Value your workers and fill the till

Satisfied customers and satisfied employees are the foundation of many a company’s success. To keep your customers, you need happy and efficient employees. It’s very expensive to attract new customers and therefore businesses should ensure that they maintain a good relationship with their customers.

Many companies invest in internal campaigns to standardize their brand and their customers’ experience of doing business with the company. The goal is that anyone who comes in contact with the company will have the same positive experience of the brand and its product.

Unfortunately it is also true that employees are often forgotten – the ones who carry out the image of the company. They also need to get the recognition they deserve.

It often happens that companies suffer losses due to a lack of internal morale. A study has revealed that a staggering 65% of Americans believe that they have received no recognition for the good work they have done over the past year.

The result is that businesses suffer. Appreciation and recognition has a direct effect on morale in the workplace, which in turn has a direct impact on a company’s ability to retain customers. It involves more than just appointing an employee of the month. The reason for this is that it is usually initiated from the manager’s side, and has little long-term effect on the day-to-day work environment.

One of the main reasons people change jobs is that they do not feel valued; bad bosses can enhance the chance of them getting a stroke by 33%; nine out of ten people say they are more productive when they are surrounded by positive people; and people function better when they have on average just one negative interaction versus five positive interactions. When people influence other people in a positive manner by means of good behaviour or words, they can benefit at the same time. The opposite is also true: by being negative by means of negative words or actions, you rob yourself spiritually.

While the theory makes perfect sense on a personal level, decision- makers should also make this part of their business-oriented thinking.

From a strategic view point, it is much more than just an esoteric concept. This is a business approach that can have a major impact on profit margins. Many employees are currently very negative about their workplace. It costs the economy billions in productivity and does not even include sick leave and other problems that are experienced with negative workers. Workers who are regularly shown appreciation and are recognized, show increased individual productivity, they get better on with colleagues, have better safety records and fewer accidents and they will probably stay longer with the company and continue to be valued by customers.

Leadership is the key factor. From the customer’s point of view, a happy, positive company is immediately identifiable by the approach and actions of the company’s representatives. And this is the kind of action and approach customers return to.