February 24, 2026

Making Great Customer and Employee Relationships Stick Featuring Stephen Baer

25 minutes

Creating Engaged Employees and Loyal Customers

Shep interviews Stephen Baer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Engagency. He talks about his new book, Stickology, and how building strong emotional connections and engaging both employees and customers leads to lasting loyalty.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  

How does internal employee engagement influence external customer experience?

Why is it important for organizations to go beyond surface-level personalization in delivering customer experiences?

How can companies strike the right balance between friendly service and convenience to create lasting loyalty?

How can organizations move from transactional interactions to building relationships with their customers?

Why is it essential to invest in employee experience to drive customer satisfaction?

Top Takeaways:  

Internal engagement is the foundation of strong customer loyalty. What happens inside your organization is always felt by your customers on the outside. If your employees are engaged, respected, and motivated, customers feel that in every interaction with your brand.

When organizations invest in their people, the result is better service and stronger customer relationships because empowered employees have the confidence to go above and beyond for customers.

Engagement isn’t just good for workplace culture. It’s good for business. Companies that focus on both employee and customer engagement see more revenue, higher employee and customer retention, and outpace their competitors.

It’s easy to form a connection, but lasting loyalty requires deeper engagement. Connections made quickly can fall apart just as fast if the next interactions are inconsistent. Genuine engagement takes time and is operationalized so it ingrained in the culture and felt in every interaction.

Personalization by itself, even when powered by advanced technology, is not enough to build lasting loyalty. Relying on algorithms alone will expose a brand to being outgrown by its customers or out-innovated by its competitors. Customers stick with brands that make them feel emotionally connected and valued. Human elements, not just algorithms, are what creates long-term fans.

Convenience is no longer a unique advantage. It is an expectation. Today’s customers want easy, seamless interactions everywhere they shop. To stand out, businesses need to pair convenience with authentic, memorable service.

Customers are going to talk about their experience with a company. When employees are engaged, they create advocates, customers who often spend more, and are more likely to recommend the business to others.

Plus, Stephen shares more insights from his book, Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life. Tune in!

Quote: 

"It's not just about connecting. It's about building a relationship. It's about making that person feel seen, heard, valued, and empowered, whether they are a customer or an employee. It takes time, but the bond holds together stronger."

About:  

Stephen Baer is the author of Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life, and the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Engagency. He has 30 years of experience in behavioral science and engagement from leadership roles at companies such as The Game Agency, Atari, and GE.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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By Shep Hyken & C-Suite Radio

8585 ratings