From the Dark Side of Productivity, Part 2 of 2

4. Direct has a real advantage. The president of a large, general merchandise catalog company recently told me he wanted efficiency, but not at the cost of sacrificing customer service. “Many of our customers tell us the casual, helpful, really interested call-center reps are why they deal with our business. Our knowledge of the products and their application is extremely important to making the sale … not a short, brisk conversation.” Direct companies come out on top if they provide a higher level of service.