Customer Resolution

Since opening a new store in Princeton, Childs Play Toy Company of Minnesota has been getting mixed customer reviews. They have a lot of innovative systems in place that are aimed at making life easier for their customers. They have a catalog service where customers can order in advance and then go to a pick up window and collect their purchases with out having to leave their car. They have an interactive area where children can [lay while parents shop. The store was designed to be customer friendly, has a state of the art design and is open and not cluttered. Another innovative service is that there are television screens that a customer is able to see a customer service rep at the same time that they see them. In order for the company to reduce staffing cost, all of the customer service reps are located in Philadelphia and they are remotely connected via satellite connections to all of the new stores. This system can be used for special orders as well as billing and complaint resolutions. The customers have to use a computer key board to enter data to the service reps. Now in the last few months complaints have been on the rise. Many complaints are because they do not get the right product that was ordered over the new system, they do not like using the computer keyboard system, and they dislike the fact that there is no personal touch, or that they have to answer a series of standard questions that is asked of them by a "talking Head" that they see on the screen. Another problem is that they have had computer breakdowns and they can not seem to get timely service or resolution of problems.

As a customer service rep and as a cashier at the store, you are responsible for running a cash register when all lines are operational and when there are two people in each line. You are also responsible for servicing other cashiers on your shift. As well as dealing with customer complaints, questions or problems. You have to report directly to the store manager, Meg Finochio. Before you arrived at this store you worked at two other stores in New Jersey for five years.

This after noon you where approached by a regular customer that came to you, She was frustrated and was pointing her finger at you as she was shouting and saying that you people are stupid. She was demanding to speak with the manager and threatening that she would take her business to another store if you did not want it. You find out that the doll she had ordered over the new pick up system had not yet arrived and that it had been 2 weeks. It was her little girl's birthday in two weeks and she wanted it by then. She has a heavy accent but you can tell that she was directed to check with a customer service rep by the cashier using the new TV monitor system. Here she found out that there was a problem with the order and that the rep that took the order wrote the credit card number down so the order was never processed and the doll never got ordered. The problem gets worse when the customer service rep tells her that the department that they work in is in another state and that they are not allowed to make long distance calls so they could not fix the problem by calling her. They then directed her back to you at the local store where you are responsible for verifying order statuses and handling customer problems. At this point her behavior and attitude are upsetting you.

1. Based on behavior style information, what do you think is causing the complaints being made?
2. What systems changes would you suggest for Childs Play ? Why?
3. What can you do at this point to solve the problem?
4. What primary behavior style is Mrs. Sakuro exhibiting? What specific strategies should you use to address her behavior?