SixSig Supports the 5th Customer Feedback Week
Posted by: meikah | 25 July 2008 | 3:14 am
Here are the reasons why:
First, a robust VOC process can drive better Six Sigma results.
Second, VOC is big. It’s the customer who rules because it’s the customer who determines the quality of your product. It’s the customer who can make or break what to you is the most innovative product or service.
Filed under: Six Sigma, VOC, Customer Service
No Comments » |
Book Review: What to Say to a Porcupine: 20 Humorous Tales that Get to the Heart of Great Customer Service
Posted by: meikah | 16 July 2008 | 12:42 am
From the title alone, you’d already get the idea how the book will be presented. Yes, customer service concepts and principles, most of which we already know, are presented in anecdotes—much like Aesop’s fables.
The book is effective because customer service principles, which would otherwise sound serious and sanctimonious, are derived from real-life situations, and lessons are gleaned by processing each featured experience.
From the experiences and behaviors of clowns, hyenas, a greek chorus, parrots, snipes, porcupines, (grizzly) bear, Murphy’s law, to penguins, self-absorbed bride, a knight (Sir Gawain and King Arthur), piggies, bees, dogs, laid-off psychologists, sloths, mopes, hare (or rabbits), ruler and not necessarily a leader, a coach, there is a mountain of lessons to be learned.
- Make a good first impression.
- Listen to your customers.
- Don’t hassle your customers.
- Avoid negative expectation.
- Don’t be a snipe (meaning, mean-spirited).
- Never confront someone who is prickly.
- Good service is all in the mechanics.
- Shine when things go wrong.
- Silence is golden.
- Focus on your customer.
There are 10 more lessons, so get your copy of What to Say to a Porcupine?
EPILOGUE: Good service is more than a fable. Yes, it’s definitely more than fantasy, more than concepts and ideas. It’s all about action and engagement.
Overall, what I learned from the book is that great customer service springs from a genuine understanding of the human psyche. That psyche is not that of other people, but our own. How we want to be treated, is much the same way that other people would want to be treated as well. In other words, “do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.”
Filed under: Six Sigma References, Customer Service, Book Review
No Comments » |
Can Six Sigma Protect Companies from Crisis?
Posted by: meikah | 7 July 2008 | 9:32 pm
The fuel crisis is global. And because most, if not all, of our activities depend on fuel, we are now feeling the crunch.
The hottest issue of the day in the country is the impending increase of fuel. Different sectors have different views on how to peg the increase: in one go or in small amounts. So far, I have not heard of any company closures, or companies retrenching their workforce to cope with the crisis. What we’re experiencing though are increases of basic commodities.
Already two locally based airlines, PAL and SEAIR, are seeking regulatory nod for fuel surcharge increase.
The fuel crisis however has a different effect on other companies outside of the Philippines. In the airlines industry for example, many American airlines have regrouped, increased charges, put charges where there weren’t before, and cut down on flights and employees. AirTran is to cut 180 pilot jobs, 300 flight attendant jobs.
A Six Sigma company is actually doing those cuts. Jazz Air LP has implemented several cost-saving measures to cope with the rising fuel cost. Although Jazz is already a lean company, yet they have to let some of their people go.
According to Joseph Randell, President and CEO of Jazz:
While Jazz is already a lean organization and is in a reasonable position to manage its current challenges, every effort is being made to reduce our costs and to prepare for what may lie ahead.
Jazz has already established a number of fuel-saving initiatives, recently froze all hiring and non-critical staff overtime, and instituted a number of other cost-saving programs. Being a Six Sigma organization has made Jazz a more efficient airline and the focus to ensure we remain competitive is constant.
This incident made me ask, can Six Sigma protect companies from crisis?
Source:
iSixSigma News
Filed under: Six Sigma Organizations, Human Resource, Lean, Six Sigma, Airlines, Customer Service
No Comments » |
“Six Sigma Doesn’t Belong in Customer-Centric Environments”
Posted by: meikah | 25 June 2008 | 8:49 pm
Here’s an interesting view of Six Sigma and it’s role or should I say “non-role” in customer-centric environments.
Let me quote a good part of the article:
The subject is six sigma. In customer-centric environments. Where it doesn’t belong (unless we’re considering the shop floors of line manufacturers to be “customer-centric”). So let’s cut right to the chase and explain why.
First, business process has two basic components:
Workflow: how work (and information) flow from function to function (or person to person within a function)
Work process: how individuals within a function perform their workIn front office and support staff and service company environments—unlike in line manufacturing—workflow is the dominant component. But in line manufacturing—especially through a six sigma lens—work process is the dominant component. Ergo, we have two very different workplace environments. And it’s not too much of a stretch to call them diametrically opposed in business process terms.
Now, where does customer-centricity play out? Primarily in front office and support staff environments. So why would we use a business process improvement methodology designed for manufacturing in the front office and other variable environments—especially customer-centric environments, which are the most variable of all? Beats us.
For me, customer-centricity is a culture—a general mindset—and as such it pervades the whole organization. Thus, I believe you cannot separate one department and call it as the only customer-centric entity in your organization.
Now, how that organization position its processes to achieve that customer-centric culture or environment is up to them. The organization could use Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen, TQM, etc. It shouldn’t even matter.
What’s important is that you’re producing high-quality products and services, and satisfying the needs of your customers.
