“I’m putting in my hours for the week and that’s all this company’s getting out of me.”
We hear a lot of talk about inspiring customer loyalty through first-rate service, but it’s next to impossible to achieve the kind of customer-company interactions needed to build lasting relationships with a checked-out, uncommitted workforce. Problems with employee motivation tend to be indicative of much larger, pervasive issues within an organization that often start and end with employee loyalty. Rather than asking why an employee isn’t loyal, it might be better to ask how the company has demonstrated that it deserves loyalty.
Companies that proactively build and foster work environments conducive to employee loyalty see these efforts pay off through lower turnover and higher customer satisfaction rates.
It doesn’t take much, but it does take a degree of honesty, openness, and fairness within a company before employees develop loyalty. Companies can start by:
- Being honest and up-front with employees about new changes, systems, or key events
- Making a point of asking employees for their input on how to address issues and challenges
- Nurturing innovation in the workplace by encouraging employees to speak up when they have new ideas
- Building a culture based on dedicated leaders who are fair and open with employees
- Ensuring employees know what is expected of them with personal development plans and systems that keep track of their improvements
- Rewarding high-performing employees and letting them know that their work is appreciated
In the contact center, agents are the face and voice of the business for customers. An agent’s enthusiasm for the company (or lack thereof) is communicated to the customer at each and every point of contact.
It makes sense for companies to invest in employee loyalty just as they would in capital improvements.
Solutions like Aspect Performance Management can help companies automate some of the performance measurements that employees need to know in order to grow and advance in their jobs. When improvements need to be made, it also provides a structured coaching module where employees can further develop their skills.
Have you seen employee loyalty pay off for your company? We’d love to hear your success stories — tell us in the comments!
