Tag Archives: data

Say “yes” to speak with a representative — service automation frustrating customers — Peter Weill

MIT Sloan Sr. Researcher Peter Weill

Have you tried to apply for a mortgage lately? If so, you might have some rather unpleasant memories of filling out endless forms and – if you had a question — trying to navigate through a voice recognition telephone system that didn’t understand you. If you were able to actually reach a real person, that employee might have been more focused on the procedure than actually listening to you. What is the result of this automation of processes? Not surprisingly, it’s disconnected and frustrated customers. Read More »

MIT Sloan Alumna Judy Lewent on the future of finance

MIT Sloan Alumna Judy Lewent

Recently MIT Sloan alumna Judy Lewent was inducted into the Financial Executives International Hall of Fame. A former executive vice president and chief financial officer of Merck, Lewent was recognized for her performance, leadership and integrity as a financial professional who has made significant contributions to the betterment of her organization and profession. The following is an excerpt of her remarks at the event:

“It is a momentous time for finance. As the global economy teeters on the brink, much of the world stands by holding its collective breath. This is, no doubt, a time of great anxiety. That anxiety is shared, not just by 50% of the public or 75% or even 99%. Everyone shares it.

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Duncan Simester on customer response: Why guess and get it wrong when you could do a little experimenting and get it right?

MIT Sloan Prof. Duncan Simester

The business pages are filled with examples of companies that have taken big hits to their brands because they’ve made marketing decisions that ran afoul of customer expectations. Take Netflix, and its aborted scheme to divide its streaming and DVD video offerings. Netflix could have avoided its embarrassing reversal if it had experimented on this decision before publically announcing the change.

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Paul Osterman: 'Moneyball' lessons for the economy

From USA Today

In the book (and now film) Moneyball, general manager Billy Beane transforms the Oakland Athletics by recognizing that overlooked players contribute value to a team. He overturns conventional wisdom, indeed upends baseball’s domination by wealthier teams,by using data to measure performance. What he learns can also apply to the economic challenges we face today.

When people think and write about what leads to economic success, they too often focus only on the most visible, highly paid players. In the case of the economy, it is the CEOs. The business press is full of praise for celebrity leaders such as Jack Welch and Steve Jobs. But even when the CEO is not movie-star famous, stories about whether a firm will succeed or fail usually focus on the personality and actions of the person at the top.

 

Read the full column in USA Today 

Paul Osterman is a professor at the MIT School of Management and co-author of Good Jobs America: Making Work Better For Everyone

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