In the age of social media, the customer has become close to being all-powerful. And companies are willing to do almost anything to maintain that relationship. Businesses have invested a great deal of time, effort and money into getting to know their customers as well as possible so they can best serve their needs.

However, their investments have come at the expense of their employees. Employees feel as though they aren’t valued. In a survey carried out by the global consulting firm Towers Watson, 70% of respondents said that their organizations should try to gain as much insight into their employees as they do into their customers.

You might believe that your connection to your customers comes before anything else. While your relationship with your client base is certainly incredibly important, don’t neglect the bond between you and your employees.

Why does it matter? They are the face of your company. And if they don’t represent you properly, they can alienate the customers you’ve worked so hard to win.

Joe Folkman, president of the leadership development consulting firm Zenger Folkman, writes that disgruntled employees can wreak havoc. They can make the experience so awful for your customers, they don’t come back. In addition, these employees can badmouth your firm on the Internet. And if they’re really unhappy, they can steal and leak proprietary information.

There are a few ways in which you can solve the problem of unhappy workers. The fastest solution is to fire those people. It might not be the best answer, though.

Getting rid of employees costs firms. The cost isn’t just financial – You spend time and effort in hiring replacements and training them. Also, the person or people who left had knowledge that the new hires might take months to gain (if they ever do).

Instead of firing your employees, take the time to find out why they’re unhappy and what you can do to change the situation. Employee evaluations are actually a great time to do this. Identifying and engaging disgruntled employees now can make a positive difference for your business in the future.

Do you want to know how your employees really feel? Contact Grapevine Evaluations today. Grapevine Evaluations are trusted by such companies as Pandora, Macy’s, and Thomson Reuters.

Find out more about the 360 degree feedback options that Grapevine Evaluations has to offer.