Skip to main content

who owns the client?


The look on Oscar's face was as priceless as a kitten looking into a fishbowl.  Those jubilant feelings were evaporating quickly as overwhelmed Oscar began to consider his response to the customer simple statement of "you mean you are not always going to send Johnny to my site anymore?". Today, in many cases, the fact that a worker actually "owns" a customer is one of the primary reasons Oscar ended up with his nickname of overwhelmed. It is next to impossible to drive superior service performance to our client while balancing the customers favorite worker. We have known all along that this delicate balance of a preferred worker per jobsite is important to attract new workers and maintain long fruitful relationships.

Why? No doubt a relationship with the customer is very important. Can you honestly say if you had the information; where the equipment was located, site nuances, access codes and ladder positions, would you continue this same ridiculous practice? Is it in the company's best interest that a single worker owns the company's clients? Should we reinforce this behavior by hiring workers not only on their skill level but also on the number of contracts and customers they can bring with them? When will the madness stop!  As our workforces continue to dwindle, it will become increasingly important that we get the right person with the right skills on the right work activity. Our clients may love us and like Johnny and his personality; however, if we don't maintain that equipment, keep it running trouble-free and energy efficient, we are out of a job. God bless our customers as they should throw each and every one of us to the curb if our number one priority is not asset optimization.

So what's the sense of urgency? We are exploring connected systems and artificial intelligence daily, the effort is significant and worthwhile. Our challenges in evolving the industry, while technology may take center stage now, will really boil down to our ability to change our business and our culture. We must start breaking the dependencies and democratize the way that we objectively distribute and manage our clients and work activities.

----- 
Next post:  who's data is it?
-----
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In$pired

As the steam from Avid Andy's coffee fogged his glasses on this crisp January morning, he reflected on last year and thought enthusiastically about the year ahead.   Sometimes the noise of business is deafening, we rarely take the time to contemplate our moves, instead are often thrown one direction or another.   Hey, face it, if you are reading posts to gain perspective you fall in the group of folks who pride themselves as obsequious hoop-jumpers.   We live to help others and expect that all of those around us feel the same way.   I just love Influential Irene.   Okay, it is out in the open, she is an inspiration for me and so many others.   Irene reminds folks every year, without fail, these three statements which she fondly refers to as "the punchline" (although this is no joke).   Businesses, of any size, will be successful if they remember that it is people that make a company.   Put this advice into practice, today: Sincerity |...
Post a Comment
Read more

expert at everything...not a problem

Well... I would say sometimes there certainly is a perceived notion that one person is an expert at everything. For the worker "everything" may be defined as the specific area in which you were hired or are constantly scheduled. Our opinions are frequently influenced off of past experience, or information we've received from their coworkers. Unfortunately this only gives us partial insight to that workers expertise and often is limited to their most recent history. Narrowly focused accounting is made of the skills that this individual possess. Come on, can't we figure out a way to leverage all of the skills of a particular worker? One of the challenges has always been that relationship between the activities which need to be accomplished and the myriad skills of individuals within your workforce. In addition, even if you could inventory and get a pretty good handle on the skill sets, they are constantly changing (with any luck) and thus the ineffective process of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who owns the data?

Finally the capital budget allows you to replace some very old equipment.    You can't open a trade magazine without seeing the latest news regarding the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).   Lucky for you the equipment manufacturers are offering an IIoT ready solution packaged with your equipment.   Suddenly your enthusiasm turns to confusion as you review the details of the quote.   What the hell is that subscription fee?   Isn't this equipment mine; lock, stock and barrel?   You mean to tell me that I need to pay the manufacturer, every month,   to give me the luxury of accessing data produced by the equipment I just purchased?   The only explanation has to be new math, at least as a child this is what my parents told me when I asked hard to answer questions. It's amazing how history repeats itself, we are starting to see manufacturer specific data languages appearing in their "smart" equipment.   Didn't we learn our lesson ...
Post a Comment
Read more