mayankgupta01 wrote:
In a recent customer satisfaction survey, 2000 customers of a certain bank that had recently switched from live tellers to automated banking expressed dissatisfaction with their bank. They said that they felt alienated and insignificant, and that they believed their bank no longer cared for its customers. Many felt that the services offered were inadequate and that the banking options they desired were not present. Analysts of the banking industry have used the evidence gathered in this survey in their reports to warn banks that automation of banking procedures, while cost-efficient, leads to dissatisfaction among customers.
Which one of the following statements, if true, most forcefully undermines the conclusion of the banking industry analysts described above?
A. The customers surveyed were chosen at random, and represent a valid cross-section of the bank’s customer base.
B. The accuracy of bank record-keeping procedures has increased dramatically in recent years with the advent of advanced computers.
C. The bank in question had turned to the use of automated banking in response to customer complaints of poor service and general dissatisfaction.
D. Since the standardization of banking procedures is now controlled by federal law, the importance of banking options had declined significantly.
E. According to another survey, computerization and automation of certain other financial-services industries have led to increased client satisfaction.
Please explain the answer with reasoning?
First, I think this is definitely not representative of a true GMAT question. Though solvable, the question uses an explanation for its answer that is way too "soft". Anyway, here's why I ended up picking E.
C. The bank in question had turned to the use of automated banking in response to customer complaints of poor service and general dissatisfaction.
First, this doesn't undermine the analysts' conclusion at all. Analysts are saying that automation will lead to customer dissatisfaction. Whether there was poor service before or not does not change that "customers felt alienated" because of the change. The change still lead to dissatisfaction regardless. Businesses make bad decisions all the time. Just because they switched due to general dissatisfaction doesn't mean their new plan of automating can't lead to dissatisfaction either.
E. According to another survey, computerization and automation of certain other financial-services industries have led to increased client satisfaction.
While not a great answer because it doesn't seem to directly undermine analysts' conclusion (other financial-services industries vs banking industry), it is still the only answer that has some semblance of actually undermining the conclusion. For questions about "undermining" on the GMAT, I ask myself which answer, if true, would make me question the validity of the conclusion? If E were true, I would at least question why it seems to be the case that other financial services industries saw success from automation, while the banking industry has not. Maybe there's a good reason or maybe the survey for the bank was not conducted properly. Who knows? Point is that it could undermine the conclusion that automation will lead to dissatisfaction.
On the other hand, if C were true, nothing really changes about the validity of the conclusion.
close
29 Jun 2022, 17:29
