Happy Employees = Happy Customers?

Recently, a coworker stepped into our “Morning Jolt” – our rendition of a daily morning meeting or catch-up – telling the most horrid story about customer service. After a few laughs and jokes, we discussed how often we find in our clients’ research that bad customer service is linked to employee satisfaction. It’s inevitable. Employee satisfaction is essential to the success of any business.*

In today’s society, most are driven by money and making that money fast, but they fail to look at all aspects involved in achieving success. With every transaction, every product, and every achievement, there is something hidden in the framework – the employees who make those actions a reality. As such, it only makes sense to keep those “little gems” in your company happy, which will aid in your overall business success.

But what exactly makes an employee unhappy? There isn’t always a flashing neon sign saying “I am unhappy with my job.” The reasons are likely to be more subtle – high stress, lack of communication, and/or limited opportunities for growth, just to name a few. In order to be at peak performance, management should focus on these factors to improve the workplace environment, ultimately increasing satisfaction and reducing turnover rates.

In a recent study by Gallup, businesses with higher employee satisfaction also had 86 percent higher customer ratings, 76 percent more success in lowering turnover, 70 percent higher profitability, and 78 percent better safety records.* What do these statistics mean to you? It’s simple: happy employees equal happy customers. They are the scene-setters for your business. They are the ones interacting every day with your most valued assets – your customers.

Every aspect of a company is somehow linked. For example, imagine the inner workings of a business as a spider web, with the spider being the company. Everything revolves around the spider – each thread of the web (department, employee, policy, etc.) is meticulously constructed to provide the utmost support for its daily life. Each intertwines in some shape or form, and any “hiccup” in the daily business functions of the company, regardless of where, could decrease profitability. For instance, when employee satisfaction dips, so does employee performance, affecting everything in the company.

Research from the University of Missouri shows CEOs who pay attention to employee job satisfaction are better equipped to increase customer satisfaction, as well as the volume of customers who intend to do repeat business.** By asking employees their thoughts on key areas in the company, it gives them a voice. It makes them feel like they belong, and that they are shaping the future of the company. This is extremely vital, especially when maintaining satisfaction on all fronts. But how do you go about doing this? It’s easy; conduct an employee perception survey. Employee research gives you the opportunity to identify what is, and what isn’t, working. By honing in on certain areas, such as overall work environment, employee empowerment, and management support, employee research can help change the “web” of your business.

If employee satisfaction research is an area you are interested in exploring, we can help. Call us toll-free at 1-800-999-6615, email us at mail@tweedweber.com and/or visit us on the web at www.tweedweber.com. Also, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (Tweed-Weber, Inc.) and Twitter (@TweedWeber). Tweed-Weber can help you include your employees and their perceptions as a foundation for your continued success. 

* Adapted from http://www.neumann.edu/academics/divisions/business/journal/review2011/gregory.pdf.

 

** Adapted from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/1039-workers-happy-customers.html.