Which of the following criteria would be most useful to a sales department manager in evaluating the performance of the manager’s customer-service group?

A. The customer is always right.
B. Customer complaints should be processed promptly.
C. Employees should maintain a positive attitude when dealing with customers.

D. All customer inquiries should be answered within 7 days of receipt.

Explanation:
A criterion that requires all customer inquiries to be answered within 7 days of receipt permits accurate measurement of performance. The quantitative and specific nature of the appraisal using this standard avoids the vagueness, subjectivity, and personal bias that may afflict other forms of personnel evaluations.