Want more profit? Engage your employees.
But engage them in what?
Let’s start with the basics. I studied it in grad school, Ford Motor Company used it in its pioneering Consumer Experience Movement and I’ve used it with clients: the Service-Profit Chain.
First published in the early 1990s, the Service-Profit Chain describes how the real predictor of a company’s above-average revenue and profitability is true customer loyalty. Which only comes about thanks to the customer valuing a good customer experience. Which is only delivered by truly engaged employees.
In other words, good employee engagement delivers good customer experience (CX) … and profit.
But again, employees engaged in what?
I’ve shared a version of this article with my clients before, but I want to revisit it because, to my knowledge, the study has yet to be repeated post-pandemic. I wonder how stark it would be now.
The gist: In 2018, Pacific Consulting Group published a survey of employee engagement levels at a variety of companies with high-, mid- or low-performing CX scores. It turns out that high employee engagement was not necessarily a predictor of high CX scores.
But certain engagement questions–focused around CX–were.
In other words, employees engaged in customer experience were delivering it. And, according to the Service-Profit Chain, delivering revenue and profit.
The article is worth a read, because it gives four categories for CX engagement and sample questions from the survey.
How would your team answer the questions? What gets in the way of them being willing, able, supported and understanding of your vision for customer experience?