This problem uses American Vinyl Products (the case found in Chapter 3). The management at American Vinyl Products has decided that a rigorous and effective approach has to be applied. Consequently, they have decided to apply service blueprinting. For this case, identify and discuss the following elements:

Physical evidence

Customer action

Front stage action

Backstage action

Support processes

Also, use this process to identify any potential fail points in the process. For the purposes of this exercise, you are to focus primarily on the large customers as the key customers.

American Vinyl Products To: Brad Hadley, President, American Vinyl As Tom Adamson, the vice president for operations at Products (AVP) American Vinyl Products, put down the fax and looked at From: Bev Trudeau, Director of Purchasing, Brad, the president, Tom knew that things were not good. American Performance Car, CA The phone system had been a persistent source of problems for American Vinyl Products (AVP). Tom knew that this Subject: Customer Service at American Vinyl Products complaint was not an isolated event. He also knew that Brad had commissioned a local telecommunications company to Our two companies have basically had a good relationship do a study on AVP's phone system. Their recommendation over the last two years. We have generally been pleased was that a new system be put in that offered more lines and with both the quality of the products as well as the price more staff capacity. Brad thought that this might be the offered. These features, while important, are not critical. answer. Tom also knew that he would be asked to come up Critical to our future relations is customer service. This is with recommendations for improving the current system. one area where you have recently fallen down. Our staff As Tom got up and left the office, he reviewed the has persistently experienced delays in getting through to information that he had recently gathered. AVP was a your staff by phone. When we do, we experience further small manufacturer of vinyl and plastic products, including delays in getting answers. Our needs are few but simple. vinyl car products (decals and pin striping for cars), plastic We want to contact American Vinyl quickly. We want to after-market products (new brake lenses for cars designed get through to a person quickly. We want to place orders, to make the car look more sporty), and decals for the rec- confirm status, change requirements, and address order reational market (AVP sold name decals to Four Winns in problems quickly. Three days ago, Brad Allenby from our the boating marketing and to Bombardier in the ski-doo purchasing department spent 20 minutes waiting to get and sea-doo markets). Located in Charlotte, Michigan, this through. He had a critical problem that had to be resolved. company had experienced a great deal of recent growth. He kept waiting. All the time, all he heard was how it was part of the reason for this growth could be traced to the important that he remain on the line and that he would be excellent customer service that AVP gave its customers. answered in the order in which he was received. He finally gave up and called Joan in your marketing department. first were the do-it-yourselfers (DIY). These typically bought AVP sold primarily to three groups of customers. The Even then, it took 24 hours before he got an answer. This is vinyl striping from a local retail or car accessory store. As a unacceptable. Unless you adequately resolve the problems rule, their purchases were very small yet they needed a great with your phone system, we will take our business else- deal of information. Often, they would call AVP asking for a where. As you are aware, your contract with American Per catalog of products, information on how to use AVP's prod- formance Car is going to be up for review in six months. ucts (or information on how to correct a problem with an Your product is not so unique that we cannot quickly find AVP product), or information on where they could get AVP an alternative supplier. I am sorry for the angry tenor of this products. As a rule, DIYs were very price sensitive. The letter. However, this note reflects the frustration that we second market consisted of professional users. These were have experienced. It is totally unacceptable that we cannot the people who used AVP products as part of their business even get hold of anyone at American Vinyl after 3 p.m. our (such as a body shop). While buying a moderate amount of time here in California. Your company must become more product, they were often more interested in getting very tech- customer-oriented. Or else. You have 90 days to provide usnical information pertaining to the use of an AVP product. with an acceptable resolution to the current situation. They were often considered to be very demanding with the result that only the most experienced sales staff worked with Customer Type Average Time per Call Average Calls per Day (min.) Range in () Average Revenue per Call DIYS 200 $5.00 per call (estimated) $40.00 40 20 (min of 5, max of 35) 10 (min of 5, max of 20) 5 (min of 1, max of 10) Professional users Large corporate accounts 20 $400 them. Finally, there were large corporate accounts, accounts representatives would then give the customer a best guess such as American Performance Car. These accounts would of when they could expect an answer (if further information call AVP typically to place orders, to determine the status of was needed). Because of the great diversity in the types of current orders, and to see if they could change the status of calls and the demands of the callers, training and staffing current orders (change the due date, the order quantities, the was considered a major obstacle. At present, the line was product mix, and so on). Typically, their calls were short and staffed with 10 representatives on average over an 11-hour to the point. The differences between the three groups are period (however, over the two-hour staggered lunch, there summarized in the table above. were fewer representatives). The department was open from The same phone process served all three customers. All 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The rate at which the calls came in three customers called into the same 1-800 number. Once they was difficult to predict. However, past experience was that it called, their calls went into a queue area where they waited was never level. Finally, since 1995, 40 percent and growing) until a service representative was available. The calls were of the sales came from California, Washington, Nevada, and answered on a first-come, first-served basis. In this phone- Oregon. Unlike Michigan, which is in the Eastern time zone, bank area, the current system would periodically remind these states were located three time zones away. them that: (1) their call was important, and (2) their calls would be answered in the order received. When the calls were Questions answered, a representative would try to determine the type of 1. You have been asked to help Tom. What recommen- customer and then determine what was needed to answer the dations would you give him about how to improve the call. Typically, the representatives would fill in a form (in the operation of the phone system? case of a catalog request), look up locations of outlets sell 2. As mentioned in the case, Tom has a recommendation ing their products (done using a large book centrally located), from a local telecommunications company for increas- and look up possible solutions from a tips file or gener- ing the capacity of the phone system. Is this recom- ate a follow-up form (in the case of a customer-requested mendation adequate to help address the problems change or status query). When completed, the information facing AVP? Make sure that your answer is supported would be placed in a large basket for processing. Finally, the by the appropriate analysis. a