Providing Exceptional Service to Each Other
How well do you serve your "internal customers"? What might you do to improve future interactions?
As a program chair, I communicate clear expectations regarding timelines and realistic levels of service provided to our students. In addition, I make myself accessible to address instructors’ needs and concerns. I would like to have quarterly appreciation lunches and awards for our instructors to show appreciation for their diligence and dedication. I would like to implement strategies that would decrease administrative paperwork.
An area where I am weak in serving our internal customers is in recoginition. While our budget does not allow for increase salaries nor are we large enough for advancement, a note or implementation of a customer service program would be effective in showing our employees that they are appreciated. A program to commend employees who go above an beyond is a good step.
An area where I am weak in serving our internal customers is in recoginition. While our budget does not allow for increase salaries nor are we large enough for advancement, a note or implementation of a customer service program would be effective in showing our employees that they are appreciated. A program to commend employees who go above an beyond is a good step.
I feel our organization is very good with internal customer service. We have meetings...usually pizza is offered while we are going over the topics of the day.
Everyone is free to talk and bring up any concerns
they may have during the meeting.
I feel it is very important to have regular meetings with the staff on a weekly basis.
Everyone should be willing to help each other and discuss any issues of concern.
These should be taken care of in a timely manner.
Theodore, That is so true! As part of this movement, what can you do specifically?
Dr. Jean Norris
At my school there is no consideration for internal customers. Morale is really low as a result. Until recently, we had a president that was really focused on our "core values," but these have all become a laughing stock so-to-speak when it relates to employees all within the last 6 months. Out of all of the managers maybe only 2 in the entire school still actually believe in them. Two years ago, I was part of a process that helped implement the "core values." We are trying to gain the ground we once had by focusing on the needs of our student-customers and relating to their experience. Also, having staff share their success stories in an uplifting way is an attempt to salvage the morale of the school. Talk about an opportunity to service internal customers!
We have weekly meetings , individual program meetings. We need to have one monthly meeting with all Internal Services to complimenet one another, we need each other to keep the programs running as smooth as possible , Communication is Key.
Serving internal customer requires being a good listener and receptive to making changes.
Nicole, Great suggestion! What can you do to help maintain open communication during these times of stress?
Dr. Jean Norris
Serving our "internal customers" is something that my institution is really good at doing. We have weekly meetings to discuss issues (how to improve them), ask questions, express concerns, talk about our daily activities and also to have fun! There is a strong feeling of team work and respect here. People from the different departments make sure to communicate and express themselves and their issues in a respectful and professional manner which I believe helps our campus to run as smoothly as it does. However, during stressful points of the quarters we have our struggles. It can be hard to keep up good communication when we get very busy and people start feeling stressed. I think this issue has a simple solution, people need to make an effort to remain calm and continue to communicate well with each other. As a team we need to be working well together, and all of us need to be on the same page to make sure that we are giving the best service possible to our students.
The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
David, It sounds like there is nice communication between faculty and staff. What are some things that can be improved to better the communication?
Elizabeth Wheeler
Ed, That's a great idea! How can you get this started?
Elizabeth Wheeler
we keep in contact through email and in person interactions about certain student issues and having them address entire classes on subjects and keep them informed on subject as well as they keep instructors informed too
an idea i found here and have wanted to introduce for years now is to "walk a mile in each others shoes" to rotate having different departments spend a day with the other departments task to see and understand what their job task entail.
I believe most frustations stem from our not undertanding why other departments do things differently than how we think we would complete the same task.
James, That is a great insight. Do you feel there is room for growth when working with your colleagues, too?
Elizabeth Wheeler
Be sure to focus on your students experience, not your own internal processes and start to understand the “real†student/customer journey. This is a great way to work on clarification around who your core customers are and what they need from you. You will probably need to do a great deal of work before you even begin focus on the core of your mapping than may ultimately lead to that “light bulb moment†when it all starts to make sense.
Cecil, Great awareness! Taking a step back to look at the big picture is key. Do you do this, as well, with your internal customer such as colleagues?
Elizabeth Wheeler
