Employee Loyalty Case Study: Linkage Between Customers and Employees

Following the customer survey, employees were asked to complete a nearly identical questionnaire where they were asked how they thought customers would answer the questions.  This mirror study produced significant differences in how employees thought the company was perceived compared to actual customer opinions.  The challenge became convincing employees that the customer’s view was lower than expected and determining internal changes that needed to occur to create a surge in customer satisfaction.

IMPLEMENTATION

The results of the study were presented to employees, and the direct comparison of their answers with each office’s customers was presented.  It was determined some of the issues stemmed from communication between the managers and the route drivers.

A better line of communication was developed including providing route drivers with more direction for handling customer issues, an open-door policy for problem solving, and providing a greater sense of importance within the organization.  In addition, the results of the customer survey were shared with employees so they could get a better sense of the frustrations facing the end-users.  Eventually, a full-scale employee study was launched to further explore the trials for employees.      

KEY FINDINGS

Outcomes of this study include:

• When strong disparities in rating scores between customers and employees exist, some form of communication gap is occurring and must be addressed to correct this difference in perceptions.
• Employees need a strong understanding of their roles and what is expected.  They also need the necessary materials to handle all customer issues.
• Employee directly involved with customers need to realize how they are rating both their performance and the organization.  Understanding customer opinions will help correct any issues and cement the relationship.