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If you think you are always respectful, keep in mind that what really matters is whether or not your employees perceive you as respectful, and what they perceive as your motive for being respectful. 

In a study reported in the Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, Daniel J. Koys notes that an employee's commitment to the organization is positively related to the perception that Human Resources Management is motivated by "a) management's desire to show respect for the individual and (b) management's desire to attract / retain employees."  Conversely, when employee perception is that an employer is treating them with respect only as a means to improve performance or to comply with employment law, "there is no significant relationship with organizational commitment."[i]

So, by now you should be convinced that employees like for you to respect them, but what's in it for you and your company?  Plenty, as it turns out.  According to Barlow and Moller, "Customer satisfaction is closely tied to employee satisfaction. Customers get their needs met through product and service quality; employees get their needs met through rewards and recognition, career development, and job excitement."[ii]  If you respect your employees, you will have a positive effect on customer satisfaction.  How could that be a bad thing?

The positive effect of respect on employee satisfaction is echoed by Geri Stengel, writing for the vblog Ventureneer, the upsides of providing respect to your employee are:

• Less turnover, which translates into lower training costs;
• A much larger pool of ideas from which new products/services can be developed or problems solved, leading to more profit in the long run.
• Employees whose investment in the success of the company translates into better customer service, which means better and longer-lasting relationships with clients.
• A flexible, trained staff that can respond to crises efficiently.[iii]
  

She concludes with the following:

Small businesses with good employment policies reap the benefits of loyalty, dedication, and creativity from their staffs and, besides, it's a no-brainer that people work better when they are well-rested; not stressed about medical bills or child-care; and not resentful that their work is unappreciated and under-rewarded.[iv]

Putting it more concisely, a Spanish Study of savings banks found that "those savings banks that have institutionalized high-commitment practices toward employees have greater profitability."[v]

Still not convinced?  No less an authority than Dr. Stephen Covey states that respect for people is "of profound importance because it means you are caring and you trust them to do the right thing."[vi]