Overview
!. I need you to answer this Case.
v“Trying to Get a Yes”
Alex arrives at Milford Green Grocers at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday, already anticipating what the next few hours will look like. By late afternoon, the store fills quickly with commuters heading home, parents picking up groceries before dinner, and students stopping in between classes or shifts. This is when the front end feels stretched, and today is no exception.
Alex oversees the front end, including cashiers, customer service, and self-checkout. The team is a mix of full-time employees who have worked at the store for years and part-time college students juggling classes, commuting, and other jobs. On paper, the schedule appears to be fine. In reality, one cashier called out sick, another is new and still learning the system, and the self-checkout machine has already frozen once.
By 5:15 p.m., the checkout line stretches halfway down the aisle.
A customer sighs loudly and mutters, “This is why people just go to the big chains.” A cashier looks over at Alex with a tired expression and whispers, “We are slammed again.”
Alex jumps on a register to help clear the line, but the pattern is familiar. This has been happening more often over the past several weeks, especially late afternoons and weekends. Customer complaints have increased, and service scores are slipping. Employees look exhausted. A few experienced cashiers have quietly started saying no when asked to stay late or cover extra shifts.
One employee told Alex earlier in the week, “I like this place, but it feels like we are always short when it matters most.”
Alex has been paying attention. After several weekends like this, Alex started jotting down notes. The busiest times, the most frequent complaints, the moments when frustration peaks. The pattern is clear. When staffing is thin during rush periods, everything feels harder. Customers get impatient. Employees rush. Small mistakes turn into bigger problems.
Alex believes the solution is straightforward. Add one or two extra people during peak hours. Not a permanent change, just targeted coverage when demand is highest.
The problem is getting approval.
Any change to staffing levels requires sign-off from Jordan, the store manager. Jordan is responsible for the entire store and answers directly to corporate leadership. Over the past few months, corporate has been emphasizing labor control more aggressively. Store managers receive weekly reports highlighting labor variances. Going over budget, even slightly, now requires an explanation.
Alex puts together a short proposal. It includes a simple breakdown of customer complaints by time of day and informal feedback from employees. Nothing fancy. Just enough to show that the issue is not random.
Before meeting with Jordan, Alex talks it through with a few colleagues.
One supervisor says, “You need to make this about the store. Customer complaints hurt everyone. That usually gets attention.”
Another suggests, “Frame it as helping Jordan. Nobody wants to explain bad numbers to corporate.”
A third leans back and says quietly, “If Jordan drags their feet, copy someone higher up. That always lights a fire.”
Alex does not like that suggestion. It feels like crossing a line. At the same time, another busy weekend is coming, and employees are getting more frustrated.
The meeting with Jordan happens later that afternoon, squeezed between other issues.
Jordan listens carefully as Alex walks through the proposal. Jordan nods, asks a few questions, and then pauses.
“I do not disagree with you,” Jordan says. “I see the lines too. But corporate is watching labor numbers closely right now. If we add hours and go over budget, I am the one who has to explain it.”
Alex tries again. “What if we just test it for a couple of weekends?”
Jordan sighs. “Even a test shows up in the reports. My hands are not completely free.”
The meeting ends without a clear decision. Jordan asks Alex to think through other options and follow up next week.
As Alex walks back onto the floor, another rush is starting. A cashier catches Alex’s eye and asks quietly, “Any chance we get help this weekend?”
Alex does not have an answer yet.
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YOUR TASKs
Read the case “Trying to Get a Yes” carefully and provide your responses to the questions below. There is no single correct answer. The purpose of this discussion is to surface different perspectives and reasoning approaches.
When preparing your responses, focus on explaining how you are thinking, not just what you would do.
Questions
1. If you were Alex, what would you do next, and why?
Be specific about your next step. Explain the reasoning behind your choice rather than listing multiple options.
2. What risks does Alex face by pushing harder, and what risks does Alex face by doing nothing?
Consider both short-term and longer-term consequences.
3. Where do you think the line is between effective influence and inappropriate pressure in this situation?
Explain what makes certain actions acceptable and others uncomfortable or problematic.
2. I have attached some of my classmates answers for reference do not plaigarise