South Africa: Redefining Internal Communication to Improve Customer Service

opinion

Companies today are engaged in an on-going and competitive battle to win the hearts, minds and wallets of their customers. Sadly, many companies in South Africa forget that their employees are the frontline of their efforts. It's not up to their marketing departments, nor their advertising agencies, and not the executives who dream up grandiose brand promises. It is the staff that is at the coal face and is tasked with delivering customer service as envisaged by the board.

How many staff in a business even understand the company's direction, values, or brand promise? More importantly, do they understand how to deliver it? In real behaviours, not just a nice slogan! Organisations often conduct surveys and ask if staff is 'aware' of new strategies. Of course employees will be. If you post enough posters up, they will be exposed to the key messages. But do they live them? Do they deliver on them? Well, those are the questions that make internal communicators in South Africa uneasy at night. Why? Because the answer to effective internal communication today partly lies in analysing customer experiences - not just on the process and content delivery within an organisation.

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