Question

The Chain of Responsibility The Dilemma

A customer bought an expensive vase as a wedding gift at a local store and asked that it be shipped to a bride in another state. Several months after the wedding, the buyer became concerned when she had not received a thank-you note from the happy couple. Arguing that the merchandise had not be delivered, the customer requested a refund from the retailer.

However, the store manager uncovered the following facts:

1. (1) All shipments from the store were handled by a well-known national delivery firm.

2. (2) The delivery firm verified that the package had been delivered to the designated

   address two days after sale.

3. (3) Normally the delivery firm does not obtain recipient signatures, deliveries are made to

   the address of record, regardless of the name on the package.

The gift giver new argued that even though the package had been delivered to the right address, it had not been delivered to the named recipient. It turns out that unbeknownst to the gift giver, the bride and groom had moved. It stood to reason, then, that the gift was in the hands of the occupant at the couple’s former home. The manager informed the gift giver that the store had fulfilled its obligation. The cause of the problem she explained, was the incorrect address given by the customer. She refused to refund the customer’s moneyand suggested that the customer might want to recover the gift by contracting stranger who received it at the couple’s old address.

Questions

1. What are the responsibilities of each party—the customer, the store, and the delivery firm—in this situation.

2. If you were appointed to settle this customer dispute, what actions would you take and why.

Answer 1

RESPONSIBILITY OF CUSTOMER

It is the responsibility of customer to be sure about the current/present address of the recipient where the gift has to be send so that it reaches at right place at right time .It is the first step towards delivery ,therefore if the customer doesn't commit any mistake or any errors on any part,then there is a high possibility of successful delivery and he/she would not be held liable or responsible ,if any problem occur in future.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STORE

It is the responsibility of the store manager to ask all important information from the customer for example the location of the recipient ,what type of goods is to be delivered ,how much it weigh ,is it perishable or non perishable goods and it is his/her duty to tell its policies related to refund of money,how much it charges for delivery.Not only this,store manager should take feedback from the delivery firm,whether it has delivered or not to the right person a the assigned location within the stipulated time period.In this case, store manager should tell the customer in advance ,that there is no refund policy for any failure,it should also take feedback from the delivery firm whether it has delivered the goods to the bride groom address or not,if yes ,ti should have get it signed from any of them.

RESPONSIBILITY OF DELIVERY FIRM

It is the responsibility of delivery firm to make sure that they hand over the goods to the assigned location/address and to the appropriate person and get it signed from them.In this case,there is a negligence on their part,as they have not confirm whether they are those person to whom the goods have to be delivered and they have not get it signed from them even.

If I have been appointed to settle this customer dispute,then according to me,it is both the negligence on the part of customer as well as the delivery firm,then I ask the store manager to contact the respective person to whom gift has been delivered and ask the delivery firm to get back those gifts and deliver it to the right person at their present address .