Ask The Coach - Ten Golden Rules of PSA Rule #8

Jeff asks...

In The Ten Golden Rules of PSA you indicate Rule #8 is – All work is scheduled in 3 days in advance.
I understand that if everything is a priority then nothing is, but How do you arrive at the "3" days?
Also, I assume the 3 days out is for field service only? We also provide a help desk services for dental software. Our helpdesk remotely resolves a number of small issues very quickly.

Hey Jeff,

Question Part I: How do you arrive at the "3" days?
Answer: This is actually an industry standard created many years ago by IBM, Xerox and supported by many larger companies including Service America. It also makes sense for many reasons. If you think about how you would staff a service department based on workload, you would reasonably need 3 days notice to get more staff or make scheduling adjustments to cover. Smaller companies, when pressured into a competitive situation for new or continued business seem to instinctively look to immediate response as the solution. And it works, if you intend to run a firehouse where everything is a fire.

Being the company that slows down and gets things done without rework, duplicate work or just plain shoddy word due to being in a rush, means you plan ahead. Let your competition be the ones running around like chicken with their heads cut off scurrying after nickels and dimes. You stroll along and pick up the folding money.

>>>

Question Part II: I assume the 3 days out is for field service only? We also provide a help desk services for dental software. Our helpdesk remotely resolves a number of small issues very quickly.

Answer: Yes, field service only. You should have a definition of Helpdesk. Ideal: Issues should be whatever can be resolved remotely, in under 30 minutes (20 min?, 15 min?, 45min?) and does not require escalation beyond tier 1 techs manning the Helpdesk.

Thanks for the great question Jeff!