“Six Sigma “Works” By Eliminating Customer Service” goes one story on BusinessWeek. The story’s title got my attention because I know Six Sigma’s bottomline has the customers in mind. You continuously improve processes to better please your customers.
When I read the story, I somehow knew that what Claude E. Beeler Jr is saying has a ring of truth. I know that many successful companies do not treat their distributors, who are also their customers, well.
I’m sharing the story with you below and I hope some Six Sigma practitioners out there can enlighten Claude and others who feel as Claude does.
As a small-business owner, I have personally dealt with several manufacturers that have instituted the Six Sigma system (“Six Sigma still pays off at Motorola (MOT ),” The Corporation, Dec. 4). It may be good for manufacturers, but as a distributor of their goods, it was bad for me.
At each company, customer service declined, becoming less responsive and more rigid and unfriendly. Return policies became very restrictive. Customer service and field sales personnel were cut, and their duties were pushed onto distributors with no margin increase to compensate for the increased overhead. Their attitude became: “I will increase my bottom-line profit, and I am not concerned about the effect it has on you.” Six Sigma is entirely one-sided, and there is no spirit of cooperation.
Claude E. Beeler Jr.
Oklahoma City
