Chapter 14, Additional Case 3: Projecting the “You Attitude” When Corresponding with Customers and Colleagues

Chapter 14, Additional Case 3: Projecting the “You Attitude” When Corresponding with Customers and Colleagues

Background

You work for the Customer Service Department at United Tools, a successful manufacturer and marketer of tools and equipment for professional tool users in the United States. Product lines include hand and power tools for vehicle-service, industrial, agricultural, electrical, and construction applications. Recently, United Tools received a letter from a hardware store that carries its products (Document 14.1). You try to speak to your supervisor, Russ Ong, about the situation. Unfortunately, Russ has just learned about a shipping error that loaded all tool orders from West Coast retailers on a truck heading to New York. While rushing off to a meeting, Russ tells you, "Anytime a weekend warrior gets hurt using one of our tools, the tool is always assumed to be the problem. People need to learn to use tools for what they're designed for. Pipe wrenches are for gripping and turning a pipe. They are not designed to be used as crowbars, hammers, or pliers. I don't have time for this."

You decide to investigate the situation. A colleague in Marketing sends you an e-mail message (Document 14.2) providing some background on the pipe wrench in question, the UT904.

You decide to continue your investigation. One of the company engineers replies to your request for information on the UT904 (Document 14.3).

At lunch you explain the situation to Maureen Perez, a colleague in the Customer Service Department: "I think I may have uncovered a problem with our UT9 pipe wrenches. But I don't think Russ, Marketing, or R&D believes a problem exists."

"Be careful how you handle this," Maureen cautions. "Remember what happened to Bev when she accused Richard—in a widely circulated e-mail message—of designing an unsafe brake-line flaring tool. Bev was switched to the night shift, she received one negative performance evaluation, and three weeks later she was gone."

Your Assignment

  1. Write a memo or letter to an appropriate officer in the company alerting him or her to the situation you have uncovered and presenting appropriate recommendations. (For a discussion of ethical and legal considerations, see Chapter 2.)
  2. Assume that your supervisor has authorized you to draft a letter offering an appropriate adjustment to the retailers and the retail customers who wrote claim letters to your company. Draft an adjustment letter to Chel Thomas of Handee Hardware.