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The Founder Of Granite Rock Co

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Arthur Roberts Wilson, the founder of Granite Rock Co., had started the business in 1900 with a small labor force who mined the quarries using sledge hammers and hauled it out manually. (Anfuso, 1994) In the 1980s, a new strategy was born just when the company looked to be doing good business. Bruce W. Woolpert, A.R Wilson’s grandson became the CEO of Granite Rock Co. and led to the makeover of the long-established company. (Harold Koontz, 2006) The firm is based at Watsonville, California and it employs about 400 people serving the construction industry in Northern California. Today they use advanced equipment necessary for the quarry industry like, automated trucks, large crushers, and modern material handling systems. (Anfuso, 1994)…show more content…
(Jill Griffin, 2002) Here the catalytic mechanism redistributes the power so that it benefits the entire system which includes the company as well as the customer but this often creates an uncomfortable situation for the company. (HBR: Turning Goals) At the bottom of each invoice was written “If you are not satisfied for any reason, don’t pay us for it. Simply scratch out the line item, write a brief note about the problem, and return a copy of this invoice along with your check for the balance.” (HBR: Turning Goals) This meant that the customer had the complete power to pay as per his satisfaction level and did not have to return the product. Granite Rock Co. knew that 90% of the customers don’t complain and they will go away hence losing the customer without knowing the reason. This method was a simple strategy they came up with for the customers to voice their problems which helped the organization act upon them. (Jill Griffin, 2002)
To achieve a BHAG requires the complete commitment of the employees towards it. Woolpert did not know how the employees would confront a customer doing a short pay. So, before Woolpert put into action this policy, he made sure to go and talk to his employees to know what they felt about it. He made sure that the employees feel that it is immoral for them to ask the customers to pay for some product that didn’t meet their expectations. He asked them whether
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