914-588-3694
I have heard from at least three people in the past week who are afraid they may lose their job. Rumors fly round their companies, cuts are coming, productivity is down as people spend as much time on LinkedIn as on their work, motivation and engagement are so low they could slide under a sleeping snake without waking it. Lots of people are scared.
I’m scared that the service I get from these companies is going to suffer. Customer service comes from people and I am not confident that there will be enough people skilled in customer service to provide the quality service to which I’ve become accustomed. I love GoDaddy because the people I speak with there, and I always get a person not a recording, are like pit bulls with a bone. They will not let me off the phone or the chat until they are satisfied that I am satisfied. And they invariably follow up a day or so later to make sure the solution is working as I’d hoped. Please note that none of the people I’ve heard from work at GoDaddy and I’ve no reason to believe their customer service will flag.
Because they get it. The Wall Street Journal today said that customer service is the best PR a company can have. Because inevitably people talk about good customer service simply because it is so rare these days. (See, I just did it in the paragraph above!) Good customer service comes from good people who are secure in their abilities and the ability to do their jobs. Can you reasonably expect good service from someone who has seen 40% of her colleagues leave and is now doing the work of two or more people? I doubt it.
Cutting people is not a long term solution. Keeping customers is. Companies will retain customers through outstanding customer service that can only be achieved when there are enough people to get the job done right. And it costs way more to replace a customer than to retain one. Contrary to current thinking, cutting people cuts profits rather than make a lasting contribution to the bottom line. Senior leaders can’t afford such short term thinking.
Ron I believe what you are saying is true although I have seen it happening in a different way but along those same lines. What I have noticed is a growing trend in the way companies are bidding on projects. It seems that companies are going to a more aggressive style of bidding for work which is affecting their employees, quality and their customer relations. For example if a project goes out for bid and four different competitors bid on the project, instead of taking the time to work the proposal correctly they will hastily put a number together and turn it in. Then once the project is won they will try and figure out how to make money on the back end. Normally this involves hiring contract employees for a lower wage with less experience to do the work instead of using current employees who have done the work for years. This, to me, would seem to be a cost cutting strategy that only looks at the short term. However it does not turn out that way [no savings are realized] as the contractors have to be trained to do the work and then when there is re-work due to imperfections This results in time delays and customer problems. It causes quality and customer trust to go down along with any profit the company hopes to obtain.
Ron,
I have been in HR for more than 15 years and in my experience, I believe that the customer base in business from a customer stand point is the same for us in HR in that our customer, are employees, but the employee has to be and be respected as a partner in a business. My approach in HR is not always about rules , but a customized approach to the customer. I started HR in benefits, but my passion is moving towards wellness. Love to chat more if you are interested in my thoughts on the relationship approach in HR, employees, management, communication and relationship of business for success for all!
Melanie,
Thanks for your comment. Your thoughts are welcome here as we Continue the Conversation. HR, and business, is not “one size fits all.” Customized customer service is the key. As I’ve often told managers, you don’t get to manage the way you want, you have to manage the way your employees need.
Only the best,
Ron
I have a strong belief in relationship building from communication in it takes a customized approach and one size does not fit all. Know your audience! That has been my struggle with programs that one size fits all whether it be business or from a management vs employee vs. customer approach.