When it comes to enhancing customer experience, employee branding is a critical component. At its core, this is because when employees feel seen and valued, they become authentic brand ambassadors and deliver better service. We must keep in mind that COVID-19 changed how staff view the workplace, what they are looking for from work as well as how customers are needing different things from the businesses they support as well. In this way, brand trust is front and centre and increasingly, businesses need to demonstrate loyalty, trustworthiness and transparency in order to attract and retain clients. In fact, studies show that since the pandemic it has become 75% harder to maintain trust with customers and staff. So what are the key factors required for employee well-being and how does this translate into a strong customer experience?
Staff as brand ambassadors
Customers generally view employees as the face of the business. This is because they are customer-facing; answering calls, responding to queries, delivering goods and managing interactions. In this way, employees hold enormous sway regarding brand building. It, therefore, stands to reason that employees should be prioritised as a key audience which experiences your brand and witnesses it first-hand, with brand values that are consistently lived authentically.
At the heart of this is how employers treat their staff and whether these interactions are handled with honesty and empathy and promote a worthwhile lived experience. Including how employers treat their team’s personal information. This provides an exchange of feeling respected and empowered and promotes an environment where staff are more likely to go the extra mile for their customers.
Adding a personal touch
When companies harness the information they have on their customers to personalise the shopper’s experience, the results are amplified. Personalised content and experiences enhance the shopper’s experience and will automatically boost trust. It is very important that staff are equipped with the right tools and technology to facilitate efficient and pleasurable customer interaction. In order to leverage this dynamic, they need to have access to this information, with tools and simple technologies in order for an intuitive interaction to take place. This easy access and decision-making will empower employees to provide a better experience for their customers. This in turn will improve job satisfaction.
Improved productivity, improves experience
Employees are actually well aware of the link between their own experiences and that of their customers. They instinctively understand that when their job is more efficient, they can serve customers better. So complex technologies and systems will only frustrate staff and lead to irritation, stress and bad service. This can be overcome by automating mundane activities and enhancing workloads with easy-to-use tech and tools. This will allow employees to focus on higher-value and more strategic actions in order to create truly memorable customer experiences.
The bottom line
Brand values should be reinforced within every employee interaction so they are not only promoting this intellectually but living it each and every day in the business they work in. Employees should have access to simple tools, and streamlined processes. When staff are happy, fulfilled and motivated they will become passionate brand ambassadors who produce happy customers. The knock-on effect is well worth the investment, not to mention the right thing to do when it comes to creating strong and fulfilling work environments. This type of authentic approach to brand building truly results in a win-win scenario for business, staff and customer alike.
