Surely we’ve all seen one lately…a company that decided to weather the economic downturn by pulling back on everything. It’s one thing to pare down extras, the non-operational niceties that better times afford. However, it’s a whole other deal to pare down necessities such as staffing, training for staff and service basics. How a company defines “battening down the hatches” reveals much about the strength of its infrastructure and its vision for the future.
I recently came across one of these companies that’s pulled back on everything. At first glance, I didn’t realize anything was different from past interactions with the company. But as I delved further into a current need, I learned the customer service staff was reduced and, likewise, so were their hours of operation. Fewer people to help, less time to get help… It really resonated with me that I might need to find another alternative with better “battening the hatches” capabilities; I want to work with the company with the strongest sea legs.
