It may not be fair, but when you're operating in a crisis even the least little mistake can provide the blood in the water that incites a media feeding frenzy. That is what happened earlier this year with St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif. and the case of the switched newborns. Nurses sent an infant home with the wrong set of parents, and hospital officials had to call and have the baby brought back. DNA tests confirmed the mistake. The information explosion has created a records explosion.
Companies keep records indefinitely to protect themselves against litigation.
Ironically, however, they end up supporting their adversaries' cases with subpoenaed information that should have been destroyed long ago. And they discard records that should be retained. Because marketing is more than advertising, promotional flyers, community contacts, telephone follow-up, proper handling of the prospect and closing the sale. If you're discouraged by adversity, let me tell you how another businessperson triumphed over times that suddenly turned tough. The first thing to consider is why you want the program.