When we think about New Year’s resolutions, we usually only choose one that directly impacts us and not anyone else around us. This year, however, you should consider looking further afield at how you can change your habits to impact the lives of your team. As customer expectations rise, we’re looking to support the front line staff that will be taking the flack for any issues that arise, so keeping them happy and motivated should be your main concern going ahead into 2015.
Employee wellbeing is set to be an area which many businesses are planning to invest in now that the harsh recession has finally passed us by – a smart move for those who value their employees as much as their customers. Out of 7,000 people surveyed by Verint Systems, only 22% rated price over customer service, proving how far great service goes.
So to keep your staff motivated and on top of their game to provide excellent customer experience, here’s our top tips:
- Bi-monthly check-ins
- Say thank you
- Positive reinforcement
- Staff activities
- Staff facilities
- Sick days
These don’t necessarily have to be mandatory, but offer your staff monthly meetings for them to voice any concerns or talk about how they feel about the workplace. You may find that being open to hearing your employees’ concerns in turn makes them feel more comfortable in voicing them.
If your staff are experiencing any issues internally that are effecting their productivity, they can be solved much easier if they feel able to bring the issue up with you as soon as it arises.
Being approachable always helps with any communication issues and also with what your employees think of you in general.
“Thanks for today” – its three little words that don’t take much to say, but mean a lot to your staff after a long hard day. Being thankful to your workforce makes them feel as if they’ve done a good job and their work is appreciated. Such a small act of kindness is often overlooked by managers and senior staff members, but it is a highly important start on your path to improved employee wellbeing.
Although we may feel as if we’re patronising staff by being too ‘full on’ when singing their praises, positive reinforcement is always necessary to keep them motivated. Recognise when your team has gone above and beyond for customers and set up a reward system to ensure staff have something to work towards.
When their hard work goes unrecognised, they will slowly lose the motivation and passion that they once lived off during their shift. They’ll feel like there’s no reason to excel and only offer basic assistance, which isn’t going to win you any sales or customers.
Team bonding is essential to allow your staff to let their hair down and build relationships between departments. Assisting in communication between departments and team members, building rapport in the workplace encourages teamwork and group responsibility on projects.
Often staff don’t have the time to get to know each other in the workplace and giving them the opportunity to do so out of office hours will lift the spirits of the whole team.
You have a legal obligation to provide workplace facilities for your staff that meet certain standards and criteria. While you obviously want to avoid a hefty fine for non-compliance, this shouldn’t be the only reason that you take the quality of your employees’ working environment seriously.
By going the extra mile for your staff, providing them with several perks such as a restroom with a games console and access to the internet, free drinks or even a pool table, you are far more likely to have a happy workforce. You know what they say; a happy workforce is a productive one, so you will ultimately reap the rewards of investing in better facilities in the long term.
Be considerate when your staff take time off for illness, particularly in the holiday season. They know the team needs them and nobody likes to let their fellow staff members down. Hauling them into work or telling them they have to continue their shift is only going to prolong their suffering. The quicker they recover the faster service will return to normal, if they force themselves to work through guilt, they will be working for longer and at a slower rate whilst they recover.
So make sure you’re offering the best customer service possible in 2015! There’s no excuse for ignoring the plight of our frontline workforce and if you do, you could be sorely missing out on sales.
Kristin Hodgkinson writes for Direct365 – a company that provides a wide range of business solutions and constantly strives to enhance employee engagement levels.
Kristin Hodgkinson
Kristin Hodgkinson is the digital marketing manager for Direct365, a company who specialise in supporting the workplace when it comes to facility management, supplies and being environmentally friendly. Be it recycling or waste collection, Direct365 can help businesses of all sizes.