Have you ever been in a store or a restaurant where you felt you were just not very important?  Have you ever felt like walking out to show them that their opinion of you just doesn’t matter?

One of the biggest problems I have seen as far as how some businesses deliver service is in the indifference their employees demonstrate with regard to customers.  It would seem that many employees just don’t think customers are important; in their minds, the success of the business doesn’t hinge on customers feeling important, rather, it just matters that the product is delivered on time and to order.  To that I say, what a load of crap!  Where does anyone get that idea?

People’s feelings of importance are a primal need.  Any study of just about any motivational theory will tell you that people’s self-esteem is critical to motivating them.  So why do so many service providers act with such disdain for the people they serve?

I think it’s because of how they are treated as employees.  I think the vast majority of employees are treated as machines or resources rather than as valuable thinkers who critically influence the success or failure of the enterprise. Once one is treated like a tool, one becomes a tool (no pun intended).

How do business owners, managers, and leaders get employees to treat customers as valued influencers of business success?  They must treat their employees as valued influencers of business success.  Wellness in the body starts on the inside and so does business wellness.  Fair compensation, growth opportunities, regular recognition and acknowledgement, and listening to their ideas are great places to start.  Hear ye, hear ye, take care of employees and they will take care of customers.  When customers are taken care of, they take care of your business.