One thing I like about engaging good small companies is having a one-stop-shop in the resolution of problems. Often, when you hire good small-businesses and they encounter a problem requiring specialists, they do not pass the buck to the client, but own up the problem and try to find a suitable expert to attend to it. They avoid piecemeal resolution of problems, and shield clients from having to interact with many service providers, unless by the client’s request.

Corporates and small-businesses growing into departments on the other hand, tend to provide more specialisation that come at the expense of good customer experience.

When engaging with bigger companies, it is as if one needs an intense technical understanding of the problem, diagnose it properly, identify relevant experts and fully describe the problem to ensure the involvement of the right team. Failing which, and if the service provider involves skilled trade workers, you risk paying different teams’ call-out fees besides costs for the diagnostic report and related resolution of the problem.

Business expansion and departmentalisation should not be at the expense of good customer experience. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 30 April 2019. Continue reading →