Who Are Your Customers

Many times we take significant relationships for granted because they do not present immediate financial compensation. Although the end user or the one making a monetary exchange for our product/service is usually how we define our customers, some relationships should be treated as if. We all have significant others, superiors, subordinates, and associates who we consistently relate with, validating our worth and position. We regularly seek buy-in while arbitrating thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Even though some people are better than others at this, relationships require a distinct degree of communication.


This ‘Customer’ question was posed to an executive law enforcement officer, who quickly responded that very few law enforcement employees would characterize their relationships in terms of customers. We agreed that although citizens of the community were end users of service (i.e. external customers), internal personnel were absolutely as important. A major concern was that although the reduction of crime in numbers represents performance, the intangible challenge is minimizing the ‘fear of crime’. Attractive crime statistics don’t always translate into a feeling of ‘safe’. Internally, there is an uncompromising culture that demands buy-in. We talked about a common inability for officers to embrace the customer driven philosophy consequently impairing matriculation through the agency’s organizational structure. It was interesting to hear such sales-like issues displayed in such an anti-sales environment.


In a conversation with a Health Department Director the challenges were not as severe, however, they were apparent enough to cause frustration. As a municipal entity that rarely experiences monetary exchange, this ‘customer philosophy’ is deficient at best. One thing that we undoubtedly agreed upon was the need of strong communicative skill sets and better business acumen regarding interactions within the department. When given an ounce of thought, the mantra ‘Everyone is Selling Something’ rings true in any industry, organization, or department. Do you know who your customers are? To increase productivity/profitability, identify them, hear them, and relate to them. Great Selling!

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