Here’s a story.
Dan (name change) was a friend of mine who worked at Unnamed Company (also name change) for quite sometime. Dan, in the eyes of most, was a stellar employee: he arrived every day 15 minutes before his start time, handed-in all his assignments, and never – ever – complained when Unnamed Company decided to change his shifts around (even with no prior notice) about a million times. Now, Dan doesn’t work there anymore.
And here’s why.
Employees are important to what we do. And yes, no matter what business you’re in, people are always your business. Moreover, this includes your employees. They matter in terms of moving along whatever business machine you’re running – in an analogical sense. Without your gears, engine, sails (if you will), you’d be awaiting statically in the desert of start-up planning, staring up at the beaming light coming down from your hopes and dreams.
Employees also matter for reasons a lot more astronomical. Majority of the time (I bet you), employees are the ones interacting with customers. Even more so, they have that first interaction (stressing the importance of first impressions, here). They are the friendly faces our customers remember. They are the names our customers ask for. At the end of the day, they are the crazy strong glue sealing the bond between us and clients. So, why not appreciate the very thing that keeps your business, passion, and future afloat? Dan didn’t leave because of pay, location or even his ever-changing work hours. Under-appreciation pushed Dan out the front door with no intention of looking back.
You feel like the proverbial hamster on a wheel: all this effort, yet you’re going nowhere.
At least that’s how many employees feel when companies fail to show them otherwise. Take it from us here at Service Keepers: even a small thank you can go a long way. Today’s an employee’s birthday? Give them a call or shoot them a text! Someone just went above and beyond without being asked? Recognize the incredible action. Create an incentive program to reward all employees for the amazing things they do. If you’re looking for more ideas, here’s 52 other ways you can say thank you.
It takes more than pay to make employees stay. And we want to keep all the Dan’s and Danielle’s of our companies.
