Analysis of an Argument 5 p154

The following memorandum is from the business manager of Happy Pancake House restaurants.
"Butter has now been replaced margarine in Happy House restaurants throughout the southwestern United States. Only about 2 percent of customers have complained, indicating that an average of 98 people out of 100 are happy with the change. Furthermore, many servers have reported that a number of customers who ask for butter do not complain when they are given margarine instead. Clearly, either these customers cannot distinguish butter from margarine or they use the term 'butter' to refer to either butter or margarine. Thus, to avoid the expense of purchasing butter and to increase profitability, the Happy pancake House should extend this cost-saving change to its restaurants in the southeast and northeast as well."
What specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument?

In this memorandum the manager suggests that butter should be replaced by margarine in Happy pancake house restaurants as margarine is cheaper and there are only a small amount of customers complaining about this change. In the first scene, the data and fact seem to support this idea steadily. However, indeed the examples are vulnerable for several reasons and needed more specific evidences to support them.

First of all, only 2 percent of customers have complained about the change solely does not mean the rest customers accept the change happily. It is more likely that the customers who unhappy with the change relinquish the restaurants in silence. Therefore, more data about the customers opinions are needed, for example, does the customer number fluctuate after the change. If there is no change or there is an ascending in customers flow, the suggestion will be supported firmly.

The second fact that there are reports which indicate customers do not mind to get margarine even they are asking for butter need more concrete relevant evidences to support it. In this case data would be helpful. The exact number of servers, reports and customers would affect the influence of this fact. Large amount of reports come from various servers about different customers are important, as it means these events did not happen sporadically and increases their value.

Moreover, the manager suggests to give this change throughout southeastern and northeastern United States which customers constitution may different from the southwestern. Therefore, it is important to know what kinds of customers are affected in this change in southwestern, and use the data with the local situation to evaluate the possible effect in these two areas.

At the end, the extend of profit increase should also be considered. It will not be shrewd if the profit is only increase slightly or even imperceptible. Only huge profit increase will deserve such a countrywide change, and cancel out the cost of changing.

In conclusion, replacing butter by margarine is a feasible suggestion for commercial purpose. However, without enough evidences in customers opinions and net income increase, the suggestion will not be tenable.