How Do You Want To Be Treated?

I read a blog recently contending that Walmart employees exhibit very poor customer service and further that their operational decision-making is focused on short term goals having long term effects; specifically resulting in poor customer service and long term loss of employee and customer satisfaction.  Anyone who has entered a Walmart store in the last decade can attest that this must be true.

I believe that it is absolutely true that if employees are unhappy, customers will become the outlet for this unhappiness resulting in the degradation of customer satisfaction, loyalty and business.  I think that most of us understand that employee costs are a significant part of overall operating costs and that it is important to control these costs.  Angry, frustrated, unhappy employees will however, cost a company vastly more than what it might spend to maintain fair and equitable personnel policies.  It's a relatively simple thing to remember: treat people the way you want to be treated.  Just because you CAN get people to work for you without treating then respectfully, doesn't mean you SHOULD.  Low turnover, job satisfaction, and experienced employees bring value to the organization that cannot be replaced with anything else.

Do you want to get the best price for your product or service, high customer satisfaction is imperative.  You cannot maintain high customer satisfaction without satisfied employees.  Employees are the ones who assemble, machine, warehouse, prepare, package, load, track and monitor whatever it is that you do.  Great managers can make satisfied employees better, but they cannot overcome employees with bad attitudes.

Employees take orders from your customers and speak to them when they have a problem or when they just walk through your door.  You need them.  They need you.  It is a symbiotic relationship.  If your business is to survive or as most of us want, to flourish, working together is essential.  To use the example from my first blog, you can't just tell people what to do and they will do it; UNLESS you have developed their faith and earned their trust.

How do you want to be treated?  Treat your employees that way!