Employee ambassadorship, or advocacy, goes beyond engagement to determine level of commitment to enterprise, value of products and services, and customers

1. How can companies keep a consistent
customer focus and optimize business
performance, which, after all, is the
goal of customer centricity? Is it done
with great products and product co-
creation with customers? Is it through
customer segmentation based on
detailed profiling and interpretation?
Or is it through outstanding service
and original, effective marketing?
Few would argue that all of these are
important, of course; but, at the vast
majority of companies, sales, service,
and marketing functions and activities
tend to be discrete. And, discrete, siloed
[ ]
execution equals sub-optimized results.
Employee Ambassadorship:
Living the Promise of ‘Wow’ Customer Value Delivery
By: Michael Lowenstein, PhD CMC
Senior Vice President and Senior
Consultant, Harris Interactive Loyalty
There are many ways to bring all of
these individual, rarely conjoined
functions and capabilities into unison,
so that they are more effective on behalf
of both the customer and the employee.
Perhaps the simplest, and arguably
the most sustainable and strategically
differentiated, is to have employees

2. directly, actively involved in making this Engagement seeks to quantify emotional and
happen. OK, this – what we call employee rational job satisfaction and motivation to think,
ambassadorship - Is clearly a worthwhile goal, feel, and act. This combination is extremely
with two key and immediate questions: 1) How important for training, communication, staff
do you make this a reality, and 2) How do you management, and individual and group goal-
measure the effectiveness of what you’re doing? setting.
We’ll address the second question first, and then
offer examples of what companies like Virgin, Engagement, however, represents a mélange of
Eastman Kodak, Honeywell, Ford, NCR, ING, and loosely related concepts. In 2006, The Conference
Hewlett-Packard are doing to create and sustain Board published “Employee Engagement,
a culture of employee ambassadorship. A Review of Current Research and Its
Implications”. According to this report, twelve
A culture of customer ‘wow’ begins with major studies on employee engagement had
employee job satisfaction... been published over the prior four years by top
The history of companies measuring employee research firms. Each of the studies used different
job satisfaction, and endeavoring to link definitions and, collectively, came up with 26
employee perceptions with customer behavior key drivers of engagement. For example, some
goes back almost 100 years. Organizational studies emphasized the underlying cognitive
surveys began during the 1920’s and 1930’s, a issues, others on the underlying emotional issues.
result of emphasis on industrial engineering and
time-and-motion studies which began at the The Conference Board looked across this
dawn of the 20th century. compilation of data and constructed both a
blended definition and key themes that crossed
By the 1960’s and 1970’s, many companies all of the studies. They identify employee
were conducting employee attitude and engagement as “a heightened emotional
satisfaction studies; and these studies were connection that an employee feels for his or her
further refined during the 1980’s and early organization, that influences him or her to exert
1990’s, focused as much on achieving quality as greater discretionary effort to his or her work”.
on creating satisfied employees. Many of the studies agreed on eight key drivers.
• Trust and integrity – How well managers
...is enhanced through employee alignment communicate and ‘walk the talk’.
with the company’s mission and brand • Nature of the job –Is it mentally stimulating
promise... day-to-day?
• Line of sight between employee performance
In the mid-1990’s, more progressive companies
and company performance – Do employees
had moved on to employee engagement understand how their work contributes to
research. This was a significant step for human the company’s performance?
resources professionals. It was a recognition that • Career Growth opportunities –Are there
companies needed to view employees not only future opportunities for growth?
as a resource but as partners in helping reach • Pride about the company – How much
self-esteem do the employees feel by being
overall business goals. The principal intents of
associated with their company?
employee engagement, then, are to identify: • Coworkers/team members – Significantly
• what originally drew individuals to the influence one’s level of engagement
company, • Employee development – Is the company
• what keeps them there, making an effort to develop the employee’s
• what they see as their role and how involved skills?
they are in it, and • Relationship with one’s manager – Does
• how aligned they are with the company’s the employee value relationship(s) with
goals and culture. manager(s)?

3. Brand engagement is an extension of employee satisfaction doesn’t mean that making
engagement. Much of brand engagement is employees happier will lead to better
managed through the marketing structure, customer experience. This is one of those
and it involves the communication of company classic traps your college professors warned
values, and product and service benefits, to you about: confusing correlation with
current and potential customers, and to other causation. I’ve observed that this flaw in
stakeholders. Some companies have recognized logic has led many organizations to invest
that, to deliver the brand promise externally, in trying to make their employees happier in
employees represent the biggest opportunity to the hope that those happier employees will
arrive at that destination. Involving employees turn around and deliver a better experience
more directly in brand-building has definite for customers. We’ve just seen too many
advantages for HR, such as attracting and companies where, at best, more highly-
retaining good employees, and creating a engaged employees simply deliver a sub-par
stronger understanding of the company’s mission experience more enthusiastically.”
and vision, which then combine to build a more
cohesive and aligned work force. One of the shortfalls too often seen in
engagement, particularly as this type of research
Employees, whether they are customer facing or applies to optimizing customer experience, is
not, need to ‘live’ the brand and company value that, even if employees are trained in brand
promise as company representatives. Concepts image, this does not mean they will deliver
and programs such as employee engagement and on the product or service value promise to
brand engagement (through employees), though customers or other stakeholders. Image needs
considerably more progressive than satisfaction, to be integrated with building a culture of true
can be less than sufficient to help companies customer focus. In other words, the external
optimize the customer experience or sustain brand promise has to be experienced by
top-level customer value delivery. Employees may customers every time they interact with the
believe they are doing valuable things for their company.
company and/or they may have positive feelings
about their jobs, their employers, and the brands ...and culminates in ambassadorship, where
they represent; but, where is the specificity employees ‘live’ the brand promise, for
around building the best customer experience themselves and for the benefit and loyalty
and relationships? behavior of customers
Can companies, through employee research,
In its basic thesis, engagement loosely parallels learn how to prioritize initiatives which will
“The Service Profit Chain”, a model developed generate optimum staff commitment to the
by Heskett, Sasser, and Schlesinger 1 in the company, to the brand value promise, and to the
‘90’s. The model is generally summarized as customers?
happy employees = happy customers = happy
shareholders. In other words, at the core of If employee satisfaction and employee
engagement is the tacit belief that there is a engagement aren’t specifically designed to meet
direct relationship or linkage between higher this critical objective, and only tangentially
employee satisfaction and customer experience. correlate with customer behavior, can a single
And, as found by noted customer experience technique provide the means to do that? The
expert Frank Capek, though elevated levels of answer to both questions is: Yes, through
customer service, and also increased profitability, employee ambassadorship research. Employee
may result from enhanced employee engagement ambassadorship has been specifically designed
“…just because employee satisfaction and to both build on employee satisfaction and
engagement are correlated with customer engagement and bring the customer into the

4. equation, linking employee attitudes and actions Ambassadorship is very definitely linked to
to customer loyalty behavior. the productivity and empowerment elements
of employee satisfaction, engagement, and
Employee ambassadorship, or employee brand alignment research; however, it more closely
ambassadorship, has direct connections to – yet parallels achievement of business results and
is distinctive from – both employee satisfaction value-building because its emphasis is on
and employee engagement. As a research strengthening customer bonds through direct
framework, its overarching objective is to identify and indirect employee interaction.
the most active and positive (and inactive and
negative) level of employee commitment to the Note: Recognizing that some companies are
company’s product and service value promise, still focused on alignment and engagement, and
to the company itself, and to optimizing the also that there are many ways in which it can
customer experience. be expressed through employee research, we
define Employee Engagement as encompassing
The ambassadorship thesis, with its component two of the three components of our definition
elements, can be displayed as follows: of Ambassadorship. These are: Commitment
to Company and Commitment to Value
Proposition. Operationally, these are addressed
Employees that score high on Commitment in surveys through six of the nine proprietary
to company, the value proposition, and the questions we use in Ambassadorship.
customer, are considered Amabassadors
Harris Interactive Loyalty’s original approach
was developed and tested during 2006. The
Value framework proved very successful for clients
Company Proposition in multiple industries; and they have found
the results both insightful and highly useful
Ambassador
in prioritizing their employee training and
communication around the customer. More
recently, a team of Loyalty consultants and
methodologists conducted exhaustive qualitative
and quantitative new baseline research to
further refine the ambassadorship technique and
Customer
make it even more contemporary and actionable
for clients.
• Commitment to company – Commitment to,
and being positive about, the company (through Early in 2008, Harris Interactive Loyalty
personal satisfaction, fulfillment, and an conducted research through the Harris Poll
expression of pride), and to being a contributing, among 4,300 adults who are employed full time.
loyal, and fully aligned, member of the culture
Sample size was sufficient to provide baseline
• Commitment to value proposition –
Commitment to, and alignment with, the mission
results in close to twenty major business and
and goals of the company, as expressed through industry areas.
perceived excellence (benefits and solutions)
provided by products and/or services
The questionnaire utilized for this study
• Commitment to customers – Commitment was constructed based on both the earlier
to understanding customer needs, and to
performing in a manner which provides ambassadorship research protocol and insights
customers with optimal experiences and from the qualitative research. The ‘three legs’ of
relationships, as well as delivering the highest the ambassadorship research stool, identified
level of product and/or service value
above, are measured by nine agree/disagree

5. scale attitude statements (three in each of low ambassadorship and high sabotage levels:
the legs). In addition, a number of loyalty and • Telecommunications,
advocacy (positive and negative communication) • Retail Trade, Manufacturing,
metrics were used to help validate the new • Transportation and Warehousing, and
ambassadorship framework. • Accommodation and Food Services.
We most typically concentrate on what It’s interesting and instructive to note that,
drives active, positive, vocal commitment, i.e. especially in telecom, retail, lodging and food
ambassadorship; however, it is at least equally services, these are some of the industries so
important to identify where employee indifference often featured in business studies, and trade
and negativism, potentially leading to sabotage stories and articles, as representing the poorest
attitudes and actions, exist, why they exist, and reported customer experiences and highest levels
how they can be mitigated or eliminated. If of service complaint.
employee ambassadorship is the North Pole, then
sabotage is the South Pole. Ambassadorship research key findings
In addition to employee motivation, cohesion,
Overall Employee Ambassadorship baseline productivity and alignment with corporate values
study results and culture, Human Resources is perhaps
About 15.5% of adults, employed full-time most interested and focused on learning how to
and working for a company, were identified increase staff loyalty. Our research identifies
through the framework as Ambassadors. At employee loyalty level through three specific
the opposite end of the commitment spectrum, metrics: rating of the organization as a place to
those employees we identify as Saboteurs, about work, likelihood to recommend the organization
29.5% qualified by their answers to be in this to friends or family members as a place to
group. As ambassadors are beneficial, saboteurs work, and level of felt loyalty to the organization.
and sabotage levels are of particular concern Overall, 18% of our respondents exhibited
to organizations because of their ‘bad apple’ high loyalty to their organizations, and 20%
potential impact on productivity and morale of exhibited low loyalty; and, importantly, there
other employees, and behavior of customers. were strong, almost polar opposite differences in
organizational loyalty depending on whether an
These typical results for ambassadorship and employee was categorized as an ambassador or
sabotage levels were found in several industries: saboteur, validating ambassadorship framework
results:
• Education
• Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Technology Services
• Banking and Finance
Employee Loyalty* by Ambassador Group
• Engineering Services
• Insurance
Total Ambassador Saboteur
Also, some, industry groups had very high Low 19.8% 0.0% 61.0%
ambassadorship levels, coupled with low Medium 61.9% 27.3% 38.5%
sabotage levels: High 18.3% 72.7% 0.5%
• Religious and Non-Profit organizations, Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
• Construction, and *Comprised of the three metrics used to calculate
• Legal Services. employee loyalty
Conversely, there were industry groups with very

6. These are definite ‘pay attention’ findings for When asked if they ever say anything bad
HR. It’s a concern, of course, that almost 20% about the company as a place to work, almost
of employees have low organizational loyalty; none of the ambassadors (1.9%) were frequent
however, it’s an even greater challenge that there or occasional negative communicators in this
is three times the level of potential staff turnover regard. However, saboteurs were 26 times more
among saboteurs, who, before they depart, will likely to communicate to others in negative ways,
undermine the performance and loyalty of other either frequently or occasionally (49.4%). It’s
employees. Our research provides very specific clear that this kind of attitude and behavior can
insights into why this is occurring. At the same have significant impact on attracting the best
time, the organization will be very well-served employees, keeping them, and having them be
to emulate the behaviors and attitudes of focused on customers.
ambassadors through the rest of the culture.
The third principal component of
Commitment to the company, in the form of ambassadorship is representing the company’s
loyalty and related attitudes and behaviors, products and services, i.e. its brand promise,
is a fairly basic requirement for employee to others, both inside and outside of the
ambassadorship. As important is feeling that organization. Similar to their responses
the company is a good place to work, and regarding the company as a place of employment,
that its products and services are good, and the disparity in saying good things about the
communicating this belief to others, including company’s products and services between
colleagues, friends, and customers. ambassadors and saboteurs was dramatic:
over 20 times more ambassadors always or
Similar to overall employee loyalty findings, almost always said positive things compared to
ambassadors were found to be both positive saboteurs (78.3% vs. 3.7%).
and vocal promoters and representatives of
the company as a place to work, while most
saboteurs never, or at least less frequently,
Frequency of Saying Company’s Products/
said anything good about the company as an Services are Good
employer. In terms of the highest frequency of
saying positive things about the company as a Total Ambassador Saboteur
place to be employed, ambassadors were over
Rarely/Never 18.1% 1.6% 45.0%
40 times more likely to do this than saboteurs
Sometimes/
(85.7% compared to 2.1%). 54.1% 20.1% 50.3%
Often
Almost
Always/ 27.8% 78.3% 3.7%
Always
Frequency of Saying Company is a Good Place Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
to be Employed
Total Ambassador Saboteur
Rarely/Never 20.4% 0.9% 55.5% Saying negative things about the company’s
Sometimes/ products or services was also significantly
49.6% 13.4% 42.4%
Often
more prevalent among soboteurs. Over 45% of
Almost
employee saboteurs said negative things about
Always/ 30.0% 85.7% 2.1%
Always products or services at least some of the time,
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% compared to only 2.6% of ambassadors. Again,
companies need to focus on the multi-layered
consequences of such results.

7. What actions should companies be taking with sustaining cultures of employee ambassadorship.
insights such as these? Here are several;
Hewlett-Packard, for example, has a program
• Employees, at all levels and in all functions
need to have a thorough understanding of called ‘Demo Days’. All employees, those
what’s important to customers so that their currently working for HP and also retired
actions match customer expectations and employees and irrespective of function or level
requirements within the organization, volunteer and are
• Employees’ behavior needs to be aligned trained to spend days at local electronic retail
around customer experiences
stores, as brand ambassadors for the company,
• Management must build processes,
technology, training, and organizational/ interacting with potential customers. HP does
cultural practices that support employees this several times a year, and it helps the
being able to optimize customer experience organization build greater customer centricity
into the culture.
Perhaps most of all, companies should evaluate
the effectiveness of rules and metrics associated At Zappos, the highly successful online footwear
with delivering customer value. For instance, and clothing retailer, there’s a strong belief that
how effective is the company, and employees, ‘your culture is your brand.’ During the hiring
at unearthing and resolving unexpressed process, prospective employees, however talented
complaints which may be undermining customer and experienced, must fit into the culture.
loyalty? How are non-financial metrics viewed Following hiring, all employees – regardless
relative to financial ones? What types of of function or title – are trained in customer
automated support processes exist, and how loyalty, service, and company values and vision
well are employees trained in them, to make over a four-week period. Two of those weeks are
serving customers easier? How does the company spent are spent on the phone taking calls from
balance taking care of existing customers, customers.
particularly those who may be at risk of
defection, with acquiring new ones? How much Zappos has defined its company culture in terms
cross-functional collaboration exists in support of 10 core values, the first of which is “Deliver
of the customer? WOW Through Service”. As explained by CEO,
Tony Hsieh:
For companies to create and sustain higher
levels of employee ambassadorship, it’s necessary “Every employee can affect your company’s
to have customer and employee intelligence brand, not just the front line employees that
specifically designed to close gaps between are paid to talk to your customers. It can be
customer experience, outmoded internal beliefs, a positive influence, or a negative influence.
and rudimentary support and training. It’s also We decided a long time ago that we didn’t
essential that the employee experience be given want our brand to be just about shoes, or
as much emphasis as the customer experience. clothing, or even online retailing. We decided
If ambassadorship is to flourish, there must be that we wanted to build our brand to be
value, and a sense of shared purpose, for the about the very best customer service and the
employee as well as the company and customer – very best customer experience. We believe
in the form of recognition, reward (financial and that customer service shouldn’t be just a
training), and career opportunities. department, it should be the entire company.
Our belief is that if you get the culture right,
Examples of Employee Ambassadorship at work most of the other stuff – like great customer
As cited at the outset, companies like Virgin, service, or building a great long-term brand,
Eastman Kodak, Honeywell, NCR, ING, and or passionate employees and customers –
Hewlett-Packard are actively creating and will happen naturally on its own.”

8. Eastman Kodak, in its employee ambassador Again, ambassadorship is most successful when
initiative, has implemented a program called employees are recognized and appreciated, and
FAST, which stands for Focus, Accountability, can participate in the benefit and value they
Simplicity and Trust. The objective is to drive provide to customers. Hal Rosenbluth, former
sustainable, profitable growth by requiring CEO of the highly successful, multi-billion
employees to treat everyone – internal and dollar travel management company, Rosenbluth
external – as a customer. International (which is now part of American
Express Travel Related Services), said in his
High-tech company NCR (Note: Full disclosure – book, The Customer Comes Second:
NCR is a Harris interactive employee
ambassadorship research client) has created an “We’re talking about a change that puts the
ambassadorship program, which is open to all people in organizations above everything
employees. Its objectives are to drive customer else. They are cared for, valued, empowered,
loyalty and advocacy, and enhanced company and motivated to care for their clients. When
culture, for employees who are both customer- a company puts its people first, the results
facing and non-customer facing. Employees are are spectacular. Their people are inspired
recruited to be trained in customer interaction to provide a level of service that truly comes
soft skills, NCR overall company and brand from the heart. It can’t be faked. Companies
information. Ambassadors have enhanced are only fooling themselves when they
access to co company information, participate believe that ‘The Customer Comes First.’
in a special reward and recognition program for People do not inherently put the customer
‘above and beyond’ contributions, and engage first, and they certainly don’t do it because
in public relations, marketing, and community their employer expects it. We’re not saying
events. Importantly, they also help build choose your people over your customers.
credibility for the company’s commitment to We’re saying focus on your people because of
employees by reporting back on their experiences your customers. That way, everybody wins.”
as ambassadors.
Whether an organization is a major international
Summing up; What’s the value of ambassadorship corporation, or a small, embryonic start-
for the company, the customer and the employee? up, these words represent the spirit of what
In August, 2004, Honeywell International, Inc.’s employee ambassadorship can accomplish for a
Chairman and CEO, David Cole, sent a message company. Stated simply in the title of this piece,
to the company’s 120,000+ employees, in which ambassadorship is employees living the promise
he described their role in the company’s program of ‘wow’ customer value delivery, irrespective of
to build and protect their brands: whether they are interfacing with purchasers of
the company’s products and/or services, other
“Every Honeywell employee is a brand colleagues, friends or family members. It is also
ambassador. With every customer contact the partnership, and shared destiny, between
and whenever we represent Honeywell, we employees and their employer. When this is done
have the opportunity either to strengthen well, all stakeholders win.
the Honeywell name or to cause it to lose
some of its luster and prestige. Generations 1
Heskett, James L., W. Earl Sasser, Leonard A.
of Honeywell employees have built our Schlesinger, The Service Profit Chain, Free Press/
powerful brands with their hard work, spirit Simon & Schuster, New York City, 1997.
of innovation, passion for quality,
and commitment to customers. I am
counting on every Honeywell employee to
continue that legacy.”