We all know that customer service, hospitality or whatever we choose to call it, is vital to running a successful business. Despite this, 75% of business leaders, managers or owners have no employee engagement plan or strategy. Finding the right people for the right job is important, but it doesn’t stop there. Getting your employees to engage in genuine and effective customer service is a must. I am arguing that you must treat your employees just like you would treat customers. Why? The way your employees think and feel at work is the same way your customers think and feel about your company or service. Valued employees make customers feel valued. Respected employees make customers feel respected.
The Engaged Employee
Very successful companies share some things in common – they invest in ongoing customer service training and are committed to their employees. Take a flight on Southwest Airlines or stay at the Ritz Carlton and see how their employees treat you. It will become obvious that they are passionate about their work, they take it seriously and they are dedicated to the mission of the company. These employees are deeply engaged in what they do.
So, let’s talk about employee engagement for a while. It involves more than just showing up and going through the motions. It is an emotional commitment to the customer, company and its goals. When employees are this engaged, they genuinely care about their customers and deliver better service. They also make the brand look great and are far less likely to leave the company.
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Getting Them to Care
The Ritz Carlton Mystique is appropriately named because it’s almost mysterious how employees know you’re on your way, what your name is and what you need before you even know what you need. After watching employees at the Ritz Carlton (in a non-creepy way), I noticed that service staff all have wireless Bluetooth ear buds. They all communicate wirelessly and quietly without customers noticing. My point is that your employees need the right tools and resources to do their job the best they can.
Successfully engaged employees also know crystal clear expectations concerning their roles and duties through routine customer service training. Nothing is left to chance and there are no unanswered questions about service. Beyond training, the environment itself makes a big difference concerning customer service and hospitality. Have you ever seen a stressed out, burned out employee working at some of the most successful companies? They don’t exist because the leadership removed most of the typical stressors that would drive everyone crazy, like unrealistic workload and poor work-life balance. Customers can feel the energy of any space they may be in, whether it’s an airplane, restaurant, or hotel. Creating and sustaining a comfortable work environment is critical to high customer satisfaction.
If you want fully engaged employees who care deeply about customers, you and your managers, supervisors and others in leadership positions must be fully and genuinely engaged with your employees. Studies show that employees who are managed by highly positive and engaged individuals are more likely to be engaged themselves. If you’ve got this style of leadership and all sides are engaged, encourage a free flow of opinions, ideas and suggestions. This will show that leadership values their feedback.
Another way to maintain engagement is through the use of rewards and recognition. In other words, put your money where your mouth is. Being noticed is nice, as is providing good benefits and fair compensation. The icing on the cake is helping your employees achieve work-life balance and assisting them in advancing their career.
Final Words on Getting Employees to Care About Customer Service
We all need engaged employees. When they are engaged, our customers are too. There are many ways to achieve this as outlined in this article. Being a hands-on leader and getting your hands dirty with your team will go a long way. This all takes work but the benefits will be worth it.
To learn more about great customer service and hospitality, check out collinslearning.com and take a look at our course library. We offer an online learning management system that can take your employees to the next level of excellence.