You work for a company that sells medical supplies to the general public: crutch

Question

You work for a company that sells medical supplies to the general public: crutches, bandages, wheelchairs, physical therapy bands and balls, OTC medicines, slings, anything a person can use at home. One afternoon, a customer comes in and is visibly upset. He bought some crutches from you that broke six weeks after he bought them. Your store guarantees products for 30 days after purchase with receipt. Since the product was good for 30 days, he didn't keep the receipt, but now he has a problem and he is pretty sure you aren't going to fix it. He is already upset about the fight he anticipates in order to get new crutches. You weren't the salesperson who waited on him and you know that crutches are fairly generic; he could have actually bought them anywhere and they would look the same.

What would you hope to be able to do as an employee?

What would you expect to accomplish based on experiences you have actually had as an employee?

If you were the boss, what instructions would you give employees as a general rule for defective merchandise?

If you were the customer, what would you consider fair?

Explanation / Answer

What would you hope to be able to do as an employee?

Customer satisfaction is very important but at the same time, I cannot offer new crutches to the customer. So I would inform the customer that as per the sale done the company provides warranty only for 30 days from the date of purchase and it is common for all the crutches from different brands as well. We only offer a replacement within the warranty period with the receipt. So I could calm the customer down and make him realize the fact and the conditions associated with the purchase of the crutches. I would also assure him that we check the other crutches we have so that we maintain good quality from the next time. I will tell him clearly that according to the company policy, we are not allowed to offer a replacement.

What would you expect to accomplish based on experiences you have actually had as an employee?

I would learn to handle the customer problems in a good way and also make sure that the customer is not disappointed with the company. I would also learn how to interact with the customers and understand the problems they are facing. I would consider it as an opportunity to learn more about the company policy and the products.

If you were the boss, what instructions would you give employees as a general rule for defective merchandise?

As a boss, I would ask my employees to identify the defective merchandise before it reaches the customer. Providing quality products and maintaining a good customer satisfaction is important to the success of the business. If the merchandise is defective and the customer asks for a replacement, then the company should provide it without any hesitation if it is within the warranty period. I would teach my employees to be patient with the customers and listen to their problems carefully before making any decision.

If you were the customer, what would you consider fair?

If I were the customer, I would ask the company to make sure that they only manufacture and sell quality products. People buy products by trusting a company and the company should maintain the required quality standard. So I would just provide this information and warn the company that I would not prefer buying them again if the product quality remains the same. I cannot ask for the replacement because it does not come under the warranty period and I do not have the receipt as well.

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