Uniforms have a longstanding tradition. They’ve been used with great success in everything from businesses to volunteer programs. There’s a central power to feeling like part of a group, and a single uniform is one of the easiest ways to kickstart that sense of community amongst your staff. As an added bonus, having a clearly defined uniform is also a great way to boost the customer experience.
Many customers need to clearly know who works there and who doesn’t when they’re asking for help. Sure, there are many instances where customers demand help from whomever they think is an employee, but most customers will simply walk out the door if they don’t know who to ask or can’t find anyone to ask.
This is why uniforms are so important for both employees and customers. To help maximize the benefits of a uniform across the board, however, you’re going to want to use this guide.
1. First, Understand Where a Uniform is Appropriate
Uniforms help people feel like part of a group. If there’s no “them” in this scenario (meaning your customers), then there isn’t a need for a uniform unless it’s for safety reasons. What this means is simple: uniforms in offices shouldn’t look like uniforms in customer-facing roles. Your office employees can be asked to dress to a certain standard (like business casual), but you can’t really ask for more than that. The benefits just won’t exist.
In general, uniforms are best when your employees are surrounded by customers or out in public. This is how they can feel connected visually, and also treated like as part of a team by your customer base.
2. What Elements Work with Your Uniform
The next part is to decide what pieces you want to be included in your uniform. While there should be at least one essential (like a T-shirt), giving employees options to customize their look is a great way to boost morale without quashing individuality. For example, you can have a range of additional uniform pieces as optional wear, like hats. Have both trucker hats and beanies as options so employees can protect themselves from the elements outside and also represent your business with pride. From there, consider the base colors. Bright colors catch the attention of customers and can actually encourage customers to engage with your staff more readily.
3. Designing the Ultimate Uniform
Slapping your logo on the uniform is level one. If you really want to help employees feel great, you need to create a great-looking uniform. It should be fun, it should be eye-catching, and it should be easy to read. Once you have the branding elements, you can then work with a supplier like anthembranding.com to bring your designs to life. This can be on beanie hats, trucker hats, and shirts. In fact, working with a single supplier for all your uniform needs is highly recommended. The overall design and quality will remain uniform throughout your order, which gives a polished and professional look to the uniform as a whol
4. Always Have Spares
Even if you require your employees to buy their own uniforms from you, always remember to have spares. This way, if someone walks in with a stain on their shirt after spilling their coffee on their way to work, you have a backup. It’s a simple, effective system that will keep your employees looking sharp no matter what.
Photo by Gary Barnes
