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This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Alison Brattle writes about how important internal customer service is to the culture of an organization. I have always believed that what’s happening on the inside of a company is felt on the outside by customers.  Shep Hyken Companies looking at increasing revenue will usually seek to differentiate themselves from competitors by offering top quality service to external customers. However, companies should be equally aware of the need to provide the same high standard of service to employees (or ‘internal customers’). When staff members feel valued, listened to and respected, their sense of satisfaction has a direct effect on the service they provide. Moreover, internal customer service needs to be provided to all employees, not just those who usually deal directly with the public. This is because there are many cases in which a customer may have to deal with someone from support (e.g., to ask about the state of a payment). When these employees are displeased with the treatment they are receiving, it can be very difficult to provide clients with the service they deserve. Research indicates that customers are increasingly less patient about receiving poor service. Companies need to realize that just one bad phone call or one unsatisfactory piece of information can result in a lost client. As McDermott and Emerson note, “Consumers are becoming much less tolerant of poor quality and service. They are likely to ignore brand or company loyalty and switch their purchasing power to companies and products that provide hassle-free, above-average value and service.”

Understanding the Value of Internal Customer Service

Even though companies are consistently providing more training for their employees, polls indicate the level of service’s declining. Unless companies strive to create a culture that values delivering the very best service, the result will be a significant drop in revenue.

Creating an Internal Customer Service Culture

Creating a quality internal customer service culture is a complex task that will not happen overnight. Companies should take the following steps for a smooth transition: Alison Brattle is a Marketing Manager at AchieveGlobal, a global customer service and sales training firm based in the UK. It specializes in providing exceptional customer service courses and helps organizations develop business strategies to achieve sales success. Alison enjoys sharing her insight and thoughts to provide better sales and leadership training. You can follow Alison on Linkedin. For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors, go to customerserviceblog.com

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