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Jerry loved his job and he loved his clients. He truly enjoyed helping them. His Customer Service Index (CSI) scores were through the roof. Then one day his company was sold. Although he got to keep his job, his world changed that day, and so did the world of his customers.

Jerry's new managers were changing processes and procedures daily. They were constantly on him, insisting he spend less time with each customer so that he could be more "productive". He was openly criticized and corrected.

Jerry's morale plummeted. He came to work angry and resentful. Although he still loved his clients, they noticed his unease. Even though he tried to hide his unhappiness, his bad attitude oozed out in his tone of voice and his customers felt it, too. The company's CSI scores started dropping and lead to a serious decline in business. The new owners had no idea why the profitable business they bought was losing its loyal customers. They weren't aware of the basic truths about keeping loyal customers.

What's the first thing you can you do to ensure that your customers are happy and loyal? You need to make sure that you have happy, loyal employees. There is a direct correlation between employee and customer satisfaction.

Happy employees are more likely to go the extra mile for a customer, taking personal ownership of their customer's experience. Because they talk positively about their place of work to friends and family, happy employees are a valuable source of advertising and good will.

Customer service needs to come from the inside out. Before you concentrate on elevating your customer satisfaction scores, raise your employee's level of satisfaction by doing the following:

Know what they're thinking

Survey your employees to find out if they are satisfied with their work and work environment. How are current business conditions impacting them? Do they have the tools, training and resources to do their job well? Do they feel empowered to resolve issues? What personal life issues are impacting their work?
Remember that the proper balance of work and home life is essential to an employee's ability to provide exceptional customer service.

Communicate

Communication needs to be a two-way street between you and your employees. Be sure that you have clearly explained your company's goals, policies and procedures. You also need to let employees know about the health of your business, as well as any customer feedback you receive, both good and bad. Employees shouldn't hear about impending changes through the grapevine.

Focus on the good

It is human nature to focus on problems. But when you are constantly "putting out fires" you tend to only notice only what isn't going well. Employees can wear down when they only hear criticism. Criticism rarely inspires employees to be great.
Instead of only focusing on your employees shortcomings, focus on what they do right. Though it seems like doing one's job correctly is a basic expectation, people like to be recognized and rewarded.