Service is the Differentiator
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I've heard complaints before that the US is becoming a large service industry. And I think I agree to a large extent although we still have lots of goods being produced here, just not in mass quanitities. And I don't know whether it is good or bad.
I don't really want to talk about the service economy, but this article on telcos paying more attention to service was interesting to me. Not because I care about telco service. I don't. To me it's like electricity; it's a utility.
The interesting thing in the article is that telco middleman and the companies themselves are starting to become commodities. Their prices and the products are all about the same cost and quality. So the differentiator is really the service being given to the customer.
And that's important to you. And you company, but think for a minute about your career and the work you do. So any senior DBA, say a group of 20 men and women that have 8+ years of experience will all do about the same job. We can write reports, recover servers, etc. And we probably all cost the same (in the same area), so if we're competing for jobs, it's unlikely there's any substantial difference in the cost or the quality of work.
But service is the differentiator. And that's why you should make an effort to present yourself well in an interview, but also pay attention to the service you give your clients everyday. They should see you as their first choice to solve a problem or get something done in your area. Not as a last resort they're forced to go to.
This isn't so much about getting a reference, though it certainly helps your reputation when networking is involved. It's more developing a habit that will come through in your interviews.
And in those extremely important networking references.
Steve Jones
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My Blog: www.voiceofthedba.com -
That is spot on! I would even go so far as to say that oftentimes service (& peopleskills) win over even experience and knowledge - I'm not saying that you could be a complete moron and get away with it on a winsome smile but if you're reasonably knowledgeable/experienced then the "service factor" gives you a greater edge over your competitors...
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
Good article. Couldn't agree more with regards to the quality of service issue you posed regarding DBA's.
I've worked in IT as a DBA & Developer long enough to see your point about providing the best service to your customers (be they external customers or internal). I've seen too many people who really don't really put that much effort in as they should - and that usually comes back to bite them in the butt in the long run.
Clive
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I personally took a upward major swing in the money/position i made as i learned to market ,present and offer better customer service to all my clients/users.
I immigrated to this country and english was not my finer points , but a little bit of keeping people in the loop builds a strong user base which does advance me over some one more technical but gives a less of a user interaction.
Edit: I was talking about users base as in a company .
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I've been reading your SQL Central Daily Update for a while now and I've been pleased with your commentary and the quality of the information in the newsletter.
I've also been listening to the audio version of Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat for the past week and his presentation of the "flattening" of the world and your mention today of how the US is becoming a service industry struck a chord with me. Being a Systems/Network Engineer with some basic SQL skills, I've managed to survive the tightening of the corporate belt during the .COM bust. I've watched the struggles of the US economy as outsourcing and offshoring has begun to take hold as the world markets have begun to open up and embrace the American model of capitalism and democracy. I have to agree with your observation that the US economy is becoming a larger service industry, but I would also like to extend that view point. I have always believed that capitalism is based on Service.
Why would anyone consume anything produced/served by another person if there wasn't a compelling reason to do so? Consuming someone else's product/service has always been a value judgment. Every transaction is based on whether a person believes that consuming something has greater inherent value over the costs of fulfilling that need with one's own resources. This relationship of value versus cost is present in every relationship. Company's employ people based on the value that person provides to the company and its stakeholders. I would suggest that the combination of a person's skills, experience, education, and quality of service are what makes a person valuable over a career. Every interaction should be entered into with the acceptance and understanding that it is the quality of service provided using one's skills, experience, and education that truly provides value. Skill, experience, and education amount to little value if a person doesn't provide quality service with those tools.
Tyge Goodfellow
SimplyLucid.com
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The term 'service economy' has acquired a bad connotation, especially when compared to 'manuracturing' but that's really not justified. At it's heart is the concept of doing something, specifically for the customer. Service is something that a manufactured product does not provide.
So while Walmart may be considered part of the service economy (so is Tiffany's), providers of service include experts of many stripes, doctors, lawyers, carpenters, mechanics, architects, musicians ... service is not an adjunct to the economy, service is its engine.
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-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
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