Ever hear the saying that when employees are happy, they are the best ambassadors? Well, there is truth to that statement and we’re going to discover why together.
Good managers who create a healthy, caring and supportive work environment will help cultivate future leaders who will then manage the overall customer experience. Effective communication between management and employees is key to building upon the lessons learnt in training and coaching sessions. Feedback and praise are critical to employees feeling they are making a difference.
It’s also important to recognise employees for the good work that they’ve done. A rewards system or programme where the company’s leadership recognises good employees can foster camaraderie among the staff force. What’s more, you can even empower all employees to nominate their colleagues for exceptional performance. Rewarding great employees for great customer service will not only set an example for other employees, but it may also inspire them to go above and beyond in providing excellent service to the customers they engage with. Create this healthy cycle of reward and excellence, and watch your bottom line grow exponentially.
On the flip side of things, unhappy employees are likely to be disengaged, which means their productivity and the quality of their work drops. Absenteeism shoots up too, which means fewer resources to tackle responsibilities on a day to day basis. Without saying, when employees are happy, they’re much more likely to not miss work. This in turn, helps employees build stronger rapports with their customers. When clients call or email, they’ll get a faster and more positive response because happy employees are available and sound cheerful in their communication. As a result, customers become happier and therefore more likely to continue working with you.
To ensure that your employees constantly upgrade their skills and keep up with the ever changing work environment, provide ongoing training and coaching that teaches employees new skills, because these skills will ultimately shine through in customer interactions. When your employees feel empowered and equipped with the right set of competencies, their confidence is boosted and we all know that clients and customers prefer to speak to someone who knows what they are talking about.
The happier your employees are, the longer they will work for you. In turn, your employees will develop stronger bonds with one another and your organisation will be able to leverage their expertise for even longer — something clients will certainly notice in the long run. Moreover, it’s considerably cheaper to retain employees than to hire new ones who might take as long as half a year to get fully assimilated in their roles. Happy employees not only increased your bottom line, but saves your company money at the same time.
Needless to say, your employees are your company’s biggest asset. In order to take your business to the next level, it is imperative that you do everything within your power to make sure that they are happy. The approach of focusing on your employees’ happiness isn’t a new one. It’s been written about and discussed many times before. Yet, it is important enough that we must be reminded of it, and reminded to work at it. Focus on making your employees happy, and in turn, they will make your customers happy. Remember that whatever happens on the inside of your organisation is felt on the outside by your customers and clients. A company with a good reputation and healthy bottom line is one that takes good care of its employees.