Argument 47. Movie Galore's movie rental stores

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47) The following appeared in a memorandum from the owner of Movies Galore, a chain of movie-rental stores.
Because of declining profits, we must reduce operating expenses at Movies Galore's ten movie-rental stores. Raising prices is not a good option, since we are famous for our low prices. Instead, we should reduce our operating hours. Last month our store in downtown Marston reduced its hours by closing at 6:00 p.m. rather than 9:00 p.m. and reduced its overall inventory by no longer stocking any DVD released more than five years ago. Since we have received very few customer complaints about these new policies, we should now adopt them at all other Movies Galore stores as our best strategies for improving profits.
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

Claim:
Because of declining profits, we must reduce operating expenses (by reducing operating hours) at Movies Galore's ten movie-rental stores.
Pro.1:
Raising prices is not a good option, since we are famous for our low prices.
Pro.2:
Last month our store in downtown Marston reduced its hours by closing at 6:00 p.m. rather than 9:00 p.m. and reduced its overall inventory by no longer stocking any DVD released more than five years ago. Since we have received very few customer complaints about these new policies, we should now adopt them at all other Movies Galore stores as our best strategies for improving profits.

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Outline:
From a memo of further development, the Movies Galore’s owner believe they should cut down operating hours for 10 movie-rental stores to save costs. It is logical for the owner to take measurement for sake of profits, but this memorandum is lack of further evidence on the effectiveness of their trial in Marston branch, the availability to be applied to stores around the states and proper strategy on price policy.

The owner cites an experimental measure applied to Movies Galore Marston last month and its short-term result to imply the effectiveness of this measurement, however, the trial need more information on consumers’ feedback. 1. 因为Very few complaints 不能代表其他消费者普遍接受，也有可能他们因为关门早或者找不到想要的老DVD就不再来；为得到准确feedback，MG可以针对会员和非会员进行问卷调查来找到消费者真实的态度。 2. 一个月对于这个measure来说时间太短，需要更长期的观察才能知道营业时间变更和DVD变少对business的影响；或者可以查看以前的rental record，看一下在6-9点是否有很多借出记录，以及老DVD（5年前）被借出的概率。

Moreover, as far as the availability of application through other stores, the owner needs to display more details on consumers’ habits, which might vary significantly among different areas. 有一种可能性是downtown M 分店因为在CBD，所以人们都是工作日中午和周末白天来逛，因此晚上不营业对生意影响不明显，但另一个分店是人们下班后的休闲去处，缩短晚上营业时间会有很大影响；另一种可能性是downtown M的人们喜欢newly released DVD，但是其他分店的人很喜欢vintage，如果借不到5年前的DVD他们就不来了。所以需要一个full-scale survey on consumers habits for each store.

Worrying about losing good reputation on low prices, MG owner abandon the possibility to adjust its service charge, however, with help of further data, there is improvement space on price policy. 需要一个调查来说明MG的价格比行业平均水平低多少，如果程度很大也可以略微上涨，上涨后的价格如果还是低于竞争对手，在保证其他服务不变前提下，顾客也是有可能接受的。

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跟Simon(王老师）讨论过后进行了几个调整：

1.Opening时对原文陈述不完全，把DVD部分补上去
2.段落结构进行调整，按照题目陈述的几个点来写（价格/operating hours/stocking of old DVDs)
3.补充针对price部分的其他evidence(问价格是否真的是competing edges?)

修改过后：

Firstly, more evidence is needed to testify that relatively low service charge is MG’s the most competing edge and what strategy should be taken with it.  MG或否因为其他原因，如DVD储量大，而受到消费者欢迎；如果价格真是最大竞争力，
需要一个调查来说明MG的价格比行业平均水平低多少，如果涨价后也低于竞争对手则也是可取。

The owner cites an experimental measure applied to Movies Galore Marston last month that to reduce operating hours to save cost, which should be combined with further details to evaluate its effectiveness.
1.因为Very few complaints 不能代表其他消费者普遍接受，也有可能他们因为关门早就不再来；为得到准确feedback，MG可以针对会员和非会员进行问卷调查来找到消费者真实的态度。
2. 一个月时间太短，可以看一下以前的rental record, 看一下在6-9点是否有很多借出记录来判断这时段的流量
3. 有一种可能性是downtown M 分店因为在CBD，所以人们都是工作日中午和周末白天来逛，因此晚上不营业对生意影响不明显，但另一个分店是人们下班后的休闲去处，缩短晚上营业时间会有很大影响；

Moreover, as far as the availability of stop stocking DVDs released before 5 years ago, the owner needs to display more details on consumers’ habits, which might vary significantly among different area.
1.消费者可能不会直接抱怨（lead to the result of few complaints)，而是去竞争对手那里寻找DVD
2. 一个月时间太短，应参照rental record上这些DVD被借出的频率来判断是否被需要
3. 一种可能性是downtown M的人们喜欢newly released DVD，但是其他分店的人很喜欢vintage，如果借不到5年前的DVD他们就不来了。所以需要一个full-scale survey on consumers habits for each store.