Three Strikes You're In

Published: Feb 1, 2005

Application

Some times you may have to take more than three swings to score a hit.

Many people who graduate from training programs which use a bell curve marking system receive graduation certificates with a score slightly above 50% competency. In some pass-fail systems the threshold for passing can be set well below the full competency level. The situation worsens when the training program itself is below an acceptable standard. In other words, not all service attendants have equal competency.

What does that have to do with you? You may get the answer whenever you have yourself (nurse, dental assistant, etc.) or a piece of equipment (auto mechanic, technician, plumber, etc.) serviced. You may get the answer when you hire the best applicant for one of your servicing positions only to find the person performs far below your expectations. You may become disappointed by unrealistically expecting complete and uniform competency whenever or wherever you are served.

There are a few things you can try when you sense you are not being served well.

Try re-phrasing your question when you sense some sign of competency. Three strikes is a good limit before moving on. Be creative in your communication attempts.
Ask to speak to a supervisor. Since the supervisor may be an incompetent server promoted through a seniority system, adjust your expectations or keep climbing up the hierarchy until your expectations are met. Three strikes usually works.
Keep calling back until you rotate to a competent server or, at least, a reasonable person. While most call centers are quite careful in their hiring and training practices, you may find the need to use this technique occasionally. Three strikes will usually get you in.
Keep complaining or returning for corrective actions until internal peer pressure from the competent fixers cause a personnel change.
Find a competitor with more competent servers or, in the case of monopolies, register a complaint with the regulating authority where you may have to repeat this process.
Contract the task to someone else with more patience and skill in dealing with incompetents.

Stories

Do you have a story that relates to this maxim?

Please post your story by emailing it to max@unclemaxsays.com.

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Outcomes

Finding quicker routes to a solution.
Reduced frustration by assessing a situation earlier.
Implementing a prepared game plan earlier in a transaction.

Three Strikes You're In

Application

Stories

Outcomes

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