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Originally Posted by ApK
For example, who says that the employee receiving the '?' email isn't a manager?
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Because the quote seems to make a clear distinction between "managers" and "employees".
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And anyway, sometime it really IS the fault of an employee.
"I was only following orders" doesn't even excuse sworn soldiers in many cases, why should it excuse a customer service rep?
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Because I worked as a customer service rep in the past, and know how this stuff works.
"I listened in on your last call. You must give customers more explanation."
*gives customers more explanation*
"Why did you not meet $Target yesterday?"
- "Because you told me to give customers more explanation."
"That's not a reason."
Eh. You can't have it both. You can't expect a CS Rep to both hit a target like 70 calls within a day (~6min 45s a call, including taking full name, address, phone number, e-mail, product type and model, serial number, used operating system, if any... blabla....) *AND* completely explain and teach every little detail to a customer and doing stuff like a complete device installation through the phone.
In the end, the CS Rep never does it right. He/She either fobs off customers, or he/she doesn't meet some sort of target for the company. To the outside, the company screams "customer!", to the inside, the company screams "target!".
And it's never the manager who is at fault. He sets a target of 50-60-70 calls/mails/chats per day according to "expected volume", and you're expected to meet it, or you're "underperformig". I once told my manager:
"OK. I'll meet the target of at least 70 calls this day, and all your other stuff like taking name, addrss, ectetera, educating customers, explaining how devices work, walking them through device installations, IF you can show me how. Sit at the phone. Take into account ALL stuff we are expected to do AND all of your other rules, and then, MEET YOUR OWN TARGETS. If you can do it... I will do it as well." He never took me up on the challenge, and I never heard one more quip about not meeting a target as long as my customer satisfaction was "in the green".
Believe me, I know how this shit works, if you're in between the customer and the manager.