Question

Management at Work

You work as a salesperson for Spectrum Color, a chemical manufacturer, which keeps you very busy. Your customers are photographers who use Spectrum’s products to create professional images for publication. They are usually a friendly clientele. Today, however, customer Jesse Adamson is upset when he calls to inquire about his order. Jesse says he will miss his deadline if he doesn’t receive his order right away. He threatens to stop using Spectrum Color if the company does not meet his demand and fill his order immediately.

1. What is the most important message this customer is trying to convey?
a. He is an important photographer.
b. He is having financial problems.
c. He urgently needs his chemical order.

2. What can you do to listen more effectively to this customer?
a. Transfer the call to your supervisor, so the caller calms down.
b. Ask gentle, probing questions.
c. Defend the company’s reputation.

Answer 1

c. He urgently needs his chemical order.

Jesse is upset about one thing: his missing chemical order. Because the order is late, he may miss his deadline, which could hurt his reputation and earnings. His primary message is that he needs his chemical order right away.

b. Ask gentle, probing questions.

Customers want you to demonstrate that you genuinely care about them and the service you are providing. By asking gentle, probing questions of customers, you demonstrate concern and ensure a clear understanding of the situation, so you are better prepared to offer a solution.

Defending the company’s reputation or passing the call on to your supervisor would not help address the customer’s concerns. If you are unable to help solve the customer’s problem, you might transfer the call to your supervisor at the customer’s request.

Answer 2

1) c

2) b

Step-by-step explanation: