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Your CUSTOMER Satisfaction Is Tied To Your EMPLOYEE Satisfaction

Written by: Gary Silverman

Article Overview: WHAT DO YOUR CUSTOMERS REALLY THINK ABOUT YOU? We constantly endeavor to achieve 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. We invest our time and money developing surveys and devising ways to improve our rate of return on those surveys. We empower the information gathered to correct individual problems and micromanage our way to solutions. In fact, much of the comments we act upon don’t really reflect upon the way our business is actually being conducted. These knee jerk reactions create more problems than they solve. The most important feedback never makes its way to our “gatherers”. Our BEST customers don’t respond to surveys and the truly DISSATISFIED customers will never give us a second chance.

Your CUSTOMER Satisfaction Is Tied To Your EMPLOYEE Satisfaction

The “Monday Morning Quarterbacks” run to the mailbox to make their opinion known. Chronic complainers should not be running our businesses. How many surveys do YOU get and personally complete? Not Many. Our time is too
valuable and we vote with our wallets. A wise businessman once told me that EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION is
the primary ingredient in CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. Employees create an environment that sets your business apart from your competition. It is truly a compliment when your customers want to work for your company. It is your customers who are measuring your performance daily based on their past experiences. They will notice any change in your business long before your computer will know. How many advertising dollars does a new customer cost? Is this an investment in replacing business or adding to your business? Once an existing customer leaves it is almost impossible to get them to come back. That cost is tremendous, yet it never appears as a line item on your financial reports.
OBSERVATIONS
As business people we are constantly critiquing the places we frequent. We judge with a high degree of expectation,
airlines, hotels, restaurants, retail establishments and service providers who we choose to spend our money with. We
even go so far as mentally injecting ourselves into their management team so we could improve their business. That’s because WE are now experiencing their FRONTLINE. Yet we don’t see the value in experiencing our own
FRONTLINE from the customer’s perspective. Why do we see things more clearly when we are not in control of the results, yet make excuses for the weakness in our business? A few months ago I went to a restaurant that had only been open a few weeks. Usually that’s the best time to test a new business as the staff should be new enough to maintain their enthusiasm. Usually there is an abundance of managers and owners on site so they can make the best impression and adapt the business to reality. Usually the foodies, local celebrities, and a food critic or two will be in attendance to test the waters. It was apparent that the investors had committed a large amount of capital to this endeavor by the design and overall appearance of the place. It was a work of art, quite striking. The management was particularly proud of their “show kitchen” where the diners could watch the chefs prepare the meals they were in anticipation of. They were all behind large panes of glass. What the owners did not anticipate was that this was also a “show kitchen” for their idle staff members who had positioned themselves behind those panes and were fooling around, flirting, and generally acting unprofessionally. This was the impression that stuck with me. I never returned. How many of you have had this type of experience and are you aware that similar events are happening in your business. This restaurant is no longer in business, I am not surprised.

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Article Tags: abundance, airlines, best time, businessman, celebrities, chronic complainers, compliment, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, expectation, experiences, frontline, management team, monday morning, new business, perspective, retail establishments, service providers, surveys, wallets



Related Forum Posts
Re: Some attractive terms in advertisement - [quote="lane_hug":sqdmyojl]Some terms can make the advertisement look more attractive, like unlimited, free, life time guarantee, and more. These should be definitely incorporated to ensure fast sales.[/quote:sqdmyojl] You've got to be careful with such terms, though. Take as an example the poor Korean dry cleaners who had the words "Satisfaction guaranteed" on their storefront window. They lost (supposedly) a pair of slacks from some loony judge, who proceeded to sue them for MILLIONS of dollars (over a $100 pair of slacks) because they did not provide him with satisfaction. [If the sign had said "Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" perhaps none of it would have happened...] These days more and more people are apt to sue at the drop of a hat, and if you promise them something even though common sense says you wouldn't have meant what you said (for example Pepsi got in trouble because their commercial for Pepsi points, at the time the movie True Lies came out, featured a Harrier jet as in the movie. A few looney businessmen bought up all the points the could to get that jet, although they were told it had just been dramatic license, and ended up suing Pepsi for misleading advertising. The suit was dismissed, but the fact that the guy was able to find lawyers who'd even take the case on is scary. To cut a long story short, be careful what terms you use, and think to yourself what you'd have to do if people took them literally.
Re: Boosting Confidence - Kevin, I am so glad you asked that question! It's the missing link for so many people (and a huge key to confidence and entrepreneurial endurance). Since you asked the question hypothetically, when I say "you", I'm not meaning you personally, Kevin (unless you identify with it). Our purpose is like our personal mission statement. It's something we need to consciously sit down and think about. The problem is that so many have blocked their own voice and focused on outside influence instead. We need to practice listening to our own inner self. Confidence is found within so this is where we need to start. It means we need to trust that we actually do have the answers to what it is we need to know for our own personal success. They key to our purpose is actually tied in with what we really love to do. To start discovering what your purpose is, start discovering what you are really passionate about. Then begin asking yourself what you would love to do that would make a huge difference in that particular area. For example, if you love technology and also desire to help people, ask yourself how you can really help people using your technology. If your business is already established, start considering how you can develop the next phase of it to match your sense of purpose. Perhaps it's even time to delegate your work so that you can be freed up to pursue what you REALLY love to do. The great side effect is that most of us do a far better job at what we love to do anyway. Many people don't even get to this point because they disqualify their sense of passion and purpose before they even really discover the way to build financial success based on what they love to do. Some consider it a "pipe dream", but I say, "Why not?" You mention money, but what some people don't realize is that you must discover you purpose or your personal mission FIRST if you are to tap into passion to create the kind of wealth that is really satisfying. If you talk to people with money, you will discover that financial success is not what truly makes you happy. Satisfaction is the key ingredient. Developing a business which matches your passion and your purpose ensures you will enjoy the success when you get there. When you pursue developing your business from this place, confidence comes along side you because you are aware you have a personal mission to help others or create change in some way. It takes the focus off you and gives you confidence to overcome what could seem like incredibly challenging obstacles. If you are simply chasing money, there will come a point that you will really question if it is all even worth it. You may be faced with this question regardless, but if you have purpose, you often find the fortitude to really press forward anyhow. I hope that answers your question, Kevin. Warm regards, Tami


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