Tales of a Troubleshooter

When I was troubleshooting companies, I was approached by an
Insurance Executive. Selling insurance had been a vibrant business because there were many investment schemes and tax dodges.

One company, (I’ll call Teapot) which on paper had excellent
schemes, was so far behind the others in sales something
had to be wrong.

As part of the investigation, I had an agent from Teapot
attempt to sell me a policy.

His presentation was good, the policy seemed value for
money, and I accepted it, pending the medical examination
I had to take at their in-house facility.

At the time I was doing this Investigation I had Five
policies in effect with three other companies.

I arrived at the In-House Clinic.

The doctor was an unpleasant sort with an attitude. After the
gruesome experience of being examined by this character, I
learned I was “high risk” and that any policy Teapot would
sell me, would have higher premiums than what I had been
advised.

Subsequently, the agent and his supervisor came to my office
to talk me into taking a policy at a vastly inflated rate.

I let them bang my ears for five minutes, after all, I was
being paid to find out why Teapot was going down the tubes.
Then took out my five other policies, tossed them on the
desk, told them I didn’t need any more insurance and put them
out.

(Apologists, rationalizers, and other lost souls, I mention
my abundance of policies to underline, boldface and set off
in quotes, that I was not considered “high risk” by three
major companies which are still in business.)

Teapot was on the verge of collapse. Firing the doctor now
was very much shutting the door after the customers had fled.

No doubt the doctor had categorized many people “high risk”.
Why he did this is between he and his psychiatrist.

As it is very much part of the disclosure agreement you admit
on subsequent policies if you were ever categorized as “High
Risk”, the wisest move is to not take said policy, hence
there was no record you had applied.

This is why Teapot no longer exists.

Successful businesses do not allow weak links. They are
careful with every phase of their operation.

Unsuccessful businesses, as Teapot, fail to recognize the
doctor had a problem with himself which he transferred to
potential policy holders.

Had Teapot’s executives deployed me to Troubleshoot the week
after they opened, the Doctor would have been dispatched.
Unfortunately, the Managers never “walked it through”. They
assumed more advertising, better rates, would solve problems,
missing the crucial aspect of their Doctor’s report.

Wise entrepreneurs have their businesses troubleshot at start
up, then periodically, so that every link in the chain is
examined and weak ones removed.

Always walk your business through, experiencing each aspect,
especially those which interface with customers.

Customers don’t care what color you paint the board room,
the retirement package you offer employees, whether you
invest your profits in stocks or bonds. Customers care about
service, about what they get. And that is where you focus.?