Workers are the essential members that keep the ball rolling in any company, and they have a pretty significant impact on customers too. Whether or not a customer receives good services and prompt responses heavily relies on the performance of employees. This goes beyond the service industry, too, and trickles over to other B2C environments like advertising, intermediaries, and the like.
Because of its impact on customers, employee experience is a crucial point of operations. When employee engagement is higher, productivity, work quality, and job satisfaction all follow suit. Even in light of the pandemic, studies from the Wiley Public Health Emergency Collection note how employee engagement practises have become the lifeline to upskilling and office management.
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How Employee Experience Translates to Customer Experience
Customers directly respond better to employees that seem happy
Service with a smile has long been a core part of B2C success, and this remains true even in the digital age. A study from The Journal of Supercomputing even shows that online customers’ moods’ and perception of service quality are significantly improved by e-smile services. Simply using e-smile signals effectively conveys a more positive attitude to customers and increases their overall satisfaction.
Services and goods reach customers better when employees are satisfied
Data from the Harvard Business Review reveals that employees happy with their companies directly translates to customers happy with their services. Based on Glassdoor ratings, each improvement in employee rating directly corresponds with an increase in customer satisfaction. These metrics are seen in ACSI customer scores and long-term market valuation going up by 4.6% and 18.9% respectively.
Employee-customer relations drive brand loyalty and perception
Customers feel an affinity to places based on their experiences there, and this includes any fostered interactions with client-facing employees. On top of that, many customers have become more mindful of how companies treat their people. Studies even reveal that majority of return customers for Starbucks note that it’s the way the company treats its employees, and in turn, how the employees interact with them, that make them come back.
What You Can Do to Improve Employee Experience
Provide resources and opportunities
One of the most important factors for employees is room for growth. Simply providing the necessary learning tools and avenues for them to upskill, hone their craft, and progress in their career can already improve their perception of their workplace. Provide opportunities to upskill and reskill, give access to engaging perks such as gym memberships, and foster a healthy working environment across the staff. In the end, this also benefits your company by creating more well-rounded employees.
Design a workspace that boosts their motivation
The general environment has a big impact on how engaged and productive your employees are. Lighting, set-up, and comfort all contribute to their overall ability to do their work efficiently. Make sure your workspace is not cluttered, add ample warm lighting, and curate your interiors to lessen stress. This can easily be done by incorporating some natural elements like wood and plants, as well as sticking to a colour scheme that isn’t too harsh on the eyes.
As for choosing furniture that is conducive for long hours of work, make sure you are creating a balance between comfort and practical use. One idea is to provide standing desks, which are noted by Pain Free Working to prevent chronic pain by making it easier for workers to stretch their limbs and switch between sitting or standing. Alternatively, set up ergonomic chairs and desks in the office and teach employees how to adjust their workspaces for more comfort. Monitors should be kept at eye-level to help their posture and prevent back pain.
Provide active HR support
It’s a no-brainer that your Human Resources department will have a lot to do with this, though leaders should also be involved themselves. It can make a world of difference just by speaking to your employees one-on-one to learn their concerns, give them support, and handle any issues accordingly. This helps create transparency and opens the field for feedback. Implement an open-door policy and make it clear that you’re actually addressing the pain points of your employees.
The role of HR in maintaining employee engagement has become even more vital in the world with Covid-19. As many teams are now working remotely, you need to play a more active role in the engagement of your employees. Host frequent check-ins online, ideally on a one-on-one basis to give each employee the care and attention they deserve. Host fun games for the staff so they can continue to connect with each other. Be more understanding of their personal situations if it’s affecting their work performance.
If your company can follow through on these practises, you will likely feel an improvement in the work environment that your customers will thank you for.
Written by: Annie Simpson