Comments on: Plan A Little Leeway

By: Bob Reed

Bob Reed — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:04:33 +0000

Thanks for the comment. We’re trying.

By: Bob Reed

Bob Reed — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:50:14 +0000

It’s robo syndrome, Steve. Don’t think, just do what we’ve programmed you to do.

By: Bob Reed

Bob Reed — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:35:25 +0000

Funny, Gini. The SWA/Smith situation came to mind as I was writing this. True, corporations need rules, but employees need to some discretion to handle simple situations that are within their control.

Kris, LOL, but if it comes to that, something is REALLY wrong.

Very true, Erin. Business is not like the Popeil rotisserie. You just can’t set it and forget it.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:34:44 +0000

In the name of efficiency and standardization, many corporations suck initiative and independent thinking right out of their employees’ heads. In their quest to make every customer experience perfectly consistent, they end up with consistent mediocrity.

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:24:16 +0000

Thank you for printing the transcript of your discussion! “Don’t pick up the knife,” I love it.

It is a rare occasion that I go into a store/restaurant or any business and don’t see some simple solution that would make my experience so much more convenient and pleasant for me as a consumer.

While rules and policies are needed to set the course, it is just as important for businesses to review those rules/policies as they grow or at least be flexible enough to accomodate simple requests, like yours.

Great post.

By: Kris Schindler

Kris Schindler — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:19:13 +0000

I couldn’t help by laugh. I mean, similar situations have happened to me so many times. One day a “Here’s how to think and make decisions” chapter will be inserted into training manuals.

By: Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:12:56 +0000

Um. Wow.

This actually goes to a bigger issue happening in customer service across all large companies (think SWA and Kevin Smith). Because social media now amplifies these issues, it’s even more important for companies to teach flexibility and to empower their employees to make decisions that don’t hurt the company’s reputation or lose the company money. Take a page from Warren Buffet on this.