13 August 2010
Happy employees equal happy customers at American Express
During a revamp of its customer service department last year, the credit card company found a way of boosting business results which involved listening to their employees.
“They place a lot of emphasis on employee development. If you work hard, you’re recognized. You can participate in programs that will allow you to move up,” says Rajilaxmi Thakur-Shimyou, team leader, executive customer care, when asked why she works at American Express.
In a bid to deliver superior customer service, the credit card, business and travel service organization has increased career development, improved pay and introduced flexible schedules, which in turn has seen service margins boosted by 10 percent, according to Fortune magazine.
Career development, improved pay and flexible schedules has seen service margins boosted by 10 percent.
Putting employees first
Last year, the organization decided to focus on making life better for its 26,000 call-center employees, when it gave its global customer service division a makeover, on the premise that happier employees mean happier customers.
“We’ve learnt the importance of the attitude of the employee,” says Jim Bush, EVP of world service.
Delivering on employee suggestions of what they wanted to see, the organization also switched from a directive to keep calls short and transaction-oriented to engaging customers in longer conversations.
“Great service starts with the people who deliver it,” says CEO Ken Chenault. “We want American Express to be the company people recommend to their friends.
Incentives
Four reasons why employees rate working at American Express:
- On-site healthcare Employees can see a nurse practitioner to get prescriptions, which can be filled on site.
- Customers determine bonuses A unique incentive program tying compensation to customer feedback can result in 25 percent to 30 percent higher pay.
- Travel perks Some locations offer discounts of up to 50 percent on certain fees for trips booked through the company. Other travel perks include fee-free travelers checks and foreign currency exchange.
- Flexible scheduling A new system allows employees to modify their schedule remotely to accommodate a sick child or doctor visit. Incremental hours can be traded with others across the workforce
Have your say
During times of departmental change, how involved were employees' voices in your organization? How are employees incentivized? How are frontline employees motivated to provide good customer service in your organization?
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