Firms typically repurchase office supplies (paper, ink cartridges, pens, etc.) through
straight rebuys on their supplier's website. Should an office supplies sales rep stay in
close touch with his or her current customers? Why or why not?
A. No; this is a waste of time since straight rebuys are straightforward and easy to
handle.
B. No; the sales rep should be looking for new customers instead.
C. Yes; straight rebuys require a lot of the sales rep's assistance.
D. Yes; the sales rep might learn about a new opportunity in the need recognition stage.
E. Yes; history has shown that online reordering can't be trusted.
Answer:
When Natasha took over as facilities manager for Burlington Furniture Manufacturing,
she was shocked to see the factory was still heated with a coal-fired boiler. She made an
immediate decision to upgrade the heating system to something more efficient, and
began to research available options. For Natasha and Burlington Furniture, this
represented a(n) __________ situation.