Did you know that you have internal customers in addition to external customers? Everyone knows about external customers. They are the people who purchase your product or use your services and people who have a vested interest in your organization. Terms for external customers include buyers, consumers, vendors/suppliers, stakeholders, government and creditors.
Internal customers are the people who consume or experience your internal interactions, processes and relationships. Internal customers are owners, employees and board members.
Given the critical role external customers play in generating revenue, you might assume you should make them your top priority. However, you should service internal customers first. Keep reading to find out the reasons why and get tips on how to service them properly.
- It Empowers Them to Do a Good Job
Employees who are on the receiving end of support and appreciation feel motivation to do their best work for the organization. The sense of gratitude and confidence they feel drives them to serve external customers and do everything in their power to benefit the company overall.
Plus, when you give employees the tools, resources and information they need, you set them up to do a phenomenal job on all their projects and ventures.
- It Increases Employee Retention
Hiring new employees is significantly more expensive than retaining current employees. It is also very time-consuming, demanding time and energy from employees that could be better spent working on profitable initiatives.
Happy employees not only work harder and better, but they also are more inclined to remain with your organization for many years.
- It Improves Cohesiveness and Streamlines Processes
The efficiency at which your employees work greatly impacts the end result. Detours, missteps and disorganization can cause not only time delays, but also costly oversights and poor-quality work.
Employees that receive a road map for processes and projects have the tools they need to deliver high-quality, accurate work that meets company and external customer goals.
Tips for Servicing Internal Customers
Do not try to guess what your employees, owners and board members consider their top priorities. This will only lead to incorrect assumptions and possibly resentment. Instead, hold productive discussions with your internal customers in which they get the chance to tell you exactly what their priorities are. These meetings also give you the chance to come up with effective ways to fulfill their priorities.
In order to carry out their responsibilities, your employees must know exactly what they are. While this may sound obvious, far too many organizations fail to provide a clear outline of responsibilities to each staff member. The fallout of this mistake can range from certain employees getting burnt out because they take on too much work to major projects never reaching completion or experiencing harmful delays.
Much like responsibilities, leadership must make its expectations of your employees crystal clear. Doing so is important for several reasons.
First, unfortunately, some employees will try to get away with doing as little work as possible. These slackers cause project delays and errors, not to mention place pressure on the hardworking employees who jump in to save the day.
Second, you cannot assume that your employees know what they are supposed to do in terms of work. They may not realize they have a certain number of tasks to do, they may be unaware that an assignment is urgent or they may not have been given enough background information to complete a project.
Finally, outlining employee expectations creates a framework to reward them when they meet or surpass expectations. Rewards programs offer companies many benefits.
As you can see, servicing your internal customers first gives employees the motivation to do superb work and take the steps needed to satisfy customers. By servicing your internal customers, you set your organization up for long-term success and profitability.
Would you like to host meetings that truly service your internal employees? Contact us to get more information about how Gavel International can plan meetings and events that deliver first-class customer service.
This article was last updated on November 23, 2022
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