**** New Look at the Org Chart

Analytical Culture

Article here, from MultiChannel Merchant. 

Interesting theory on why the internal organization of multi-channel merchants differs (based on their roots) and some good discussion of reporting chains.  Personally, when it is all said and done, I think you end up with customer service reporting to Marketing – how else could a company possibly become customer centric?  I mean really, do you want success measured by talk time (Finance / Ops) or increased value of the customer base (Marketing)?

This depends, of course, on finding Marketing folks willing to step up to the table.  I know where you can find such Marketing folks – in the catalog industry.

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2 thoughts on “**** New Look at the Org Chart”

  1. Allow me to play devil’s advocate here for a second…

    Not that I’m suggesting that many firms should do this… but… I can see my way to the argument that it should be the other way around. Marketing reporting to customer service.

    After all, not ALL customer service departments are governed by average call time. Many are actually quite “customer-centric” (i.e., dedicated to providing top quality customer service, improving customer experience, etc.).

    So why let Marketing continue to bombard customers with unwanted and often irrelevant sales offers which diminishes the customer experience?

    I think you’re spot on that “marketing needs to step up to the table”.

  2. Ron, I’m on board with that idea. Customer Service reporting to Marketing, or Marketing reporting to Customer Service, either way – as long as they operate with a unified vision, focus, and consistent presentation of experience to the customer. The challenge is they always seem to be “split up” somehow, with Customer Service ending up under Operations and Marketing ending up, ah, um, who does Marketing report to anyway if it is not a strategic function (reporting to the CEO)?

    Anyway, is it possible we have seen what “Marketing reporting to Customer Service” looks like with CRM?  While we are going there, why is CRM often not part of Marketing?  That’s insane.

    Then again, if you are a Marketer and are as weak as the people described in this article:

    http://www.marketingprofs.com/7/doyle1.asp

    then I guess you deserve to be reporting to Customer Service…

    Speaking of that article, since when is “Sales” not part of Marketing?  Oh, I forgot, Marketing is no longer a strategic function…silly me.  Now Sales is often the Strategic function, with Marketing playing the support role. 

    No wonder lead gen doesn’t work.

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