24 | The Lion King
Customer Service
6 ways to improve
internal customer service
By Emem Nkamare
If you are not
serving the
customer, your
job is to be
serving someone
who is.”
M
ost people think customer
service is applicable only to
those buying their products or
services. But these are the ‘external
customers’.
Most staff will not identify their own
colleagues and co-workers as ‘custom-
ers’. However, many people who
work for mid-sized or large companies
do not actually deal with the external
customers or clients. Most of the staff
of any company are actually ‘behind-
the-scenes’, allowing companies to
function, such as accounting, market-
ing, communications, HR, IT, production
and operations. These people seldom,
if ever, speak to or meet an external
client or customer.
Instead, they provide services that
make it possible for others in the
company to meet the needs of the
external customer. They service the
‘internal customer.’ Unfortunately, in
many organizations, internal customer
service is even more replete with bad
service, though the internal customer is
as important as the external customer.
Here are six ways internal customer
service can be improved on:
1. Increase Communication
Internal customer service can flourish
only in high communication environ-
ment. To create positive internal
customer service, all departments
should agree on processes and proce-
dures, and negotiate expectations.
Make the internal customer feel heard.
Listen. Pay attention. Make the internal
customer feel understood. Repeat criti-
cal information, if necessary.
2. Increase Cooperation
To create positive internal customer
service, all departments should strive
to work together. Like gears meshing
in sync, interdependent business units
should do the utmost to meet each
other’s needs. Departments should work
productively together to meet common
goals and deliver high quality products
and services to the external customer.
The internal customer should be made
to feel appreciated and respected.
Promises made should be kept. And
what was promised should be handled
dependably, accurately and within
time.
3. Provide Assurances
The knowledge and courtesy shown
to external customers (even if some of
them are rude) should also be given to
internal ones (even if some of them are
also rude). Both internal and external
customers need to trust, perceive
competence and patience, and walk
away with confidence that the job is
being done by someone with product
knowledge, organizational knowledge,
listening skills and problem-solving skills.
4. Demonstrate Professionalism
The physical facilities, products, equip-
ment, and appearance that are
demonstrated to the internal customer
should be just as good as that shown to
external customers. Personal grudges
or reservations should be kept outside
the office doors as mature minds should
talk it through and move on; but if you
cannot let it go, it should not affect the
goal of the organisation when at work.
5. Get to know your teammates
Take a break with co-workers from
another part of your organization. Talk
to them during lunch about what is
happening in their department. We all
work so hard we can become myopic,
lack perspective and be ignorant
about how other functions operate. In
a large organisation it might take a little
more effort to get to know everyone,
but it is usually worth it.
6. Always Close The Loop
When you receive an email or call that
requires additional work or research,
let the person know that you received
it and you will work on it. Do not let it sit
in your inbox for days until you are sent
several reminders or until it has been
escalated to a higher authority.
Customer Service Officers are there to
interface with external customers, but
without adequate support from the
other ‘engines’ in the bank machinery,
they could be left helpless. While the
external customer is our motivation
to work, all back-end staff need to
understand that responding to requests
from customer service representatives is
a priority and is good for the business.
- Jan Carlzon
