Happy employees = loyal customers.
When thinking about customer service that makes an impact, we often think about brands like Ritz Carlton, Nordstrom, Marriott, and even Chick-fil-a.
As a small business owner, taking one or two tips from the most successful brands can be a game-changer for your brand and it all starts from the top.
Review Culture
Whether you are a small restaurant, salon, bakery, or auto center all brands have a culture. Culture seeps through all aspects of your business and can drive your employees to bring out their best to increase customer satisfaction. Take Chick-fil-a – they are well known for saying “my pleasure” to every guest – it’s part of their DNA – but only a small part – they are well-known for creating an enduring culture that values people above everything else. What kind of culture are you creating and what are you known for?
Hire the right type of employees
Are you asking the right questions in your interviews? Have you asked the latest interview about how they have shown a caring spirit? Are you trying to determine if they have a spirit to serve? Quick hiring to fill a position can be create long-term trouble. Try to determine if you are hiring the right person with the right attitude and then teach them how to do the job.
Empower your team
Did you know that the Ritz Carlton allows every single employee access to $2000 per day to delight guest or make things right? It’s not about the dollars. It’s symbolic in that it shows every employee that they are trusted.
Customer loyalty begins with your culture and your team. Next time you want to increase the amount of customers who are raving about your brand, begin by looking at what you can do with your team and with your culture. That’s the game-changer that many local business owners and local merchants often overlook. Marketing and marketing strategy will help only after you understand that happy employees = local customers.
