Companies such as DIRECT TV are notorious for the bad service they provide. To gauge the effects on their would-be loyal customers take a look at Complaints Board.
The complainers assume that the company is deliberately setting out to cheat them, and in some cases they may be right. But the more likely explanation is that the managers are trying to run its service departments like a traditional production line as designed by Frederick Winslow Taylor for Henry Ford a century ago.
Customers would not mind (too much) the Chief Executive taking home $20 Million a year if they were getting brilliant service, but when they aren't he is rightly blamed. So, when my friend, Glen, told me of the appallingly bad service he received I thought a friendly letter to the CEO at chase.carey@directv.com was in order.
Dear Chase Kerry.
When your Uruguayan CLIENT NO XXXXX, ( name) moved flats in Montevideo on March 25th., every other service and its billing except DIRECT TV, was moved on the right day to the correct address.
You will find the full horrible story of Glen's attempts to get a minimal level of service from your company in the emails he sent to you starting on April 2nd.
Glen's grisly experience suggests that you have major management problems in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Your local managers are trying to address fundamental systems problems with classic command and control,Taylorist techniques.
Glen's experience testifies to the fact that they are failing miserably: enraging your customers, demoralising your staff and costing your firm a lot of money.
A useful guide to why they are failing and how they can remedy their failures is given by John Seddon at
http://www.systemsthinking.co.uk/5-1.asp#3
Although I am now based in Latin America, as a former UK consultant, also engaged in systems performance improvement, I can vouch for the excellent results that John's approach obtains.
In view of Glen Roberts' experience, could I suggest that we start to discuss how to transform the management culture of your organisation in Latin America to one that actually works for the customers and the staff, rather than frustrates and angers them.
Sincerely
Roy Madron
It will be interesting to see the response.
