A happy workforce is good for business.
This isn’t rocket science, but you’d think it is by the way some small business owners manage their employees!
When employees are happy at work, they are motivated to provide better service. That results in a positive experience for your customers… and more business for you.
In customers’ minds, having a motivated field workforce puts your business in a good light.
It is also easier for you to hire the best staff when you need new employees, since your business has become known to be a good place to work.
The challenge is, when it comes to your individual employees (especially field technicians out on the road), it can be very difficult for the business owner or manager to work out what makes each one of them ‘happy’. For some it may be sport; for others, time spent with their families. For others, ‘happiness’ can come from simply being praised by their work peers and/or manager.
Then again, just getting the daily work finished as quickly as possible can be ‘happiness’ for some people!
As a manager, the simplest way to find out what makes your employees ‘tick’ is to take the time to chat with each of them from time-to-time (often, only just a few minutes is necessary). You may be surprised by what you learn! However, if you manage a large service technician workforce and/or they are constantly out on the road, it can be particularly hard to figure out what motivates your employees.
Some of the most successful Service Providers face exactly this problem:
How to improve their customer service reputation by motivating the business’ extensive field technician workforce?
Here’s an idea that worked for them, and which you may like to try. Arrange a deal with a popular coffee franchise that has a number of outlets, so that your technicians can easily visit them. You should be able to purchase discounted coffee vouchers in bulk, and distribute them to your staff for occasional use over the course of (say) several weeks or months.
For example, if you had 10 technicians, then purchase vouchers for 100 coffees at a discounted rate of (let’s say) $2.50 a coffee (i.e. $250 all up). Then give each technician 10 coffee vouchers for their personal use, when they like.
Most coffee franchises would be pleased with the upfront bulk sale, not to mention the prospect of sales of additional items when your staff redeem their vouchers.
Most important of all, with a simple gesture like this costing only a modest amount, you display appreciation to your technicians and generate one of the most valuable assets your business can have:
A team of motivated field staff ready to deliver superior service to your customers.
