I was recently consulting with a client who complained that one of their customers had replaced the POC (point of contact) of several years with another person and that he indicated he does not trust their company due to comments from tenants whom he would not reveal.

As we discussed the situation, it came to light that they do not have an active Quality Control plan/process in place and that they usually manage by complaint. They were proud of responding promptly to complaints and noted that seldom did the same customer complain again. When I asked to review their Complaint Log, they stated that they did not keep any records and went from memory. They were proud of their onsite supervisor who usually passed on the complaints to them with a determination as to whether they were valid or not.

When I asked if anyone from corporate followed up to verify if the onsite supervisor was fully disclosing all complaints and responses, they stated that on occasion they had determined that he oftentimes fixed the problem and did not report much less track it.

My next question was how interested were they in keeping/renewing this contract which was coming up for renewal soon? They indicated that they did not have any serious concerns. My response was that they were not recognizing the new element (the new POC) who had not been won over yet, had no real history of the positive things they had done in the past and was probably actively taking bids from other companies as we spoke. I stressed that time was running out for them to implement a QC inspection plan/program that was acceptable to the new POC. The sad thing is that they have received their 30 day notice and not invited to bid on the account.

Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net


posted on 9/14/2016