When customers like, or better yet love, your business, they are going to give you their patronage and will happily share their glowing recommendations with others.

Business owners who want to create enterprises that will survive challenging times and thrive in the easy times, should consistently endeavor to create raving fans of their customers.

The most effective way to create raving fans of your customers is to first create raving fans of your team members. They are the ones who interface with your patrons and deliver customer service. In many instances, your team members control the quality of the products and services you provide.

If your team members don’t trust, respect, like and appreciate you, your business will suffer due to decreased customer satisfaction.

How do business owners and managers create raving fans of their team members?

People want to be liked and accepted. This is a basic human need. We typically treat the people we like very differently from those we don’t like. When you like someone, you take an interest in them, build a relationship and care about them, and they know it. They also know when you don’t like or care about them.

Your team members are not merely assets, resources or cogs in the wheel of business. They are human beings with lives, challenges, fears, hopes and dreams, just like you. Take the time to get to know your people. Most team members who are treated this way have a real sense of loyalty and commitment to the business and the customers it serves. When people on your team feel cared about, they have the tendency to return the favor to you and your customers.

People want to feel valued and appreciated. Don’t you? Now more than ever, praise your team members for a job well done. They aren’t going to be perfect, but if they give their best in caring for your customers, reward them with some recognition, so they know you value and appreciate them.

There are many ways to show your genuine appreciation of your team members, and knowing what they would value matters. When a member of your team is on time, does consistently high-quality work, improves their skills and abilities and treats your customers with the utmost regard, reward them accordingly. Otherwise, they will work for another business and turn its customers into raving fans.

People want to feel important. They want to know they matter and to contribute something of value to the team. Creating this feeling in your team members is as easy as involving them in the decision-making process. If you are truly running the company and they are working in operations, your team members likely will be aware of things you are not.

Ask for, listen to and really consider their input as you make decisions and implement changes. This does not mean that you will use or take action on every suggestion. But it does mean you think enough of your team members, and ultimately your customers, to get their perspective and implement their great ideas, when and where you can.

Team members who are treated well are typically more engaged, motivated, caring, loyal and willing to go the extra mile for the customer, because the business owner does the same for them. Turnover decreases, efficiency and productivity increases, and sales are captured, not lost in this business model.

It’s important to realize that customer loyalty starts at the top with the business owner. Who you are and how you treat people in the process of doing business will be the ignition point for customer satisfaction, loyalty and business success. As you begin to involve, value, care for, recognize and support your team members to a greater degree, the quality of your business will rise right along with them.

As we face a new year and the unknown that it will bring, I urge you to truly understand and honor the symbiotic relationship between you, your team members and customers. When your team members are your biggest fans, they create raving fans of your customers. Happy customers are repeat customers, they typically spend more of their hard-earned money with you and are a great source of referrals.