| Conventional wisdom points toward customer | | | | They want to know who they'll be dealing with |
| satisfaction surveys as the best way to pinpoint | | | | when they pick up the phone or send an email. |
| what specifically draws the customer back or | | | | Merry-Go-Rep doesn't encourage faith in a |
| pushes them away. Long relied upon to explain a | | | | company and the downtime during training means |
| customer's flitting from one company to another | | | | time taken away from providing quality service. |
| in search of the best experience, these surveys | | | | Having a culture of open, responsive |
| fall short of explaining the customer replies that | | | | communication by well-known representatives |
| pertain to the trust and respect of your | | | | engenders the kind of trust that many believe |
| employees. | | | | washed away with the last millennium. Thankfully, |
| Studies have shown that there is a direct link | | | | that's not the case, because that kind of |
| between satisfied employees and happy | | | | confidence and conviction can keep a customer |
| customers, so it makes good business sense to | | | | during the most trying times. |
| invest in discovering what your employees need | | | | No matter how hard we try, everyone makes |
| to stay loyal and satisfied. This creates an | | | | mistakes, and they will eventually affect the |
| environment of positive, helpful people ready to | | | | customer. This being said, even the most hideous |
| bend over backwards for the customer. The use | | | | mistake can be corrected if the customer knows |
| of employee opinion surveys along with customer | | | | that it's a one-off rather than a regular |
| surveys gives a great overall picture of a | | | | occurrence. This can only be proven through |
| company's strengths and weaknesses and | | | | constant attention from employees they have |
| provides a blue print for developing a strong | | | | confidence in before the slip-up happens. A calm |
| culture of loyal employees and customers. | | | | voice and reassuring presence can be taught, but |
| What does having satisfied employees have to do | | | | believing that the voice on the other end of the |
| with retaining customers? It has everything to do | | | | phone actually cares about them as people comes |
| with losing developed or developing relationships, | | | | from familiarity, not the training room. |
| the reason behind almost every return customer. | | | | The most effective way to maintain a positive |
| Companies who pay attention to their surveyed | | | | attitude during a crisis is to cultivate it in the office |
| employees end up with a much lower turnover | | | | everyday. Employees who feel valued as people |
| rate, which by itself saves them millions of dollars | | | | make the extra effort to go beyond what's |
| every year in rehiring costs as well as in lost | | | | expected. They want to invest as much in their |
| customers. Seems outrageous, doesn't it? Surely | | | | career as their career has invested in them. It's a |
| that lack of retention can't possibly cost so much! | | | | measure of respect and self-worth to know that |
| On average, though, the loss of one dissatisfied | | | | if the employees weren't there they would be |
| employee will result in about 150% of his or her | | | | missed. This positive attitude then spills over into |
| yearly salary between advertising for a | | | | everything the employees do and everyone they |
| replacement, training the new person, lost | | | | come in contact with from the start of the day |
| productivity, and overtime of others to | | | | to the end no matter what may happen. The |
| compensate while waiting for the new employee | | | | customer is in tune with the idea that they, too, |
| to get up to speed. When the lost employee is | | | | would be missed if they were to go elsewhere, |
| management, the number increases to closer to | | | | and not just because of their investment, |
| 200%. This isn't even taking into consideration the | | | | because of who they are. This kind of relationship |
| loss of valuable knowledge and insight provided to | | | | can't be bought, and customers know it. |
| the customer by the employee! No amount of | | | | Surveying the lay of the land in order to find the |
| training will replace the knowledge that comes | | | | smoothest path toward a happy coexistence |
| from doing the job every day. | | | | should be every company's primary goal. This |
| From the customer perspective, this lack of | | | | requires more than just surveying employees and |
| turnover means a more stable, responsive team | | | | customers. It requires a commitment to hearing |
| to address their needs and concerns, something | | | | and responding to the survey results in a way |
| that those surveyed worry about. Customer | | | | that benefits everyone: the employer, the |
| loyalty, like employee loyalty, stems from a | | | | employee, and the customer. |
| strong interpersonal connection to a common goal. | | | | |