Question

Identify the weak actions of the salesperson below and what the salesperson should have done:

Customer (on the phone): Good Morning! I am Howard from Tank's Transport. I am following up on the order we had placed for 40 truck tires.

Sales person: Yes, how can I help you?

Customer: Well we wanted to know if we would definitely get delivery by next Friday?

Sales person: I had mentioned to Mr. Harris, your General Manager, that we would try our best.

Customer: Actually Harris was saying that you promised delivery by Friday and that is why he placed the order with you. The reason I am concerned is because we have already scheduled for the trucks to be serviced on that weekend and be back on the road Monday morning.

Sales person: Look I can give you the phone number for our warehouse in Calgary and you could follow up with them.

Customer: I don't have the time to call all over the place. You have to deliver by next Friday.

Sales person: Look Mr. Harrod, I cannot promise any thing. We are going out for lunch right now and then I am in the field. I will follow this up for you tomorrow and then get back to you.

Customer: Can you make this call before you go out and call me back. This is really important. And my name is Howard not Harrod.

Sales person: Why don't I get back to you tomorrow morning. OK?

Customer: Can you put me through to your Sales Manager?

Sales person: Like I said, we are going for lunch so nobody is available right now.

Customer: (Hangs up)

Answer 1

Answer) Following are the weak actions of salesperson and what should have been done instead

1. Mismatch in communication and promise-promise was to deliver on Friday while salesperson was now communicating differently-salesperson should have acknowledged promise and should have checked and confirmed customer the status of delivery.
2. Shirking odf responsibility-As a salesperson, one is point of contact,here salesperson is asking customer to check themselves from warehouse status of delivery which is disrespectful and unprofessional-what salesperson should have done instead would be to check immediately and get back to customer.
3. Wrong priorities-As a salesperson, it is important to keep customer happy in order to retain them but here salesperson is prioritizing going out for lunch over a panicked customer(add to that getting name wrong gives an impression to customer that salesperson is not listening)-salesperson should have told customer politely that they will check with concerned person and get back to them as soon as possible without mentioning lunch in the conversation.

In nutshell salesperson was disrespectful and unprofessional towards customer which is an absolutely undesirable trait in such profession,fact that customer was asked to check themselves or not connecting them to sales manager ensured that customer would never return.

Answer is complete. Thank you!