How Important is Internal Customer Service.?

While companies focus thousands of dollars on external customer service in hopes of wooing and retaining customers, little attention is being paid to the effect poor internal customer service has on customer satisfaction. It all starts within your organization! Sooner or later the ripple effect reaches your customers. To really walk your service talk, make sure your commitment to internal customer service matches your company's external focus on customer care.

When we think of customer service we think of colleagues serving customers over the counter or over the phone. But customer service occurs within your organization as well. How well are your employees serving its internal customers: other departments, its management, vendors, and consultants? Believe it or not, it all counts. Internal customer service refers to service directed to others within your organization.

If you define Internal Customer Service as effectively serving other departments within your organization. How well are you providing other departments with services, products, or information to help them do their jobs? How well are you listening to and understanding their concerns? How well are you solving problems for each other to help your organization succeed? Ultimately internal customer service refers to your level of responsiveness, quality, communication, teamwork, and morale.