Customer Experience Versus Employee Experience

I can’t recall exactly where I first heard this title, but it has been stuck in my mind for over five years. Every chance I get, I share how crucial it is for any organization that wants to thrive in its industry.

For five years, I’ve firmly believed in this phrase—this “bumper-sticker-style-slogan,” if you will. It’s my opinion that no organization can thrive or perform at its best if employees are not:

a. Appreciated
b. Compensated
c. Engaged or included

These three things form the core of every employee’s desires from their organization. It starts from the moment you onboard a new staff member. How do you welcome them and introduce them to the team? How excited are you to have them join, and most importantly, how do you treat them? Do you treat them with respect, or just like any other employee?
Remember: First impressions last.

If your desire to treat employees well only comes after some time, even if genuine, it can seem insincere, hypocritical, and pretentious. You can’t give what you don’t have. So, the next time you’re welcoming a new employee, give them a warm welcome, offer a sincere smile, respectfully introduce them to the team, and maybe even leave a nice chocolate treat on their desk.

Employees are vital to determining the success of any organization, especially in service industries where thousands of customers are dealt with directly on a daily basis. Your employees are just as important as your customers. I prescribe the 50/50 rule: While focusing on customer experience, it’s equally crucial to focus on employee experience.

Your employees will serve your customers, and how management treats the employees will be reflected in how they treat the customers. This doesn’t always manifest as direct disrespect towards customers but can appear as:
a. Poor attitude toward work
b. Work stress caused by a negative mindset
c. Lackadaisical approach to responsibilities
d. Reluctance to go the extra mile for customers
e. A mindset of "Why should I care if I’m not cared for?"

The overall effect is reduced efficiency, declining sales, hostility towards management, and tension within the organization, all of which contribute to one final outcome: Destruction.

Treat your employees right. Get them involved in decisions that directly impact their work, compensate them fairly, and measure the results for re-strategizing.

Share your experiences or results with us.

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