Final answer:
The key reason for a sales associate to follow company guidelines for complaints is to provide customers a consistent and positive experience. This consistency helps in maintaining a good reputation and ensures that customers are less concerned about product quality, leading to repeat business and recommendations. The correct option is c.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most important reason for a sales associate to know and consistently follow company guidelines when addressing company complaints is to ensure that the customers have a consistent experience no matter whom they work with. This is essential for maintaining a good reputation, which is crucial as firms want repeat customers who will recommend the business to others. By having clear guidelines, employees - from customer service clerks to managers - can provide efficient and excellent customer service, ultimately leading to a positive and professional image of the store.
For instance, considering a scenario at Gavi's Fast Food Restaurant, where the lunch-hour manager (an employee of the company) took initiative based on customer feedback to resolve confusion during peak hours. As a result, the store benefited from reduced stress among customer service clerks and an increased ability to serve a higher number of customers efficiently, demonstrating the importance of responding professionally and resourcefully to customer complaints.
Consistent application of policies is key to establishing a good reputation and ensuring that customers are less likely to worry about receiving poor-quality products or services, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
Hence, Option c is correct.