Internal customer surveys

Internal customer surveys are special cases among employee surveys. They systematically evaluate the internal supplier-customer relation between organisational units and/or individuals. Identifying strengths and weaknesses of the structures and processes in order to provide a secured basis for improvements is the pursued goal.

Interpersonal perception vs. self-perception

The core of the internal customer survey is the preparation of an interpersonal perception of the organisational unit from the customers' perspective ("How do our customers perceive us?"). These customers obtain certain services from this organisational unit and therefore can assess the quality of the provided service from their own experience.

Comparison with self-perception

The questionnaires for the employees of the service provider have a reversed design in order to prepare a comparable self-perception ("How do we perceive ourselves?"). The aim is to analyse the deviation between interpersonal perception and self-perception. Ideally, the diagnosed deviation gives reason for the identification of needs for action and the preparation of a priority list for improvements of the customer-supplier relation. Subsequently, the need for action is to be reduced in the course of a dialogue between the supplier and the internal customer.

Increased customer orientation as a goal

By means of internal customer surveys, the customer orientation and the service mentality in all sectors of the company or administration are to be increased. Consequently, an increased customer satisfaction is to be reached.

Instruments/tools for data ascertainment

• print or online questionnaire for internal customers of the organisational unit in order to provide a basis for the interpersonal perception
• print or online questionnaire for employees of the organisational unit in order to provide a basis for the self-perception

Contents of the internal customer survey

• satisfaction-related questions regarding several services as well as the provided services at large ("All things considered: How satisfied are you with...?")
• questions of the type "does definitely apply - does not apply at all" regarding relevant aspects of the service quality according to the SERVQUAL concept (example: availability of the service provider for the customer)
• one or more open questions, e.g.

Consulting focuses of ISPA consult

• planning, execution and evaluation of the internal customer survey analogue to the standard employee survey
• special implementation consulting directed at supporting the dialogue between the service provider and the internal customer in order to design the existing supplier-customer relation effectively and efficiently; here, both process and content consulting are considered
• a possible goal of the dialogue could be the conclusion of Service Level Agreements, which set out the customer's demands on the service provider and the supplier's demands on the customer as well as the rules for the cooperation

Reference projects of ISPA consult

Chemical industry: customer survey personnel department
Metal and electrical industry: customer survey, customer survey personnel department, customer survey purchasing department
Utility industry: customer survey personnel department