“Customer is always right, think like a customer” is something we’ve all been taught at some point in our work lives. A lot of big corporations swear by this rule in the name of running their business. We’re not saying we’re against it—after all, customers make or break a brand. Apple products have value because customers give them value.
But where do we draw the line? We sadly don’t. And that’s where the real debate begins—Customer First or Employee First?
Somewhere between keeping businesses running and customers satisfied, we forget the most important factor keeping everything steady: The employees.
The Workforce We Choose to Ignore
Amazon had 1.53 million employees in 2024. It’s the most reliable place to shop, but these 1.53 million employees are the reason we get our “one-day” deliveries, have our complaints handled, and see everything function smoothly.
Yet, one mistake, one bad review, and suddenly, they’re disposable.
Firing someone is easy, but have we ever asked ourselves: “Did we give them the right resources to learn and grow?”
If an employee sees growth, appreciation, and support from the company, they’ll ensure the company grows too.
But what happens when they don’t?
Reality Customer-Facing Jobs
Employees are just doing their jobs. You can’t yell at a flight attendant because she can’t change your seat. You can’t yell at an airport employee over a delayed flight she had no control over.
But this happens every day.
A Pew Research Center survey found that low pay, lack of growth, and feeling disrespected were the top reasons Americans quit their jobs last year. Another survey by Flexjobs says 1 in 3 employees are considering quitting.
The Human Workplace Index (DEI Survey), found that:
- 46.4% of employees feel only “somewhat valued”
- 10.7% feel not valued at all
- Women (48.8%) and employees of color (49.3%) feel even more undervalued
When Employees Are Overlooked
1. Dental Offices: The Cost of Ignoring Staff Welfare
Imagine a dental office where revenue is king, and staff well-being is an afterthought. The front desk employees are treated as a non-essential part of the team, expected to handle rude patients, overbooked schedules, and chaotic work environments without a single complaint.
Young dentists flood Quora and other social platforms with posts about dealing with toxic patients, unfair expectations, and burnout.
Even worse? Abusive language from both patients and the boss is ignored because these workers are seen as “easily replaceable.” The result? A toxic, demoralized staff that barely cares. Patients walk in and immediately feel the tension. Phone calls are answered coldly. Receptionists are short-tempered. The entire experience feels off.
But can you blame them?
When employees aren’t respected, service quality crumbles. This is why retention strategies are important.
2. Ride-Sharing: The Review Trap
Ride-sharing drivers—Uber, Lyft, you name it—are at the mercy of one-sided reviews. Customers can leave scathing feedback for the pettiest reasons. Didn’t like the music? One star. Driver asked you not to eat in the car? One star.
And here’s the thing—drivers don’t get a say.
Management doesn’t intervene. There’s no fair appeal system. Drivers feel powerless, frustrated, and eventually, they just stop caring.
And guess what happens when drivers stop caring?
Longer wait times, half-hearted service, and more cancellations.
So, in the end, who really loses? The customers.
3. Retail: Sales Over Service
Retail workers face insane pressure to hit sales targets. It’s not about helping customers find what they need anymore. It’s about selling—no matter what.
And when employees are pushed to prioritize numbers over genuine service, guess what happens?
- Customers feel rushed.
- Service becomes robotic.
- The shopping experience sucks.
It’s bad for employees (stress and burnout) and bad for customers (good luck finding someone who actually cares).
4. Hospitality: Burnout Behind the Smiles
Hotel employees? They’re exhausted.
Front desk workers pull long, stressful shifts without breaks. They deal with angry guests, endless complaints, and unrealistic expectations—all with a forced smile.
And then, when service quality dips?
Management blames them.
But here’s a thought—maybe, just maybe, employees who aren’t constantly running on empty would provide better service.
5. Banking: High Stress, Low Patience
Bank tellers don’t just process transactions. They deal with angry customers, technical glitches, and unrealistic performance metrics.
They’re expected to be fast, efficient, and perfect.
But under extreme stress, patience runs thin. Mistakes happen. Customers get frustrated. Loyalty drops.
Would it kill banks to support their employees instead of micromanaging them to death?
6. Tech Support: The Overburdened Problem Solvers
IT support teams get hammered with repetitive issues—most of which could be solved with better automation.
Instead of empowering employees with better tools and decision-making authority, companies just pile on more work.
Slow response times? Frustrated customers? Yeah, that’s a management problem—not an employee problem.
7. Food Service: Verbal Abuse as a Job Requirement
Restaurant servers put up with everything.
- Rude customers.
- Entitled demands.
- Low wages.
And here’s the worst part: management doesn’t back them up.
Customers know they can mistreat staff with zero consequences.
Over time, servers stop caring. Orders get messed up. The dining experience suffers.
The 10-Minute Delivery Trap
“Delivering food in 10 minutes.” If the order is a minute late, frustration kicks in. You rate the delivery guy 1 star, and suddenly, his entire livelihood is at risk.
But does he gain anything by delaying your order? No.
The real pressure comes from the company—pushing them harder while calling them “partners.” The reality? Far from it. (Source)
If restaurant owners and the food delivery apps valued their employees, customers would get better service. Simple.
8. Call Centers: Speed Over Empathy
Call center agents operate under insane time constraints.
They have seconds to solve complex issues. They’re monitored every second of their shift. There’s no time for real empathy.
So what happens?
- Rushed solutions.
- Frustrated customers.
- More complaints.
But sure, let’s keep blaming employees instead of fixing the system.
9. E-commerce Fulfillment: Racing Against Time
Warehouse workers are pushed to meet impossible deadlines. The result?
- Messed-up shipments.
- Delayed orders.
- More customer complaints.
If companies supported their fulfillment teams, customers wouldn’t get so many wrong orders and shipping delays.
10. Education Administration: Hidden Struggles
School admin staff handle everything behind the scenes, yet they’re overworked, underpaid, and completely overlooked.
No one listens to them. Feedback mechanisms? Nonexistent.
Students and parents get frustrated when things aren’t handled quickly—but who’s responsible? Not the employees, but the broken system they work under.
Walkout Says It All
A manager lost his temper. He yelled, cursed, and slammed a door so hard that wood flew off, nearly hitting an employee. His entire staff walked out.
Was he justified in his frustration? Or were they right to leave? (Source)
Why This Matters: The Bigger Picture
Disrespected employees = bad customer experiences. Period.
Ignoring employee well-being leads to:
High turnover (constant retraining = bad service)
Low motivation (why go the extra mile when you’re undervalued?)
More mistakes (burnout leads to errors)
Worse customer interactions (stressed employees = bad service)
Companies that value their workers
Better service (happy employees = happy customers)
Loyal customers (people notice when staff care)
Higher efficiency (less micromanagement, more problem-solving)
Less turnover (employees stay where they’re respected)
Final Thoughts
The next time you walk into a business and get bad service, ask yourself: Is it the employee’s fault… or is it the company’s?
So, Who Really Matters? Customers? Yes. But employees? They matter too.
Treat employees well. Customers will feel the difference.
