Businesses

If, despite precautions, a discount product is out of stock during the campaign period, the key to resolving the situation appropriately is good customer service.

In case of delays or mistakes:

• The stores and staff must be made aware of the latest information regarding the matter and its expected development. The information must be conveyed to all outlets in the chain.
• Implement the contingency plan previously prepared for this turn of events, or if one is not available, make decisions on what action is needed; what instructions to give to stores and/or staff, what materials must be sent out to stores (e.g. signs with corrective information), what product to offer in place of the original product, if applicable
• Staff in customer service positions must all be given the same instructions on what corrective action to take with customers. For example, they can be informed of the new date of delivery, the compensation of customers' travel costs, or instructed to offer a similar product depending on the extent to which the advertiser had taken due care (see the section on compensation).
• Actively seek out and take advantage of all means to acquire more products, e.g. shipping some from other outlets. Maintain fast connections between the warehouse and the retail outlet.

In distance selling

For example in selling by post or online consumers may place an order for a product without actually communicating with the seller. As such, a contract is created between the parties when the consumer sends his response. In selling on the internet the requirement on the business to take due care is highlighted because of the ease of keeping web pages up-to-date.

The appropriate corrective action in cases of defects can include, amongst others:

• The customer service department for a business engaged in selling by post or online must have real-time information at the time of making the sale of mistakes in the sales catalogue or stock-outs.
• If the product is also marketed online, the pages should be updated to include notification of the problems. Even in other cases the internet is a good way to inform customers.
• With postal orders, the customer should be contacted as soon as the order is received to inform them of the types of corrective action available to them.
• If the customer makes the order with a company engaged in selling by post or online, the option to place an order should be disabled for products that are out of stock or that have suffered from delays in delivery.
• In cases of significant mistakes in the sales catalogue, the correction must be made by post to the same distribution list to which the catalogue itself was sent out.