Internal Customer Service - Literature review Example

Internal Service Affiliation Introduction Development Service Excellence is aimed at offering services, practical tools or driving changes that are focused on customers within an organization. They help make customer services equitable, excellent, effective and efficient. The Customer Service Excellence standard carry out intensive tests in sections that research shows are important for customers, particularly focusing on staff attitude, timeliness, information, delivery and professionalism (Bruhn 2003, p.1187). Robust measurement of service satisfaction, understanding the experience of the user and developing customer insight are other factors that are highly emphasized. This paper aims to focus on the role of internal customer service in the external customer service excellence. Customer Service Excellence operates on three different levels. The first is as a driver of continuous improvement by enabling business operators do self-assessment of their capabilities in relation to service deliveries that are customer-oriented and identification of areas of improvement. Robust measurement of service satisfaction, understanding the experience of the user and developing customer insight are other factors that are highly emphasized. Secondly, they act as tools for skill development by enabling teams and individuals in an organization to acquire and explore new skills in customer engagement and customer focus areas, thereby building their capability for provision of improved services (Bruhn 2003, p.1195). Lastly, the Customer Service Excellence acts as an independent validation of achievement by enabling business operators demonstrate their competence, detect important areas that require improvement and enjoy their accomplishment. Employee engagement activity is an important tool that more than 90 percent of organizations are using to improve the performance of employees in their day-to-day tasks (Gilbert 2000, p.178). They act as tools for skills development by enabling teams and individuals in an organization to acquire and explore new skills in customer engagement and customer focus areas, thereby building their capability for provision of improved services. Adding to that, it ensures that employees exert discretionary efforts thus the possibilities of them leaving are minimal (Gilbert 2000, p. 178). For organizations to enhance their operations, they must engage their staff in providing improved business performance. A successful business operation does not only rely on employee’s knowledge, but also on their behavior, and hence requires a lot of activity and commitment. To create a connection between the business, employees and customers, it is important to include brand in the equation. There are numerous successful organizations that include brand in their efforts of employee engagements (Auty & Long 1999, p. 7). Organizations that train their staff in the brand have performed well in evolving employee engagement in comparison to organizations that do not carry out brand training. Among the companies that make use of the employee brand management, 40 percent view their effort as connection between employees and performance of their business (Bruhn 2003, p. 1195). Such companies have a high tendency of using the social media to measure the effectiveness of employee engagement. This helps in achievement of the set out goals and objectives for the company both in the short and long-term periods. What is Internal Customer Service? The most commonly referred to phrase is Internal Customer Service, although not many are privy to what it actually means. It is said that any successful external customer service is dependent on the efficiency of the internal customer service. However, the important question is what is external customer service and how does this differ from the internal customer service, but most importantly how do they relate to each other? (Lings 2000, p. 23). An external customer is considered as a person who facilitates the paycheck. That is, somebody responsible for signing checks or making payments to the employer (Bruhn 2003, p. 1200). This means that the external customer has the power of choice to decide whether your product or service is good enough, and hence subsequently decides whether to acquire it or not. It is only after undertaking this decision that any business transaction may follow. On the other hand, the internal customer, or rather the internal service provider, is one within an organization ranging from any department such as a worker or distributor who depends on the company to provide products and services, which they then use to develop deliverable products that are then transferred to the external customer (Auty & Long 1999, p. 15). Unlike external customers, the internal customers do not enjoy the priviledge of choice. For instance, if a department like sales does not appreciate the policies put in place by the accounting department, they cannot refuse to liaise with them due to this because they do not have the priviledge to make such a call (Lings 2000, p. 27). Alternatively, when product and service delivery is delayed, as a result of the poor entry errors, the effect is the service representatives always trying to appease customers, which is an expensive option for the company, since this means extra expenses in terms of and time and reconciliation. Any customer service initiative is done with an aim of offering customer satisfaction, with a long-term goal of achieving customer satisfaction and subsequently retention. This may perhaps trigger the question on why emphasis should be made on internal customer service when this has no direct impact on the customer loyalty (Gilbert 2000, p. 180). Exemplary internal customer service is good for business, since it is a recipe for what is perceived as good business. The internal customer service emphasizes on employee engagement activity, which is an important tool that most organizations use to improve the performance of employees in their company tasks. This is because, the employee engagement is an avenue through which they are able to interact, exchange and contribute towards the development of internal customer service, and subsequently improve production. To create a connection between the business, employees and customers, it is important to include brand in the equation. All these efforts are very important to the development of an excellent internal customer service for the company. Role of Internal Customer Service in Delivery of External Customer Service The internal system has no direct impact on the customer elements such as the attraction and retention, although it contributes significantly to this. When considered from a different angle, the success of internal customer service is very much reliant on effective communication. This means that an effective communication channel is dependent on the functionality and coordination of the entire internal system, hence all the departments are meant to be working in unison with processes acceptable to all (Gilbert 2000, p. 183). As such, all the expectations, agreements, processes, decisions and even procedures are supposed to be acceptable to all or, in other terms, workable by all the members of the system. The functionality of the internal system should be in sync, like the working of gears with each and every member of the system appreciates the sensitivity of the interdependence of the different departments in fostering the general work productivity and output. This is the best way to ensure that the goals that have been set out are met, and that the quality of the services and products offered by the company is high and acceptable by the external customer. For organizations that appreciate the need of having their staff undergo training in their brand, they are likely to employ customer satisfaction as a metric of staff engagement. In most instances, such initiatives are usually event driven or short-lived. Sustained efforts are required for sustainable results (Stanley & Wisner 2001, 287). A good staff brand engagement- internal brand engagement practice entails alignment of all business aspects as well as its people for possible provision of promised customer experience. Good internal brand management not only depends on communication, but also on identification and behavior instilling with a purpose. All this is coordinated in a way that the company is able to achieve the production targets that have been set (Nolan 1999, p. 46). One of the advantages of having a well-oiled internal customer service is that this helps greatly to cut down on the production costs by improving productivity of the entire production unit (Herington et. al 2006, p. 364). Every employee wishes to have the best working environment to give their best and this is what is offered by a functioning and efficient internal customer service. Production is expensive when the different departments are working independently hence bent on outdoing each other in terms of their potential. In such a system, the end result is a very expensive production process with expenses accrued per department skyrocketing to levels that could otherwise be reversed if the production process was coordinated. Most of the coordination breakdown starts when the differences in ideas and policies are unable to be harmonized and revised so as to align towards goal of the company. According to O’Riordan & Humphreys (2003), a good internal customer service helps boost employee morale because of the creation of a good working environment that allows the employees give their best. Employees in a company where the internal production system is efficient and effective feel like being a part of the team with the same goals, hence they channel their efforts towards achievement of the goal that has been set out (Paraskevas 2001, p. 251). Internal customer service eliminates the room for internal errors thereby perfecting the production system and hence company is able to meet the needs of the external customers. A functional internal customer system allows accelerated production because it enhances cooperation between the different departments as it improves the communication between the different departments and employees of the company (Stanley & Wisner 2001, 307). This is because, it harmonizes the procedures and production processes of different departments, thereby aligning the entire company, employees and systems towards the achievement of the set goal by the company, and the management system that has been put in place. This means that when there is a break in the functioning of the internal customer service system, the external service system feels the negative impact through the quality of the service or products delivered. This helps to eliminate the elements of competition between the different departments and encourages the entire company and department to work towards in unison towards betterment of the services delivered for the external customers. At the end of the day the emphasis on perfection of the internal customer services is down to the fact that this is a guarantee for good external customer services. On the other hand, the internal service provider is one within an organization ranging from employees to a distributor who depends on the company to provide products and services, which they then use to develop deliverable products then transferred to the external customer (Paraskevas 2001, p. 255). There is no avenue for taking of choices for the external customers the internal customers. For instance, when the person in charge of the payroll makes a mistake on an individual’s check, this individual become very angry and frustrated which subsequently is manifested in the negative attitude of the employee. (Nagel & Cilliers 1990, p. 23). The internal customer service is basically an interaction of the employees who are part of the company and the staff who serve at the front office having a direct interaction with the customer. This means that all the departments from human resources, legal, sales, operations, marketing and IT are meant to function in a manner that they are able to work out solutions from the internal system, which will work to the benefit of the customer (Brooks et. al 1999, p. 49). The functioning of the internal system is in such a way that the positioning of the internal customer service is directly or indirectly felt by the external customer service (Palmatier et. al 2006, p. 136). In the long run, the company will not be able to attract new customers, while at the same time they will also be having trouble retaining the customers they already had in their fold. It is also worth noting that the internal customer service that is not properly coordinated and functioning becomes expensive, hence financial demanding. According to Hammond (2004), the relationship that exists between the employees and the different departments of the company is very essential for the development of an image of the company. Apart from the image, other elements at stake are the production and functioning of the company as these have a direct impact on the performance of the company. All these issues are related to the internal customer service which emphasizes on a well functioning internal system for the excellence of the external customer service (Paraskevas 2001, p. 258). Most of the relationships forged through the internal customer service often impact positively on the entire image and performance of the company, since they form a good background upon which the company image and performance is always developed. Conclusion Organizations that understand that their staff should undergo training in their brand are likely to employ customer satisfaction as a metric of staff engagement. In most instances, such initiatives are usually event driven or short-lived. Sustained efforts are required for sustainable results. Any true staff brand engagement entails engaging the internal brand practice of all business aspects as well as its employees for possible provision of promised customer experience. All this is coordinated in a way that the company is able to achieve the production targets that have been set. The purpose is the provision of the customer satisfaction. All successful organizations know that business results depend on satisfaction of customers and brand is an important link between customers and the organization (Gilbert 2000, p. 186). Expansion of the power of IBE and connecting it to customer experience, brand catalyzes engagement of staff. More people should be brought to the table, and to realize this, brand architects (marketing, brand, HR and internal communication) and traditional owners of IBE must work together with business architects (R&D, IT, sales, customer service, operations etc.) to inspire the much needed transformation. The next step is to define the staff’s role in delivery of business goals. An internal customer system that is functionally allows high levels of production because it allows for flourishing of cooperation between the different departments something that ensures improved and sustained communication between the different employees, staff and departments of the company. All these ensure that there is harmony in the procedures and production processes of the different departments thereby aligning the entire company, employees and systems towards the achievement of the set goal by the company and the management system that has been put in place. This helps eliminate elements of competition between the different departments, and encourages the entire company and department to work towards in unison towards betterment of the services delivered for the external customers. The perfection of the internal customer services is down to the fact that this is the guarantee success of the external customer services. This highlights how much the emphasis on internal customer service is necessary and why the focus should be on bettering this rather than focus on external customer services. References Auty, S., and Long, G., 1999. “Tribal warefare” and gaps affecting internal service quality. 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