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Benefit
#6
If your employees
are enthusiastic about your company, their energy infuses every
customer interaction. Imagine Southwest Airlines’ 22,000 employees
actively promoting their company to potential and existing customers.
Success is imminent.
Richard Block,
CEO of AGI, considers fun to be an integral part of his company.
He says, "If you were a customer and you came here and then
you went to all your other suppliers, I guarantee you that the place
you'd enjoy most-- the place you'd want to do business with--is
this one. Just because of how it feels. And though that's a competitive
advantage that isn't patentable, it's also one that nobody can steal."17
“If employees
have to work anyway, they would rather work in a pleasant environment
doing something with a purpose,” says Howard Behar, Starbucks
Coffee President. He admits these “fuzzier” benefits of
happy employees and impressed customers are harder to put in a report18--but
they are key to success.
First Tennessee
National Bank fills its job openings in 19 days or under, compared
with an industry national average of 31-days. The bank has doubled
its loan volume. Customer-service ratings have soared to 98 percent
in 1997 (from 38 percent in 1992). Results began climbing in 1993
when a new CEO came on board. His philosophy was “until you
treat your employees well, they're not going to treat your customers
well..19
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