While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Marketing analyst Sarah Chen noticed declining customer satisfaction scores at...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Marketing analyst Sarah Chen noticed declining customer satisfaction scores at retail electronics stores. She discovered that staff turnover rates had increased significantly over the past year. Chen hypothesized that inexperienced staff were providing inadequate customer service. To address this issue, Chen recommended implementing a comprehensive staff training program. The training program was designed to improve product knowledge and customer interaction skills. After the program's implementation, customer satisfaction scores returned to previous high levels.
The student wants to demonstrate how Chen solved the customer satisfaction problem. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Chen discovered that staff turnover rates had increased significantly, leading to inexperienced staff providing inadequate customer service.
The marketing analyst noticed declining customer satisfaction scores and hypothesized about the underlying cause.
Chen implemented a comprehensive staff training program to improve product knowledge and customer interaction skills, which restored customer satisfaction scores.
Sarah Chen investigated the connection between staff turnover and customer satisfaction at retail electronics stores.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Marketing analyst Sarah Chen noticed declining customer satisfaction scores at retail electronics stores." |
|
| "She discovered that staff turnover rates had increased significantly over the past year." |
|
| "Chen hypothesized that inexperienced staff were providing inadequate customer service." |
|
| "To address this issue, Chen recommended implementing a comprehensive staff training program." |
|
| "The training program was designed to improve product knowledge and customer interaction skills." |
|
| "After the program's implementation, customer satisfaction scores returned to previous high levels." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Sarah Chen successfully solved declining customer satisfaction at retail electronics stores by implementing a comprehensive staff training program.
Argument Flow: The passage follows a classic problem-solving narrative: Chen identifies a customer satisfaction problem, investigates and hypothesizes about the cause (staff turnover leading to inexperienced workers), implements a targeted solution (training program), and achieves successful results (restored satisfaction scores).
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The student wants to demonstrate "how Chen solved the customer satisfaction problem." This is asking us to identify which choice best shows Chen's problem-solving process - specifically the actions she took and their effectiveness.
What type of answer do we need? Information that shows both Chen's solution and its success
Any limiting keywords? "most effectively" suggests we need the choice that best captures the complete solving process
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- To demonstrate how someone solved a problem, we need to see both the solution they implemented and evidence that it worked
- From our analysis, Chen's solution was implementing a comprehensive staff training program to improve product knowledge and customer interaction skills
- The evidence of success was that customer satisfaction scores returned to previous high levels
- The right answer should show Chen's specific solution (the training program) and the positive outcome (restored customer satisfaction), demonstrating the complete problem-solving success story
Chen discovered that staff turnover rates had increased significantly, leading to inexperienced staff providing inadequate customer service.
- This only describes problem identification and cause analysis
- Shows what Chen discovered but doesn't show her solution or results
- What trap this represents: Students might think identifying the problem counts as "solving" it, but the question asks how she solved it, not how she identified it
The marketing analyst noticed declining customer satisfaction scores and hypothesized about the underlying cause.
- Only covers the problem identification and hypothesis stages
- Mentions Chen "noticed" and "hypothesized" but says nothing about her actual solution or its effectiveness
- Stops at the investigation phase without showing the solving process
Chen implemented a comprehensive staff training program to improve product knowledge and customer interaction skills, which restored customer satisfaction scores.
- Shows Chen's specific solution: "implemented a comprehensive staff training program to improve product knowledge and customer interaction skills"
- Shows the successful outcome: "which restored customer satisfaction scores"
- Demonstrates the complete solving process from solution to successful result
Sarah Chen investigated the connection between staff turnover and customer satisfaction at retail electronics stores.
- Only describes Chen's investigation of the problem
- Uses vague language without showing what she actually did to solve the problem
- Missing both the specific solution and the results