HAPPY EMPLOYEE = HAPPY CLIENTS
IMPROVING YOUR COMPANY CULTURE WILL RESULT IN BETTER, LONGER- LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. MAT WYLIE EXPLAINS.
Improving your company culture will result in better, longer-lasting relationships with your customers, as Mat Wylie explains.
Continuously improving your customer experience is a no-brainer. But all too often, the staff providing these experiences are overlooked. Improving company culture will not only engage your staff, but will likely mean you have better, longer-lasting relationships with your customers. You’ll also be making your company more desirable for great potential employees.
COMMON PURPOSE
Having a purpose that is not simply set from the top, but determined with employee contributions, means they have more buy-in to your business and are consequently more motivated to achieve your business goals. Employees who have a short term target that contributes to a larger, company-wide goal are more likely to be engaged – and in turn, more likely to exceed expectations for you and for clients.
COMMUNICATION
Communication in all forms is a core element to any business. If your staff do not feel they can effectively communicate with you or each other, how can you expect your customers to feel that they can?
By creating communication channels whereby your staff feel they are heard, you may also gain insight into what is happening on the ground. Setting aside time to brainstorm, encouraging collaboration, and offering your staff a chance to give feedback will all foster an environment of communicating effectively.
According to Hay Group (2015), companies that engage employees can reduce voluntary turnover by 54 percent.
Opening communication does not need to stop at your employees; you can extend it to your customers as well, asking them for feedback that will help improve your business. We help companies do this every day – and every day that feedback helps improve businesses.
One of the most positive outcomes of customer feedback is your employees finding out what customers love. This kind of empowerment supports positive behaviour in any business.
PRODUCTIVITY
The Harvard Business Review has discovered that happy employees are on average 31 percent more productive. Surely you want to get the most out of your staff? Find out what makes them enjoy their job and what they would like to see improved.
When your employees are happy, it will show in their demeanour, their engagement and generally in the way they interact with each other and with your customers – which will likely have an impact on the way your customers feel about your business.
A smile can go a long way – it can be contagious, and make a person seem more trustworthy and approachable. We consistently see ‘ smile’ coming up as a key word in negative feedback – meaning generally people aren’t doing it enough!
TEAMWORK AND CAMARADERIE
Encouraging team-building skills improves morale and productivity. Without cohesion you limit your team to individual efforts. When working as a team it’s important for you and your employees to get to know each other and find ways to set aside any differences, so that you provide a united front to your customers.
By understanding your employees and their unique strengths and weaknesses, it is easier to manage your team and provide your customers with the best service possible.
Teamwork also helps to promote motivation, a sense of achievement and equity.
CELEBRATION
Celebrating the successes of your team and your business, whether large or small, can make a world of difference to employee satisfaction. Where possible promote your business and employee achievements, not only to your team but also to clients and potential clients. Celebrate the good things – who knows what will come from it!
Happy employees mean happy clients – it’s one of the core principles of “Business 101”. Building a great company culture doesn’t only improve employee motivation, it has noticeable effects on your bottom line – making your business a hub for talented workers and engaged customers.