Please note: This case is based on Daisys actual experiences with a company who manufactures and delivers laptops, but the companys name has been removed to avoid any potential embarrassment. This case is presented for educational purposes only. Daisy purchased a laptop in September 2011 during a computer companys $300 cash back promotion campaign. She lodged the cash back redemption application immediately after the purchase and received a claim ID from the companys Redemption Office. The email indicated that the process time would take 90 days and the $300 would be redeemed in the form of a prepaid Visa Card. In February 2012, after the promised 90 days, Daisy called the companys dedicated customer service lines for the promotion, inquiring about the processing status of the claim. She was told that the claim had not been successfully recorded in the system. She received a follow-up email on 27 February 2012 confirming that this time the claim had been recorded and approved and the redemption was now in progress. Approaching the end of May 2012, prior to Daisys scheduled house-moving, she rang the same department again. The customer service officer advised that the card had been issued and it should reach her current address in no time. Nonetheless Daisy offered to register a new address if the card was unable to be delivered before she moved out from her current address. However, the staff refused to update this personal detail, insisting that the card was already on its way and the case would be closed soon. On 8 June a few days before the moving, Daisy had still not received the card. So she telephoned the customer service team once again but unfortunately nobody answered the hotline even during business hours on a weekday (Friday). She left three messages but received no return calls. In the afternoon she tried all customer service numbers listed on the companys website. These service numbers included Post-Sales Support, General Enquiries, Technical Support and even the Australian Head Office. A consistent answer was that this type of claim was outside their responsibility while each time the staff provided a telephone number of another, supposedly relevant handling team. However, after eight calls and being shuffled between various functional departments, Daisy failed to locate MINI CASE anyone within the company who could shed some light on the issue, and she even failed to find anywhere on the companys website that allowed her to formally file a complaint. She did, however, manage to request the marketing managers office number but again after calling she could not reach anyone. Eventually she convinced an empathetic customer service operator in the companys South-East Asian call centre to note down the case and pass it to the relevant department. Daisy moved house on 12 June. On 13 June she received a call from a new service representative from the companys higher-ranking Incentive Team. He informed her that he was now in charge of the case and he promised that the card should arrive within the following 8 12 weeks. He confirmed Daisys new address over the phone. On 5 September, close to the end of the promised 12 weeks, Daisy sent an inquiry to her newly assigned representative via email, and was advised that the card had been posted in the previous week. Without the receipt of any collection notice from the local post office, she asked if the card had been correctly posted to the new address. His initial answer was positive. However, upon again checking, he informed her that the card was now awaiting collection in the post office near her old address. Moreover, he rejected Daisys request that the card be resent to her new address. Feeling frustrated and angry about the repetitive errors and delays, Daisy lodged a formal complaint with Fair Trading New South Wales who subsequently contacted the company. On 20 September 2012, 12 months after the purchase, she finally received the $300 prepaid Visa Card. The company did not issue any form of apology throughout the entire process. As Daisy explained, It has left me very, very disillusioned with the [the companys] brand.

Questions for discussion

1. In terms of the theory of stress and coping describe why Daisy was disillusioned with this company.

2. What internal process and customer-complaints- 3 handling issues do you infer might have led to this situation, and such an unhappy customer?

3. Imagine you have been hired as a consultant to rectify such issues from happening in future. What would your three key recommendations to this company be?