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Don’t Fix What Ain’t Broken!

In: Stories to Tell Your Students

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas A. Conklin

Abstract

Let me tell you a story about a consultant named Tom. He spent four months working with a teleservices company in Wisconsin helping service representatives do a better job of up selling to customers who had complaints with their accounts. The department was organized such that each representative had a direct line that customers could call so they would deal with the same rep each time. For customers with complicated problems this model had the effect of facilitating relationships between reps and customers. Because the rep had a better understanding of their customers they were given the authority and responsibility to utilize resources at their discretion to ensure the customer was happy with the resolution of the issue. After the rep solved the problem, they would follow up with the customer when service had been restored to ensure satisfaction. This whole arrangement had a very nice appeal for everyone who was involved in the transaction: it boosted customer satisfaction, increased employee responsibility and efficacy, and improved the company’s reputation.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas A. Conklin, 2011. "Don’t Fix What Ain’t Broken!," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Joan Marques & Satinder Dhiman & Jerry Biberman (ed.), Stories to Tell Your Students, chapter 1, pages 7-9, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-37043-2_3
    DOI: 10.1057/9780230370432_3
    as

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