Case 7.1 Handy Andy, Inc.
1. Is this a customer service problem? Why or why not?
a. Why is this a customer service problem?
It is a customer service problem because ultimately it is reflecting poorly upon the company and providing customers with poor and inadequate customer service. The distributors are lying to customers to inflate sales. The distributors are not rendering adequate customer service all of which whether direct or indirect is associated poorly in the customer’s reflection and association with Handy Andy’s product (the trash compactors)
b. Why is this not a customer service problem?
It is not a customer service problem because this is service associated with the distributors. The distributors are not in house. They are not part of the organization. Therefore poor customer reviews and on the service should be handled by the distributors and not Handy Andy.
c. This is definitely a customer service problem. Even though it is not Handy Andy directly at fault. Now that it has been brought to their attention that the distributors are reflecting poorly upon the company, the problem needs to be dealt with. First, the organization should not be openly endorsing or allowing the distributors to blame the Handy Andy by falsely stating that items are currently out of stock to inflate overall sale revenue. There should be a message sent out to all current customers stating that there are no stocking issues/shortages. Secondly the distributors need to be contacted and told to either correct the bad “culture” within the sales teams an the installation and service people or the business will be taken elsewhere. The main problem when everything is not controlled in house is the loss of oversight and direct contact with customers.
2. It appears that the factory distributors are exploiting the licensed retailers. Yet from what we can tell, Handy Andy in St. Lois has heard no complaints from the licensed retailers. Why wouldn’t they complain?
They might not
a. Why is this a customer service problem?
It is a customer service problem because ultimately it is reflecting poorly upon the company and providing customers with poor and inadequate customer service. The distributors are lying to customers to inflate sales. The distributors are not rendering adequate customer service all of which whether direct or indirect is associated poorly in the customer’s reflection and association with Handy Andy’s product (the trash compactors)
b. Why is this not a customer service problem?
It is not a customer service problem because this is service associated with the distributors. The distributors are not in house. They are not part of the organization. Therefore poor customer reviews and on the service should be handled by the distributors and not Handy Andy.
c. This is definitely a customer service problem. Even though it is not Handy Andy directly at fault. Now that it has been brought to their attention that the distributors are reflecting poorly upon the company, the problem needs to be dealt with. First, the organization should not be openly endorsing or allowing the distributors to blame the Handy Andy by falsely stating that items are currently out of stock to inflate overall sale revenue. There should be a message sent out to all current customers stating that there are no stocking issues/shortages. Secondly the distributors need to be contacted and told to either correct the bad “culture” within the sales teams an the installation and service people or the business will be taken elsewhere. The main problem when everything is not controlled in house is the loss of oversight and direct contact with customers.
2. It appears that the factory distributors are exploiting the licensed retailers. Yet from what we can tell, Handy Andy in St. Lois has heard no complaints from the licensed retailers. Why wouldn’t they complain?
They might not