I was recently in the market for a new tablet. I didn’t really need a new tablet, but when you have 3 kids fighting over two tablets, sometimes need and want are the same.
A Race To the Bottom
I’ve been a customer of DirecTV for just over 14 years.
Yesterday, I called DirecTV and cancelled my account. To their credit, they didn’t hassle me very much, and only read off a script a few times to remind me that DirecTV is better than anyone else.
Let’s perform a little back of the napkin math: $100/month for 14 years comes out to just under $17,000. I’ve also recommended DirecTV to a number of friends and family bringing that total much higher.
In Search Of Things That Do Not Scale
In the late 90s I had the opportunity to take a factory tour of the Porsche plant in Stuttgart Germany. I watched as engineers assembled engines by hand. The only automation I noticed was how parts were delivered to each work station by robotic carts. Our tour guide pointed out that each Porsche was built-to-order and that a number of models had long waiting lists.
But it was an area near the end of the tour, just off the main assembly line that stood out to me that day. In this area were maybe a dozen or so women stitching together what looked to be large swaths of leather or canvas. Looking around the plant of such a high performance car company, this particular area felt antiquated. Another man in our tour group asked the tour guide why those women were not using commercial stitching machines.
The Right Tool
A few months ago my car wouldn’t start. I narrowed the problem down to the starter motor. After doing a little research online, I decided I could perform the repair myself. I ordered the motor and expected the replacement to take a couple of hours.
If you’ve ever replaced a starter engine, you know that getting to the starter is often the most time consuming part of the project. It didn’t take long to realize the tools I had on hand were not tailored for the job.
I’m a lot more comfortable around computers than I am cars. But I figured with detailed instructions in hand, I’d have my car up and running soon. That wasn’t the case.
First Impressions
I recently had two experiences while shopping for groceries that I want to share. I do most of the grocery shopping for our family in the evenings when the crowds are lighter and the kids are in bed.
I decided to try the largest grocery store in the area. Inside is a deli, bank, pharmacy and coffee shop. This store is open 24 hours. I entered the store around 9 pm, grabbed a cart and made my way down the aisles. I was especially impressed with the bakery, but when I got to the produce area, I noticed most sections were covered with large tarps. It felt like a game of hide-and-seek trying to find the gala apples and seedless grapes, but I managed to find what I came for and headed towards the checkout stands.
Like a Spoiler on a Honda Civic
On my way in to work today, I was passed by a small blue Honda Civic. It raced and weaved through traffic, sporting a bolt-on spoiler, and an exhaut pipe that made it sound more like a go-cart than a legitimate driving machine. I allowed myself my moment of sarcstic thoughts. “Really? Your Honda Civic gets around with such great velocity that you need a spoiler to keep your rear axle firmly planted??” Maybe I’m just getting old, but I looked at that vehicle and I didn’t see the style and power the installer may have intended. I saw immaturity and insecurity. This driver self-identified with performance and power. He didn’t have the right tool for the job, so he bolted on the parts.
A Small Issue
Most of my career has been spent working for large companies where employee manuals fill a 3-ring binder, policies number into the hundreds and metrics are used to measure the worth and effectiveness of employees.
Puget Systems hasn’t been around long enough nor have we grown so large that every issue can be solved by creating a new policy. When employees don’t have dozens of policies and procedures governing how they get their work done, their actions might not always been predictable.
Speaking G(r)eek
I’ve seen it happen a hundred times. I’ll be having a great conversation with a customer about computer needs, what the computer is currently used for, and what it might be used for in the future – but as soon as I ask something like “What type of wireless network compatibility do you need this laptop to support?”, everything screeches to a halt. I might as well be speaking Greek.
Listening Beyond the Words
Are your customers telling you you’re doing fine? Can you trust that feedback?
Why Buy From Puget Systems?
As one of the sales reps here at Puget Systems, I often get questions from clients who ask “Why should I buy from Puget when Company XYZ can build me the same system for less?” It’s a fair question and one that should be asked. After all, it’s your money and it’s a lot of money, so you have to do what is best.
