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