04/ 05/ 2006
by Charles R. McConnell
Ever encountered a clerk or cashier who muttered “Have a nice day” in a way that showed that he or she couldn't care less what kind of day you had? You may have walked away feeling that the person who served you didn't like his or her job, and that serving you was one small step toward quitting time. You might also have left with an unfavorable impression of the business, and if you encountered this behavior on your second or third visit, you might have taken your business elsewhere.
Dissatisfied employees often take their unhappiness out on customers. Their inappropriate behavior may not be deliberate, but it can be glaringly obvious to customers. Many employees will dish out to customers exactly what they feel they're receiving from the employer; thus employee dissatisfaction leads directly to customer dissatisfaction. And customers who are dissatisfied because of treatment by an uncaring or indifferent staff may not return.
Tackling dissatisfaction
Improvement in customer satisfaction is a direct consequence of improvement in employee satisfaction. To begin boosting employee satisfaction, employers must learn how employees feel about their jobs and the company. The principal causes of employee dissatisfaction are:
- inconsistent management practices
- benefits
- communication
- advancement opportunity
- workload
- pay
Inconsistent management practices are the biggest source of dissatisfaction. This translates directly to one’s relationship with the immediate supervisor. To many employees, the supervisor is management. If an employee perceives the supervisor as uncaring, uncommunicative and unfair, that’s likely how he or she will view the company overall.
Boosting morale
To improve employee satisfaction, pinpoint the key sources of dissatisfaction. Some larger companies use formal attitude surveys to obtain this information, acting upon certain results to bring positive change. (Without active follow-up, surveys themselves become points of dissatisfaction.) Formal surveys are not always practical for smaller companies, but the principal sources of dissatisfaction in smaller workplaces are usually readily evident without in-depth probing. Invariably, the major causes of employee dissatisfaction involve relationships between managers and employees.
The primary responsibility for nurturing the relationship between manager and employee falls to the manager. Management, especially immediate supervisors, must be visible and available. They must be respectful of individual differences, yet able to show all employees equal respect and consideration and be willing listen to their concerns and address them. One of the greatest causes of employee dissatisfaction is having questions and concerns “swallowed up” in the system without being acknowledged or answered.
Motivating employees
Motivational programs, such as total quality management (TQM), have their place in enhancing employee satisfaction, but they go only so far in providing employees with the motivation to improve. Effective supervisors know that it is not possible to motivate an employee externally; the best they can do is provide conditions under which the employee can become self-motivated. Self-motivation is the only true form of motivation, and a self-motivated employee is ordinarily a satisfied employee.
Satisfied employees willingly go out of their way to ensure customer satisfaction. Whenever possible, they will provide more and better service than was expected. Take this example: A business owner picks up a finished job at a copy center he frequently visits. When he tries to leave, his car won't start. He returns to the shop and asks to use the telephone. Instead, the copy center employee puts on his coat and uses his own car and jumper cables to get the customer back on the road––an action above and beyond the job description and much appreciated by the customer.
All factors being equal, companies that prosper (or perhaps just simply survive) are those that put the customer first. The surest way to succeed at putting customers first is to put employees first. Customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction are directly related. When one goes up, the other goes up; when one goes down, the other goes down. If employees know that their company respects them and responds to their needs, their attitude to customers will reflect that same sentiment.
A satisfied workforce can be a strong competitive advantage. Take good care of your employees, and they will, in turn, take good care of your customers.
