When we talk about transparency in customer experience, our minds often jump straight to what we’re sharing with customers. But I believe we’re missing half the equation if we don’t also consider internal transparency—what we’re sharing with our teams.
Transparency isn’t just about being honest with customers. It’s about creating an environment where information flows freely throughout the organization, especially the critical feedback that helps us improve.
The Inside-Out Connection
I’ve observed this pattern repeatedly in my decades of working with companies: what happens inside a company is inevitably reflected in the customer experience. This isn’t just a nice theory—it’s a fundamental truth of business.
When teams operate in information silos or receive filtered versions of customer feedback, they’re working with one hand tied behind their back. They can’t fully understand the customers they’re trying to serve.
Think about it: How can your team members truly deliver exceptional service if they only see the sanitized version of customer feedback? They need the complete picture—good, bad, and ugly—to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
Breaking Down Information Barriers
Many organizations fall into the trap of filtering information as it moves through the company. By the time customer feedback reaches frontline employees, it’s often been:
- Stripped of critical details
- Summarized to highlight only positive points
- Sanitized to remove uncomfortable truths
- Delayed until it’s no longer actionable
This filtering happens with good intentions—leaders want to protect morale or control messaging. But this approach ultimately backfires by disconnecting teams from the reality of customer experiences.
I challenge you to examine your own practices. Are you sharing the complete story with your team, or just the parts you think they should hear?
Creating a Culture of Complete Transparency
True internal transparency means giving your team access to the full spectrum of customer feedback. This includes:
- Sharing negative feedback alongside positive comments
- Providing access to raw customer comments, not just summary reports
- Discussing challenging customer situations openly
- Acknowledging when the company falls short of expectations
When teams have this level of transparency, they gain deeper insights into customer needs and can make more informed decisions about how to improve service.
What are you sharing from your customers or even from your fellow teammates with your team in a way that they can better understand the customers and do a better job of serving them?
This question should be at the forefront of every leader’s mind. Are we giving our teams everything they need to succeed, or are we holding back crucial information?
The Competitive Advantage of Transparency
Companies that practice full internal transparency gain several advantages:
First, they solve problems faster because everyone has access to the information needed to identify and address issues. Second, they build stronger teams as trust grows when information is shared openly. Finally, they create more authentic customer experiences because their employees understand customer needs at a deeper level.
I’ve seen this play out countless times—the organizations most willing to share unfiltered customer feedback internally are often the same ones delivering the most consistent customer experiences externally.
Taking Action
If you want to improve your internal transparency, start by examining how customer feedback flows through your organization. Ask yourself:
- Do all team members have access to customer feedback?
- Are we sharing the complete picture or just selected highlights?
- How quickly does feedback reach the people who can act on it?
Then take concrete steps to open those channels of communication. The results may surprise you—not only in improved customer satisfaction but also in team engagement and innovation.
Remember, transparency isn’t just about what you share with customers. It’s about creating an organization where information flows freely in all directions, empowering everyone to deliver their best work. When we get this right, the benefits extend far beyond customer experience—they transform our entire organization.
