I Don't Think I Like This 'Service Economy'

Aside from the now everyday negative news in the media--about how the sky is falling and we're in "unchartered territory" with the economy and the failure of the country's biggest and best companies (is GE next?)--is a disturbing trend that affects many in publicly traded companies.

It's called benefits loss and how your "total compensation" is being looked at very carefully, from vacation to sick time. You used to have to beg to take unpaid leave; now, you are encouraged, even forced, to take it. Enjoy carrying over your 4 leftover weeks of vacation, if you have it, because that's going to get reduced--you can, however, cash it in if you like (for 50 cents on the dollar) before you lose it.

Pension plans will be frozen and in its place a company will double its matching contribution to the 401(k) plan. If you don't contribute now, you will soon.

This got me: I wanted to update my address and other information with my old employer to be sure they had my new address. They sent me to a web site that has a disturbing notice on it:

Visit This Site Again Later

Thanks for your interest!

To allow for maintenance and updates, Your Benefits Resources
is not available at this time. You can access the site after Jun 10, 2009 at
5:00a.m. CST.

Hmmm, that date is a ways off. One would think they could at least post a phone number. If I visit on June 10 and the date gets pushed out further, I'll begin worrying harder, but it just seems to me that the economy is giving many a great excuse not to provide service at all. It's called the "new reality" and I'm now using it to justify all kinds of "reasons" why I, too, cannot provide you service today:

• the engineer we rely on for project tasks is not available at this time. I might be able to access him after Jun 10, 2009 at 5:00a.m. EST.
  

Remember how, 10 years ago, we were told about how we should prepare for this and how we were moving from a manufacturing (quality products) to a service (happy customers) economy? Well, here we are and I find the service stinks.

I am a sucker for surveys--my wife hates this about me--and I fill them out, honestly. I don't recall ever being asked to fill out so many surveys when this was a manufacturing economy. I don't think I like the service economy. I work in a service industry and find most customers hard to please.

I gave Macy*s a good score and now they are calling me, leaving messages, thanking me. I would prefer they just keep up the good work.

Just so you know now, I predict further erosion of my total compensation.