It’s been another scorching month here in the UK, with more heatwaves expected across the summer.
Still, we’ve been up and down the country, catching up with clients and providing tailored consultancy and CX training to help our customers truly stand out in their field.
You can read all about it in this month’s newsletter.
Advice from Walt Disney
The name might make you think of Mickey Mouse or Disneyland, but it turns out the man behind the most successful animation studio of all time had some sound customer service advice too:
“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”
Speaking plainly, if you provide exceptional products and amazing customer service, your customers will return – and they’ll spread the word too
In an age of digital marketing, testimonials and referrals, word of mouth is still powerful and, if your customers have a great experience with you, they’ll tell others and your reputation will sky-rocket, helping you show up and stand out in your field.
So, next time you’re working on your customer service (or watching a Disney classic), remember those wise words, from the genius of making dreams come true!
Celebrating employee experience
This week, Marie and David are off to London as judges at the UK Employee Experience Awards.
Having already judged the entrants’ written work online, they will be in person at the event to score finalists live presentations and celebrate with a lovely dinner during which the winners will be announced.
Marie and David have been part of the event for several years now and it’s a real highlight in their calendar as they see the benefits of companies putting their employees at the heart of their business!
Which one of them do you think is the ‘Simon Cowell’ of the panel? 😂
Necessity or nice-to-have?
Last year, the UK Workplace Wellbeing Report found that 84% of UK employees wouldn’t stay in a job that didn’t support their mental and physical wellbeing.
That’s a big percentage!
It serves as a welcome reminder that ignoring wellbeing is no longer a neutral choice – it’s an expensive mistake.
We know that being on the frontline can be intense and stressful, so all the more reason to ensure your people feel valued, safe and happy in their role as Brand Ambassadors of the business.
Happy employees = happy customers = a happy (and financially healthy) organisation.
And that’s backed by stats!
- Highly engaged teams deliver around 23% higher profitability than disengaged teams. This comes from increased productivity, greater customer loyalty, reduced absence and improved staff turnover
- When people feel genuinely recognised, they’re more likely to stay – high-quality recognition makes employees 65% less likely to look for another job
- 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience, making employee engagement one of the smartest commercial investments a business can make
Here are five suggestions to show your team that it really pays to care:
- Give everyone a ‘life happens’ pass – allow every employee one hour each month. Whether they want to watch their child’s assembly, attend a vet appointment or meet an elderly relative. No questions, no forms, no guilt
- Surprise them for no reason at all – people expect rewards for targets, not just for being appreciated. Why not leave a coffee voucher on their desk, order an ice cream van to the office or give them a handwritten ‘thank you’ card for their effort?
- Shine a light on the quiet heroes – not the top-performing salesperson or the loudest voice in the office. The colleague who quietly gives 100% every single day
- Give employees £20 to create a WOW – trust every frontline employee with a WOW budget to send customers a gift and make their day
- Celebrate the person behind the job – create a profile for each of your employees. Their favourite biscuit, the football club they support, their dream holiday. Use it to choose their birthday and Christmas presents!
Read more about the importance of workplace wellbeing here.
The beauty of quiet moments
On the topic of wellbeing, our founders Marie and David have been keeping work-life balance in mind, enjoying being part of their village walking group in Gedney Hill.
Having lived in the village, smack bang between Norfolk and Lincolnshire, for over four years, they joined the group to get some fresh air and exercise between their busy work commitments. They’ve met lots of lovely locals and unlocked plenty of beautiful walking routes in the area.
Whether it’s a walking group, yoga class or sports club, it’s crucial to take time to ‘pause’ from the hustle and bustle of working life – it will certainly help you create the balance required to ensure you’re not getting so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life!
Your people are capable of more...
We know the feeling. When consistency slips and customer service performance begins to fluctuate.
You know your team can do better, but something is getting in the way.
Well, we have the webinar for you!
Created especially for frontline leaders and Brand Ambassadors, the webinar features seven top tips, techniques and ideas to inspire to providing your customers with that ‘WOW’ feeling!
You can see it here!
And the learning doesn’t need to stop there. After viewing the webinar, why not run a lunch-and-learn session and put some actionable steps in place to help your team really make the most of our customer service tips and tricks?
Until next time
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this month’s newsletter. Do let us know if you have any contributions or suggestions ahead of next month’s edition.
Thank you, as always, for being part of the FIT community.
Until next time – take care and keep FIT! 👋
