels—not just within customer-facing teams—is vital for cultivating a culture that values customer experience.

Create Employee Experiences that Transform Culture

In discussing employee experiences, I was reminded of the Employee Golden Rule: “Do unto employees as you want done unto your customers.” However, this principle extends beyond mere treatment; it emphasizes designing experiences that resonate with the company’s brand and customer experience strategies. Lee Yohn explains that “Employees can and will only deliver experiences to customers they experience themselves.” Providing employees with the right tools and resources is essential. When organizations invest in technologies aimed at enhancing customer experience, they must simultaneously consider upgrades to employee-facing systems, ensuring that staff feel supported and valued.

Integrate Employee and Customer Experiences

At its core, the concept of fusion involves making CX and EX mutually supportive. Lee Yohn advocates for recognizing that many customer challenges stem from employee issues. It is crucial to empower employees by facilitating their interactions with customers, encouraging them to share insights and ideas with leadership. It is equally important to demonstrate how their feedback leads to tangible improvements, thereby enhancing both CX and EX.

Ultimately, the fusion of customer and employee experiences cultivates a brand that employees are proud to represent and that customers enjoy engaging with. As emphasized by Lee Yohn throughout her talk, the most impactful brands are those nurtured from within, fostering a culture that seamlessly aligns employee satisfaction with customer delight.

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