In the 1981 article “The Employee as Customer,” L.L. Berry states that, whether managing customers or employees, “the central purpose remains the same: the attraction of patronage through the satisfaction of needs and wants.” So whether we deal with customers or employees, the interaction is the same. It requires that we satisfy their needs and wants.
In the old days, a customer conflict could be settled by saying, “That’s our policy.” We told our customers that we treated all of them the same and that they had no recourse if they were unhappy. Customers don’t stand for that any more; they go to a competitor. How long will it be before all of our employees “wake up” to “consistent treatment” that fails to meet their needs? And, what will be their recourse? Most likely, they will find new employers.
Customers who are satisfied have higher repurchase intentions. Employees who are satisfied have higher intentions of staying with the organization, leading to reduced turnover.
We can no longer afford to view our frontline employee as a low-paid servant or a replaceable unit. We must transition to seeing them as customers. Employees are not only individuals who must listen to management, but also people to whom management must listen.
Is your organization willing to change its employee paradigm to view frontline employees as customers?
