External clients are non-company members who utilise a company’s products or services. An external customer is a person who enters the store and purchases products. Internal consumers are members of a company who rely on one another to complete their respective job tasks. To place an order, a sales person, for instance, requires assistance from customer reps.
A customer is a person or entity that utilises the output of another person or entity. External client supermarket shopper purchases items from the market. Internal customers in the supermarket include the management who relies on the accountant’s information to make choices and the stock person who must get materials from the warehouse in order to stock the shelves.
Customers, both external and internal, are essential to the success of a firm or organisation. External consumers supply the necessary revenue stream for the survival of a business through their purchases. Customers from outside the company who are satisfied make repeat purchases and refer the company to other prospective clients. Conversely, clients who suffer as a result of a negative experience with a business, such as impolite treatment by an employee, may discourage others from patronising that business. An internal customer who does not work well with other corporate components may have trouble placing orders or gaining answers to the questions of his external clients, resulting in bad service.
