On August 21, our Customer Care Special Interest Group members gathered for an energizing half-day event, Starting at the Source: Building Strong Employee Connections with Customer Care Teams. The session, led by our Customer Service Practice Director Matthew Cone, dug into a simple but powerful truth: when employees feel connected, customers feel it too—and business results follow.
Matthew started by spotlighting research from Bruce Temkin and Gallup that shows how much engagement matters. Connected teams don’t just show up—they stay longer, serve better, and fuel profitability. He reminded attendees that the best learning comes from the room: “We learn best from one another.” Behind the scenes, Heidi Rozmiarek, our Technology Practice Director, kept the virtual audience fully engaged, guiding networking and breakout sessions so in-person and online participants could connect seamlessly.
The first member story came from Nicole Darby, Director of Customer Care at Mason Companies, who walked us through a remarkable five-year transformation. In 2020, Mason’s teams faced serious challenges: disengagement, high attrition, and a customer satisfaction (CSAT) score of just 78%. Fast-forward to today, and the turnaround is stunning—less than 1% monthly attrition, a 96% CSAT, and upsell rates that jumped from 6% to 32%.
What made the difference? Nicole shared how Mason redefined leadership by renaming “team leads” as supervisors, giving them autonomy, and empowering agents to make real customer decisions. She also unveiled some playful but impactful ways the company keeps remote teams engaged—like seasonal “chaos boxes” filled with snacks and activities, plus state-themed bingo nights to spark connection and fun.
Next, Katie Checoliski, Customer Support Manager at Sargento Foods, showed how a philosophy rooted in family values still drives significant business results today. Sargento’s culture is anchored in its long-standing principles of People, Pride, and Progress, shaping everything from training and leadership development to monthly company-wide updates that keep employees aligned.
Katie described authenticity at the heart of Sargento’s customer experience: “Customers know when you’re just reading off a script. True connection comes from honesty and care.” That commitment shines through in community partnerships with Culver’s and Walmart, stellar fulfillment metrics like a 98.8% order rate, and employee momentum surveys that keep leaders in tune with their teams.
After hearing the two examples, Matthew led some group reflection on what we as leaders need from both our leaders and those we serve and support. He emphasized the crucial role played by leaders in the middle, and their responsibility to translate across different levels of the organization to keep everyone rowing in the same direction.
The event wrapped with breakout discussions where members compared challenges and shared strategies. Common threads included the power of giving supervisors and agents more ownership, balancing technology with human touch, and building transparency into the culture so that employee and customer experiences align. It was clear by the end of the day that building strong customer connections really does start at the source with employees who feel valued, supported, and engaged.
UWEBC members can view the full event recording and download presentation materials here.