“A robust program for supporting employee health, happiness, and well-being was once considered a luxury. Today it is increasingly considered a strategic imperative,” – FitForWork.org
Modern workplaces are bustling sites of diversity that must necessarily support a wide range of personalities, ethnic backgrounds, social choices, cultural mores, work ethics, and personal preferences. As businesses become global and operate in conjunction with a wide range of stakeholders, the modern workplace has emerged as a key location that enables the creation and execution of business plans. Consequently, business enterprises must ensure a healthy workplace that is designed to accommodate multiple points of view and fosters a productive working environment. We may state that businesses and enterprises are obligated to inculcate healthy habits in staff members with a view to enhancing the human potential of the workforce. That said, a healthy workplace is also key to the development of a framework that promotes better customer service.
Competition is inherent in the mechanisms of human society as well as in commercial operations. This is a primary trait of nature and must be encouraged in a healthy workplace. For instance, employees that work in a customer care call centre must be encouraged to work on the number of customer interactions achieved in the course of a work day, as also in elevating the quality of professional interactions with various customers. We note that customer service remains a critical aspect that drives modern commerce to attain its objectives and the role of a healthy workplace in achieving said goals cannot be overstated. The confident and self-assured members of a corporate workforce are ideally equipped to craft outstanding instances of customer service, thereby helping the business enterprise to bolster its market reputation, create satisfied stakeholders, and achieve customer delight. These positive outcomes are intricately woven with the dynamic fabric that must ideally pervade a healthy workplace.
We live and operate in the age of automation and technology; a prime example of this assertion manifests itself in the modern workplace. Desktop and portable laptop computers, software packages, email systems, electronic mobility, digital interactions, meeting room projectors, smart lighting, central air conditioning, sun control window coatings, video conferencing, the global Internet, etc. are some of the examples through which technology enables the healthy workplace. These gadgets and devices are important because they help staff members to cater to customer requirements and to anticipate future customer demands. A technology-enabled workforce is a primary requirement in modern competitive markets because clients always demand top value for their dollars. In light of the above, businesses must work to reinforce the role of technology in the pursuit of creating signature customer experiences.
Excellent communication channels are deemed a defining aspect of a healthy workplace. We must note that every competitive workplace hosts a hierarchy of skillsets and competencies; therefore, a smooth, unimpeded channel of communications must connect said hierarchies. For instance, a modern consulting firm may simultaneously execute multiple projects from a variety of clients. The end-user experience of the said firm depends on its ability to work a permutation and combination of skillsets in the service of attaining a satisfactory outcome for each project. We must note that client satisfaction and customer service in the information age depends on the ability of a ‘knowledge economy’ firm to meet the exacting requirements of its clientele. The channels of communication are therefore instrumental in bringing the collective knowledge and wisdom of the workforce to bear on client projects and client requests, thereby ensuring satisfactory outcomes. The above illustration is an emphatic demonstration of the importance of a healthy workplace in achieving stellar customer service.
Traditional brick-and-mortar enterprises can choose to drive a relentless focus on staff training and professional education in an attempt to gain high levels of customer satisfaction. On-going programmes that reinforce employee training are also critical cogs that help to achieve a healthy workplace. A trained workforce is, by definition, a motivated body of employees that can exert its energies in the service of the customer. For instance, a hobby store that caters to a wide range of amateur crafts persons and interested citizens can train its staff persons to cater to the whim and fancy of every customer. A deep knowledge of human psychology and the trends that animate modern hobbyists can assist staff members to anticipate customer demand and create appropriate solutions. The use of the human imagination is also critical in such matters, but a professional approach to client servicing can create lifelong customers that refuse to be swayed by offerings professed by competing businesses. Further, the competitive spirit among staff members can help customers to access a range of creative talents at the hobby store. We may consider this example as a definitive demonstration of the potential of a healthy workplace in achieving better customer service.
Flawless arbitration and a sense of fellowship among staff members can help to elevate an average working environment into a healthy workplace. These attributes are essentially connected to human nature and must be valued as such. Dispute resolution in the workplace should be fair and objective to instil a sense of pride and belonging in all members of the staff. Management personnel should consciously avoid nepotism and other undesirable human traits in an effort to create and sustain a fair and balanced perception of the workplace. Further, employees should be sensitised to the importance of fellow feeling because this can work wonders in terms of collaboration and co-operation at work. Satisfied employees can be treated as a business asset because such resources are more likely to invest their energies to create better customer service experiences. In light of the above, business managers and corporate captains must create clear frameworks that reward enthusiasm and operational efficiency.
Human actions are often motivated by the prospect of gain and therefore, enterprises must put in place a refined rewards and recognition programme. Staff persons can be encouraged to compete with their peers for rewards and recognition. This holds especially true for workplaces that are populated by young staff members. We may view this strategy as a defining feature of a healthy workplace. Promotions, pay hikes, bonus payments, honorary mentions, etc. can comprise the planks of an effective programme. These devices must essentially be viewed as motivating factors that encourage staff persons to, inter alia, create distinctive customer service experiences. In light of the above, businesses and enterprises must devote significant time and resources to device creative and meaningful methods and frameworks to animate the human workforce.
In the preceding paragraphs, we have examined some of the essential connections between a healthy workplace and elevated customer service experiences. We must bear in mind that a healthy workplace is essential to the long-term business performance of any competitive enterprise. The modern workplace needs to encourage competition among staff members, but it also needs to ensure that no member of the workforce would cross certain ‘lines’ and boundaries. In addition, a healthy workplace tends to attract the best talent in any industry and this can only boost the quality of output in the workplace. Business metrics such as staff turnover and training costs can also be contained within reasonable limits when healthy practices are encouraged in the workplace. In light of the above, every business should exert itself to create and sustain a healthy workplace.
