Rational Models and Self Evaluation

My supervisor requested a self-evaluation in connection with an upcoming annual performance review, the self evaluation was meant to answer questions regarding

A certain customer service decision and accommodations made by me that went beyond company standard operating procedure and protocols.

Conio-caca Graphics Imaging Corporation ordered my team to perform a systems installation for a small publishing company in North Miami. The installation was to be performed according to company standards; first the hardware which included an image setter and then a “Mac Server” running OS 10 (Operating system version 10) followed by installing specialized software to interface with a desktop publishing application.

Upon completing the installation of the software and hardware, the team and the customer found the software was not functioning which effectively meant the customer at that point was, “Out of Business”.

PROBLEM DEFINITION

The on-site Team defined the problem (Bazerman, Max H. Judgment in Managerial Decision Making, 5th edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 2002), resolving; Apple Computer Corp. had shipped a machine to the customer with the very latest operating system on it which did not work with a standard desktop publishing application; it required a missing upgrade patch having a zipped (compressed) volume of about 80MB’s.

Alternative1: After careful communication with my supervisor, I was ordered to tell the customer to order the upgrade patch on a CD direct from Apple Computer, they could have it shipped overnight and install it themselves the next day. The customer called Apple Computer and was told the Patch was not available on CD but could be downloaded from a web site. Alternative2: I concluded the customer was losing

money by not getting his work out, he was angry having just purchased a brand new ($80,000.00) system that did not work, and the patch was available via download with a broadband connection.