I recently wrote about summer lifeguards, and the various roles they play in shaping your summertime experience around the water. Whether you’re at the beach, the pool or water park, the lifeguards you encounter are just one group of employees who help define your overall “customer” experience. The other employees you encounter – wait staff, beach attendants, parking attendants, cleaning staff – all have as much influence over your customer experience.

So, the question is…when it comes to your customer experience around the water, which of these employees matters most? The short answer is they all matter. Each and every employee you encounter, from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave, has the ability to define your customer experience. Typically, it’s the ones who do something extraordinarily good or bad during your visit that causes them to stand out. Or, maybe it’s the person who greeted you when you arrived. Or it’s the last person you interact with before leaving.

If you’re looking to improve your organization’s customer experience, make sure your employees know how important they are. If just one of them is having an off day, chances are the interaction that one employee provides will do more to define your customer’s experience with your brand than the sum total of all the other interactions your customer has with your staff.