Arbitrary targets, performance & customer service

[Brian Leeming <brian.leeming@virgin.net>]

I was drawn to the following headline in the Cambridge (UK, that is)
Evening News, Friday 1st October.

"Royal Mail meeting its targets, but fewer letters arrive on time"

I guess that any subscriber to the DEN would want, as I did, to read
more about this.  So for the purposes of study only, I am quoting the
first 4 paragraphs of the article.

"The Royal Mail is reaching its targets on delivering letters posted in
the Cambridge area, but is performing less well than last year,
according to latest figures.

"In the last 12 months, seven out of every 100 first class letters
failed to arrive at their destination nationwide, the day after posting.

"The figures are slightly worse than in 1997/98, when 94 per cent of all
first class letters were delivered within one day, against an agreed
target of 93 per cent.

"A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We are delighted that 93 per cent of
first class mail posted within the CB post code area to addresses across
the country is delivered the next working day"."

This newspaper article illustrates well the UK public service culture,
started by the last government but continued by this one, of arbitrary
targets & standards, league tables, performance related pay, "name &
shame" and "carrot & stick".

1.	Royal Mail has an arbitrary target, which is apparently "an agreed
target", but wasn't agreed by its customers (the British people).

2.	Achieving the target pleases the Royal Mail.  They are "delighted"
that 7 per cent of first class letters fail to arrive on time.

3.	There seems to be a 1 per cent drop in performance.  There is no
mention of special cause or common cause.  Is a 1 per cent change worth
mentioning?  Royal Mail have assumed that it is a special cause, 'cos
they have "recruited 28 additional postmen and women to improve the time
customers receive their letters during the day.".

4.	Might the existance of the target be counterproductive?  I don't know
this for a fact, but improvement efforts *might* have been reduced last
year when the performance *apparently* exceeded the target?

This article again illustrates how far we have to go, before Deming's
message is heard & understood in these powerful organisations.
-- 
Brian Leeming
Burberry Consulting,
1 Burberry Road,
Buckden,
HUNTINGDON,
PE18 9UY,  UK
Tel: +44 (0)1480 812083
Fax: +44 (0)1480 812083
Mobile: 0958 558059
e-mail: brian.leeming@virgin.net
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