What Is an Internal Customer & a External Customer?

Even if you are its sole owner, your company has many stakeholders. The people who buy your products and services are invested in the pleasure and utility these products and services provide. Your employees and managers are invested in your business as a place to work, to grow personally and professionally, and as a source of livelihood. They may also use your products and services themselves. External customers are those who see your company mainly as a provider of something they buy. Internal customers participate in your business by actually being a part of it. Valuing External Customers Without external customers, your company would have no revenue and no reason for being in business. You design products and services with the goal of pleasing these customers and meeting their needs. You solicit their opinions via formal surveys and informal conversations, and you may even adopt the customer service adage, "The customer is always right." When your external customers have negative experiences with your business, they may spread unflattering comments via online forums and in person by word of mouth. When they have positive experiences with your staff and your products, they'll give you repeat business. Valuing Internal Customers The workplace experience your business gives your workers should be satisfying as well -- or else they'll have no reason to work for you, other than the fact that you sign their paychecks. When your business meets employee needs, the employees come to work with positive attitudes and the intention of doing a good job. If you treat your employees badly, your workplace environment will become toxic. Your employees will perform as well as necessary to keep their jobs, but they're unlikely to go the extra mile to do creative work and come through for you in a crisis. Internal Customers and the External Customer Experience Your employees are the face of your company -- the liaisons your customers interact with when they research products and make purchases. Satisfied employees represent your company with integrity and enthusiasm. Their internal customer experience translates to a positive attitude toward external customers. Customers who see a friendly and engaged staff are more likely to support your business than customers who hear your employees complaining behind your back. Workers who care do better work than employees who only want to collect their paychecks and leave. They manufacture products of higher quality and put extra effort into problem solving, thereby improving the experience of your external customers. Source : http://smallbusiness.chron.com/internal-customer-external-customer-11698.html