Great Service is an Internal Issue

I was analyzing the calls of a Inside Sales Representative (ISR) for one of my clients today. The ISR took a call from a fellow associate from whom they needed information in order to answer the customer's question. The conversation contained a profanity laced tirade and the ISR's associate was not helpful in providing the needed information.

We all know that Customer Service is critical to Customer Satisfaction. To that end, most companies train employees on customer service skills, monitor calls with customers, and coach Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) on what to say to customers as well as how to say it.

Unfortunately, the training, monitoring and coaching usually ends with front-line representatives and their conversations with the customer. Resolving the customer's issue, however, may require the assistance of internal associates. The customer may be getting the brunt of internal conflicts between individuals and departments. Instead of working together and treating each other as internal customers, there are internal conflicts and turf wars which only hurt the customer and the company.

Three suggestions for improving your service to internal customers:

1. Begin at the top. Managers should lead by example and treat their associates the way they expect their team members to treat customers. Be courteous. Use your employees names. Offer to help with other questions or needs. Apologize when you can't meet your associate's expectations. Walk the talk. Treat your employees the way you want your customers to be treated.
2. Define "customer". The customer of many employees may be internal, but they don't recognize their fellow associates as a customer. Use team meetings, team mission statements and performance management initiatives to communicate this fact. Changing perceptions requires an extended time of consistently reinforced messages.
3. Wear each other's shoes. Internal division is often reinforced by ignorance and misconceptions. If a front-line CSR is dependant on systems that aren't working, have members of the IT team spend a half-day sitting with CSRs and seeing how system issues effect the customer experience. If poorly documented orders create nightmares for the shipping department, have the inbound sales representative spend a day in the shipping department.

Exceptional Customer Service starts internally.