Customer satisfaction is a leading indicator of a company's financial performance. And quality customer service plays a large role in determining customer satisfaction.

If you're a retailer with staff, you rely on your employees to deliver quality customer service. How can you make sure they live up to your standards?

Here are a few ideas:

Set Standards Together

Start by sharing your customer service goals with your staff. Then ask your staff to suggest specific ideas on how they can add value to the customer experience.

Your staff will be far more likely to cultivate and maintain customer service standards they have participated in creating.

Coach for Success

If an employee isn't meeting your standards, discuss the issue in private.

Cite specific examples and clarify your expectations. Then work together to set out goals for improvement. Provide multiple paths to success and let them choose which path(s) to pursue.

Check-in frequently with your employee and give them encouragement and recognition when you see them taking steps to meet their goals.

Recognize and Reward

Help keep your staff on track using rewards and recognition. Recognition is a powerful motivator and the best part, it's free!

The luxury hotel chain, Ritz-Carlton, takes full advantage of recognition as motivation every day. The chain holds 15-minute meetings once a day where staff members gather and share their "wow" stories of employees providing exceptional customers service.

Employees gain fame among their peers, and the stories reinforce the values Ritz-Carlton wishes to propagate.

People tend to do what they see others getting rewarded for doing, and it shows what actions you value.

Do you have a great tip for keeping employees on track? Tell us about it and your store could be featured in an upcoming article.