Richard Branson, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Virgin Airways and four hundred other companies, doesn’t think that success in business means putting customers first.

“Clients do not come first,” he says. “Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

So how do we create a happy, satisfied crew? There are as many ways as there are businesses, but keeping your people happy comes down to a handful of things. 

Five Ways To Keep a Satisfied Crew

1. Solid Communication 

The moving business is always, well, moving! So there need to be constant and clear conversations about what’s going on, from the office all the way to the job site. Be straightforward about what you expect from your team (like cleaning out the trucks at the end of the day), and what they can expect from you (like keeping the trucks in good working shape with regular repairs and maintenance forms). 

“Moving is a physically demanding job that requires constant teamwork. Lead by example to foster a culture where everyone is willing to step up and help out their fellow crew at every turn.”

As a business owner running operations, it’s critical that your crew understands that they can come to you with questions, concerns, and complaints. So regularly ask them how things are going and if there’s anything they need — while keeping them informed of issues they need to watch for and handle, on each and every job.

Pro Tip: Be consistent with contact, no matter what else is happening. Early on in my operations manager days, when the crush of the summer was on us, I got into the bad habit of only calling my crews when there was a problem. They learned pretty quickly to avoid answering their phones!

2. Safe Working Conditions

It’s imperative to protect your number one asset: your crew. Provide them with the equipment they need to do their job safely — hand trucks, straps, ramps, dollies, piano boards — and make sure it’s all in good working order. Also, give them all the training they need to carry out their strenuous work without damaging anything or hurting themselves. 

Maintaining safe working conditions extends to your crew members’ personal well-being too. They may seem superhuman to your customers, but your crew needs to take periodic breaks, keep themselves hydrated (especially in the heat of the summer rush!), and get adequate rest between jobs. Communicate with them to make sure they are taking care of themselves, and outline clearly how often they should be resting. 

It creates mutual trust when your crew knows you care about their well-being. For example, years ago I had my four strongest movers working on moving someone out of their home. The customer insisted that two men had originally hauled a piano down several flights of stairs, so four should be able to coax it back up. I decided on the spot that we would have to find another solution; I wasn’t going to risk my workers getting injured. The customer wasn’t happy, but my crew saw that they mattered — to the company and to me.

3. Competitive Compensation

This shows you value your crew and their hard work, and encourages retention. Compensation can include overtime pay, performance bonuses, appropriate raises and promotions, and paid training. Paid sick leave, properly administered, shows your crew that you care about both their well-being and their financial situation. Having your workers come in when they aren’t well because they need the cash from the job will not only put them out of action longer, but can also put them in harm’s way if they’re nauseous, dizzy, or exhausted. Not to mention, spreading illness can and will affect everyone — including customers!

“They may seem superhuman to your customers, but your crew needs to take periodic breaks, keep themselves hydrated (especially in the heat of the summer rush!), and get adequate rest between jobs.”

If circumstances allow, consider offering your crew assistance with managing their finances with an eye on the future. 401(k) and IRA accounts are two ways to save a percentage of one’s paycheck that can be relatively easily implemented. Thinking long-term isn’t just a matter of money; the effort can have a tremendous positive impact, even on the crew members who aren’t participating. Just knowing you are interested in their future creates a lasting sense of loyalty.

4. Positive Company Culture

This might seem like a complex, vague problem to tackle — what counts as “company culture”, anyway? — but it’s manageable. Depending on what your crew responds to best, you can pick and choose which (or all) of these points to focus on: 

• Share your company vision: Verbalize what you want to do and accomplish. Write it in big bold letters and put it where everyone can see it. Put it into action with every decision you make and every action you take, and encourage your crew, by word and by deed, to do the same.
• Exercise and promote collaboration: Moving is a physically demanding job that requires constant teamwork. Lead by example to foster a culture where everyone is willing to step up and help out their fellow teammate at every turn.
• Instill respect: Your crew should show kindness and regard for both customers and each other. Until they say otherwise, addressing all customers as Mr. and Mrs./Ms./Miss is a surprisingly effective first practice. And so is instructing your crew that they should treat each other with the utmost professionalism even in high-stakes and stressful environments. 
• Consider your crew members’ personal needs: Just like you, they have life circumstances and family responsibilities outside of work. Issues that, if properly addressed, can make a difference not only on the job but in the life of someone who shows up for you every day. Understanding and being flexible about your individual crew members’ well-being outside of work can be as powerful as anything you do for them on the job.
• Show your appreciation: Recognize honest effort and good performance, both in front of the group and one-on-one. Being recognized for one’s efforts makes a person feel appreciated. And feeling appreciated, more than anything else, is what drives performance and creates satisfaction.

5. Connection

One of those things that you can’t see but is still very real. This is the sense of belonging your workers feel when they’re satisfied and attached to their job. 

This is not something you can directly foster, but you can create it, by putting into action those other ideas up there. In other words, when it appears, you can take it as a sign you’re doing something right. Connection is also a good thing to ask your crew about in order to gauge their feelings about the job. Do they feel like they’re an important part of the company whole, or an important part of their team?

Use their answers — or how their answers change — to gauge how well you’re implementing any of the other tips and concepts to help improve your business. And when you finally get that sense of connection, you’ll know you’re well on your way to having a happy and fulfilled crew.

As Richard Branson would say, “If your employees are happy and enjoy what they do, they will be productive. Consequently, the customers will enjoy their experience with your company and keep coming back for more.”

Or at least write you a positive review!