The diligent
industrialist in you seeks reassurance that every expenditure of time and money
is going to help you get something back in return. It’s been a sound business
practice for a century now.
When dealing
with people, the quest for tangible ROI frequently leads you astray.
If you run a
call center and your only focus is tangible ROI, you’re probably going to keep
costs down and efficiency high. You’ll use tele-prompts, give your customer
service representatives scripts to follow and figure out how to increase
volume. If each rep handles as many incoming calls as physically possible, your
company profits – and with that, return on investment – are maximized.
Your other
option is to hire a few extra people. Get rid of the tele-prompts and empower
each representative to listen more attentively to the incoming callers and
handle each request with real sincerity. This approach gives ROI a swift kick
in the shin. It also allows for real human connections.
Instinctively,
we know it’s better for business to treat people like they matter. There exists
no Excel spreadsheet or ROI analysis that can prove this, but there doesn’t
need to be. No amount of numbers or figures can disprove what comes natural to
us. We’re social creatures. We love sharing things,
especially good things.
Don’t let
business sense get in the way of common sense. Realize that your investments
include more than what is most tangible. This might mean spending a little more
time and money. Don’t worry. It comes back much greater in the form of relationships,
good will and loyalty.
Isn’t that
the “return” you’re really after?
Image by: bivoir
