Maintaining Quality
I stopped by HoloScan this morning to set up commeting on my blog and found this notice:
HaloScan.com - Weblog Commenting Signups closed temporarily
With the daily signups numbering in the hundreds and the support requests that come with the new registrations, it would be tougher to implement the changes and additions we have planned without compromising the overall quality of service. Therefore, in the best interests of existing and future members, we have decided to close signups temporarily till we roll out the planned changes and additions.
Wow! The folks at HoloScan have decided to hold off on more customers to maintain quality. I like it.
It reminded me of a very different response from a senior executive when his top managers told him the were understaffed and unequipped to handle the business volume from the latest new product release.
The executive said (quite loudly): "I don't care how many monkeys it takes to handle that business! I don't care if we have to hire temps from now until next Christmas to handle that business!" (It was January.)
It's easy to see the revenue coming in the door. It's harder to see the cost, especially the intangible one -- overtime for salaried employees supervising all those temps -- leading to fatiuge, errors, illness. What about the learning curve for the temps? They'll have to ask the experienced employees for help, which will take the experienced folk away from the work they were doing, leading to less progress. What about the effects on quality and service levels -- which will eventually effect customer satisfaction and customer retention?
I'm not saying "No more new customers for now" is a strategy that every company should follow, especially when revenue is involved. But is is worth considering some questions:
--What are the dangers and risks of a highly successful solution?
--What is the downside of more business?
--Can we provide the level of quality and support we have delivered in the past? What does that mean to us?
I'll check back with HoloScan in a bit to see if they're open again.... In the meanwhile, I think I'll just set up a mail to.
I stopped by HoloScan this morning to set up commeting on my blog and found this notice:
HaloScan.com - Weblog Commenting Signups closed temporarily
With the daily signups numbering in the hundreds and the support requests that come with the new registrations, it would be tougher to implement the changes and additions we have planned without compromising the overall quality of service. Therefore, in the best interests of existing and future members, we have decided to close signups temporarily till we roll out the planned changes and additions.
Wow! The folks at HoloScan have decided to hold off on more customers to maintain quality. I like it.
It reminded me of a very different response from a senior executive when his top managers told him the were understaffed and unequipped to handle the business volume from the latest new product release.
The executive said (quite loudly): "I don't care how many monkeys it takes to handle that business! I don't care if we have to hire temps from now until next Christmas to handle that business!" (It was January.)
It's easy to see the revenue coming in the door. It's harder to see the cost, especially the intangible one -- overtime for salaried employees supervising all those temps -- leading to fatiuge, errors, illness. What about the learning curve for the temps? They'll have to ask the experienced employees for help, which will take the experienced folk away from the work they were doing, leading to less progress. What about the effects on quality and service levels -- which will eventually effect customer satisfaction and customer retention?
I'm not saying "No more new customers for now" is a strategy that every company should follow, especially when revenue is involved. But is is worth considering some questions:
--What are the dangers and risks of a highly successful solution?
--What is the downside of more business?
--Can we provide the level of quality and support we have delivered in the past? What does that mean to us?
I'll check back with HoloScan in a bit to see if they're open again.... In the meanwhile, I think I'll just set up a mail to.
posted by Esther Derby at
9:30:00 AM
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