Hewlett Packard's chief, Mark Hurd, is one year into his program with 
the computer giant. As a matter of fact, yesterday was his anniversary with the company, but he's proven that he's no April Fool's joke. He's been described as a humble man with a different focus. A man with vision unknown to most executives in his position. His vision: customer service.
Back in September he addressed the audience at HP's Global Partner Summit with this speech:
"I want HP to be a less-than-exciting company. I want us to be known not for big theatrical statements and actions, but for delighting our customers, delighting our partners, enriching our shareholders and providing employees with a great place to work...year after year, with incredibly boring regularity."
So far, Hurd's "boring" idea seems to be working. Since he took over the company, HP's stock has risen 52% and profit margins have increased.
However, part of Hurd's plan to cut costs is to lay off workers, which I don't necessarily agree with. If I was him I would spend the money to train each person to provide exceptional customer service, thus leaving no excuse for customers to shop anywhere else. More and more people are buying computers and pretty soon everyone will have one. Sales and profits would increase and people could keep their jobs. Sounds like a very simple solution and many would probably argue that it's a bit more complicated than that. But yes, I believe it's that simple.
What do you think?
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
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