Part I: Satisfying internal customers: The link to external customer satisfaction

In the Eighties, U.S. business learned important new skills for identifying and satisfying external customers. Inevitably, this experience led to a recognition that the needs of internal work processes and internal customers were critical to external service delivery. The Conference Board and the Hay Group's conferences “Satisfying Internal Customers” held in New York and recently in San Diego, explored how enhancements in internal systems, processes, and activities can support improved external customer service. The presentations offered different perspectives on how companies manage the relationship between internal and external customer service. For example, some innovative companies focus on one internal customer relationship or core process, while others recognize numerous internal customer relationships and core processes to which each department or function must respond.