CHAPTER 5

CUSTOMER FOCUS
IN THE
PUBLIC SECTOR
 OUTLINE
 Definition of Customers
 Identifying Customers’ Needs in the Public Sector
 Internal Customer’s Needs
 External Customer’s Needs
 Customer/Client’s Charter (characteristics)
 Characteristic of a Customer Focus in the Public Sector
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Identify and explain types of customers.
2. Restate the needs of customers in the public sector.
3. Explain the client’s charter
4. Describe the characteristics of a customer-focused public organization.
 IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS
DEFINITION CUSTOMER:
 People who buy goods and services or receive services from
a provider
 People who interact with the organization after the
processes have produced the product
 They considered as people who used a organization’s
products
(Definition above is more to the manufacturing sector. In service
sector, customers interact from the beginning till the end of the
Process.)
 IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS
DEFINITION CONSUMER:

 The end user of a product and/or service.

 A person who consumes goods, services and gifts of nature for his/her satisfaction
and general well being. (Bishan, S., 1992).
 A person or thing that consumes; specifically a person who buys goods or services
for his own needs and not for resale or to use in the production of other goods for
resale. (Mohd Hamdan, 2000).
 IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS
IMPORTANCE:

 People who determine the survival of the organization- “customer always right”
(private sector)
 Reliable customers are the most important because they will buy repeatedly from
the organization and feel the satisfaction via their purchases.
 Customers’ satisfaction is ensured by producing high-quality products. It is done
through renewal on every new purchase made. Customers’ satisfaction and
loyalty implies continual improvement.
 (Giorgio Merli,1990)
 IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS
TYPES OF CUSTOMERS:

1) External customer
 those who receive/pay for the products and/or services.
 In this case, the external customers are considered as the
‘outsider’ of an organisation, since they are not involved
directly with the processes within the organisation.
 For example, the students are external customers to UiTM
and other higher learning institutions, of which they only
receive the services provided i.e. education services and they
are not involved in preparing the means/ processes for
education.
 IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS
TYPES OF CUSTOMERS:

2) Internal customer
 Those at the process level, departments and key across-functional processes within
an organization.
 The main contributors to the organization’s vision and mission.
 They depend on the department’s/function’s/products/services to ultimately serve
the consumers i.e. those who receive the final products / services) or called as
external customers.
 For example, nursing unit in a public hospital is a customer to the laundry unit in
the same hospital.
 Academic staff in UiTM are customers to the Students’ Affairs (HEP), Library,
Unite Kesihatan, Unit Polis Bantuan, etc
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
1) INTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS
In understanding the internal customers’ (refer to the civil servants) needs, several
fundamental questions must be understood by the civil servants who are also the providers
to the internal customers. The questions civil servants should ask are:
 Who are our internal customers?
 What are our internal customers’ who are other civil servants’ requirements?
(Performance level and Personal level)
 What is the best approach to deal with our internal customers who are other civil
servants in order to make them satisfied?
 How do we meet our internal customers’ who are other civil servants’
requirements?
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(INTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS)

These questions need to be addressed and clarified by the public organisation:

 At the performance level, the civil servants (input providers) receive inputs/
processes from other civil servants (other input providers) and produce some outputs
for other civil servants who are their internal customers.
 At the personal level, the civil servants (input providers) try to meet their internal
customers’ personal requirements such as acting gently and professionally, practicing
good public relations skills, being helpful being cooperative etc. These requirements
are crucial in order to establish happy-working environment and esprit-de-corp
among the public servants especially in handling services to the public.
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(INTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS)
How do civil servants know their internal customers’ need at both, performance
and personal levels?
 In order to understand these requirements, formal and informal
communication are important.
 Communication must be encouraged and facilitated by the top
management.
 Improvement in communication can be assisted via several quality
management efforts such as cross-departmental teams, quality circle,
organisation steering committee, family day etc.
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS)

In understanding the external customers’ needs, several fundamental questions

must be understood by the civil servants who are the providers to the
external customers who are the public. The questions are :

 Who are our external customers?

 What are our external customers’, requirements? (Performance level and
Personal level)
 What are the most appropriate approach to deal with our external customers in
order to make them satisfied?
 How do we meet our external customers’ requirements?
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS)

In order to meet the requirements of external

customers, the civil servants as providers have to be
able to answer several fundamental questions:

 What are the services produced by the organization?

 Who uses these services?
 Who do employees call, write to or answer questions for?
 Who supplies the inputs to the process?
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS)
6 six-step strategies to understand customers’ needs:

1. Speculate
results of
customers’
needs
5. Take 2. Plan
necessary methods of
strategies obtaining
information

5. Check
3. Collect
result validity
information
and make
with planned
conclusion
methods
4. Analyze
information
 IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS: SIX-STEP STRATEGY)
STEP EXPLANATION
STEP 1 – The management needs to start guessing what the
Speculate about external customers’ needs are. It is useful since the
the results management can compare their expectation with the real
needs. This will ensure that the organisation is parallel
with their external customers’ needs.
STEP 2 – Collection of information need to be done
Plan how to systematically and well-organised. Developing a plan is
gather the necessary to determine what type of information needed
information and who will provide those information. Try to consider
face-to-face interview when developing the plan, or any
other alternative such as phone interview.
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS: SIX-STEP STRATEGY)

STEP EXPLANATION
STEP 3 – It is advisable to conduct a pilot survey beforehand,
Gather the involving a few numbers of external customers. This is
information to ensure that any error on the methodology used can be
detected earlier. After correcting the error, the real
survey can be conducted in larger scale, according to the
time frame outlined in the plan.
STEP 4 – Analyse thoroughly and objectively. The information
Analyse the gained will be compared with the speculation made
results earlier (in the first step) i.e. identifying the similarities,
problems, comments and any suggestions that can
improve the service provided.
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS IN THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
(EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS: SIX-STEP STRATEGY)

STEP EXPLANATION
STEP 5 – Conclusions are derived from the analysis made in Step
Check the 4. The conclusions need to be validated by the external
Validity of customers themselves. Share with them and other people
Conclusions within the organisation whether the conclusions made
are correct and get their feedback. Then, adjust them
appropriately according to the feedback gained.
STEP 6 - The valid conclusions provide room for changes needed.
Take action as Plan properly the changes involved. Immediate action is
indicated needed for the short-term basis. Let the external
customers know what the organisation are going to do,
and as far as possible, make the changes in accordance
to their priority of needs.
 CUSTOMER’S (CLIENT’S) CHARTER

A customer charter sets the standards for an organization regarding

customer service.
A charter is shared with all employees to provide best customer service to
the customer
 Expectation: A charter explains different areas of the customers’
expectation
 Responsibility: responsibility of writing the customer charter is
employees; manager, human resource director, director may write
such a charter
 Distribution : all customers of a company have access to the
customer charter (online or physical copy)
 CUSTOMER’S (CLIENT’S) CHARTER
(E.G. UITM)
We offer quality services which are ethical and of high integrity, and undertake to ensure that:
All the basic needs for learning, teaching and research, as well as the surrounding environment fulfil the
requirements of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, the Ministry of Education and professional bodies;
All academic programmes are approved, managed and administered in accordance with the university’s rules
and procedures;
All academic qualifications are recognised by the government, and fulfil the needs of the industry and the
relevant professional bodies;
The conferment of degrees is carried out within the stipulated period after fulfilling all the necessary
requirements;
Excellence in academic achievements is identified and duly awarded each year;
All proposals and official reports are acted on within a period of one week;
Be accessible at all times to provide to the community; and
Provide professional and customer-friendly services.
UiTM will provide services in accordance with the client charter as practised by the respective entities, namely,
the faculties, branch campuses, divisions, institutes,  centres and units.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER FOCUSED
PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
Vision,
commitment
Continual and climate.
improvement Alignment
of services and with
processes. customers.

Competence, CUSTOMER FOCUS

PUBLIC Willingness to
capability and
ORGANIZATION find and
empowerment
of people. eliminate
customers’
problem
Reaching
Use of
out to
customer
customers
information
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER
FOCUSED PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
1. Vision, commitment and climate
 Creates a vision that focuses n the customers.
 Commit to the vision.
 Creates a good climate to enhance customers’
satisfaction is one of the ways to show their
commitment.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER
FOCUSED PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
2. Alignment with customers
 A customer-focused organisation will
always work hand-in-hand with its customers.
For eg ; not over-promising, ask for feedbacks,
refer the customers of any new services
introduced, incorporate input from the
customers with the improvement made, and
understanding the attributes of services the
customers prefer to.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER
FOCUSED PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
3. Willingness to find and eliminate customers’
problem.
 This characteristic manifests the effort of an organisation to focus
on its customers. It continually tries to identify and solve any unhappy
incident that may happen during the process or delivery of service.
 The responsiveness of the organisation demonstrates in many
forms; monitoring customers’ complaint, identify and thoroughly analyse
their problems, and eliminate the failure that cause defects.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER
FOCUSED PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
4. Use of customer information
 A customer-focused organisation is not only seeking for feedback,
but it will also use the feedback information to improve its services.
 The information will be communicated to those who are
involved in the process level, so that they will have the real view of who
their customers are and their real needs and expectations.
 
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER
FOCUSED PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
5. Reaching out to customers
 The assertiveness of an organisation in understanding its
customers’ needs.
 The organisation does not wait for the feedback from its
customers. It tries to find how to improve its services in
several ways; simplify the process for customers, encouraging
its employees to go beyond their normal call of duty to
entertain its customers, actively solving the customers’
complaint and seeking for feedbacks, and making the
complaints made be known to the top management.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER
FOCUSED PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
6. Competence, capability and
empowerment of people
 An organisation treats its employees as professional; people
who possess the ability to reach to the next level.
 They are empowered to use their own ideas and opinions in
conducting their roles to please the customers.
 They are well-versed and knowledgeable about the services to
fulfil customers’ needs and expectations.
 The organisation also provides necessary resources and support
for its employees in doing their job to satisfy the customers.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A CUSTOMER FOCUSED
PUBLIC ORGANIZATION
7. Continual improvement of services and processes
 It is necessary for an organisation to continually improve their
services, as well the processes involved in producing them.
 The improvement can be made in many ways, such as studying and finding
the best practices to do their job, cooperation and teamwork, and research and
development to enhance the productivity and performance through innovations
and inventions.
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