If you work in customer service, you may have heard of the famous Ritz-Carlton $2,000 rule. The policy, in place since the 1980s, permits any employee to spend up to $2,000 to make any single guest satisfied. Talk about agent empowerment!

Most companies can’t just drop two grand to make a customer happy. The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury brand with interests in catering to their upscale clients, but that doesn’t mean that all companies need to be held to that same dollar amount to ensure customer satisfaction. However, they can be held to the same service standards in terms of going the extra mile in making customers happy.

All of the companies that are known for their outstanding customer service have one thing in common: they know that the people who on the frontlines, interacting with customers every day, are the most important factor in delivering the kind of service that gets people talking (and tweeting!). These are the customer service agents and representatives that have the potential to make lifelong customers a reality.

When companies make a serious effort to empower their agents, they are often rewarded with loyal customers. Why? Because the agents themselves are more engaged with their work and are aligned with the company’s goals. When agents have factors like a clear career path, supporting leadership at the executive level, and the tools to deliver personalized experiences, they can deliver a competitive advantage unlike any other.

Empowerment comes in many different forms, but overall, it leads to lower agent turnover, increase, increased service efficiency, and higher satisfaction in customers. Check out 4 things your company can start doing to empower agents, and consequently build customer loyalty:

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