Leadership isn’t about sitting in an ivory tower making decisions based on spreadsheets and reports. True leadership means getting your hands dirty and experiencing what your customers experience. I learned this lesson years ago, but it was reinforced when I heard about Jeff Bezos’s approach during Amazon’s early days.
Bezos discovered something that didn’t add up. His customer support department proudly reported wait times of less than sixty seconds, yet customer feedback told a completely different story. Many customers complained about long waits and frustration when trying to reach Amazon’s support team.
Actions Speak Louder Than Reports
What Bezos did next should be a lesson for every executive. Instead of requesting more data or forming a committee to investigate the discrepancy, he took immediate action. During a leadership meeting, he simply picked up the phone and called Amazon’s customer service line himself.
The result? A ten-minute wait time – dramatically different from the “less than sixty seconds” his team had reported.
That single phone call accomplished more than dozens of meetings or reports ever could. It exposed a real problem that needed fixing, but more importantly, it demonstrated the kind of leadership that transforms companies.
When the CEO is willing to experience what customers experience, it sends a clear message that customer service isn’t just a department, but everyone’s responsibility.
Why Leaders Must Experience the Customer Journey
I’ve always believed that leaders should regularly put themselves in their customers’ shoes. Here’s why this approach matters:
- It reveals the truth – Reports can be misleading or incomplete, but direct experience doesn’t lie
- It builds empathy – Understanding customer frustrations firsthand creates genuine motivation to fix problems
- It sets the tone – When leaders prioritize customer experience, teams follow suit
- It speeds up solutions – Problems experienced personally tend to get fixed faster
This hands-on approach to leadership creates a culture where customer experience isn’t just a metric but a core value that drives decision-making throughout the organization.
Moving Beyond Data to Reality
Data and metrics are essential tools, but they can sometimes create a false sense of security. The Amazon example shows how even well-intentioned reporting can miss the mark when it comes to actual customer experience.
As leaders, we must remember that numbers on a page don’t always reflect reality. The wait time metric might have technically been accurate based on how it was measured, but it clearly wasn’t capturing the actual customer experience.
I encourage all executives to test their own customer service channels regularly. Call your support line. Try to return a product. Navigate your website as if you were a first-time visitor. The insights you gain will be invaluable.
Creating a Culture of Customer-Focused Leadership
The most powerful aspect of Bezos’s phone call wasn’t just that he identified a problem – it was the message it sent to his entire organization. By demonstrating his personal commitment to customer experience, he established that customer service wasn’t just the responsibility of one department but a core value for everyone.
This is the kind of leadership that transforms companies. When leaders are willing to experience what customers experience, they create a culture where everyone takes responsibility for customer satisfaction.
The next time you receive concerning customer feedback that doesn’t align with your internal metrics, don’t just ask for more reports. Pick up the phone, visit a store, or try your product yourself. The reality you experience might be eye-opening – and it might just be the catalyst for meaningful change in your organization.
