Scott Brown

Delivering Service to Keep your Job From Being Outsourced

One of the top concerns people in the job market have today has to do with outsourcing and globalization. Sometimes we look around and it seems like every company is looking to cut costs by moving jobs overseas. We would like to address this issue through a series of articles on the subject.

The first issue we'd like to address is that of using a service orientation to stand out from the competition and keep your job from being outsourced. To illustrate, I'd like to share an example from the world of retail banking.

• In New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey, an interesting phenomenon can be observed in retail banking. The fastest growing bank in these areas is Commerce Bank, a bank whose founder, Vernon Hill, realized the value or customer service. Traditional banks were competing on price: who could offer the highest interest rates or give away the most things for free. He understood that this was less important to most people than doing their banking business at a convenient time. This is why his bank stands out from the competition.
• Mr. Hill and his management team have created a corporate culture where account holders are seen as customers who need to be taken care of. Rather than considering each location a bank, employees refer to them as stores. Each one has a "greeter" who welcomes customers as they walk in, a feature reminiscent of the top clothing retailers. Commerce has become successful by delivering outstanding service and at a time when all their competitors have been competing on interest rates.

Competing In a Global Economy

You need to make yourself more like Commerce Bank to compete in a global economy. Living in the U.S., it is not possible for you to compete on price, just as Commerce Bank does not try to compete on interest rates. Here are a few basic resources you can use:

• Your proximity to your employer and/or clients
• Your potential to understand their business
• Your understanding of American culture to your advantage.

Sharpening your people skills may be the best thing you can do for yourself. Provide the kind of "customer service" to your employers that Commerce Bank provides -so they feel like they're truly getting the red-carpet treatment.

If you don't have an opportunity to provide outstanding service to customers in the job you're in now, your job may be vulnerable to outsourcing. Switching to a different job at a company or in an industry where you have an opportunity to interact with customers in a superior way can help provide some insulation from globalization.

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