MicroMaster advertises that its computers are backed by 24/7 toll-free technical support. However, in order to meet its goal of keeping costs as low as possible, MicroMaster located its support function in a foreign country and staffed it with a small number of poorly trained employees who had (to Canadian ears) heavy foreign accents. Thus, when customers call the support line, they often must wait on hold. Then they find themselves speaking to someone who often can't answer their questions even if the customer could understand what the tech support person was trying to say in the first place. Which of the following appears to be the case with MicroMaster?
A) It realizes that the quality of technical support does not matter to customers.
B) It is focused on efficiency at the expense of effectiveness.
C) It is utilizing an approach known as lean production, which maintains that it is more important to produce low-cost goods than to spend a lot of money on expensive services.
D) It is concerned primarily with effectiveness and has completely ignored efficiency.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

MicroMaster appears to be prioritizing efficiency (keeping costs as low as possible) over effectiveness (providing quality technical support). This is evidenced by their decision to locate the support function in a foreign country and staff it with a small number of poorly trained employees. This approach may save costs in the short term, but it may also harm the company's reputation and customer loyalty in the long run.

MicroMaster Advertises That Its Computers Are Backed by 24/7 Toll-Free