Great Customer Service Needs Great Employees

We all come across great customer service people when we are shopping or talking to a business in person or on the phone.  They are a real treat to deal with, and breath of fresh air.  They actually make your experience a positive one that reinforces our decision to use that company in the first place.  Unfortunately the opposite is also true. And the result of poor customer service will often be that be we stop doing business with that company.  If you have no choice but to use that company, all you can do is try to be patient, and get through it as quickly as possible, and wait for the right opportunity to move to a different company.  

When you do get to experience that right type of customer service do you ever take the time to ask them if they ever receive some sort of on the spot recognition for their performance?  Because I’ve been in this field for decades, I’ve been asking that question for a long time and by far the answer is usually “no!”  While many say they do get some kind of annual service award or bonus, it is rare for anyone to say that they ever get a spontaneous on the spot recognition award.

Every business wants their customers to have a great experience every time they deal with their company. Large sums are spent on discovering and implementing the best customer experience possible.  Organizations invest millions in building their customer engagement strategies, but rarely invest in the simple day to day things that make those strategies work. If your employees aren’t engaged and happy in their work, they won’t be able to (or won’t want to) provide a fantastic experience for your customers

So here is the challenge to business leaders.  If you want to make significant improvements to customer service, you’ll first need to focus more on engaging your own workforce. It stands to reason that if there is any sort of disconnect between how a company treats employees and how employees are expected to treat customers, there is discontent that will not benefit anyone – company, employee or customer!

Starbucks is well known for its unique and generous employee perks, including health insurance for part-time staff and free tuition for the entire workforce. A customer study in 2014 showed that 87% of the company’s brand affinity is driven by the way they treat employees, so prioritizing the needs of its employees really helps Starbucks to build its brand and increase sales.

You invest millions on developing your customer strategy, hiring and training the right employees and constant communication on your company values. Don’t stop there.  Add committed short term recognition to ensure all of your investment makes your employees want to take care of your customers. 

Oscar Speeches and Customer Satisfaction

Have you ever heard an Oscar speech start with… I really don’t need to thank anyone, I did this all by myself, even mom and dad didn’t help.”  No you probably haven’t, because in just about every situation where you find people on the top they’ll always tell you about the other people in their life along the way, those who helped them become a success.  Nobody does it alone.

The same thing holds true for businesses that achieve a great deal of success.  In every one of them they are acutely aware of how their employees impact the satisfaction of their customers.  And they make sure to thank those employees and recognize them at every opportunity. 

A way to get the most out of your employees is to give them an emotional connection to the success. An easy technique to do that is to ensure they receive tangible recognition for their efforts.  By doing that you are essentially establishing a sense of ownership.  Often times this can lead to promotion into management and a true piece of the profits. They become satisfied employees who grow satisfied customers who become loyal customers. 

 “The Forum: Business Results Through People” found…

“a direct relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction and loyalty. By motivating and rewarding achievement, you provide incentive for employees to go above and beyond. This not only fosters improvement in communication between employees and management, but also between employees and customers.” 

This is a fact that you can’t afford to ignore.  If you have satisfied employees they will make a priority to ensure they have satisfied customers. 

For more information on Ultimate Choice Inc.’s products or services or other white papers please contact us at Ultimatechoiceinfo@cox.net

Satisfied Employees and Great Customer Experience?

Many companies have come to realize that it’s the employees who make the difference.  All the money spent on research, design, innovation, marketing loyalty etc can go right down the drain when the experience at the point of sale is less than desired.  We all like to trade at places where we feel important, and valued for our business, and our inter action with the employee, whether in person, on the phone, or digitally, can make or break that relationship. 

Numerous studies over the years show a strong positive relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Satisfied employees help produce satisfied customers… conversely, low employee satisfaction and overall low employee morale can negatively affect company operations greatly, causing dissatisfied customers and hurt profitability.

An extraordinary employee experience is the basis for a successful customer experience.  Consider it this way. Your employees are your brand.  If you have a brand promise, it’s your employees who are responsible for fulfilling that promise.  Think of the billions spent in implementing a world-class customer

service effort.  Then compare that to the budgets invested in recognizing and reward your employees who make that world-class customer service effort a success.  Is it really a fair comparison?  Your employees will deliver a customer experience that matches their own experience in your organization. 

For more information on Ultimate Choice Inc.’s products or services or other white papers please contact us at Ultimatechoiceinfo@cox.net