Delta Dental of Massachusetts

This case discusses the first use of service guarantees by an insurance company to its clients and its resultant marketability. The case poses two decisions: whether to expand operations to grow the company beyond its 200 employees and beyond its family culture, as well as related customer-service challenges; and whether Delta Dental should change its focus, given the national health-care drive, by seizing opportunities to form regional alliances with other dental insurers or to align itself with full-service health-care insurers in preparation for nationalized health-care. The case is especially useful in courses covering service guarantees, significant company growth as it relates to corporate culture, changes in health-care insurance, and formation of alliances