Internal customer service
isn’t exactly the same as external customer service, but it’s no less
essential.  As a customer service consultant, I spend my time on
both, and have devised the list below of the different subtleties of execution
involved in internal customer service: internal customer service best
practices/principles for transforming your company culture into one where
internal customer service is a powerful force.

1.
 Respect is expected. With no exceptions. Bullying has to be addressed
immediately, no matter how high up in the organization it occurs.

2. Fine
points of etiquette don’t have to be the same internally as externally (for
example, we can informally answer an internal extension with
“Purchasing–Jim” rather than “XYZ Homewares, Jim speaking, how
may I help you today?”), but the spirit of kindness must prevail.

3. Through
lateral service, we do more for each other, and for the company. By moving
out of our assigned positions to help fellow employees when they are
temporarily short-staffed, we build a stronger company for employees and
external customers.

4.
 Language matters, internally as well as externally, because feelings
matter. “Please” and “Thank you” are not forbidden phrases. Use them often

5.
Expressed and unexpressed wishes are both important.  Example: a fellow
employee makes a specific request, by email.  You can either send them
exactly what they asked for (and nothing more), or you can also, thoughtfully,
include the attachments that they will need to begin working on X, even though
they didn’t explicitly ask for them.

6. As with
external customer service, there are three stages to every service: beginning,
performing the service, and closing the service. If you only do the middle
item (perform the service), you will fail. (Don’t be the tone-deaf manager who
gets all the bills paid, processes payroll and completes the month-end reports
but doesn’t say “good morning” or “have a nice evening.”)

7. People
have a right to grow at work. Be a company that works with its employees to
identify opportunities for their professional learning and advancement.

8. People have a right to be
involved in the design of the work that they do or that affects them. Ask
for the opinions and input of affected employees prior to launching a new
initiative.