[Institution Affiliated]
Introduction
Any business group has both the internal and external customers. Internal customers include the employees, other professionals, trainees, departments in the organization and the committees. It is important for any businessperson to inform their customers of any product or service that is available. We discuss a situation where a group fails to deliver the expectations in giving a product, a service in for a long time there have been complains about the department and the company wanted them the time required. We also discuss what can be done by internal we give a look at Harley Davidson’s financial services as a department in Harley Davidson company. Their customers have expectations from the company. The company then asked the department to present on the changes in their services in dealing with their customers, which they failed. It is said that customers are supposed to open an account with Harley credit if they wanted to own a true Harley Davidson, which they describe as the worst choice in life.
They make their payment services online which is a good thing, though there are complains that the company disturbs people with calls to make their payment services, and it becomes a trend failure to make the payments they are snatched your motorcycle if one is 30 days due. This entire are complains from the customers, and the company expects this department to make changes in their tactics on customers. Failure to do so affects the company such that their customers shy away from them and run to other motorcycle manufacturer (Yickleyum 1969). They will also affect other departments in such a way that they will not be able to reach their targets and goals since they have to wait for this department to come up with a tactic that their customers find better; therefore, causing delays almost in everything.
There are many reasons that would make a group in an organization fail to deliver what is expected of them. The main reason is the time factor. What they call the wait appearing to be longer. Unoccupied time usually feels longer than the occupied time. Waiting usually can be annoying, frustrating and consumes a lot of time. It feels like taking forever. It increases the time one takes to invest in a product or service (Schwartz, 1975).
There is always the question of the quality of product when the service takes longer, consumer goods, which are produced in interior factories and put in warehouses before sale. Services, on the other hand, cannot be inventoried. Delays affect the efficiency of the service production. Customers view on the quality of the service then changes.
According to Maister (1985), he proposed four effects on customers effect on waiting : unoccupied time is longer than occupied time, preprocess waits are longer than in process waits, uncertain waits are said to be longer than finite waits, waits unexplained are longer than those explained. A preprocess time would be when a customer for instance enters into a restaurant up to the time she makes an order. An in process time would be when one places the order, consumes the meal and the post process phase would be that time when one pays the bill until he leaves the restaurant. At these stages, customers encounter different things that lead to their delay. These delays cause different reaction to the customer. When one expects something, so much he has pressure to get it. Delays caused during the pre process are unpleasant to the customer than those caused during the in process phase. For instance after consumption a consumer may want to leave but has to wait for the bill. In the post process, stage an activity is satisfied the customer is then forced to terminate the activity for other reasons. The customer then gets upset because of the termination. Delays at the post process faced are as unpleasant as those caused during the pre process state (Karsten, 1976).
There are effects on uncertainty. Being in an environment that is unstructured is not a good experience. This is because one is not always certain that a situation will either lead to or away from a goal. High levels of uncertainty increase negative effects on the obstacle on the way to the purpose. A delay that perhaps occurs when one is hungry is severe than that occurring when he is less hungry.
Different needs create different strengths or some pressure towards the goal. Preprocess and post process are very convenient than delays that are in process. Conditions of high uncertainties are seen as more negative than those of low uncertainties. Lastly conditions view delays as more negative when they are in a need that is high than in a low needing state (Lewin’s 1943).
Things to do
In case the internal customer service does not meet, the expectations of the consumer there are things that could be done to maintain a good working relationship. Position description is the first thing. The goal here is to meet the needs of the customer. They could do this by improving their performance and involve items that promote quality customer standards like being discrete with the customer’s information, accepting assignments and frequently reporting customer’s suggestions and comments.
The process of recruiting is another step. Employees that are to be employed should be competent, resistant, and caring. Here, one is to assist the human resource department in the process of recruiting, in identifying potential candidates for the job and answer job inquiries with zeal.
During the selection process, the job needs to be sold to the candidates. Those hired should be hired for attitude as the skills can be taught later. New employees should also be trained to know the internal and external customers. They are oriented to give good service to the customers. Those that perform well are rated and rewarded through bonuses, promotions among others.
Educational programs are offered to improve the customer service. They include customer identification, realizing the expectations of the customers, solving problems, new service presentations, telephone courtesy and communication skills. They are taught on how to make contacts with their customers during interactions, listening to them and how to deal with different customer attitudes.
Conclusion
With all this, it is enough to say that good customer service is not an option. It is a key to any successful business. Every step or time of a customer is important. From the moment, he gets in the restaurant, places an order, eats, finishes, waits for the bill until the time he exits. The final step is just as important as the first step and should not be taken for granted.
References
Karsten, A. (1976), “Mental satiation- The Transformation of Activities, “in Field Theory as Humans Science: Contributions of Lewis Berlin Group, ed. John De Rivera. New York: Gardener Press, 208-235.
Lewis, Kurt (1943), “Defining the field at a Given Time”. Psychological review, 50, 292-310.
Lewis, Kurt (1946), “behavior and development as a function of the total situation, “in manual of child Psychology, ed.L.Carmcheal, New York: Willey and sons, 791-844.
Maister, David’ H. (1985). The psychology of waiting lines”, in the service encounter. Managing Employee/ customer interaction in Service Businesses, eds.ohn A. Czepiel, Michael R. Solomon and Carol F. SURPRENANT, Lexington Books, 113- ’23.
Schwartz, B. (1975), Queuing and Waiting. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
R.Y. Chang and P.K. Kelly. (1994). Satisfying Internal Customers First .Irving, C.A: Richard Chang Publishers.
R.L.Desatnick, (1988). Managing to keep the Customer. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass publishers.
