Are you into customer service or system service?
Companies make systems for their smooth functioning but they need a constant review to make sure that changing requirements of customers are captured.
A manpower supply company, banking with one of the largest banks in the country was facing troubles to pay over 3000 of its employees on time. The company was a leader in the business, contracting with government departments and corporations in the Middle East and supplying them with manpower based on their requirement. As per the contract, the company retained over 3000 people on their own payroll and received a lump-sum amount from their customers on a monthly basis for supply of manpower.
None of the banks had a payment system that allowed over 3000 transactions on click of a button and they did multiple meetings at various levels in the bank sharing their pain as the inconsistency in payment was causing unrest among employees. Once, a banker visited them to market his bank and the company demanded that they will bank with him only if he is able to provide a solution to their problem. The banker asked for a week’s time, tinkered the minds at the top of his IT department and made amends to the entire bank’s system to accommodate the company’s requirements.
After thorough checking, the company shifted not only its own account, but the accounts of all its 3000+ employees in one shot and the bank hit a goldmine!
When organisations grow bigger and robust systems are set to run it in autopilot, there comes a time when it's employees shift their focus from being customer centric to system centric. This happens because of perks associated to following the system. The system doesn't capture the softer points of how you made the customer feel by going a mile further for them and hence, your assessment only depends on what the system reflects. Other times, the employees are just a scared (or lazy) bunch and when they face even a little deviation from normal, they hit the wall.
Recently, I had been to a very reputed hotel for a stay with my family. Having a two year old with me, I requested them in advance for check out an hour later than their usual time. At the time of check out, they asked me to pay room rent for another half day as the "system shows that you have to pay".
It was an easy escape for the receptionist as she metaphorically raised her arms saying she can't do anything. It's not difficult for us to pay extra but we'll pay for what's fair, not because the “system doesn't allow”. Similar case happened in Spain when a car renting company denied a car just because their system didn’t accept a particular card out of which they had to withdraw 1 EURO. After 5 hours of fighting (and delay in the schedule), we had to hire another car from a different company across the town.
The systems are super necessary for the corporations to scale and run. But we need to pay attention that the customers are paying for our products only with their money and not with their frustrations.