Investing in people

Suggests that despite the recession, cut‐backs in employee development and customer service are ill‐advised. Some “savings” end up causing poorer overall performance, including damaging the ability to assess that performance. Asks if savings have, in fact, reduced the frequency of goods deliveries to customers, resulted in longer queues, aggravated customer call waiting or made loyal customers pay for disloyal customers. Concludes that reducing quality is costly and the recession can be viewed as an opportunity to improve the whole organization.