The First Wednesday Roundtable—
An ongoing discussion forum for services and
support executives
Next meeting:
October 5, 2011
Forefront Conference Center, Waltham, Mass.
“Measures, Metrics & Madness”
Phil Verghis, principal,
The Verghis Group
Dear colleague,
The most powerful model for delivering great support, says support consultant Phil Verghis, is a “relationship-based” model for interacting with customers. The basic idea, he explains, is to make the support center a “trusted advisor” in the customer’s business, not just a source for occasional break-fix or how-to advice.
“Trouble is,” says Phil, “many companies run into a brick wall almost immediately when they roll out this model. Senior management loves the idea, but their vision doesn’t trickle down to mid-level managers and front-line teams.”
Phil argues that the biggest obstacle is almost always traditional transaction-based performance metrics. “We tell people to invest in relationships, and then we reward them for pure transactional behavior. Your employees literally can’t figure out what you really want them to do.”
At the October 5 First Wednesday Roundtable breakfast meeting, Phil will talk about how to better align the vision of relationship-based support with appropriate performance metrics. You’re invited to join us for a lively and informative discussion.
Among the topics Phil will explore are these–
- How to reduce whiplash from constant changes in corporate priorities
- How to make sure you generate real progress, not just reports
- How to resolve more issues with cross-functional teams
- How to make sure front-line staff can give customers high-value advice
As always, this meeting is a wide-open forum for sharing experiences and asking questions. No PowerPoint slides, no monologs, no sales pitches. Just a couple of hours over breakfast with colleagues who are wrestling with the same issues you are. Phil will kick off the discussion with his own observations, but our agenda is deliberately flexible.
So bring your hottest questions and strongest opinions. This is your chance to listen and talk.
We look forward to seeing you on October 5! (A reminder: Please don’t wait too long to register. We can only accommodate 40 attendees–after we reach that number, registration will close.)
Fred Van Bennekom …………………..Jeffrey Tarter………………….. Phil Verghis
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