Memorial Day is a time to pause, reflect, and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. It’s a day of remembrance, and an opportunity to learn from the values that defined their leadership: discipline, empathy, readiness, and a commitment to something greater than oneself.

At Glance, we believe customer experience (CX) is more than a business function; it’s a reflection of how organizations choose to lead. And when we look at what makes great CX truly great, we often see parallels with the kind of leadership demonstrated in military service.

In honor of Memorial Day this year, we’re reflecting on three core leadership traits from those who served — and how they translate to creating more human, connected customer experiences.

1. Discipline: doing the right thing, even when it’s hard

Discipline isn’t just about following orders. It’s about showing up with consistency, honoring commitments, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

In CX, discipline shows up in how we maintain high standards, no matter the channel or customer. It means:

• Following through on promises
• Providing seamless, reliable service across touchpoints
• Training teams to respond with clarity and confidence — even under pressure

Customers remember how you show up in the hard moments. Discipline is what earns trust.

2. Empathy: seeing the person behind the problem

Great military leaders know their people. They lead with empathy because they understand that connection and care are not soft skills — they’re essential for unity, morale, and resilience.

Empathy in customer experience means:

• Listening with intention
• Personalizing support based on real needs
• Creating space for customers to feel heard, not just handled

It’s not just about making customers feel happy; it’s about making them feel respected. Research from Forrester shows that emotions like feeling understood, valued, and confident have a far greater impact on loyalty than simple delight. Empathy means meeting customers where they are, acknowledging their needs, and treating them with genuine care.

In a world that often feels automated and impersonal, empathy is what makes a brand feel human.

3. Readiness: being prepared for anything

Those who serve are trained to adapt — to make decisions quickly, stay calm under pressure, and lead through uncertainty. That same kind of readiness is increasingly important in customer experience.

Customers don’t wait. Issues arise in real time. And teams need to be equipped to respond without delay.

Readiness in CX means:

• Empowering agents with the tools and context they need (like cobrowsing, screen sharing, and guided support)
• Training for complex, high-emotion scenarios
• Building systems that allow for agility, not just automation

The best experiences happen when your team is ready to meet the moment.

Honoring through action

As we honor those who served, one of the best ways we can carry their legacy forward is by leading with integrity, care, and courage in our own work.

Leadership isn’t just for the C-suite. Every support agent, CX manager, and brand touchpoint represents a choice to serve others well.

Let’s take inspiration from the values of those we remember today and apply them in ways that create better experiences for the people we serve every day.

From all of us at Glance, we remember and honor the heroes who served. And we recommit to leading with the values they exemplified.