It stands to reason that happy customers are crucial for a company’s success. A viable business needs people who are willing to pay for your goods and services, keeping them returning again and again. While it may be tempting to focus solely on your customer experience, the key to happy customers may actually be a little closer to home, with happy employees and a good company culture.

The Research

As you would expect, a great deal of research on company culture and the impact on client relationships has been conducted. In a Gallup report, it states that employees who feel engaged in their workplace are more likely to work to improve customer relationships, which can lead to a 20 percent increase in sales.

Chick-fil-A ranked above all other fast food competitors in a QSR report on both politeness and revenue per restaurant. If you’ve ever been to one of these restaurants, you are likely to know why; it’s all about the customer service. Analysts agree that these impressive rankings can be traced to the superb customer service and Chick-fil-A credits this in its investment in its employees.

In a 2016 Tempkin Group Employee Engagement Benchmark Study, companies who excel in levels of customer experience have far more engaged employees.

Ways to Create a More Employee Focused Culture

Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can create an employee focused culture in your workplace.. This includes:

  • Offer meaningful development: Employees want to feel there are opportunities to advance within the organization. You should let your team know the options and how they can advance. If your team members feel there is a solid career path, they will be more inclined to offer great customer service, as they will feel happier working towards their long term goals.
  • Create a Training Culture: This connects to employee career development, but allowing your team members to gain new skills will help them to be more successful not only in their current position, but also lead to advancement. Creating a training culture will allow you to provide training and coaching to teach new skills, and these new skills will shine through into all customer interactions.
  • Show Support: Feedback and praise are crucial in helping employees feel that they are making a real difference. A good manager creates a healthy and supportive environment to cultivate team development, which will improve the overall customer experience.
  • Create a Fun Workplace: Fun doesn’t mean that you’ll be partying all the time, but creating some social events can add to the happiness of your employees. Creating a fun workplace will ensure that your employees are fully engaged with their work and your customers.
  • Look After Your Premises: Finally, remember even areas of your premises that are not seen by customers can impact customer experience. If staff areas feel neglected, your team are not going to feel appreciated, and it will compromise your company culture. A clean, well maintained premises will help your team to feel more at home and increase productivity and customer service.