So, Who Is Your Customer?

Not only applicable to the Financial Services Industry, Customer Service is the mainstay of all successful companies. What is being discussed here is, recognition of ALL customers, regardless if they are internal or external customers.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. Accordingly, it may vary by product, service, industry and individual customer. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest".[1] Customer service is also often referred to when describing the culture of the organization. It concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization, or may proactively interview customers for feedback.

From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue.[2] From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.

So, who is your customer?

There are internal customers and external customers. Should all staff cater to the external customer? Yes, of course but, I think it needs to flow systematically through all staff. For example, Customer ‘A’ comes into make a deposit. The Teller greets him appropriately with a welcoming smile, asking what WE can do for him/her. (note: keyword being WE). He says he wants to make a deposit, the teller gladly obliges and through some ‘chit chat’, discovers that his mortgage is maturing at a different Bank. Now, every Bank looks for these types of opportunities….it’s not a secret. Clearly, this particular customer needs to be referred to an appropriate lender within the Bank. This is where it gets tricky. The teller offers to introduce this customer to an appropriate lender, he is receptive to the introduction. The teller pops her head in the lender’s office and outlines what is happening, the lender says “I don’t have time to see him right now. Get his name and number and I’ll call him” (OUCH). Now, I understand completely the time constraints of any day-to-day role however, would it have been so tasking to get up, go introduce yourself and, give him a business card? While assuring him that we are interested in his business, and offering to make an appointment with him/her.

In this particular example, the lender let down TWO customers. An internal customer and an external customer. Yes, the teller is a customer! He/she just provided the lender with a valid, warm introduction to a new, external customer. So, who looks bad here? WE look bad (note: keyword being WE).

Now, let’s use that same example but twist it a little bit. The tellers refers the customer to the lender, the lender does what they were supposed to do and introduces themself, provides a business card and books an appointment with the external customer. The meeting goes very well and, the lender was able to put together an application for the new customer to the Bank. The application gets sent to credit department. While reviewing the application, the Credit Manager notes that the new customer is carrying some balances on high-rate credit cards. The Credit Manager contacts the lender to discuss a positive restructuring to the application which would offer the new external customer options to payout the credit cards and, reduce the outstanding principal debt much more quickly.

Awesome job all around! Especially by the Credit Manager, who proactively serviced the internal customer (the lender) and the external customer (via the lender). This is how it should look!

One last example….and it’s a doozy. Actually happened also (not where I work).

An owner of a company hires a new CFO. The owner calls the Bank and advises them that the CFO needs to have full access to all accounts, Online Banking, Credit Card statements/transactions, etc. The owner requests that the applicable paperwork be sent over for signature. The Bank advises the owner that they can not accommodate this request as, the Bank has a policy which prohibits any new employees with any company access prior to the completion of a minimum 30 day period. No advice nor options are provided to the owner. After a pile of effort, the owner was able to convince a Bank Manager to give the CFO the access which were being requested. How ridiculous!

Poor customer service all the way around. Policies are guidelines and, in some cases they may be outdated and require amendment. The Bank Manager, allowed the access to be granted, undermined the decision of the original Bank employee (internal customer). Let’s not forget the company owner…..the external customer. It is incumbent on all employees to point out to their People Manager, the inconvenience of outdated/nonsensical policies WHILE suggesting amendments to enhance customer service.

I challenge everyone reading this to sit back and think about how many customers they have. Are they internal or external AND, have there been any instances lately where poor customer (internal or external) service has occurred.

So, who is YOUR customer???