Customer service: making an emotional connection
By Deane Parkes
In my previous article, I began to talk about the two ways to grow a business:
• create new customers
• sell more to your current customer base
To grow further, I recommend you first establish an emotional connection among the people who work in the business.
The emotional tone of your business—the sales floor ‘vibe’—is determined by the connection the owner, management, and team share.
Is this important? Yes! When management and the team are out of sync, stress levels elevate, which is not healthy for anyone: you, the team, the customer, or the business. If you feel things are ranging somewhere from a bit disjointed to verging on chaos, it is important that you take immediate action!
Clarity is vital
To identify the expectations and key factors to keep your employees emotionally engaged, review these 12 questions from Gallup’s Employee Engagement Survey with them and see how many they agree to:
I know what is expected of me at work.
I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
There is someone at work who encourages my development.
At work, my opinions seem to count.
The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
I have a best friend at work.
In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
In the last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow.
Items that your employees disagree with can be your areas of immediate focus. A 10 percent improvement on each point will double the performance and satisfaction of the team.
So, now, my question to you is: on a scale of 1 to 12, where do you rank? And what will it take to improve?
Managers, take note!
It is not about being your employees’ friend—though that is a bonus. What your team members most want, however, is for their manager to be clear, train them so they understand how to use the equipment, and help them improve their performance and satisfaction in their work.
Above all, the people who report to you want to feel appreciated! This will positively impact their performance and, in turn, create a welcoming and warm atmosphere in your store for the customers.
Remember: the feeling a customer leaves your store or website with determines whether they will return to shop and tell their friends about it—and that is the best form of advertising!
Happy sales to you.