One may ask, what makes two work environments so different even though it may be the same company? Most frequently the answer is management. Have you ever wondered why you may walk into a bank for instance and you have been treated so well that you look forward to going back there. On the other hand you may walk into the same bank, but a different branch and you feel as if the employees forced their smile or their thank you. Management is one of the most important factors in good customer service. Any business that has many competitors will try to focus most of their attention on customer service in an attempt to keep their customers or attract new ones. The only downfall to this is that employees will more than likely suffer as a result because all efforts have been poured into making customers happy.
For a very competitive business, it is up to the manager to ensure that their employees practice excellent customer service, but it is crucial that the employee feels happy and willing to do it. If an employee feels really pressured at the job, and feels as if he/she is neglected then the ultimate goal will not be reached. If employees become disgruntled then they will most likely seek other jobs. High turnover rates are bad for a company, especially when customer service is the main focus. It is therefore equally important for managers and supervisors to focus not only on maintaining customers but also maintaining their employees. Surprisingly enough this policy is rarely practiced. Everyone is so busy at achieving certain goals and improving profit, somehow employees need get neglected.
In my opinion, in order to have a very successful business and improve customer loyalty, it is very crucial to ensure that employees are happy with their job. An unhappy employee either directly or indirectly affects the customers, thus every effort should be made to ensure the loyalty of both customers and employees. As obvious as this may seem it is very common for management to focus only on bringing in new customers and increasing revenue. The following tips if followed should ensure a better environment for both customers and employees:
1.Ensure that all employees are treated with care and respect 2.Try to promote from within the company rather than making new hires 3.Promote deserving employees 4.Have customer appreciation days 5.Have employee appreciation days 6.If an employee went above and beyond his/her job and do something extra, ensure that he/she feels appreciated 7.Exceed (not meet) customers expectations 8.Make sure a customer feels as if all efforts are genuine and not only done because it is a job requirement 9.Try not to cross sell too much. Referencing other products and services is good marketing but this can also get a customer upset 10.Have ongoing training for employees about customer service
If these tips are followed then it is beyond a doubt that the success of the business will be improved. These tips maybe hard to implement because of other factors but a good attempt should be made.
One experience that I would suggest to all is to lead an orchestra. I got one such opportunity and realized the value. Quite naturally, I had my doubts about my ?performance?. I wondered if I could lead correctly and would I get a response at all. And if somebody did respond, what would be the response. If I did appear foolish, how then would I expect others to follow? My orchestra was a group of conference participants sitting in to hone their leadership skills.
But surprise of surprises, I did look foolish, although by intent. But foolish enough to inspire the participants to do exceedingly well in their first ever stint as conductors. This set the stage and tone for the leadership workshop. When some joked that mine was an easy act to follow, I knew my job was done. With the music in the background, I started passing the baton, quite randomly, so that the participant could experience ?Leadership?. This caught many by surprise but did get them to perform their stint as a conductor. Each ?conductor? performed his stint and passed on the baton to another and took his seat. I was certainly glad to note that each participant responded to the different styles of the leadership. They clapped, participated and even soloed in response to each new conductor.
In the debrief session that followed, it became abundantly clear that we had all learnt a great deal from this orchestra session:
- No one style is right. There are many approaches and styles to leadership. Style is driven by talent and hence the gains and goals of leadership.
- Besides, the leadership style is also dependent on the type of score of the soundtrack or the script that one is required to follow
- One's leadership style may be influenced by the conductor or conducting style that one has begun to like. An interesting aspect in this was that each participant realized how different the view is from the audience as opposed to the conductor's view of an orchestra. It was a different experience to conduct. Participants, upon returning to their seats, better appreciated the degree of difficulty, the risk, the roles and responsibility of conducting i.e. leadership. Those that managed to weave together the brass with the strings and the percussion provided the best performance. This was a reflection of how each leader was able to identify and gel the strengths of each musician and hence make some great music. The questions that will determine your own ability to lead an orchestra are:
- Are you able to lead the group well?
- How well do you connect with the different temperaments of your orchestra? Are you able to identify the quiet ones from the boisterous, the soloist from the quartets, and the steady back bones from the one-act types?
- How well do you appreciate the various strengths of your orchestra? Does the unconscious trump the self conscious? The best performances were elicited when each conductor stopped being self conscious. Conductors stopped being self conscious the moment their attention shifted from how they looked to how to get the best out of the ensemble. Each of the participants did realize that the role of the leader changed as the music changed. Each learnt to learn and adapt from those before and those who lead later. It was the brave and the expressive that got the encores and bravos from the followers.
Both Niki Camus & Harald Anderson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Niki Camus has sinced written about articles on various topics from SEO Articles, Wedding Gowns and Keyboard Synthesizer. Nicola Hall is passionate about helping deserving people to achieve their goals. She is the founder of www.123estuff.com where she provides many self help e-books at discounted prices. The store also provides free articles. She will continue to provide in. Niki Camus's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.
Harald Anderson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Alternative Medicine and Customer Service. Harald Anderson is the co-founder of www.artinspires.com a leading online gallery. His goal in life is to become the person his dog thinks he is.. Harald Anderson's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.