If we want people to provide a high level of customer service, we need to serve them well first. Our Learning Experiences Senior Learning Experiences Consultant, Colette Arthur shares her insight on how to put employee wellbeing at the top of your priority list.

Just as sports people need to be at their best physically and mentally in order to reach their peak performance, CX professionals need to be well in body and mind to be at the top of their game and meet the ever-changing needs and expectations of customers. If our measure of performance is customer satisfaction, we need to ensure that our employees are engaged, educated and inspired to deliver a great experience consistently. As Covey suggests, if we want people to provide a high level of customer service, we need to serve them well first.

In 2019 Glassdoor completed a survey of 293 companies spanning 13 industries finding clear links between customer satisfaction and employee wellbeing. They discovered that organisations that focus on employee wellbeing by implementing programmes and initiatives to help people achieve wellness in body and mind achieve positive employee and customer satisfaction scores. Helping people find a healthy and balanced lifestyle leads to reduced anxiety and stress and in turn influences the way that they handle the needs of our customers. According to the American Psychological Association, 91% of employees from organisations who support employee wellbeing say they feel motivated to do their best work. It is clear therefore that, if we want employees to perform at their best, we need to make their wellbeing a priority.

So how can we make wellbeing a priority?

Here are some ways to support employee wellbeing for higher customer satisfaction:

Leadership development – As the saying goes ‘people leave managers not companies’ therefore leadership style has a huge impact on employee wellbeing. A poor management style can lead to increased anxiety and stress for employees ultimately resulting in their decision to leave. It is therefore crucial that organisations invest in leadership development to help managers understand the impact they can have on their people and learn ways to create a positive working environment where employees can be the be themselves and perform well.

Check in regularly with your people – As well as regular 1:1s with line managers, it is good practice to provide different ways for people to let you know how they are feeling such as people surveys with regular temperature checks, listening sessions where senior managers hold focus groups with various levels of staff to provide a platform for people to share their thoughts, feelings and ideas and forums that give people a chance for their voice to be heard.

Implement a wellbeing programme – This could include simple initiatives like physical activity challenges that people can do at their own pace and contribute towards a team goal, fitness classes for all levels onsite or online, nutritional advice sessions, mindfulness sessions or apps,  mental health first aid training for leaders and ambassadors and providing support services for physical, psychological and financial wellbeing. Providing this level of support helps people to become more resilient,  make their own wellbeing a priority and able to help themselves as well as seeking professional help if needed.

Creating a culture of recognition – feeling valued is a huge part of  human wellbeing therefore it’s crucial that organisations promote a culture of recognition where we are encouraged to show appreciation and thanks for each other. This could be a simple thank you or well done in person or a message over chat or email. It could also be a more detailed nomination that is liked to your corporate values and behaviours through a formal recognition scheme. Either way, people will feel appreciated and motivated to continue this positive behaviour.

Happy employees are our best brand ambassadors – if we treat them well, looking after their holistic wellbeing, they in turn look after the overall wellbeing of our customers.

For more information on how our Learning Solutions experts can help your business, please contact Colette Arthur, Senior Learning Experiences Consultant via Colette.Arthur@davies-group.com