First to clarify what internal Customer Experience (CX) is – it is defined as the experience that the employees and other departments within an organisation provide to each other, as well as suppliers and any other internal stakeholders with whom they work to get their jobs done or who help them get their jobs done.

So why is internal CX important?

Simply put it can make or break a CX programme and is thus fundamental in delivering a successful CX programme.

As customer service expert and author, Shep Hyken, so succinctly says ‘The internal Customer Experience determines the external Customer Experience’. Meaning if you do not get the internal functions working together then it is more difficult for the frontline staff to deliver excellent CX. Yet all too often it is overlooked with resource and energy focused externally or predominantly on frontline staff.

We are often asked when do you implement an Internal CX programme? Is at the outset better or only once the programme is embedded? For us the answer is always at the outset. Organisations need to look internally first at every part of business to ensure teams are aligned and working together to deliver excellent customer experience.

In our experience the internal Customer Experience is usually a good indicator of likely success of a CX programme. For example, say a salesperson calls head-office at 1.30pm with a customer stood in front of them with query, but only gets voicemail because the whole team are out at lunch, that salesperson is therefore unable to respond immediately and deliver a superior Customer Experience. This example highlights a lack of team alignment and understanding of the sales person’s needs.

How do you implement an internal CX programme?

The principles are the same whether you are looking at an external or internal audience. Start with discovery first so you have a clear understanding where departments are currently at. Speak to different teams, ‘mystery shop’ departments, understand processes and gaps.

Then once you understand where you are at internally then look to win their ‘Heart and Minds’ so they start to think differently and understand their role delivering excellent customer experience. Also map internal customer journeys and gather feedback from internal clients.

Success factors for internal Customer Experience…

Top management support… the whole senior management team needs to buy into and demonstrate behaviours on a daily basis.

Embedding action… it is not enough to talk about CX you must also take action, otherwise you risk losing credibility with your employees.

Knowing your internal customers… departments need to understand how they impact on other functions. Communication and processes are key so they can better respond to their internal customer’s needs.

Engaged and empowered employees… training and communication can help employees give the ability and the autonomy to provide the best service possible, rather than fear repercussions.

Momentum… building and then sustaining momentum is important – have a plan, assign ownership and set objectives and then hold everyone to account.

In conclusion

In closing some wise words from Jan Carlzon who dramatically turned around failing Scandinavian Airlines in the 1980s with his unrelenting focus on customer service quality:

“There’s a remarkably close and consistent link between how internal customers are treated and how external customers perceive the quality of your organisation’s services. A commitment to serve internal customers invariably shows itself to external customers. It’s almost impossible to provide great external service if your organisation is not providing great internal service”

I recently read a story about Sheldon Yellen, the CEO of BELFOR Holdings, Inc, a global disaster relief and property restoration company, who personally writes a birthday card to everyone one of Belfor’s 7,400 employees every year.

That’s some effort.

To put that into context that works out, on average, to be 37 cards every working day of the year.

Now, many CEOs or other leaders may see this as a frivolous activity or not a good use of their time. But, Mr Yellen would disagree.

He believes the practice, which he started 32 years ago, has helped his firm communicate better and create a culture of compassion as well as acting as a reminder that a company’s greatest asset is it’s people.

Whilst it would be really easy for Mr Yellen to outsource the writing of these cards to his team or to a hybrid hand-written note/digital supplier or to even try and automate the process with a slick bit of technology.

He hasn’t.

He chooses to continue to write thousands of cards every year, fitting the writing of the cards into his busy schedule.

When I tell people that I work as a Customer Experience Consultant, most of them assume it’s just a fancy title for a customer service agent, immediately envisaging a call centre with a headset.

Whilst Customer Experience does include customer service it also encompasses the whole end-to-end experience of a customer’s journey, including all the people they interact with, all the back-end processes they go through and all the technology that enables successful delivery of the service.

Improving Customer Experience doesn’t have to be complex, what is really needed is to go back to basics.

It is simply putting the customer first and then setting up and aligning your organisation to fit around them so that the whole of the customers’ experience is consistent, connected, memorable and hassle-free.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies have already been built the other way around. So where do you start?

1 Talk to your customers

It sounds obvious but you would be surprised how many organisations are so internally focused or competitor driven they have completely forgotten the customer. Often organisations spend so much time talking amongst themselves in meetings, creating ideas and processes they think the customer would like without actually asking them. Taking the time to involve your customers and gathering their feedback is hugely beneficial, saving time and money, in the long run.  Looking at the same processes from a customer’s perspective often sheds a very different light on something you thought was perfect.

2 Align & Embed 

Tempkins 2016 reports show only 4% of organisations have CX (Customer Experience) embedded as an integral part of their company culture. Key to getting this right is to align both your Business and Brand Strategy with your customer strategy but more importantly is to ensure it is embedded effectively.  When cascading this information throughout the organisation, it needs to be in a simple, memorable format that is relatable to each member of staff and their specific job role so they can align their daily decisions and actions with the strategic direction of the company.   All too often staff are handed a company vision or mission with no understanding of how this relates to them or the role they play in achieving this.

3 Breakdown silos

Simply put, people working together will achieve more.  It is far easier to solve issues, drive change and improve communication when there is cross departmental collaboration.  This way of working also ensures shared ownership and accountability of the customer’s journey instead of individual channels of interactions.  This helps to stop issues getting lost and passed from department to department causing frustration to the customer.

4 Legacy systems vs New Technology

Many organisations fear changing legacy systems as it often seems too complex or expensive ie they have already invested a huge amount on upgrades which have had little or no impact on the bottom line.  The key lesson here is to make sure the technology is fit for purpose. You don’t need to use the latest technology but it must be the right technology to best serve your customers.  All key stakeholders, including the customer, must be involved in the decision-making process as there is no point in upgrading something if it has no impact on the customer or is not embedded effectively. This is often challenging in the “I just want it done” culture within some organisations.

Louise Downe, Director of Design & Standards Government Digital Service, explained this nicely in a presentation recently at the Service Design in Government conference saying, ‘’It should be viewed as “problem caring vs problem-solving’’ ie you will never be done fixing things and the world won’t stop changing, so you just need to ensure you balance delivering actual things with changes that are also scalable and sustainable.

5 Empower your people

Being at the forefront of interactions with customers, your employees are your most important asset.  Equipping your staff with all the training they need to fulfil their role is crucial, as is training them on customer centricity to help them understand what the overall customer experience is and the part they play in building a customer-centric culture.  Let them actively own issues and give them the power to solve customer problems without always having to get authorisation from managers.

By involving staff and asking their opinions they are more likely to embrace change and be on board to help you achieve your goals. They are likely to have many ideas and solutions to resolve existing customer issues, they have just never been asked.

6 Get rid of bureaucracy and unnecessary processes

Don’t get me wrong; processes, structure and guidelines are hugely important and are normally the backbone to every business. However, what I can’t stand is doing something just for the sake of doing something, it must have an impact.

Question why you are doing something if it doesn’t involve improving things for your customer (and is not regulatory required) Stop doing it.

Very often if you ask someone why they are doing something you will normally get the response, “it’s always been done like this” or “we were just told to do this”.  This again goes back to my point on engagement, if people don’t understand why they are doing something or the bigger picture they will never be able to spot issues, improve things or work autonomously when needed.

7 Spend time standing back

It sounds simple, right? Most of us know we should be doing it, but normally we are so busy in the day to day firefighting tasks we often have little time to stand back and look at the bigger picture.   Completing an exercise of mapping out your customer’s journey will allow you to empathise and see your business through your customer’s eyes, highlight numerous opportunities to improve their experience and add value to your business.

About the author: Amy Brustia is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) at Multifarious Experience.

At Multifarious we are passionate about helping ambitious organisations grow and be ahead of their competition by transforming their customer experience and by building a truly customer-centric culture. If you’re interested in taking your customer experience to the next level, get in touch.

Our unique approach to retail sales training:

We believe very much in the ‘relationship’ and not just the ‘sale’. Through the delivery of a great buying experience, we want customers to WANT to buy from you, rather than you having to sell to them.

This workshop will show you how to achieve this and provide an exceptional buying experience for your customers in a way that makes your business really stand out from your competitors, resulting in higher conversion rates, increased sales and more repeat business.

On this popular one-day interactive Buying Experience workshop you will discover:

• The psychology of buying and the customer’s buying decision process
• How to understand a customer’s decision process and create real focus
• Ways to engage and connect with the retail customer
• How to get a full picture of the customer’s real needs, what the customer really thinks and feels
• Ways to tailor the presentation of the product to create desire
• The best approach to handling objections and reassuring the customer
• How to recognise buying signals and ‘close’ naturally
• How to create a ‘stand out’ impression so the customer returns again and again

What to expect?

This one-day sales training workshop for retailers is designed to keep you engaged and learn through active participation.

The workshop consists of the following

• Overview of what makes a great buying experience
• Brief presentation around buying “drivers” and why is it important to identify them
• Self reflection – How do you see yourselves in the process
• Role play and group break outs to identify the ideal buying experience

Why attend this retail sales training workshop?

Research shows more than 50% of customers will spend more on products and services if the overall experience is great and memorable. Customer’s expectations are rising. They want retail sales staff to take a genuine interest in what they need and to care about their buying experience.

In an increasingly competitive market place the need to provide a superior level of customer service, as part of a world class Customer Experience, has become even more important.

Customers choose where they shop and for this reason we need to deliver more than just a service we need to deliver a buying experience.

This workshop has direct and very tangible outputs, you will;

• Discover a greater understanding of why customers walk through your doors and how to ensure that you leave your customers with a positive and loyalty inducing interaction
• Feel empowered to behave more naturally with your customers and sell more
• Have the know-how to deliver a great buying experience

Date

28th June 2017

Time

8.45am -9.30am           Pre Registration and Breakfast
9.30am                           Workshop begins

Location

The Hatton
ETC Conference & Training Venue
51-53 Hatton Garden
London
EC1N 8HN

In House Training option

Have a group of 8 or more employees you would like to send on this workshop ? We can come to you and design a bespoke workshop to meet your specific requirements.
Our in house training is a simple, cost effective option for organisations wishing to quickly train up the whole team at a time and date that is convenient to you.
Get in touch at [email protected] so we can create a great training experience for you.

Our Speakers

Simon O’Donnell

Senior Customer Experience Consultant

Following a successful career working with many UK Blue Chip organisations, Simon has spent the last 13 years advising businesses on how they can grow and develop. He has experience across a wide spectrum of industry sectors, including telecommunications, recruitment, hospitality, retail and distribution.

Simon genuinely believes that the customer has to be at the heart of everything an organisation does and that, from top to bottom, everyone in an organisation has to be “on board” with the concept that customer loyalty and lifetime value are key to success in the long term.

Amy Brustia

Customer Experience Consultant (CCXP)

Amy is an adaptable customer experience professional (CCXP) and business operations manager with a solutions orientated, can do attitude and proven ability to communicate effectively across multi-disciplinary teams. Having successfully implemented a number of Customer Experience initatives across a number of sectors including Banking, Construction and Healthcare.
Amy is passionate about aligning the customer journey with back end processes and technology to provide systems that enhance data visibility, facilitate better business decisions and most importantly improve the end to end customer experience.

Can’t attend this one ?

Register your interest to find out about our upcoming events by filling in the form below or contact us at [email protected]