Creating satisfying customer interactions should be a priority for all businesses. It all begins with satisfied and happy employees who are more likely to have an energetic, enthusiastic and customer oriented approach to the employer and their own tasks. They are more likely to have a positive disposition when interacting with your customers.
One of your customer’s first experience with your brand is interacting with your employees. If this interaction is positive, your customer will associate this positive experience with your brand. If the customers have a positive experience at your business, you are more likely to have higher levels of customer satisfaction which leads to higher levels of customer and brand loyalty. It can also contribute to your business by word of mouth referral. When customers have a good experience with your brand, they will tell other people about your excellent service.
Your frontline staff members that have direct and daily contact and interactions with your customers, should be seen as valuable assets. When you’re employees are valued, the customers’ experience of your business improves and it forms the basis for customer loyalty.
According to Forbes, when employees feel emotionally committed to their organisation and its goals, they have higher levels of discretionary effort. They do their best at their job, because they value their job and the commitments and obligations as set out in their roles and responsibilities. Engaged employees are loyal and have higher effect of customer ratings, profitability, productivity, turnover and quality. They also contribute to the reputation of the brand.
Customers who trust your brand are repeat shoppers, they support your business and love doing so. When you have proven to be reliable to your customers, whenever they hear of a friend of theirs having an issue that your business helped them solve, they will tell their friends about you. We live in a digital age and websites exist with the sole purpose of rating businesses by having consumers leave a review of the business. When your customers trust you, they will leave a positive review. This will boost your business.
By treating your employees right, you show them how to treat your customers right. By increasing employee engagement, you will increase the value your employees attach to their job, which in turn, will make them perform better. What many businesses do not release is that in truth, their employees are their first customer and that satisfied employees not only contribute to satisfied customers, in some instances, satisfied employees cause satisfied customers.