On Service and Growth

Last week I began moving into my new office. The phone was connected Thursday as was the DSL line. When the phone company technician came to do the installation, part of it went smoothly and part of it didn’t. He got the phones up and running but when he came to the DSL part, well, let’s just say he hit a snag. He called for support, just like you or I would, and after layer upon layer of “press this” and “press that,” he finally reached a human being. So here they are, two fellow employees talking on the phone, trying to identify and solve the problem.

It soon became clear that the person on the other end of the phone wasn’t very helpful. In fact, you could say she was downright unhelpful, a sentiment echoed by the on-site technician. I suppose service is still one of the most significant competitive advantages today and it transcends all industries. It’s not, “If you build it, they will come” but, rather “If you service them, they will remain.”