Don’t Forget About Your Employees
31 Aug, 2010 By: Pete Grasso LM Direct!I think we can all agree that customer service is important. By providing your customers with outstanding service, you could ensure a recession-proof business model.
You have an entire group of VIP customers who can't be ignored. Yet, as hard as you try to provide excellent customer service, some business owners neglect this crucial audience.
I'm speaking, of course, about your employees — your internal customers.
Think about all the factors that lead to your company's ups and downs. Your employees are a critical element to that equation.
It's most important to show the people absolutely critical to your success just how appreciative you truly are. Employees love to know all their efforts don't go unnoticed, that their hard work and dedication is appreciated.
Or they may not realize everything they do directly affects the company.
Many times, employees are so wrapped up in their work they don't see the contribution they're making to the overall company. But many times what they're doing helps make the company successful and profitable.
If this is the case, recognizing their contributions is more important than ever. You should celebrate your employees' efforts. Show them they make a difference — and you appreciate it.
It's natural for an employee who sees they're making a difference to work even harder than before so they can make a bigger difference than before. But they're not going to do it if you don't thank them for their efforts.
Showing your employees how grateful you are for their efforts is the important piece to this puzzle. Merely showing them their work is making a difference in the company is not enough. If they don't feel they're appreciated, then why should they care if the company does well because of them?
You want your employees to enjoy coming to work. Studies have shown that when an employee is unhappy, it's rarely because they feel they don't make enough money. Instead, it's more about them not feeling appreciated or that their job has no value to the company.
Many business owners have come up with innovative ways to show their gratitude to their employees. Good companies have programs in place. Great companies execute those programs.
I know of one contractor who takes all of his employees and their spouses on a cruise each year to show how much he appreciates the work they do. Now, I'm not suggesting you go to that extreme right off the bat, but I do think it's important to find a way to show your employees you care about their contributions to your company.
Here are some suggestions:
- Tell them "Thank you"
- If you can afford to, give them monetary bonuses for a job well done
- Take them to lunch
- Provide opportunities for advancement
- Have a suggestion box, and reward employees for suggestions that are implemented
I know of another contractor who, despite his busy schedule, takes time each week to hand-write a personal note to include in each employee’s paycheck.
I hear from many people that good help is hard to find. If that's the case for you, doesn't it make sense to do everything you can to hold on to the good help you already have?
Having happy employees also comes with an added bonus. To truly strive for excellence in customer service, you'll need your employees to help in providing it. Happy employees provide better customer service than unhappy employees.
Customers who receive service from happy employees are going to be happy with the service they receive — and they'll continue to call on your company.
You can reach Grasso at pgrasso@questex.com.
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