| Many movies have been made about the tragic | | | | Sam Walton, the founder of Wal Mart, said |
| story of the Titanic. Arrogance and | | | | that the most important person to an |
| ignorance was definitely present during its | | | | organization can be the one who greets that |
| maiden voyage, which was Titanic's last | | | | customers. Too many companies don't even |
| voyage.Many warnings were given, but | | | | realize just how MUCH each person represents |
| unfortunately, the warnings were not taken | | | | their company!There is WAY too much |
| seriously. On April 14th, 1912 Titanic | | | | competition in the marketplace NOT to heed |
| received six warnings that icebergs were | | | | warnings. Industries like telecom, |
| present in their perimeter. On the night of | | | | automobile, office supplies, soft drinks, and |
| April 14th, Titanic struck an iceberg and | | | | restaurant industries, just to name a few, |
| ultimately sank to the bottom of the Atlantic | | | | had better take warnings seriously. Some |
| Ocean.For other entities, what happened to | | | | companies might not get the luxury of six |
| the Titanic does NOT have to happen to them. | | | | warnings that the Titanic got. Sometimes, |
| Many have learned from the mistakes that | | | | only one warning can break a company. That's |
| Titanic had made.There are several examples | | | | why companies that DO encourage, and take |
| that follow and form a parallel to what | | | | seriously, customer feedback are invaluable |
| happened to Titanic and how an entity can | | | | and can be a gold mine.6. The Titanic only |
| learn from Titanic's mistakes.1. The Titanic | | | | had white flare guns to signal for help.Red |
| only had 16 lifeboats, which was not nearly | | | | is the standard color for a flare gun used to |
| enough to save everyone on the ship.Only | | | | signal for help. When the Titanic was |
| about 60% of the entire lifeboats' capacity | | | | sinking, white flare guns were shot off from |
| was utilized! Does your company have a | | | | the ship. One or two ships many miles away |
| disaster plan in place? Are your computers, | | | | say the white flares, but did not interpret |
| especially your servers, being backed up on a | | | | the white flares as warning messages.Does |
| regular basis? Many servers are now being | | | | your entity use the proper means of |
| backed up on a daily basis and sometimes on | | | | communication? Is it ensured that all of the |
| an hourly basis.When I was working at a | | | | parties involved completely understand what |
| Helpdesk, one of our afternoon gals was named | | | | the other parties are saying? Many groups |
| the "Backup Queen" because she took EVERY | | | | within an organization speak entirely |
| major server backup VERY seriously. The | | | | different languages. Sales, technology and |
| company was very lucky to have the "Backup | | | | management translations may as similar to |
| Queen" because there were several instances | | | | translating three different foreign |
| where our most critical server had crashed | | | | languages.7. Bruce Ismay, the president of |
| and lost information. Fortunately, | | | | White Star, pressured Captain Smith into |
| information restoration was quick and | | | | unrealistic and dangerous goals.Ismay wanted |
| painless due to the machine being backed up | | | | the Titanic to arrive in New York on Tuesday, |
| on a regular basis.We were very lucky to have | | | | April 16th. In order to meet this goal, the |
| someone who took the initiative to handle the | | | | ship would have to travel at full speed a |
| server backups. Is your company that lucky? | | | | majority of the time. The coercion from |
| Yes, doing backups can be VERY unexciting. | | | | Ismay turned out to be dangerous due to the |
| However, losing valuable data can be very | | | | ship's demise.Ismay's level was similar to a |
| exciting, but in a negative way.2. The | | | | CEO's level. Is your company's CEO and the |
| crewmen in the lookout tower, or the "crow's | | | | rest of the management staff setting |
| nest," were not issued binoculars to better | | | | realistic goals? Are your managers providing |
| search for icebergs.Employees were not given | | | | bilateral communication? Feedback is vital |
| the proper tools to use to do their job. Is | | | | to any company's survival because many |
| your company using the right software for the | | | | managers are not involved in day-to-day |
| job? Are you saving money on upgrading your | | | | activities.8. The two wireless operators' |
| operating system and software, but are losing | | | | priorities were not focused on the ship's |
| customers? If you are losing customers, | | | | priorities.Many of the aristocrats in first |
| you're NOT really saving any money at all.The | | | | class passage had paid both operators bonuses |
| right equipment can range from the very | | | | to wire messages to New York. One of the |
| basic, such as issuing headphones that are | | | | Titanic's operators told another ship to |
| compatible with the phone system to customer | | | | "shut up" after being given another iceberg |
| service representatives, to ensuring that a | | | | warning. It was a powerful rebuke that may |
| backup generator can adequately run due to a | | | | have cost thousands of lives.Is your customer |
| power outage.3. Titanic had a total of 16 | | | | service department doing all it can to retain |
| watertight compartments. Initially, it | | | | and acquire it customers? A polite and |
| sounded fine, but unfortunately, each | | | | knowledgeable customer service representative |
| compartment did not hold water on its own. | | | | can save the company thousands of dollars and |
| Every compartment was similar to an ice cube | | | | maybe more! I have had the fortunate |
| tray. When one compartment overflowed, water | | | | experience of dealing with many great |
| flowed into the next compartment. Each | | | | customer service representatives. I have |
| compartment did not completely seal off water | | | | told many of the rep's supervisors that I |
| on its own.Does your company have a good | | | | really appreciated their help as well and |
| disaster recovery plan in place? If a flood | | | | that they are lucky to have such great rep's |
| or a fire struck the premises, would you be | | | | on their team.9. The Titanic's steel |
| able to resume business operations in a | | | | construction was never tested in cold |
| matter of days or would it take a matter of | | | | temperature.The steel that made up ocean |
| months?Is your information that you have on | | | | liners in the early 20th Century was brittle |
| site being sent off site so you CAN have | | | | to begin with. Unfortunately, the steel was |
| another place to access your valuable | | | | never stress-tested to determine what stress |
| information?4. The Titanic was going at full | | | | levels the structure could endure.Is adequate |
| speed at night in iceberg-infested waters.Are | | | | testing being done on your company's |
| your machines at your business running at | | | | products? Are your prototypes up to the |
| 100% capacity on a continuous basis? How | | | | challenges of customers' demands? Are an |
| much is downtime costing you when those | | | | automobile company's crash tests being |
| machines need to be fixed? Are you REALLY | | | | utilized to the fullest extent?North Notes is |
| saving money by not buying more machinery? | | | | a writing and researching company, which |
| Does the cost of more machinery outweigh the | | | | primarily helps writers gain focus, |
| cost of your present machines' downtime?5. | | | | motivation, remove mental blocks that help to |
| The Titanic did not heed to the many iceberg | | | | unblock the writing process. EVERYONE who |
| warnings.Titanic received six iceberg | | | | writes has been stuck at some point in his or |
| warnings on the day it sank! Is your sales | | | | her career. You do not have to accept these |
| force, customer service department and/or | | | | mind-boggling roadblocks! |
| helpdesk REALLY listening to your customers? | | | | |