Business Case Studies & Business Publications

Philly Cleans (A)

Thomas-Hunt, Melis...

Case

Philly Cleans (A)

Thomas-Hunt, Melissa C.; Goldberg, Rebecca

F-1939 | Published July 8, 2020 | 4 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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This case provides a minimum threshold and a range of value for a contract for janitorial services in an office building. A variety of facts are presented that negotiators can choose to pay more or less attention to when planning and conducting their negotiation. Mitchell, a shift supervisor, has been temporarily empowered to conduct the negotiation on behalf of his supervisor, Robert Eckhart, who is out sick. Jim Evans, the sales representative from Philly Cleans, is attempting to preserve his company’s typical 25% profit margin, which is 10% above the industry norm of 15%. A contingency agreement is a possibility, which would likely take the form of a delivery reduction in the average price per room if in fact the average size of the rooms in this renovated office building is actually significantly smaller than the average size of rooms in newly constructed office buildings. This case contains two roles, one for each person in a two-party negotiation. They are relatively short in length and can be read in class just prior to a mock negotiation. This learning activity is appropriate for teaching negotiations skills to a broad audience, including undergraduate and graduate business school students, adult learners in a variety of settings, and in a corporate university.