In the Trenches: Testing a New Business Practice – Small Business Center
We done flight monitoring the same way ever since we started, but now we’re going to test something new to see how it works.
In the Trenches: Testing a New Business Practice – Small Business Center
We done flight monitoring the same way ever since we started, but now we’re going to test something new to see how it works.
5 comments on “Cranky on the Web: Testing a New Business Practice”
Speaking as an approximately once-a-month customer: I notice that I’m nearly always assigned to the same person. This is sort of nice, but not really very important. It wouldn’t bother me to be assigned to a team providing 24 hr coverage, rather than an individual.
What really WOULD bother me, though, would be having to re-explain my situation in the middle of traveling, Suppose something has gone wrong with my trip, and Sam from your office has been helping me. But now it’s quitting time in Sam’s time zone, and Alice is taking over. Sam absolutely must give a *comprehensive* handoff to Alice. Trying to bring Alice up to speed myself by typing on my cell phone while walking down a concourse would be a big disappointment. So borrow a page from medicine and come up with a plan for “transitions of care”!
Good luck…
Grichard – That is without question the most important thing in a team scenario. We’d have to make sure that the transition is seamless between concierges, and I think we have that down now. We have systems in use where we can share data and of course nothing can replace the simple turnover between two people talking. If we do use teams, they will be small teams. We would just want to have enough people to provider coverage 24 hours a day. We wouldn’t grow teams larger than that – we’d just add more teams. But of course, this is why we need to do testing to see if this would indeed work. We’re just starting that process now. We won’t do this if it doesn’t make any sense.
Grichard: I think you put everyone’s feelings in a nutshell when you said, “Trying to bring Alice up to speed myself by typing on my cell phone while walking down a concourse would be a big disappointment.” I think the hardest part of team coverage, especially if not everyone has access to the same systems, is keeping the entire team informed with adequate background information and accurate current comments for a particular situation.
Excellent points, Brett. But without more, specific details it is impossible to provide meaningful feedback. Many of your methods and practices are very fairly considered “Trade Secrets,” and must remain so. However, without a good bit more detail, I’m not clear about why you published this – or what kind of feed back you expect. A well-considered trial is worth a little measured risk, but I do not understand what you are asking of your readers and clients. In any case, I hope your trials are are successful; improvement is one component necessary for growth. -C.
Cedarglen – Unfortunately, these posts aren’t written to elicit feedback.
Intuit even removed the comment function on these posts on the Small Business Center website (which is frustrating). These are really supposed to be more about be rambling on about the challenges I face as a small business owner. I always welcome the feedback here on Cranky, but the posts aren’t designed for it anymore.