Plan B and Plan C

Its a funny situation to blog. But, still..

We are participating in a tradeshow in Phoenix from 23rd - 25th of Feb. We have invested more time preparing for this tradeshow than we have ever before.

Since, 18th Feb - this Monday, something "funny" started happening.

Our booth, marketing collaterals and giveaways (that I had carried myself from India) were "misplaced" by the shipment/logistics Company, Yellow Freight. After non-stop phone calls by our team to Yellow Freight, they were able to track one box (we had shipped two large boxes). The box that had the giveaways has been declared "lost" (at 7pm EST, Friday, Yellow Freight called us up to inform).

It was too late for us to get into a mega salvaging plan. Still, we worked non-stop on 19th and 20th on Plan B.

Its 6pm EST on Saturday, 21st Feb, and it seems our Plan B has gone for a toss, as well.

We are working on Plan C - however, it may be too late to execute..

The pre-show direct mailers that our printer - Alpha Graphics - was supposed to print and mail on 12th, never reached the prospects. My umpteen calls and email to their contact person did not get answered.

All the above lapses are 100% due to the trusted service providers who have served us well earlier. What is even more infuriating is the atrocious customer support - no one has a clue of whats going on.

Its both surprising as well as disturbing to see customer service levels plummet to un-imaginable levels. This is a relatively new phenoemon. We think it has to do with a relentlessly sliding economy. However, isn't it counter - intuitive? One would think the customer support levels should actually have improved in these difficult times.

Has the uncertainty about future driven people to this state? I hope not.

Paranoid people can never reverse the track of a free-falling economy.

- Udayan

Comments

[Bithin]

Hi Udayan,
I have to say, at business shit happens. And plans A, B and C have to be something to do with fundamentals. I think something basic missing from you equation could be that in hard times, customer service of time tested good brand names survive while lesser known players with less deeper pockets may not be able to sustain higher service levels. These are also times when cost pressures lead to companies addressing it through short term measures like maybe layin goff contract workers. Modern day variable cost business plans are working on razor thin margins. Such measures are no brainers. However, sometimes the value that the contractor or outsourced services provide are extremely valuable but cost pressures make them seem non core. In this context, your experience may have been different if instead of your existing service provider you may have stuck with more truly tested bigger brand names like UPS or DHL. Who knows ... Shit may still happen.

[Abhilasha]

udayan waiting for ur new post