SERIES: Behind the Tech

By Francis Flair

Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about new machines, new software or new systems. New presses. New POS. New route apps. New auto-texts. All of that matters. But behind every machine and behind every piece of tech, there is still one thing that decides the customer experience: your people. If the people using the tech are tired, checked out, or feel unseen, no machine in the world can save the experience.

The mistake many owners make

There is a common mistake I see over and over again in service-based businesses – they want their team to care deeply about the customer, but they don’t show the same care to their team. They expect their employees to give energy, kindness and effort to strangers all day long. But no one is pouring that same energy back into them.

One study from Bain & Company found that engagement scores are often the lowest among service and sales team members. Think about that. The people who deal with customers the most, often feel the least supported. That is a problem – but it is also an opportunity. Because when you take care of your people, they take care of your customers. That is what ‘behind the tech’ really means.

Your employees have to buy in first

Your employees may not be your paying customers, but they are the first people who have to buy in to your company culture. If your staff feel ignored, unappreciated or just like a number, they will not bring their best selves to work. They may still run the machines. They may still use the software. But the heart won’t be there.

On the other hand, when people feel seen and valued, they show up differently. They smile more. They handle problems better. They stay longer. And the tech you’ve invested in finally does what it was meant to do – support great service, not replace it.

A real story: the revolving door

One owner I worked with had a different kind of problem. She could not keep people. It felt like a revolving door – hire, train, lose them … and start again. Her answer was always the same: “I just need to find the right people.”

But hiring is not magic. Hiring without a system is guessing. The real issue was that new employees were not being welcomed into a culture that cared for them. There was no plan to keep them engaged, encouraged and growing. They were thrown into the tech and the tasks, but not into a relationship.

Once she started to build simple systems for check-ins, feedback and appreciation, something changed. People stayed. They bought in. They began to care about the customers because they finally felt someone cared about them.

Tech is a tool – people are the advantage

New tech can help you:

• move faster
• communicate better,
• track orders and routes.

But tech cannot:

• make and employee feel valued,
• tech someone to care,
• replace a kind word from a manager,
• fix a broken relationship

That part is on us as leaders. If we forget the people behind the tech, we
lose the best part of the customer experience – the human connection.

Three simple ways to care for the people behind tech

You don’t need a big program to start. You can begin with small, simple steps:

1: Check in, don’t just check work
Don’t talk to your team only when something goes wrong. Check in to find out how you can help them do their jobs better – and when it makes sense; how they’re doing personally, too.

2: Catch them doing things right
When you see someone handle a customer well, say something. Be specific: “I loved how you handled that complaint. That makes us look great.” Focus on the positive and give people the benefit of the doubt.

3: Remind them why their work matters
Your team isn’t ‘just running machines’. They are helping people feel confident in their clothes, show up prepared for big moments, and trust your service. It is your job to consistently remind them of that, through success stories and encouragement.

Behind every great system is a cared-for team

As you think about the future, don’t forget the main ingredient – the people who make it all work. People make the new tech, new systems and new ideas work.

No matter how advanced your equipment is, your customers will always remember how your people made them feel. And when you take care of the people behind the tech, the tech will finally start working for you.

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