Customer Service And Organizational Silos

Customer Service and Organizational Silos

After opening their new gaming system Christmas morning, my kids were excited to download the latest version of one of the most popular football games on the market. This game was part of a bundle you could download to the system over the Internet. All we had to do was peel off the sticker that covered the twenty-five-digit code included with the gaming system, enter the code, and watch the icon spin until the download was complete.

But there was a problem with this scenario. My eleven-year-old son took off the sticker that covered the twenty-five-digit code. He brought the code to me with thirteen of the twenty-five numbers and letters missing and asked, “Dad, can you fix this?”

Christmas Day customer support is nuts! After waiting on hold for two hours, I gave it my best effort, but the people on the other end didn’t know what to do. They recommended I contact the manufacturer, a third-party provider of the software. But the manufacturer sent me back to the gaming system company. The gaming company recommended we contact the company that we had purchased the system from, which happened to be their parent company. After many calls, I finally reached someone who took care of the problem for us. Unfortunately, I learned that customer satisfaction wasn’t the company’s goal. Instead of working together, these companies operated as silos, and their clients were suffering for it.

The truth is that silos within an organization or network will turn people away. Instead of a silo mentality, collaboration is the key, and good relationships among leaders to foster that collaboration are mission critical.

When Paul and Barnabas parted ways, it was because of a breakdown in a relationship. Acts 15:37-38 states, “Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.” Even great missionary work is hampered when leaders can’t agree.

Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.

Acts 15:37-38