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By Chris W. Brussalis When we think about
customer service, we most often think of our external customers – those
who seek our products or services. We
are committed to providing these individuals and organizations consistent,
prompt, friendly service. But
do we provide the same quality of service to individuals within our own
organizations? How many times
have we pushed a request from a co-worker to the bottom of the “to-do”
pile? Do all departments in
your organization respond quickly and courteously to each other?
Although we must prioritize our work and leverage limited
resources, each of us could set a personal goal to increase the quality of
service we provide to our “internal customers.” The way we provide
internal customer service has a direct affect on the service our external
customers receive. When
organizations build a culture of service, employees are constantly
practicing, providing, and teaching others about service excellence.
There are many ways to foster this type of culture.
For example, organizations often make service excellence a major
initiative in their strategic plans. They
develop training programs that focus on internal and external service
quality and provide appropriate incentives and rewards to their employees.
In addition, they understand the importance of surveying their
internal and external customers to identify strengths and weaknesses.
This provides organizations with ongoing feedback for continuous
improvement. Each article in this newsletter focuses on different, but interrelated dimensions of customer service. Jaime Bongiorno’s article discusses the importance of exceeding service expectations to build customer relationships. Steve Ezar demonstrates how establishing external service quality standards can improve branding and competitiveness while creating cost savings. Kelly Glass's article explains how internal customer service is an essential employee and retention strategy. As
always, we invite your feedback and suggestions.
Please feel free to contact me at cbrussalis@hillgroupinc.com.
These materials have been prepared for educational and information purposes only. They are not consulting advice or opinions on any specific matters. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a consultant-client relationship between The Hill Group, Inc. and any recipient of this material. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional advice. 
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