I became acutely aware of how often we were referred to as “Hey guys”. This shift is something that from a customer service perspective, organisations can no longer afford to overlook, and creating an inclusive environment in all elements of diversity is critical. It has always been the goal of customer service to make all customers feel welcome, included, and comfortable and the consideration of gender pronouns and gender-neutral language in customer service interactions and customer experience design is essential.

I had a very insightful discussion with a fantastic Customer Experience Leader. He shared the story of one of his team leaders who had wonderful rapport and connection with her team, yet found it incredibly difficult to address a team member when they were not delivering the expected level of customer service. It filled her with dread and was something she actively avoided, therefore the behaviour continued and, in some cases, worsened.