...what was needed was an experienced an ass-kicker...
As a veteran of some 10 years or so with MESH Computers, Tony put his hands up and acknowledged that things certainly haven’t always run as the two Chief Executive Officers of the company wanted things.Indeed we remember a time during the 1990’s, when under the general management of a different person, the service received by a significant number of MESH customers was not what it should have been, and then, under the management of two new individuals, matters seemed not to improve and, at various stages, arguably worsened.
In May 2002, in an effort to finally address these issues, the CEOs of MESH appointed Riccardi as General Manager.
The rationale seemed to be that they wanted a General Manager that not only genuinely understood the broad challenges of the market, but also and perhaps more importantly, the very day to day details of the way the company worked, and where it had come from; furthermore they needed someone who could command the respect and co-operation of an established team, root the wheat from the chaff, implement and enforce – at times painful –costly improvements, and, we think, unlike some of his predecessors, would remain focussed on the things they believed were core to the continuance of the company. In short we suggest what was needed was an experienced an ass-kicker.
In many respects Riccardi has, until recently, been the least visible of the top guns in the system builder channel, and unlike at least one other, who had apparently gained a reputation as a ‘freebie king’, enjoying the fringe benefits and lavish hospitality of various suppliers and publications, Riccardi just set about putting in place the people and procedures to redress matters.
In a very detailed tour of MESH Computers headquarters last week, HEXUS was shown how the company has evolved, and the dramatic changes that have been made in most all of its operations; this was particularly distinct in its system production, Customer Care and Technical Support operations. Relative to our recollection of how these departments were managed previously, we can’t emphasise enough how significantly improved these elements were.
Whilst Riccardi has clearly been the key driving factor in much of these changes, the appointment - in these three crucially important areas - of several management personnel with a quality mindset, has enabled the implementation of any strategic initiatives.
For instance, MESH Systems Production is now handled by the ex-production manager of Dan Computers (another respected company that fell by the wayside) who clearly came to the party with a proven track-record in being responsible for delivering a high volume of PC’s, that work as customers should expect; additionally direct management of both customer services and technical support is now handled by a single Technical Services Manager who reports directly to Riccardi; this structure, he believes, has ensured coherence between the operation of the two departments, and has made a big difference to its levels of customer satisfaction.
Secondly, Riccardi was particularly assertive, passionate even, in his belief that any negative perception of the current standards of MESH customer service, is overwhelmingly a legacy of times well past. A legacy that, it seems, until now has predominantly been unchallenged in the very quarters where it’s most noticeable – on the internet.
To emphasise his confidence in the detail of how MESH processes customer service and technical support enquiries; from the first time a telephone call, email or fax is received through to its current status, we were then shown how these matters are co-ordinated and monitored.
