What Comes First, The Employee or The Customer?

I was sitting in a room last week with leaders in the Building Service Contractors industry and everyone was talking about being customer focused. In business, especially the service industry, we know how important it is to keep customers happy. We go to great lengths to devise ways of making our customers happier, more satisfied. And yet, we all too often forget that this must begin with happy employees.

Any business could make the best product or deliver the best service and if the workers on the front line don't feel valued, appreciated or respected, your customers will feel that. It's like the whole "what came first the chicken or the egg?" In our case, satisfied employees must be our priority because we know happy employees directly lead to happier, more satisfied and more loyal customers. 

At Stathakis, yes we want to be known as a company that provides great service, but equally important we want to be known as a great place to work. The Gallop Organization has done massive research on what makes employees happy and you might be surprised to find out that it isn't company cars and in-office massages or even things like child care or bonuses. While any of us would appreciate any perks that came with our jobs, what created satisfied, happy employees was much more about the work and work environment.

12 Things That Make for Happy Employees
1. I know what is expected of me.
2. I have the materials & equipment to do my job.
3. I have a chance to do what I do best every day.
4. I have opportunities to get recognition & praise.
5. I believe my supervisor cares about me.
6. Someone in the company encourages my development.
7. My opinions seem to matter.
8. My company has a clear mission or purpose.
9. Individually & as a group, we get to do quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. My supervisor talks to me about my progress.
12. I have opportunities to learn & grow.

We know that when employees are happy at their jobs it translates into happier, more loyal customers. As an employee are there things that you need to be happy at work that you aren't getting? As a manager or lead, are you leading your team with these ideas in mind?

So that takes us back to our original question. What do you think comes first, employees or customers? If you really look at it, you might say neither. In business, there can be no customers without employees and without customers, we have no need for employees. Like we have learned with our Ubuntu training, we are all interconnected and dependent on each other, even in the world of business. Although the focus is usually on the customer, I think we need to recognize that our employees are equally important and balance both our attention to the needs of our customers and our employees to get the best overall results.