In Customer Experience, as the name suggests, it’s all about the customers.

But did you know employee satisfaction is the key to customer satisfaction?

We’ve all heard the famous CX quotes.

“There is only one boss, the customer.” Sam Walton – Walmart

“Always focus on the Customer.” Fiona Symmons – City of Stonnington

and of course,

“The Customer is always right.” Harry Gordon Selfridge

Of course keeping the customer central to the process of designing an experience is absolutely crucial. But it is so important that the people are delivering that experience are in the right mindset to communicate and empathise with your customers.

That’s right! Happy employees = Happy customers.

How Employee Satisfaction Can Improve Customer Satisfaction

Think about when you’re in a good mood. How does that affect the way in which you interact with people?

Generally when you are feeling peaceful happy and relaxed, your brain is operating optimally. If we want to get technical this means that your brain is using 100% of the Neo-Cortex or Green Brain.

This part of the brain is responsible for higher level thinking.

As a result you’re in a better mindset to respond appropriately to stimuli. This results in improved;

• ability to problem solve, think critically and engage positively.
• Learning is at it’s maximum effectiveness.
• Communication

In a nutshell, if an employee is happy, particularly an employee in a customer facing role then they are in a better situation to understand the needs of the customer and they are more likely to go above and beyond for them.

Employees are more likely to take care of their clients

If an employee is feeling happy in their role and working environment then they are more likely to take care of their clients.

Satisfaction at work will also be a boost to their interpersonal skills as they will be more likely to smile, greet clients with genuine warmth and use good manners.

Employee satisfaction will build better relationships with your Customers

If an employee feels valued and respected then in turn they will be more likely to uphold the value and brand of the company by treating customers with respect as well. This will translate to quality customer service for the organisation.

When an employee is satisfied with their role in the company they will also be more comfortable with building long lasting relationships with customers and stakeholders as they are not looking to move on elsewhere anytime soon.

Reduce staff turnover and retain talented employees who know the business (and the customers)

An obvious benefit of employee satisfaction is a reduction in staff turnover. Not only does staff turnover cost the business financially in terms of training and loss of productivity, but it also reduces the quality of your customer experience.

Customers want a personalised experience because it makes them feel that their pain points and needs are taken seriously

It takes time for your employees to build up valuable relationships with your customers to their point where they do understand your customers and are able to empathise with their needs.

Retaining the staff which have established these connections with the customer means maintaining and ultimately improving on good customer experience.

How to Keep Employees Happy

Of course the pursuit of happiness requires a holistic approach to life as a whole and work is just a part of that. But by creating an environment which is conducive to happiness you can help your employees to feel as satisfied as you can while they are at work.

Here are some areas which are proven to improve employee satisfaction.

1.Prioritising work-life balance

It’s probably not a surprise to hear that most employees are happiest when they are not at work at all. And while work does need to get done, you can implement policies which give employees flexibility around their scheduling in order to give them greater control over how they allocate their time.

2. Providing opportunities to up-skill

Employees value the opportunity to grow and giving them the chance to train in a new skill or acquire new knowledge is a great way to help employees to feel like that their employment is making them a more valuable employee.

Employees will also feel appreciated by the fact that the company is willing to invest in their people.

3. Recognise Employee Achievements

When it comes to recognition, it doesn’t matter whether you’re rewarding an employee for a job well done or acknowledging a milestone achievement. The point is that your employees need to know that they’re being recognised for their efforts.

4.  Encourage Feedback

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for improving communication between leaders and their teams. It helps people understand each other better and allows them to communicate effectively.

Encouraging employee feedback will show them that you care about their opinions and feelings. It will encourage them to share their thoughts with you as well. This will improve your relationship with them and make them more willing to listen to you when you speak.