It is so good to be able to see my nephew, niece and sisters for a drink while I am in London. Back to back meetings the last three days, I am ready to head home. Too many friends and not enough time.
Here's an interesting one to share with you. There’s no shortage of innovation particularly in service design. Think about the business of debt collection. I have heard many bad practices and the intimidation tactics that are being used. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was a law in the US passed in 1978 to eliminate abusive practices in the collection of consumer debts. The Act creates guidelines under which debt collectors may conduct business, The Act prohibits certain types of "abusive and deceptive" conduct when attempting to collect debts, including contact hours, excessive calls to annoy or harass. And abusive or profane language used in the course of communication related to the debt etc.
A Spanish company Cobrador del Frac (The Debt Collector in Top Hat and Tails.) has figured out an innovative way to perform this service. They hire men (men only as they think women are not imposing enough) in dark suits to collect debts. The idea is that it will attract more attention including your neighbors and colleagues.
Whether this is a fair practice aside, I think it is both innovative and effective. They have since been copied in Spain by smaller set-ups which send staff dressed as clowns, monks or as a masked Zorro (without the sword I hope). This has not been copied outside of Spain yet but I think if this is being replicated in the US or Canada, the Hat and Tail may not work. Best alternatives would be The Incredible Hulk, The Joker or Dick Cheney? Suggestions welcome.
What about other parts of the workd? I've hard a story about how a bank in India has decided to publicly shame defaulters in order to recover outstanding loans. Employees of the Urban Co-operative Bank in the eastern state of Orissa have begun staging noisy demonstrations outside the home of defaulters. The bank staff are required to participate in the protest outside the homes of the defaulters.
The bank says this is the final resort for the bank which is facing problems over mounting bad loans. That's another service innovation!
