The forgotten clients
If you think about it, as Client Relationship Managers we are dependent on others within our company to deliver that service. Be it production, IT, HR, marketing, purchasing front of house, and the rest of our internal departments, each one hugely influences service delivery.
Yet, I wonder how much time and effort goes into ensuring that these relationships are really functioning as well as they might beyond the occasional status meeting?
I’d argue that the internal customers are almost as important as the external customers. As one of my clients once said “a company will only buzz on the outside if it’s humming on the inside.”
A great friend of mine has risen rapidly through the ranks in a professional services firm and started his career in the post room before working his way through a number of departments.
He puts a large part of his success down to the fact that he knows how those other business units’ work, the frustrations they have and crucially is seen to be empathic.
But also, and crucially, he’s liked by most of the people he worked with on his way to the top. I asked him if that’s important.
“You bet it is – when I have to ask them to stay late or work a weekend to turn something round I get the feeling they are doing it for me as much as the business.”
“I do my best to continually listen” he added.
That got me thinking…
- Whilst many have staff surveys does anybody proactively look at the dynamics that exist in relationships with key departments?
- Do you or indeed should you have as part of your remit developing and implementing a strategy for excellence with your internal customers?
The benefits would surely be better work which is more efficiently delivered.
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