It seems that the more often I make a call to a business, go through a drive-through restaurant’s order lane, or have a face-to-face interaction with a businesses representative (sales associate, cashier, the produce gal/guy), the more often I think about what is missing in the area of customer service and satisfaction.  I believe that what’s missing is employee satisfaction! For some of you, the impact employee satisfaction has on your bottom line isn’t a new idea.  For some of you (and you know who you are), it is the caliber of employee pool you have to draw from and that’s just the way it is (“You can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse.”) For me, it is the belief that if the service I receive from an employee is sub-par, management is responsible.

If I call your place of business and the first interaction I have with your business is the person answering the phone who a) sounds like they were interrupted from something much more important or b) sounds as if they were awakened from a long sleep, my impression is set.  If I continue with that person and they a) can’t be bothered listening to what I’m asking or b) don’t have an answer to my question and make no move toward getting an answer to my question I’m going to think of you, the management.

Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively.

Employees need to understand what is expected of them, how management wants those expectations accomplished and in what time frame. Employees want to feel successful at the end of their day.  If employees feel successful and valued (and sometimes just providing the necessary feedback to improve performance can lead to the feeling of value), your customers will be well-treated and made to feel valued, as well.  Things that some managers take for granted–”they ought to know that” or “it’s just common sense”–isn’t always part of an employee’s life experience.

Find out if your employees are happy with their job and their manager (Now, that’s a scary proposition, isn’t it?) and what you, as a manager, can do to make their experience at work better.  Is it more training?  Is it continuous feedback?  Is it an employee gathering that involves a little pizza for some improved performance? Sometimes a little “walk around management” can do wonders.

A paycheck, as you well know, doesn’t guarantee performance.  Outstanding employee performance that stems from outstanding employee satisfaction, however, can guarantee an improved bottom line for you and your company.

JEM Research, Inc. is a Valparaiso-based market research company that provides employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, business-to-business, consumer and advertising survey research services. You can reach JEM Research at 219-476-3143

Porter County residents favor a ban on cell phone use in vehicles, except in emergencies, by almost a 2 to 1 margin, and the older you are the more likely you are to support the ban, a survey showed.

The survey was done June 2 for The Times by JEM Research Inc., of Valparaiso. Of the 1,149 responses from 6,500 calls around the county, almost 65 percent favored the ban, with the lowest percentage being 51 percent among those 35 to 44 years old. The support increased to 62.5 percent in the 45 to 54 age bracket, 78 percent among 55 to 64 year olds and 90.5 percent for those 65 and older.

A survey done by Valparaiso University students for the city earlier this year showed about 67 percent favored the ban.

Read more at NWI Times

I know.  I know.  I’ve taken an advertising catch phrase (It’s 10 o’clock.  Do you know where your children are?) that actually shows my age.

I’m told that while age is a state of mind, experience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in some thing or some event gained through involvement in that thing or event. So says Webster’s. Involved and experienced is not a state of mind.

JEM Research has a management and interviewing staff that, by definition, is involved in every step of the data collection process.  Let me explain.

JEM’s Management Staff is right there in the thick of things.  Our project management team is involved in the project programming of the questionnaire, the project briefing, and project progress.  Our daily status reports to our clients keep them involved, as well.  You can call and speak with any person on the team and ask questions about the successes and the challenges that your project may present.  The team isn’t in an office far from the “action”, on another floor or in another building.  Our team’s offices are just steps away from the telephone room and receiving updates from Project Supervisors and Data Collection interviewers alike.

Our Data Collection Interviewers are thoroughly involved in the interview process, as well.  They aren’t just “readers”.  Interviewers attend a basic interviewing training program over the course of 3 days that puts special emphasis on listening to the respondent. Did the respondent understand the question?  Did the respondent answer the question?  If the answer is no, our interviewers will either re-ask the question emphasizing the words that caused the confusion (usually time periods or personal usage) or re-direct the respondent to use the scale that is provided for their answers. I know it seems like those things should be a given from every data collection provider. I also know that it’s not.

We here at JEM invite you to monitor interviews in progress so that you can feel confident that our interviewers and our management team clearly understand your expectations and intent.  In fact, we encourage you to monitor the interviews in progress.  We like the opportunity to show off a little.

JEM Data Collection Interviewers and Management Team members are well-trained, experienced and knowledgeable about the data collection process. Involved and experienced in the industry for over 25 years!

Updated weekly, this is the first edition of the Market JEMs comic strip.