Liability. It's what you owe on a balance sheet. It's what you try to avoid pretty much everywhere else. I mean, who wants to the be the liability on the 'idea team'? Who wants to be the spy whose time has come due to 'becoming a liability issue'? Nobody.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Today I went on an errand at lunch, and found myself in a department store. They have a jewelry counter, and sell watches, lots of them. Lots of brands, including the one I'd brought in for a new battery.
But they no longer replace watch batteries. They outsource that to a kiosk in the mall with a name like FastFixx or something clever like that. The salesclerk was cordial, but I could feel snark right beneath the surface. I interpreted that as defensiveness, most likely developed over time as she's delivered the message to countless people who have, until this time, always gone there to get their batteries replaced.
See, they don't want to be responsible for replacing broken watches. Even though they carry them, and I'd guess the incident of watch smashing is pretty low given the cool little tools they have to perform said battery replacements, but that's the bottom line.
When the folks at WalMart, then Target had insisted on looking at the brand before attempting battery replacement, they explained how it works. Just in case they break it, they're prepared to replace it.
It's not very often I'll say I like that approach better than the 'No ma'am, I'm sorry we just don't do watch batteries. We send people out to that kiosk in the mall.'
Really? I'd say it's worth it to train them rather than lose a customer who will most likely head out the door and start buying perfume at the other kiosk and then shoes at the other department store who has a better selection and sales strategy anyway.
I'm just sayin'. Maybe now would be a good time to invest in one of the ecodrives? Then this would be a non-issue.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Today I went on an errand at lunch, and found myself in a department store. They have a jewelry counter, and sell watches, lots of them. Lots of brands, including the one I'd brought in for a new battery.
But they no longer replace watch batteries. They outsource that to a kiosk in the mall with a name like FastFixx or something clever like that. The salesclerk was cordial, but I could feel snark right beneath the surface. I interpreted that as defensiveness, most likely developed over time as she's delivered the message to countless people who have, until this time, always gone there to get their batteries replaced.
See, they don't want to be responsible for replacing broken watches. Even though they carry them, and I'd guess the incident of watch smashing is pretty low given the cool little tools they have to perform said battery replacements, but that's the bottom line.
When the folks at WalMart, then Target had insisted on looking at the brand before attempting battery replacement, they explained how it works. Just in case they break it, they're prepared to replace it.
It's not very often I'll say I like that approach better than the 'No ma'am, I'm sorry we just don't do watch batteries. We send people out to that kiosk in the mall.'
Really? I'd say it's worth it to train them rather than lose a customer who will most likely head out the door and start buying perfume at the other kiosk and then shoes at the other department store who has a better selection and sales strategy anyway.
I'm just sayin'. Maybe now would be a good time to invest in one of the ecodrives? Then this would be a non-issue.
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