Look after your employees, and they will look after your customers

First things, first. Your employees! Did you know that your employees are as valuable to your business as your customers? Are you meeting and exceeding their expectations? Well, think again. Your employees, who are your internal customers, need to be treated with the same respect as your other paying customers, who are your external customers. These customers are not only employees, but if cared for, nurtured and respected they can be great ambassadors for your organisation.

When these customers are looked after, they have the potential to take your business to the next level and bring you much-needed revenue. When your employees are happy they transfer that energy to your external clients. You will not need to worry about retaining them, your internal clients will go the extra mile to making sure that they make and keep you happy.

Happiness breeds happiness

When you make your internal clients happy, they also strive hard to making you happy and what better way to thank you than that of making sure that your business flourishes and runs smoothly, whether you are there on not. They take initiative, and go the extra mile showing you that they are happy, they care and that they want to see you succeed.

And that is how I came to fantasise about working for RamsayMedia. I also became tempted to fling all my salary into booking myself in at the Cape Grace Hotel. It was thanks to word of mouth - not from their advertising or newsletters - but from their happy internal clients, their employees. I have made it my mission to share the happy stories I heard from those employees everywhere I go. Now, if we were to put a monetary value to those people with whom I have shared the story, how much would it have cost these two organisations to let me know about them and the services they offer... you do the maths.

Customer service is as important to your paying customers as it is to your employees. And if you want to know if your employee is happy or not, it's not very hard to find out, just look at how they treat your customers.

It's as simple as that, unhappy staff equals unhappy customers. Know your employees; after all they represent you and your organisation.