Featured Case: Sheild Financial: “A Customer Request” All Doug Bloom could think was, “Why me?” doug,…

Featured Case: Sheild Financial: “A Customer Request”
All Doug Bloom could think was, “Why me?” doug, sales manager
for Shielf in Des Moines, ha just received the kind of phone call
no manager wants – one that pits his salesperson against a
customer. The call was from Stella Burns, the new HR manager for
Stateline International, the fifth-largest account in the Des
Moines area. Burns explained that, although she is happy with
Shield’s products and pricing, she is uncomfortable with Cathie
Simon, the salesperson handling the Stateline account. She finds
Simon too informal, too concerned about when they can meet for
luch, a glad-handler who talks far too much and wastes time. Burns
asked Bloom to transfer the Stateline account to a salesperson with
a more “professional” demeanor, who strictly discussed business
problems and solutions. And she wants to meet with that new person
in a week, at which time she’d like to discuss some new risk
issues. Doug’s knee-jerk reaction is that in such a situation he
has to comply with an important customer’s wishes. At least he
knows which salesperson to give the account to: Ray Harley, who
fits Burn’s request perfectly. Ray has developed nicely and has
also enthusiastically embraced the new programs Doug has introduced
to the office. The problem is, how does he tell Cathie that he has
to take her off her largest account?
1) Should Doug acquiesce to a customer’s request to change
salespeople?
2) What are the potential problems with moving Simon from this
account?
3) Assuming you decide to move Simon, how would you present the
move to her?
4) What alternatives besides moving Simon from the account
should be considered?