Communications with external customers and internal customers are BOTH important. But who are they? Why is it crucial for business success?
External Customers
Simply put, external customers are the people who buy products or services from your company. They are not directly connected to your organization. The sales they bring keeps the company going. Without sales, the company eventually fails. Therefore, it is obviously most important to provide good customer service to external customers.
Internal Customers
They have a relationship with, and within, your company, either through employment or as business partners who deliver your product or service to your external customers. As such, employees, stakeholders and shareholders are internal customers. These parties do not necessarily buy products or services from your company.
Importance of internal customers
Why are internal customers, especially employee and staff, important? It does not seem too obvious on the surface.
However, employees are the most significant asset for an organization for 2 main reasons:
- Employees are important resources. These people are responsible for delivering products and services in order to generate sales and revenue.
- Employees are ambassadors for businesses. The way they represent a business to external customers is critical to its long term success.
Happy people makes people happy.
Happy employees are proud employees, and proud employees deliver excellent customer service, which drives business success.
As a result, communications within the organizations, especially with employees and staff, should be convenient and smooth. Online helpdesk portal, which is always available online, can provide a perfect solution to facilitate such internal communications.
New normal
Global COVID19 pandemic since 2020 has forced lockdown in many cities, and closure of a large number of businesses. Businesses need to rethink how they can carry on under the new normal, in a very challenging environment. Customer services, whether for internal customers or external customers, are increasingly being delivered online, instead of physically and offline.
With cloud-based helpdesk solution, improving communications with both internal and external customers is far more accessible and cost-effective to implement nowadays, no matter what industry it is.
Businesses that are capable to swiftly adapt to these new norms will keep their internal and external customers happy. As such, it is their golden keys to continuous business prosperity.