Head of Internal Services: What I Learned from Fixing Service Frustrations at Swarovski

Most internal service teams believe they have a process problem. In reality, they have an experience problem.

When I led the transformation of internal services at Swarovski GBS, HR teams were overwhelmed with tickets, workarounds, and employee frustrations. ServiceNow was finally in place, workflows were digitized (at least the most important ones) and automation was supposed to make things smoother. Yet, employees still bypassed the system. The issue was not technology. It was trust.

Here is what I learned about fixing internal service frustrations.

1. If Employees Do Not Trust the System, They Will Not Use It

Employees will always find a way to get things done efficiently, even if it means avoiding official processes.

Example: Employees escalated HR requests through personal contacts instead of using the HR portal. The system was technically functional, but employees believed requests would take longer if submitted through it.

Fix: Adoption starts with confidence. If employees do not trust the system to deliver results, they will work around it. Service teams need to track completion rates, not just ticket volume, to ensure the process actually works for users. Build confidence before you expect it.

2. Self-Service Fails When It Creates More Effort

Employees expect internal service workflows to be as simple as ordering from an online store. If self-service requires too many steps, they will default to traditional channels.

Example: Workflows required employees to fill in specialized forms before submitting a request. Instead of improving efficiency, it created frustration. Employees ended up calling service teams directly, leading to duplicated work.

Fix: Self-service should reduce effort, not shift work onto employees. If finding the right form takes longer than sending an email, the system will not be used. Simplification should be a priority.

3. Service Teams Focus Too Much on Ticket Volume, Not Experience

Internal service teams often measure success by how many tickets they process, but volume alone does not reflect employee satisfaction.

Example: HR teams were meeting their SLAs in most cases, but employees still complained about slow responses. The problem was not just resolution time but also expectation management and a lack of transparency in the process.

Fix: Service teams need to measure experience, not just efficiency. Adding status updates, clear timelines, and proactive communication can make a bigger impact than reducing response times.

Transformation Is About Experience, Not Just Technology

Fixing internal service frustrations is not about new tools or faster workflows. It is about making services intuitive, predictable, and trustworthy.

If employees trust that the system works, they will use it. If they do not, no amount of automation will fix the problem.

Prioritize experience.

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