The Order of Operations: People, Customers, Community

What if “employee first” is your fastest path to better service outcomes?

Putting employees first can sound counterintuitive in shared services, but at Cox Automotive, it’s operating logic. In this article, Tom Sterling (VP, People Solutions Operations) breaks down how a people-first model strengthens customer outcomes, reduces escalations, and builds trust that extends beyond the business. You’ll also get a practical playbook for making the “service-profit chain” measurable in HRSS, month by month.

✅ Build a testable EX → CX → outcomes chain (eNPS, manager index, well-being uptake → FCR, Customer Effort, CSAT/NPS → renewal/repeat revenue)

✅ Pressure-test your metrics: what to do when eNPS rises but Customer Effort stays flat

✅ Apply Cox’s HRSS playbook: benefits uptake as a leading indicator, performance + mobility standards, and continuous improvement that drives savings and quality

✅ Learn how manager behaviors become the multiplier for both employee experience and customer effort

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