Getting Ready for New Employee Orientation at PackAll

Background

Page $58$PackAll is a packing and storage company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with franchises located in $21$ cities throughout the United States. Since opening its first franchise in Minneapolis in $1987,$ the company has shown great market potential, ending its first year with a profit and growing every year since.

The primary services of the organization are packaging and preparing nonperishable items for shipment and mailing via parcel post. Air$-$conditioned spaces for short$-$term storage of personal items and post office boxes are also available to customers.

To ensure consistency of service at all locations, specific standards for employee training and service delivery have been developed and implemented. Before owners or operators can hang up their PackAll sign, they must sign an agreement to comply with standards and must successfully complete a rigorous eight$-$week management training program. The program focuses on the key management and business skills necessary to run a successful business and educates employees on corporate philosophy and culture. In addition, management offers tips for guiding employee development. At intervals of three and six months after opening their operation, owners or operators are required to participate in a retreat during which they share best practices, receive additional management training, and have an opportunity to ask questions in a structured setting.

Your Role

Today, you joined a PackAll franchise in Orlando, Florida, as a customer service representative. New$-$employee orientation will be held tomorrow. At that time, you will learn about the service culture, policies and procedures, techniques for handling customers, and specific job skills and requirements.

Before being hired, you were told that your primary duties would be to provide service to customers before, during, and after a sale; provide information about services offered; write up customer orders; collect payments; and package and label orders. Occasionally, you might also have to help with other tasks in the franchise.

Critical Thinking Questions

$1.$ What interpersonal skills do you currently have that will allow you to be successful in your new position?

$2.$ After reading through this chapter, are there other skills and knowledge that you might need to acquire to perform required duties in this organization? How will you go about reducing those deficits?

$3.$ As a new employee, what general questions about the organization and handling of customers should you ask your supervisor?

$4.$ If a customer asks for a service that PackAll does not provide, how will you handle the situation? Exactly what will you say?