Customer Service Tips from the Worst Employer

If anyone ever knew how to take care of customers, it was J.W. Marriott, the founder of the Marriott Hotels and Resorts. The cornerstone of his success was his belief in the principle, “Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your customers.” Excellent customer service springs out of feeling valued and respected. By taking care of his employees, Mr. Marriott was a role model who inspired his employees to deliver service beyond expectations.

Even bad employers can learn from their mistakes and learn to deliver great customer service to their employees. That was the experience of Josh Patrick in an article in the New York Times, “Yes, You Treat Your Customers Well. But How Do You Treat Employees?” A self-admitted “worst employer,” it took him 10 years to figure it out. How did he learn how to treat them well? It took a lot of listening and soul-searching.

One of the biggest revelations was learning that you can’t ask others to do something you won’t do yourself. For Josh it was being personally responsible. He was asking his employees to be accountable. When one of his employees told him to take a look in the mirror and start practicing what he was preaching, he had to stop in his tracks. Success, youth and humility don’t always mix, and he had to take a hard look at his own actions and make some changes.

Winning loyal customers is about building honest, respectful, trusting relationships. Why should it be different when the customers are your employees? Drawing from lessons from Dan Sullivan, a business coach, he lists four principles as key to delivering excellent internal customer service. Not surprisingly, they are basic things you’d expect from an employee.

• The first is show up on time. How many executives think nothing of showing up late to meetings and appointments? Or, not showing up at all. If it’s just a meeting with an employee, how important can it be? You wouldn’t do that with a big customer. You could lose talented employees who feel devalued and insulted to a company that treats them as important contributors to their company’s success. 
   

• Next is to say "please” and “thank you.” So many managers feel it’s an employee’s duty to do as they are told. Why say please, when it’s on the employee’s job description? Because it’s common courtesy. Didn’t your mother always tell you to be polite to everyone? These two phrases do wonders to emails that always sound like you’re barking out commands.
   

• Do what you say you will do. Be believable and trustworthy. And reliable. If you want your employees to demonstrate these traits, be a role model. If you schedule a performance review, take the time to do the review and have the meeting on time and on schedule.    
   

• Last, finish what you start, and follow up. Persevere. If you want your employees to complete tasks on time to a customer’s expectations, be sure you do the same for them.

All these things are common sense, and may sound like Customer Service 101, but most employees would be thrilled just to have a timely response to an email or phone call. It’s all about trust, and if customers don’t trust the company, the products, or the company’s intentions, they won’t come back. If employees lose trust and respect, they will go elsewhere. Authentic internal customer service is a small price to pay to gain loyal fans that are also employees.

Photo Source: ambro, Freedigitalphotos.net