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Partners – such as vendors, suppliers, technology providers, and service collaborators – play a critical role in the overall employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX) ecosystem. Their contributions directly impact a brand’s ability to deliver seamless, high-quality experiences to both employees and customers. A strong partner experience (PX) enhances operational efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
I’ve written about partners and the partner experience, including as it impacts the omnichannel experience, many times over the years. Needless to say, my point has always been that you must consider the vendor/partner experience when designing the customer experience (and the employee experience) because they pop up in so many places along the journey. Your partners are an important touchpoint that must not be forgotten!
The Role of Partners in the EX and CX Ecosystem
There are things you may not even think about as you consider how and where your partners are involved along both employee and customer journeys.
Enabling Seamless Customer Experiences: Partners interact with customers directly or indirectly, providing essential products, services, and technology that influence the quality, speed, and reliability of customer interactions. A delayed shipment or a buggy app from a partner can sour the experience, even if the brand itself isn’t at fault.
Enabling Operations and Supporting the Employee Experience: Employees rely on vendor-provided tools, platforms, and services to perform their jobs effectively. A poor partner experience can lead to frustration, inefficiencies, and disengagement, while a smooth integration empowers employees to deliver better results.
Enhancing Innovation: Strategic partners help brands stay ahead with cutting-edge technology, AI-driven solutions, and best practices that help employees adapt to market shifts and meet evolving customer needs faster (improving experiences for both).
Acting as Brand Ambassadors: Partners often interact with customers on a brand’s behalf (e.g., third-party service providers, fulfillment partners). Their approach and culture must align with the brand’s promise, standards, and priorities; if it doesn’t, it will clash and not only alienate employees but also erode customer trust.
Impacting Brand Reputation: A negative partner experience (e.g., unreliable technology, supply chain disruptions) can and will damage customer trust and employee morale. It reflects poorly on the brand, always. Customers don’t distinguish between you and your partners. It’s their experience.
Partner Experience: What Brands Should Focus on
To maximize the (positive) ripple effect of partners on EX and CX, brands need to treat the partner experience as a strategic priority, not as an afterthought. Here’s what to zero in on:
Alignment on Values and Quality
Vet partners not just for capability but for culture fit. (It shouldn’t be a surprise that this is the first area to focus on!) Do your partners’ practices match your brand’s ethos? Employees take pride in working with ethical, reliable partners, and customers notice when quality is consistent across the board. (Again, they see one brand. They are working with or buying from you. They don’t care who delivers your experience; they don’t think about, “Is this [Brand] or is this their partner?” Your partner must reflect and align with the brand.)
Clear Communication and Expectations
I’ve been know to say that communication is the most overlooked part of the customer experience. Well, that’s a true statement for the employee experience and for the partner experience. Partners need a crystal-clear understanding of goals, timelines, expectations, workflows, quality standards, and service-level agreements (SLAs). Train them. Ambiguity breeds misalignment, which screws over employees (who have to pick up the slack) and customers (who feel the downstream effects). Regular check-ins and transparent feedback loops are non-negotiable.
Seamless Integration
Make it easy for partners to plug into your systems and processes. Ensure partners have access to the right tools, data, and integrations to deliver smooth experiences. Prioritize API-friendly ecosystems that allow for seamless connections between internal and external systems. Employees shouldn’t waste time wrestling with incompatible tools or chasing down vendor updates. Streamlined workflows, like shared dashboards or synced platforms, keep everyone on the same page.
Mutual Value Creation
Partnerships aren’t one-way streets. Foster long-term relationships with key partners rather than relying on transactional engagements. Brands should ensure vendors feel valued, whether that’s through fair compensation, recognition, or growth opportunities. A motivated partner is more likely to go the extra mile, which benefits employees (less stress) and customers (better service).
Proactive Problem-Solving
Shit happens – delays, glitches, whatever. Brands must focus on building resilience into partnerships with contingency plans and open dialogue. Develop contingency plans for vendor failures, supply chain disruptions, or technology outages. This minimizes disruption for employees and keeps CX hiccups from turning into disasters.
Data and Feedback Sharing
Treat partners as an extension of the team by regularly gathering feedback on pain points and opportunities. Give them real-time insights into how their work impacts EX and CX metrics (e.g., employee satisfaction scores, Net Promoter Score) and include them in EX and CX innovation discussions to drive improvements across the ecosystem. This closes the loop, letting them tweak their approach to better serve both groups.
In Closing
Partners are amplifiers of your brand’s ecosystem. The partner experience is a critical yet often overlooked part of the employee experience and the customer experience. Brands that invest in strong partnerships – grounded in alignment, communication, and shared success – create more resilient, innovative, and customer-centric ecosystems.
A poor partner experience drags down employees and frustrates customers; a great one lifts everyone up. I cannot reiterate this enough: brands must obsess over picking the right partners, aligning them tightly with internal goals and business outcomes, and treating them like true collaborators. Get that right and both employees and customers rejoice! By shining a spotlight on the partner experience, companies ensure that their entire ecosystem operates seamlessly, ultimately driving better employee experiences and customer loyalty.
I can do things you cannot; you can do things I cannot. Together we can do great things. ~ Mother Teresa
Related: Corporate Vision vs. Culture Vision: Understanding Their Roles in Business Success