Is customer service applicable within companies?

It is traditionally thought that customer service is offered from a company to a private individual who is usually purchasing either a product or service from the company. It is therefore considered that this then creates a demand for a certain level of respect and appreciation which manifests itself as customer service. There is nothing that suggests however that this is particular to company-customer relations, it is also applicable to inter-company relations and relations within companies.

The basic principles of customer service cover a lot of traits that most people would consider to be the basics of communication anyway but there are also certain specific aspects that should be considered when faced with this scenario. Firstly, relationships that are struck up in the work environment are quite different to those which are established outside the confines of an office space. This means of course that people adopt different attitudes and that should be respected in the work environment.

The need for customer service standards to be acknowledged in the work place is something that has to be looked at from a slightly different perspective to traditional service. Usually, as opposed to the customer demanding a certain level of service because they are purchasing a product from the company, the two companies are usually doing each other a favour. This means the dynamics are different and there is less likely to be a dominant party who dictates the tone of the service, both need to push a little to make sure they receive the type of service they expect.

As an example, it may be that there is literature that needs creating for a company that is just starting out. What most often happens is that one party will create the article, another will edit and perhaps a third will publish but in that cycle there is likely also a party who are proof-reading in order to check the information being detailed.

Who here has the upper-hand with regards to customer service? Whoever has created the literature is surely the one who dictates what the content is and that should be respected and the person proof-reading should strive to respect the work that has been done and the points that the author has highlighted. However, as the proof-reader it is likely that they have a more extensive or comprehensive understanding of the topic which of course should be respected by the author. The way the feedback is delivered should be done in a considered fashion. The most relevant point – although perhaps not necessarily important to every individual as such – is that the author’s confidence should not be completely annihilated through the feedback.

There are times when of course the proof-reader reaches the end of their patience with the author, particularly if this is not the first piece of literature that has been created, but this should not rule out the effort that has been inputted in order to create the literature in the first place. When the feedback is delivered it should be in such a way that they learn and can develop as opposed to having any confidence in their knowledge knocked out of them.

It is important to learn the best ways to provide feedback as that is most likely the form that customer service as it were will appear in terms of the inner- or inter-company service. It may be awkward to provide feedback that highlights faults as opposed to positives but this simply means that those providing the feedback should view themselves as advisory eyes as opposed to critical ones.

The basic principles will always apply and by acknowledging the work that one party does you can hope to ensure you will receive the same respect when the relationship has to turn the other way.