How to think about Internal Customers

One simple message in this blog.  If you want your business to deliver a great customer experience then don't talk about internal customers!  It's the wrong thing to do. 

Why?
Because internal customers don't exist.  They are actually colleagues.  Colleagues who need to have an effective and efficient relationship together so that they can deliver a positive experience to real customers, the people who ultimately buy the product or service.  Ultimately isn't the sole purpose of the internal relationships to enable the customer experience?

I understand that companies use the term to illustrate the importance of the internal supply chain but in my view it's counter-productive.  It risks leading non-customer facing people to think that their role doesn't impact the customer, when it's vital they think exactly the opposite.  They must feel that everything they do has an important impact.

Extending this point if every employee can't articulate how what they do, directly or indirectly, impacts customers I'd question why their job exists.  As the story of the NASA cleaner illustrates, employees need to align with the strategy, which for any customer focused organisation will have customers at its core.  I'm sure most people will have heard the story of how President John Kennedy once visited NASA.  He came across a cleaner and asked him what his job was.  The cleaner replied: "My job is to help to put a man on the moon."  There is some doubt about whether the story is true but whether it is or not, it's an illustration of the sort of clarity that we should all aim to achieve for our employees.

There will be people who think that such a change is unnecessary.  After all it's only a phrase isn't it? 

But the question is what does the phrase signify and communicate?  If the language we use illustrates the thoughts we're having, what's the organisational belief it betrays?

So if the phrase 'internal customers' is used in your organisation - I recommend changing it.

LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/timhadfield
Twitter: @accordengage
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