Tom O'Neil: Happiness is contagious

Happy workers deliver a great customer experience.Photo / Getty Images

Recruitment and career research site Glassdoor.com released some common sense, but none the less important findings in their latest publication, Happy Employees, Satisfied Customers.

Researching almost 300 large employers across 13 industries since 2008, it linked findings from 863,000 plus employee satisfaction ratings on Glassdoor and customer satisfaction research from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Customer and employee satisfaction

This datashowed there was a strong connection between customer and employee satisfaction. For example, each one-star improvement in an employer's Glassdoor company rating (out of five) gave a statistically significant 1.3-point increase in customer satisfaction out of 100.

This result was more than twice as large for organisations in "high customer contact" industries where clients regularly interacted with employees: these sectors included retail sales, food service, travel and tourism, financial services and health care.

Overall their research highlighted that employers who invest in staff satisfaction and a positive workplace culture, usually enjoy benefits that go beyond recruiting and keeping top talent. Ensuring a satisfied and happy work environment should be seen as a prerequisite to delivering a great customer experience.

Not just happy customers ...

Customer satisfaction also had a strong correlation with financial performance. Previous research cited by Glassdoor showed higher customer satisfaction scores were linked to higher company valuations. "Based on one estimate, each one-star improvement in Glassdoor company ratings translates into between 7.8 per cent and 18.9 per cent higher stock market valuations through the channel of improved customer satisfaction." If there was ever a reason for the "money people" in a business to invest in positive and engaging HR programmes, tools and systems, this surely is it.

Not rocket science

When we go out to buy a laptop or mobile phone, our perception of the quality of the product or service is usually heavily influenced by the personal interaction we have with the representative of the company. Therefore, we can buy a perfectly good product, but through a negative customer experience, be left with a sour taste in our mouth, which then negatively impacts the brand in our mind for years to come.

While many organisations focus on developing a strong "customer-first" business philosophy, Glassdoor's research suggests that maintaining a healthy, positive and engaged workforce (especially for those who regularly work with customers) is critical to delivering great experiences to customers.

In summary, their findings were "If you genuinely like both your staff and customers, they will probably like you back." As employers, let's get out there and ensure those most dear to us know they matter.

Contact Tom O'Neil and the team at cv.co.nz for a free CV assessment or to be your personal career coach. Visit cv.co.nz (0800) 282 669 or careercoach.nz to find out more.