What would it take to boost employee loyalty and customer satisfaction?

A strong company culture.

A 2021 PwC publication revealed that almost 7 out of 10 business leaders credit their success to a strong company culture - especially during the pandemic.

I noticed the same among the businesses I’ve worked with through the pandemic. Those who thrived were the ones with a robust company culture. The leaders of these companies were able to make swift decisions to adjust to the limitations imposed by the pandemic - and their teams were fully supportive of these changes.

What does this tell you? Having a strong company culture has a positive impact on business success.

In this article, I’d like to put the spotlight on company culture - specifically the difference between a weak and strong one. The goal is to equip you to cultivate a stronger company culture so you can use it to boost employee loyalty and improve customer satisfaction.

Weak vs. Strong Company Culture

Culture is defined as a collection of learned and shared values and beliefs. In society, it shapes how people behave, talk and perceive things in life.

This is the essence of a company culture. It defines the shared values, beliefs, norms and codes by which employees interact and work together.

I’d like to think of it as the oil that keeps the engine in your business running. If you don’t have enough oil, the gears within the engine will have a harder time moving. But if you put enough oil in it, the gears will work seamlessly with each other.

How will you know if you have a weak or a strong culture within the company? Let’s discuss how these two differ.

Weak Company Culture

A weak company culture lacks clear values and vision. When you ask your team, they’ll either give different answers or they won’t know what to say. This is dangerous because the lack of vision means your team works without a sense of direction or purpose. This often leads to conflicts, indecision and inefficiency.

Apart from that, poor communication is another sign of a weak culture. It’s harder to communicate and gain understanding if your team is not aligned. It leads to misunderstanding and tension. It also leads to inconsistent customer experience - especially if some team members are unaware of new policies.

Another sign of a weak company culture is low employee morale. Your team will feel undervalued and unsupported because of constant conflicts and misunderstandings. They won’t know if they’re doing the right thing and they’ll feel underappreciated because there’s no recognition or feedback. The low morale could lead to poor performance and customer interactions.

Where does this all lead? It leads to higher turnover and disengagement in the business. If you find that you’re struggling to retain your team or motivate them to provide better service quality, that means your business has a weak company culture.

Strong Company Culture

If you have clearly communicated the values and vision of the company to your team - that’s a good sign that you have a strong company culture. It acts as the guideline by which they act in various situations. Your team is aware of the company’s direction and they’ll know how to act to reach that purpose.

A strong company culture also promotes open communication. They welcome individual ideas and concepts which builds transparency and trust within the organisation. This is how innovative solutions are created and it’ll lead your business to better opportunities.

Open communication also encourages feedback and recognition. This boosts employee morale and makes them feel appreciated and valued. It leads to better job satisfaction and dedication to their work.

With a strong company culture, you won’t have to worry about high turnovers. Your team will immediately know if they belong to that culture you’ve cultivated and it weeds out those who aren’t the right fit. This leaves the right people behind who will feel empowered and committed to representing the business and providing excellent customer service.

Strong Company Culture = Loyal Employees

Now that you have a better understanding of how a weak and strong company culture differs, it’s time to focus on how the latter can lead to loyal employees.

Improves Employee Satisfaction

A strong company culture is a positive one that cares for its employees. It leads to higher job satisfaction where people feel supported and aligned with the company. With consistent instruction, employees will begin to adopt the company values as their own. Once they do, they won’t need prompting to do the right thing for the business. They’ll feel compelled to do it because it already resonates with their personal beliefs.

Enhances Employee Engagement

Having a strong culture encourages engagement and commitment. With strong leadership to maintain and nurture it, employees will feel connected to the company. They’ll know that they have an important role to play in getting the business to succeed. And since they feel connected to it, they’ll work harder to make sure the business thrives. They’ll know that as the business excels, so will they. This thought fuels their commitment to make the company grow.

Encourages Career Development

The essence of a strong company culture doesn’t revolve around business growth. It also understands that the individual career development of the team plays a crucial role in growing a business. This is why the company culture prioritises the growth and development of their team. Providing adequate training and professional development improves the very people who work to make the business succeed. Apart from making them more capable of doing their jobs, this will also strengthen employee loyalty. They know that the company will take care of them and they’ll give their loyalty in exchange.

Strong Company Culture = Customer Satisfaction

Thanks to a strong company culture, employees will feel more loyal to the business - but what does this have to do with customer satisfaction?

Positive Employee-Customer Relationship

When employees are happy with the company and they are committed to doing an exceptional job, it’s the customers that benefit from it. They’ll face high-performing employees who take pride in what they do and will do their best to represent the company well. This cascades to the way they deal with customers and clients.

The positive interactions will lead to better customer experiences and even repeat business.

Creates Consistency and Reliability

Since a strong company culture prioritises the welfare and abilities of employees, customers can expect high-quality delivery of service. But that’s not all. A strong company culture also means the company values and beliefs are integrated into how every employee works. This leads to a consistent and reliable customer service. This fosters trust. Customers know that when they return, they can expect the same type of service.

Builds Customer Loyalty

When there is trust, loyalty follows. Customers who trust a company will do repeat business. After all, they know that they’ll always get exceptional service. They know that every business transaction will give them satisfaction - sometimes even better than what they initially received. This cycle of trust and satisfaction strengthens the loyalty they’ll feel towards the business.

It’s Time to Evaluate your Company Culture

A strong company culture creates a strong foundation to grow a business. It’s essential to achieve employee loyalty and customer satisfaction. Creating a strong culture within the business is possible through clear values, open communication and opportunities for individual growth. This leads to a positive environment where everyone works in harmony with each other.

Now is the perfect time to evaluate and strengthen your company culture. If you haven’t done so already, put time in your calendar to do this. You won’t just improve workplace operations and employee loyalty, you’ll also enhance customer relationships.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, let’s start by taking a look at your company culture. Working with a business coach will give you the expertise and insights to improve your relationship with the rest of the team.

If you want to get into this, let’s talk. Book a complimentary 15-minute call here: https://www.butleradvisory.com.au/time-with-trent.