Are your Customers Frustrated? Your Employees are too!

Ann was upset and it showed. She had recently lost her husband of 25 years to cancer. Ann needed to buy a new black dress to wear to the funeral to bury her husband Frank. No one would give her the help she needed. She finally met an employee named Megan who made Ann feel her needs were not important; she said she was too busy unpacking the clothes to look for a black dress for Ann.
After being bounced from employee to employee and calls to the owner were not returned, a livid Ann found herself at the mercy of the company’s legal department. The attorneys spent hours churning over a formal, written response to Ann’s complaint of being ignored. Then Ann finally received an impersonal letter from the company stating “We regret your circumstances, but the company has done all it needs to do to pursue this issue of our clerk being unhelpful.” Ann considered them “fighting words.”
A furious Ann had no choice but to retain an attorney and begin litigation against the company. This is an epidemic that seems to be affecting current businesses of all sizes, from the Fortune 500 to the Mom and Papa’s ventures. The details of Ann’s story may seem unique, the overriding situation is not. In fact, confusion, frustration, and anger continue to rise as quickly as the cost of doing business itself. What also infuriates Customer’s is the lack of concern and the ability to discuss complaints in detail with someone – anyone. It adds to the mounting resentment and suspicion toward businesses.
A solution to this ever happening in your business is to focus all of your efforts not on customer relationship management, but into employee relationship management. How many times have you met a disgruntle employee who never has a kind word about the company, their manager or customers?
They have been treated as an expense on the business. When they offer a little input, they are made to feel unqualified. Megan had recently sat down with her boss to discuss ideas for improving store sales by moving the new v-neck blouses over with the denim skirts.
Megan’s boss Doreen told her to just continue unpacking the latest delivery from the warehouse, and leave the store marketing and promotion to the leadership of the store. That was the last time Megan spoke up with an idea to improve same store sales. Doreen had failed to realize that the store marketing and promotion would be enhanced by discussing new ideas with a fellow employee. These employees like Megan have taken an interest in the growth of the store, would be an advocate for the store and its growth.
Unfortunately, this happens all too often. A member of your business has made the effort to grow the business, a manager like Doreen feels threatened. And by ignoring Megan has created a barrier for growth, Megan an employee who now resents the company and will do nothing to help grow the business.

So, take this advice keep your employees happy, they will keep your customers happy…