Introduction
Today, companies are developing in a scenario where competition is getting stronger, and quality standards are increasing due to consumers' demand for higher quality products. All of the above obliges us to improve service excellence and meet the expectations of our internal and external clients, and given that if we cover the standards and times of our internal clients, the production chain of our company will generate a quality process in each area. which will result in the satisfaction of external customers.
Internal clients
The internal customer is that member of the organization, who receives the result of a previous process, carried out in the same organization, which we can conceive of as consisting of an internal network of suppliers and customers. I am a supplier from whom you receive the product of my work, and a client from whom you send me the result of yours.
Every person intervenes in a process that generates results (products or services), which are delivered to a client. If it is in the same organization (internal customer), it will use the products resulting from the previous process as input (resources) for its own process. In turn, the latter will prepare the appropriate outputs (products) that will be used by another internal customer, or that will reach the market, aimed at external customers.
The idea of Quality, expressed as satisfaction of the needs and expectations of the client, is applicable in this internal supplier-client scheme (also called the Deming chain). Therefore, the internal supplier must satisfy the needs of its internal client, just as the organization must satisfy its external clients.
Importance of the internal customer
While internal customers may not necessarily buy the products or services offered by their employer, the relationship with the internal customer also plays a key role in the success of the company. In the sales example, the vendor who does not work well with customer service may have a harder time ordering or getting answers to questions from their external customers, resulting in a low level of service. Tense internal relationships can also negatively affect company morale.
The identification of who are suppliers and customers, what they should contribute and receive (material, information, documents, instructions,…) and how, respectively, are basic elements to achieve quality. It is necessary to implement the appropriate measures that allow the internal customer to express their needs, so that the characteristics that the product delivered by the supplier must have are well defined. Inbound and outbound requirements of the supplier and internal customer processes must match for the chain to function properly. On the other hand, it will be necessary to obtain the appropriate feedback from the client process to make the pertinent modifications.
The internal customer is the co-worker of any area that needs a service that another co-worker must deliver (preparing a check, issuing an invoice, making a purchase order, delivering an order, manufacturing a product, the preparation of a report, etc.). It is natural that if there is a bad service to the internal customer within an organization, in all likelihood there will be a bad service for the external customer.
However, the most worrying thing is not only the fact that it damages the satisfaction of the final customer (which is important and critical), but it also very representatively damages the productivity of employees and, consequently, companies.
Some companies carry out evaluations to measure the satisfaction rate of the Clients with their internal suppliers, such as: Purchases, IT, Human Resources, Maintenance, Accounting, etc., where for each service characteristic the importance for the client is measured., such as your level of satisfaction. Advanced companies link the delivery of bonuses with the degree of satisfaction of the Internal Clients.
If there is no satisfaction, there is no bonus; in this way it could be said that the internal service does pay.
A common question is "do internal customers have the right to demand and receive quality products and services?".
YES, because “the characteristics of the products that are delivered to the final customer are NOT obtained only in a single or last stage of the process, but each stage must contribute its part with the certainty that the final product is conditioned by the quality of those contributions ”.
External clients
This category of clients includes intermediaries who are directly related to the company and towards whom a perceptible added value and a quality of service that makes a difference must be manifested. Treatment is compulsory because it has a direct effect on other intermediaries and on the final consumer.
External customers are essential to the success of any business, as they provide the revenue stream through their purchases that the business needs to survive. Satisfied external customers often make repeat purchases, as well as refer your business to other people they know.
External customers and the comments they make to other people about the services or products they purchase is highly determined by their level of satisfaction with them. For this reason, knowing precisely their satisfaction levels helps the company to develop policies and practices that guarantee the permanence of the client and, in this way, assures economic benefits.
External customers are society in general, each individual and group that is or is not in a position to be a consumer. Do not forget that children and adolescents generate consumption even if they do not have an income yet.
Types of external clients:
- Society in general that can be local, national or international depending on the projection of the company. The private company that like us has needs to satisfy, suppliers and potential clients. The media of the locality that perhaps we have not contracted and do not found in our plans, should also be considered as clients, potential clients or people who can recommend us.The government agencies that consume according to established policies and budgets, that employ large numbers of people who are consumers and that their recommendation can generate profits to future.
Civil society organizations that are focused on non-profit community aid activities and the like should also be considered as clients, potential clients, or people who can recommend us. Not because institutions with limited budgets discard them as clients, you will surely sacrifice a little profit at the moment but in the long run the recommendation of these institutions will bring you great benefits.
Who is more important: external clients or internal clients?
External clients and internal clients are equally important, therefore they should be treated in the same way. In the first place it is a question of justice and ethics, secondly because it is convenient. How can you expect workers to treat customers well if the company is not able to treat them well? Dealing with internal customers begins with the workplace. If the work environment is more professional, more pleasant, more efficient, safe, well lit, and provided with the best equipment and tools, then the best workers can be hired. Treating internal customers with respect should not be seen as a sign of weakness. To be successful you need to treat others as you would like to be treated. If internal customers are made easier, they will more than pay for it.
conclusion
In this work we met the types of clients that exist, both internal and external, as studied. It is of great importance to provide quality products to both, and the success of our company depends on it, so we must make known all the members of the organization the importance of each one of them throughout the process.
Bibliography
- Talavera Pleguezuelos, C: Total Quality in Public Administration. Granada: Center for Municipal Studies and International Cooperation, 1999. ISBN: 84-88282-42-7.
