{"id":6888,"date":"2013-09-18T10:04:45","date_gmt":"2013-09-18T14:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/herculiz.com\/dev\/?p=6888"},"modified":"2018-10-18T20:13:52","modified_gmt":"2018-10-18T20:13:52","slug":"how-uniforms-influence-employees-and-their-company-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandtwist.com\/blog\/brand-culture\/how-uniforms-influence-employees-and-their-company-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"How Uniforms Influence Employees and Their Company Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this entry, How Uniforms Influence Employees and Their Company Brand, Jennifer Busch, explains how\u00a0uniforms play an important role in not only influencing customer expectations, but that one important element, often forgotten, is how uniforms heavily influence employees as well. This\u00a0is part of our\u00a0guest blogger series<\/a><\/strong>. You can read more about Jennifer in her bio below.\u00a0If you would like to be a guest blogger for BrandTwist contact Jamie@BrandTwist.com for more information.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

\"2550-010_HospM_001\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

We all know that a company\u2019s uniforms can say a lot about its employees. But how about what employees say about their uniforms?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most companies choose uniforms to reflect their brand\u2014perhaps understated formal suits for a luxury hotel, or casual and colorful outfits for a family-friendly park. Uniforms reveal a tremendous amount about an organization and communicate to customers an image of professionalism and reliability. Though uniforms play an important role in influencing customer expectations, one element often forgotten is how uniforms heavily influence employees as well.<\/p>\n

Research in the hospitality and service industries show that\u00a0employees who enjoy wearing their uniforms had higher self-perceptions of job performance, better attitudes about their work, and higher levels of job satisfaction<\/a><\/strong>. Likewise, employees who disliked their uniforms had lower levels of job satisfaction. Levels of employee satisfaction directly correlate with customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n

So what are the elements that go into creating uniforms that employees will be proud to wear? There are two main considerations, appearance and function.<\/p>\n

Appearance<\/b>. Employees care about how they look. An attractive uniform can greatly enhance self-esteem, which in turn improves attitude. One extremely important detail is the fit. Baggy or tight garments can make employees feel self-conscious and less confident in interacting with customers. Other important details include color, fabric, and style, which should reflect the company brand.<\/p>\n

Function<\/b>. Uniforms should be sturdy enough to handle daily wear and tear. They also should not inhibit job performance\u2014imagine a waiter\u2019s pockets not being able to fit a notepad, or a bellboy\u2019s jacket being so overdesigned with buttons that they pop off every time he is lifting luggage. Impractical uniforms can increase stress and make job performance difficult.<\/p>\n

In short, well-designed uniforms can build employee self-confidence and morale. In particular,\u00a0studies show that employees believe that their credibility increases while wearing a formal style uniform<\/a><\/strong>, making them far more confident and professional while interacting with customers. This translates to better service, and in turn positively affects a company\u2019s long-term profitability. It\u2019s what researchers call the \u201cApple Store Effect<\/a>.<\/strong>\u201d When managers and employees feel connected to the company, they exhibit higher levels of loyalty and commitment to the job, which translates to better customer connections.
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

About guest blogger Jennifer Busch:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jennifer is the fourth generation of the Busch family to run I. Buss & Allan Uniform Company.<\/a> <\/strong>Prior to joining the family business, Jennifer worked in the field of psychological research and also flourished in the creative industries. She now channels her creativity into her work as the owner and lead designer for I. Buss & Allan Uniform. She has designed unique looks for many of New York\u2019s most renowned owners and developers. I.Buss & Allan\u2019s client list includes hotels and clubs, real estate companies, privately owned firms, The NYPD,\u00a0 banks and Business Improvement Districts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this entry, How Uniforms Influence Employees and Their Company Brand, Jennifer Busch, explains how\u00a0uniforms play an important role in not only influencing customer expectations, but that one important element, often forgotten, is how uniforms heavily influence employees as well. This\u00a0is part of our\u00a0guest blogger series. You can read more about Jennifer in her bio […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,22,24,27,32,101,84,253,341],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-brand-culture","category-brand-experience","category-brand-implementation","category-brand-personality","category-business-etiquette","category-customer-relations","category-customer-service","category-guest-bloggers","category-packaging-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t