Happy Employees = Great Service

I recently toured a long-standing B-to-B catalog company and was struck by the aura of its offices and people. As I walked through its call center, telephone reps were smiling and happy. They graciously said hello to me as a visitor (when they really had no clue who I was), and were courteous, polite and respectful of each other and themselves. Their body language spoke volumes.

Happy to be there, they worked productively with their friends, serving customers in the best way possible. They were eager to support, assist and compliment each other. The environment was professional and clean, and you could tell they helped keep it that way and were proud of it. The break room sparkled in appearance and conversation.

The warehouse team was equally upbeat and productive. WOW! I thought to myself, “Why aren’t all companies like this?”

Surely the leaders of all B-to-B catalog companies must realize that unless such an atmosphere of communal success is present, positive and friendly customer service can’t happen.

By contrast, we’ve all seen companies with an aura of employee slump or malaise. You know, those companies where employees are unkempt, messy and disorganized. Work spaces are cluttered and feel dirty. You can’t help but sense negative attitudes, laziness and a lack of teamwork. And you can’t help but think what the customers of these companies are hearing over the phone.

So why is it that such differences exist? In my experience, it all starts at the top. Leaders of facilities must consciously create the culture of productivity they want and their customers need. Here are some ideas on how to accomplish this.

* Develop and define the culture of your company through vision statements, employee/customer bill of rights, monthly business performance communications, and employee reward and recognition programs. I recommend you take a look at the performance motivation products cataloger Baudville (www.baudville.com) for ideas.