Many leaders today believe in passing decisions down to the lowest level in the organization–to the people on the front lines, interacting with customers. The intent is noble, but the execution is often flawed.
Typically, the problem revolves around not sharing crucial, big-picture information. Leaders may not feel that customer service reps need this information or have the ability to put it in context. In essence, leaders try to protect these front-line workers by withholding key information. But if these workers don’t know the big picture or have enough information to answer customer questions and sound persuasive, then the leaders may regret their protective measures.
Make sure your customer service reps know and are kept informed about the big picture. Provide them all the information you would need to make compelling arguments if you were in their shoes.