MAL 30:19 MAL30 | Page 37

record much happier teams, and the more discerning employers have child care set ups, exercise facilities, relaxation and hang out rooms, as well as other comfort inducing initiatives that enhance staff welfare. Quite a number have taken into account the need to facilitate comfort for lactating mothers, and towards this cause legislation in this country has added its voice with the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill 2017 that postulates that “A woman who has a baby may breastfeed or Breastfeeding at express breast milk at a lactation place in the work place. (1) Every employer shall establish a Lactation place in the manner prescribed under this Act, have a chair, table and a clean space to store equipment.” Quite the win towards providing and internal customer environment that inspires impact. It would be remiss not to include in the discussion on tools for an admirable internal customer environment, what would be considered one of the most important tools of internal happiness trade - a system to listen to the voice of the internal customer. Brands need to draw up specific strategies to actively seek feedback from their internal customers on various matters including: feedback on their engagement with the vision and the meaningfulness of their work; assessment of the leadership that governs them on a primary and secondary level; their thoughts on what would improve the products and services that the brand offers; innovative ideas that would disrupt the industry of operation towards a renewed focus; as well as information on what would possibly improve internal output dynamics including interdepartmental efficiencies, customer complaints and continual improvement needs. Creating an internal customer environment that leads to holistic success, should take on the same serious approach that developing the organization’s annual financial budget does. The audit and risk system in place needs to analyze this parameter and provide reports that management and the board should scour and set targets for increased achievement. For as long as garbage in produces garbage out, and the quality of inputs processed provides the quality of outputs received, then the meticulous development and maintenance of an internal customer environment should be a thing that is high on the corporate strategy agenda. Anything less than that, should have leadership point at selves when the corporate results are not achieved. The root cause and consequences thereof, will be clear for all to see. Carolyne Gathuru is the founder and director of strategy at LifeSkills Consulting. She has several years of experience in customer experience strategy development and training. You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail at: [email protected]. AFRICA’S MOST EXPERIENCED ADVERTISING PROFESSIONALS HAVE COME TOGETHER FOR AFRICA’S YOUNGEST COUNTRY. Over 150 years of global advertising creative, design and strategic experience comes together in the Village Creative, South Sudan’s new marketing communications agency. VC’s head office in Nairobi houses strategic, branding and design, digital and video, sound and photographic production facilities while the Juba office houses creative, activation, client service professionals who work closely with Nairobi. Contact Dick Omondi +254737048009 in Nairobi and on +211924849897 in Juba or VILLAGE CREATIVE email [email protected] for all branding and communication support in South Sudan.