In 2015, Blue Bell issued its first recall since its founding in 1907. This critical incident concerns the outbreak of listeria in Blue Bell Creameries’ ice cream products, which hospitalized ten people and killed three. The incident stemmed...
This critical incident is about a real situation in which Christopher Nolan and William McCall, Indiana residents, entered into an oral agreement with Scott Everett, a New York resident, to train and race their thoroughbred horse, Cinnamon...
This critical incident is about Abdullah Sall, a Muslim immigrant from West Africa who was fired from his job as an administrative assistant with the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s office in Burlington, Vermont. While State’s Attorney...
Hearing loss is a public health concern. Recent national legislation has been passed to introduce a future technological disruptor: over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. When OTC hearing aids become available, there will be numerous benefits and...
“Fair use” is a defense to a claim of copyright infringement codified in 17 U.S.C. § 107. Courts have struggled to create uniform interpretations of the law of fair use, and because of this, claims of fair use being unfair abound. Even though...
This decision-based critical incident describes Bob’s dilemma of what to do about Ralph, an underperforming employee of Lumber Supply Inc., who had just egregiously broken company policy; but who was also his brother-in-law. Ralph had verbally...
At UrbanStems, the primary customers are in the 25–35 age demographic, but they have noticed a trend of repeat purchasing behaviors in the 35–55 group that they would like to capitalize on.
How should UrbanStems approach potential partnerships—and with whom—to capture more of this demographic and their repeat behaviors
Like many tech-oriented young companies, early UrbanStems customers skewed heavily toward millennials. Now, they are wondering how they might attract wealthier, older customers. And with 70% female customers, they would like to even out the gender mix.
What kinds of products/product enhancements/features should UrbanStems be looking at to feed our efforts in obtaining the 35–55 demographic?
UrbanStems wants to ensure that customers in their local on-demand markets have an optimal experience so that they become frequent repeat buyers. This means that bouquets need to arrive on time and in excellent condition, requiring a thoughtful approach to packaging. Delivery scenarios are complicated by the fact that many couriers transport the bouquets in boxes via bicycle.
As the company experiments with higher-priced bouquets, their current boxes are not always large enough. Considerations around any new packaging range from the size bicycle couriers can feasibly handle to the amount of time it takes to prototype, impact on pricing and margins, customer perception, and much more.
What does UrbanStems do when the boxes become too big for the bikes? Does UrbanStems adopt an alternative delivery option for the flowers? How does this affect costs, efficiency, and operational logistics?
While "Customer experience trumps cost” is a compelling statement that may resonate with customers, the reality is that UrbanStems is constantly striving to improve financial metrics around courier delivery service while maintaining high levels of service.
How should UrbanStems weigh the trade-offs around hiring full time versus contracting couriers?