You are happy to receive a large order from Finn Valentino at 24-Hour Fitness gym. This order includes two Olympic Benches (at $349 each), three Stamina Power Towers (at $249 each), three sets of Premier Dumbbells (at $105 each), and two Titanic 20 Ellipticals (at $1,099 each). You could ship immediately except for one problem. The Titanic 20 Elliptical, as rated by Consumer Reports, is intended for home use, not for gym or club use. More and more fitness lovers are purchasing ellipticals because they have better track records than treadmills and stair climbers for aerobic exercise. The Titanic 20 is effective for personal use. However, this is not the model you would recommend for club use. The Titanic 90 is larger, sturdier, and safer for commercial gyms. It also has extras such as a built-in cooling fan, water bottle holder, and speakers that allow users to hook up to any smartphone or MP3 player for easy listening. You believe that Mr. Valentino should order the Titanic 90 Elliptical. It’s solidly built, comes with a chest-strap heart-rate monitor, has 20 resistance levels, and features a lifetime warranty on its frame. For gym use, the Titanic 90 is clearly better. The bad news is that it is considerably more expensive at $3,100 per machine.

You get no response when you try to telephone Mr. Valentino to discuss the problem. Should you ship what you can, or hold the entire order until you learn whether he wants the Titanic 20 or the Titanic 90 Elliptical? Another option is to substitute the Titanic 90 and send only one of them. Another possibility is sending one of the home models and one of the gym models.

Your Task.

Decide what to do and then send an e-mail to Finn Valentino (fvalentino@24hourfitness.com).