The Importance of Internal Customer Service

1. The Importance of Internal Customer Service Having satisfied customers leads to increased revenue and increased brand awareness. Having satisfied employees is the key contributor to a company’s success — especially in tough economic times. Sound difficult? Providing great internal customer service may be easier than you think. What is Internal Customer Service? Internal customer service is the service provided to colleagues and other departments within an organi- zation, as well as vendors and anyone else an employee interacts with to get their job done. When a col- league asks you for information regarding a project or when an employee calls Human Resources for information regarding their vacation time — that is internal customer service. How you or any other member of the company responds to such requests is reflective of how your customer's issues are han- dled. If you want to provide world class customer service in your call center, you will need to start with providing great internal customer service to your employees. Why Provide Great Internal Customer Service?  Increased employee satisfaction  Lowered employeeacquisition costs  Increased employee productivity and performance Satisfied Employees Save You Money Customers are satisfied when their expectations — not yours — are met or exceeded. This rule applies to both external and internal customers. Providing great external customer service is an enjoyable and fulfilling job. Providing great internal customer service can be just as, or even more satisfying. Satisfied employees are excited to come to work, are more willing to go the extra mile to please customers and are great brand advocates. Benefits of Satisfied Employees  Increased employee retention  Streamlined processes and increased company cohesiveness  Increased customer satisfaction How to Provide Great Internal Customer Service 1.Set clear expectations. To provide great internal customer service, all parties must be on the same page. Have internal customer service providers set clear and reasonable guidelines so

2. internal customers know what to expect. Internal customers must also set expectations and communicate any urgent or high priority requests. 2.Clarify internal customer responsibilities. To meet and exceed customer expectations, internal customer service providers must clarify what is needed from the customer to fulfill the request. The provider must inform the customer of all processes, lead time and necessary materials required. Providers who are always processing customer emergencies have a decreased ability to provide great service to all internal customers. It is the providers’ responsibility to set the bar and make sure customers are realistic about requested time frames and quality expectations. 3.Define internal customer service responsibilities. Many internal customer service issues arise when departments and employees are segregated — considering only their own priorities and thinking that they are the only ones working hard. This mentality will set all processes up for fail- ure and create an environment of distrust and resentment. Customers must take responsibility for understanding how requests are handled, and providers must be responsible for explaining the department work flow and how it fits into overall company procedures. 4.Discuss Priorities. All customers view his or her problems as emergencies but this mentality is damaging to company processes. There must be clear communication between customer and provider to negotiate and understand priorities. Internal customer service providers cannot be expected to intuitively understand a customer's priorities. Having a discussion to set requested parameters is essential. Providing great internal customer service is imperative to your company's success. All employees can benefit from customer service skills training. Training will open the lines of communication between departments, encourage interaction and reinforce company processes. Your employees are your biggest and best resource. Investing in them will increase their job satisfaction which directly impacts customer satisfaction. Remember, satisfied employees create satisfied customers. Visit https://www.skilldom.co/ for eLearning Library, Digital library professional skills, Skill development companies, eLearning providers, eLearning companies India, LMS, Learning Management System, Learning Experience Platform, AI based learning platform, VR based learning platform, Customized Learning Solutions, Content Developers, Digital Content Partners, Blended Learning companies, Bite Sized Learning.