Case Study of the Week: Pausing Operations to Strengthen Customer Service

Mar 10, 2025

Principles of Business Management and Administration

You are to assume the role of an operations assistant for Blue Ribbon Gifts, a company that began selling products online last year. A customer service employee wants you to explain how a pause in order fulfillment can be communicated as positive customer relations to those complaining.

Blue Ribbon Gifts has sold merchandise in stores for 5 years but recently opened its ecommerce site for online sales. Online sales have exceeded forecasted sales, which has been great for the bottom line, but has caused two major problems at the fulfillment center, longer processing and delivery times and errors in order accuracy.

The operations department will be upgrading its fulfillment equipment which will require the fulfillment center to be closed for one week. A customer service employee wants you to explain how to communicate the pause in fulfillment as positive customer relations to customers that complain.

Questions?

Randi Bibiano
Competitive Events Specialist
randi@deca.org

Randi Bibiano is DECA's competitive events specialist. In this role, she conceptualizes and authors role-play scenarios for the collegiate and high school division’s competitive events programs. She also manages DECA's online competitive events and serves as a liaison to volunteer efforts at DECA's educational conferences.

Discussion Questions

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Classroom Connection

Career CLuster:

Business Management and Administration

Instructional Area(s):

Customer Relations

Performance Indicators:

Discuss the nature of customer relationship management
Reinforce service orientation through communication
Build and maintain relationships with customers
Demonstrate a customer-service mindset