People or systems? - diskusi pakar marketing

Seth's Blog: People or systems?: "People or systems?

Chris Garrett says I'm wrong about the Westin. That they should fix their systems, not their people.

I can't think of one world class service organization (whether it's someone selling million dollar computers to corporations or Starbucks) that has figured out how to replace great people with great systems.

The best organizations have principles and guidelines and even, yes, scripts. But time and again, they fall back to, 'Use your best judgment' or 'Do what's right for the customer' or 'Make something magical happen' or 'Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.'

When a hotel chain empowers a maid to spend up to $500 to make it right (using her own discretion), that's not a system, that's trusting great people to do the right thing.

The problems with systems?
1. if you rely on them too much, your people stop trying, and your hiring people realize they don't have to get such great people.
2. sooner or later, it's going to get copied by the competition. It's a lot easier to copy a system than it is to get great people.

JetBlue is first and foremost about the people Amy Curtis hired and trained. The systems allow the great people to do great work.

Yes, if you can automate it in a way that increases satisfaction, do it right away. Use an ATM system instead of the front desk at the hotel. Use an automated wake up call system. But then put the money you save into wonderful people at the concierge desk."


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"Sticking to the script

Seth points out where scripts fall down in his recent blog.

He says it would be better to have staff that think for themselves. I actually see it as a problem with the script, not the staff.

See, what would you prefer? A hotel where all the staff "wing it", improvising everything from what they say at the front desk to the selection of breakfast foods?

In service industries quality and consistency are paramount. I would rather have great procedures and top quality training and ok staff than brilliantly creative staff and ok procedures.

A hotel is a system, the only way you can manage and tune that system is if every part of it works as it should. That means sticking to the script.

Fix the system not the staff."
http://www.chrisg.org/Blog/PermaLink,guid,5fe93295-6ba4-4dbd-840c-36c49c62403b.aspx
Chris Garrett's Internet Marketing Blog

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Seth's Blog: Adventures in travel
"Adventures in travel

Staying at The Westin Hotel in Florida to give a speech today. The staff here is very scripted, doing things because they were told to, not because it comes naturally. My favorite example: When you ask for a wake up call in the morning, they automatically respond, "Would you like a follow up call fifteen minutes later?" I said no. They asked me the same question when I called an hour later to change the time. Same no answer from me.

So this morning, as is usual when I travel, I woke up an hour earlier than I wanted to. Before going to work out, I called to cancel my wake up so the ringing phone wouldn't bother the neighbors. The receptionist then asked, "Would you like me to cancel the follow up call as well?"

Obviously, there's no reason on earth that someone who is already awake and is cancelling their wakeup call would still want to be reminded of the call fifteen minutes later. Especially if they didn't ask for the reminder call in the first place. But there it is in the script, so it's an error that's repeated over and over.

I know it's more difficult, but hiring people who can think for themselves is usually a better long run strategy than scripting every conversation. If that's the plan, it's probably better to get an automated system. And not just at a hotel in Florida..."
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/03/adventures_in_t.html