The Parts of Customer Service That Should Never Be Automated

Ryan W. Buell

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Article | Harvard Business Review (website) | February 19, 2018

The Parts of Customer Service That Should Never Be Automated

by Ryan W. Buell

Format: Electronic

Citation:

Buell, Ryan W. "The Parts of Customer Service That Should Never Be Automated." Harvard Business Review (website) (February 19, 2018).

About the Author

Ryan W. Buell

Finnegan Family Associate Professor of Business Administration

Technology and Operations Management

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Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2020 (Revised October 2020)

Zameer Kassam Fine Jewelry: Engaging Clients

Ryan W. Buell and Amy Klopfenstein

Zameer Kassam Fine Jewelry (ZKFJ) designs custom engagement rings that tell the story of a couple’s relationship. The case describes the company’s process for engaging clients, which has historically been a relatively offline, high-touch experience. Obliged by social-distancing guidelines with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Zameer Kassam and his team had been forced to take many facets of the business online. Although clients still seemed delighted by their rings, Kassam wondered what might be being lost for his clients and employees in this new virtual medium. On the other hand, perhaps there were aspects of the process that could be improved through online delivery? Such a transition could represent an opportunity to grow the business.

Citation:
Buell, Ryan W., and Amy Klopfenstein. "Zameer Kassam Fine Jewelry: Engaging Clients." Harvard Business School Case 621-043, September 2020. (Revised October 2020.) View Details

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Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2020

Getaway

Ryan W. Buell and Amy Klopfenstein

Since its founding, Getaway’s service offering – tiny, modern cabins in the woods, located within a two-hour drive of major metropolitan areas – had been met with tremendous demand. Overworked and overconnected city dwellers reveled in the opportunity to take a break from their hectic lives, disconnecting in nature, and savoring meaningful moments with the people closest to them. What began with a fixed, nightly cabin rate of $99 a night had graduated over time to daily yield management, and a steady increase in prices to match rising demand. $159.. $179... $199.. With the onset of the global pandemic in March of 2020, the prospect of getting away to the woods, in rigorously-cleaned, socially-distanced cabins, became even more appealing to homebound consumers, and there was a step change in demand, and prices skyrocketed, crossing $369 in some markets. Should the company make as much money as quickly as possible to fund further growth, or does that risk that consumers will determine Getaway is too expensive and either never come, or never come more than once?

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Service Operations; Management; Demand and Consumers; Marketing; Strategy; Accommodations Industry;

Citation:
Buell, Ryan W., and Amy Klopfenstein. "Getaway." Harvard Business School Case 621-054, September 2020. View Details

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Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2016 (Revised August 2020)

Improving Access at VA

Ryan W. Buell, Robert S. Huckman and Sam Travers

In 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ran the largest healthcare system in the United States, with over 1,700 sites of care that served nearly 9 million veterans. One year earlier, a scandal had erupted over a cover-up of the excessive wait times veterans faced to get medical appointments in some VA facilities. The fallout led to the resignation of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a criminal investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the eventual replacement of 14 of VA’s top 17 leaders. This case documents the efforts of the new leadership team to improve access, regain trust, and transform the organization to address the broadening medical needs of the nation's growing veteran population.

Keywords: Service Operations; Service Delivery; Social Issues; Health Care and Treatment; Government Administration; Performance Improvement; Public Administration Industry; Health Industry; United States;

Citation:
Buell, Ryan W., Robert S. Huckman, and Sam Travers. "Improving Access at VA." Harvard Business School Case 617-012, November 2016. (Revised August 2020.) View Details

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The Parts of Customer Service That Should Never Be Automated

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