Flo: Hi Bob. Hi Bronwyn. Thanks for coming. I’d like to introduce our new employee, Chris Newman. Chris will be taking minutes for today’s meeting.
Bob/Bronwyn: Nice to meet you Chris.
Bob: Thanks Flo. Isn’t Paul coming?
Flo: No, Paul is an apology. He’s off site for the morning, but he’ll need to review the minutes. Chris, can you ensure that you email the minutes to me and cc: Bob, Bronwyn and Paul?
Flo: Okay, let’s get started. Bob, I understand that we have an extraordinary number of customer complaints over the last 24 hours; can you give us some background on this issue?
Bob: Sure, well, we have been receiving a lot of customer complaints about delays. Our numbers are showing that between 10% and 15% of the customers are receiving late shipments.
Flo: Bronwyn, what’s your perspective on this?
Bronwyn: In the last week or so, we have had some problems with the packaging equipment leading to product not meeting specification. Paul Lately let the first few through, but has begun quarantining the product on the loading dock. This has resulted in the delays and the complaints in the last day or so.
Flo: Well we can’t very well ship the damaged product, can we? So, Bronwyn, what is being done about the packaging equipment?
Bronwyn: Nothing. I don’t agree with Paul Lately’s assessment. The product is okay to ship. It’s just a cosmetic issue with the packaging.
Flo: Okay, I need a response from Paul Lately on this issue by close of business today. I’ll contact Paul immediately after this meeting by phone and find out what the situation is. Paul will need to email his quality report to me and should also cc: Bob and Bronwyn. Bronwyn, how quickly can you repair the equipment?
Bronwyn: It will take 8 hours. That’s why I told Paul just to ship the product
‘as is’ and we’ll fix the equipment during scheduled downtime next week.
Flo: That’s too late. Can you fix the equipment at the end of today’s production run? And can it be ready to run for the start of day shift tomorrow?
Bronwyn: Yes, but we need to pay the technician to come in after hours.
Flo: Fine, do that immediately. Phone me when you have organised it with the technician.
Flo: Bob, what can we do about the quarantined product on the loading dock?
Bob: Well, if it’s just cosmetic and the underlying product is fine, I’ll contact the customers and see if they’ll take the product at a discount. That’ll get the stuff off the loading dock. However, if the product is actually damaged, we’ll probably have to put together another plan.
Flo: Okay, before close of business today, can you contact all customers affected by the delay and explain the situation? Ask them if they are willing to receive product with packaging imperfections. Offer them a discount of 10% off this batch and the next one with our apologies. Contact me when you’ve done this.
Bob: Done.
Flo: Any questions? No? Good.
Flo: Chris, can you make sure that you type this up, email to me and cc: Paul, Bronwyn, and Bob?