A recent negative experience with an ISP installer reminded me of the often-overlooked role of employees as brand ambassadors.

Especially in service businesses, employees are not only the company’s “face,” but, to some extent, its “product.” The way employees perform reflects directly on the reputation of the business, for better or worse. This interaction is often far more powerful than any advertising campaign or PR effort.

We often encourage our clients to enlist their employees as brand ambassadors, but in order for this to happen, there must be both management commitment and employee receptivity.

First, management must make a considered effort – not just pay lip service to – sharing the company’s goals, vision and values. They also need to lead by example by not only saying what they will do, but actually doing it.

On the employee side, employees who are treated fairly, rewarded for excellent performance and, just as important, called on inferior performance are much more likely to behave in a way that makes their employers proud – and customers happy.

In the case of my ISP experience, the next time a competitor’s direct mail piece arrives or commercial airs, you can bet I will be paying more attention. I guess that makes the installer a brand detractor, rather than ambassador. And just how many of those can a company afford to have?