The relationship of customers with the company often depends on the relationship they have with employees. That is why strategies should be thought of to achieve greater motivation and satisfaction of them, thus increasing their commitment and performance.
Studies of companies and institutions such as Harris Interactive, Right Now, SatMetrix and SNL Kagan have found that 85% of people would be willing to pay more to ensure they receive better service and that 55% of them would be willing to recommend a company for the good customer service received, rather than for their products, services or prices. Furthermore, among the main reasons why a customer changes brands are experiences of poor service, the collection of unexpected fees or charges, and the poor quality of the product or service. For this reason, guaranteeing a successful experience for the customer is a fundamental pillar for the success of a company, achieving loyalty and positioning.
A Direct Marketing article states that a customer's happiness and satisfaction are influenced by processes, technology and people. The latter means that generating a satisfactory shopping experience will never be possible if a positive experience is not also generated for employees, who are ultimately the ones who interact with customers.
This situation implies a paradigm shift, since the traditional considered that the experience should focus only on the external client, leaving aside the internal. On the contrary, a new philosophy is required to be followed in the management of human resources in organizations, focused on generating a motivating and satisfying work environment, which is concerned with improving what employees experience in their relationship with the company, thus increasing its commitment and performance. Satisfied employees find creative ways to solve customer problems, come up with ideas to improve the company where they work, and generally become the key to generating happy customers.
To make the employee experience a satisfying one, they must be viewed as the company's first customer. This implies approaching it in the same way as it is done with external clients, asking ourselves about their conditions, needs, tastes, motivations, their critical moments at work and personal level and in general seeking to surprise to generate their satisfaction.
Among the recommendations that different experts give to achieve employee satisfaction, the following can be mentioned:
- Communication and empowerment
Share with employees business goals and how their individual input can contribute to business results. Raise awareness about the effects that offering good customer service can have; in front of the customer, the employee is the brand. Recognition
Employees must be aware of business results, progress on goals, and their contribution to achieving such results. For example, the Direct Marketing article recommends celebrating company goals with employees. Leadership
The goals of the company must be achievable, and there must be leadership that motivates them to achieve them. Likewise, managers must be accessible to employees so that they can share their experiences and ideas.
Applying this type of simple strategies focused on employees and their satisfaction within the company will result in a positive customer experience with the company, which will translate into loyalty, positioning and, in general, higher sales.
Sources
- Infographic: Customer Experience Is More Important Than Advertising Do Happy Employees Create Happy Customers?
