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American Management Association / www.amanet.org
The Management Training Tool Kit
Case Discussion:
Answering the Phone
Summary
Jim Mullens is given the task of staffi ng the new Customer Service Unit. This unit was created in
response to a newly installed online customer information system. Now the customer service rep-
resentatives (CSRs) in the unit are expected to handle customer phone calls and answer any of the
full range of questions the customers might have.
Unfortunately, Jim was not including in planning for the unit, and he only had one week to com-
plete his assignment. He was fortunate to have recruited enough people to get the operation going,
but after three weeks, he is now concerned about how the reps are answering the phones. He ...