I love the lazy river that the just built at their Bonita Springs property. For a different reason, so does at least one of their employees.

This gorgeous and relaxing new attraction had a soft opening on Monday, our last day in Florida. The sun was shining as I practically skipped down the sidewalk to take another ride. I couldn’t help but share my delight with a man working on finishing touches at the property.

To my surprise, he exclaimed, “I love it, too! It’s so easy for us to work on this!” He smiled broadly and continued his task.

This short encounter impressed me. I literally thought, “Great – everybody’s happy. Not just us guests, but also the people building this attraction. Good on Hyatt.”

It reminded me of comments I’ve received from print customers when asked what qualities they look for in printers. Many cite the well being of a printer’s employees.

You see, print buyers pay attention to this. Sales and service reps are pretty quick to share their sentiments with some customers. Even if they don’t come out and say whether or not they’re happily employed, customers pick up on what’s what.

A while back I interviewed some experienced and pretty powerful print customers about plant tours and prequalifying potential printers. What do they look for? One thing they notice is the demeanor of people working in the plant. Do people seem happy or sullen? Do salespeople treat pressmen and –women with respect and civility, or are they rude and dismissive?

Bottom line? Your customers pick up on how you treat your employees. If customers spend time at your facility or interact regularly with staff members, they’ll get a sense of how people are treated. They’ll recognize misery if it exists. And it will reflect poorly on you.