Customer service Tesco’s customer expectations Essay

An accurate description of the basic characteristics of the different customers and their needs and an explanation of what is meant by customer service in the context of my chosen organisation Customer service is the degree of assistance and courtesy granted those who patronize an organisation. Customer service describes the extent to which Tesco satisfy their customers. All Tesco customers have their own individual needs. Each individual customer likes to be provided with different services to make them self feel more comfortable. Tesco core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. Tesco believe its success depends on people, the people that shop with them and people that work with them. If Tesco customers like what Tesco offer, they are more likely to go back and shop with Tesco again and if the team find what Tesco do rewarding, they are more likely to go extra mile to help Tesco’s customers. Tesco regularly ask its customers and staff what they can do to make shopping and working with Tesco a little bit better. Tesco customers have told them they want clear aisles in order to get what they want at a good price, no queues and great staff. Tesco use its every little helps shopping trip for customers every day in order to ensure they are always working hard to make Tesco a better place to shop, at home and abroad. Tesco staff have told Tesco that it is important to them to be treated with respect, having managers that helps them, having interesting job and an opportunity to get on. Tesco helping to achieve what is important to its staff will help Tesco to deliver every little helps shopping trip for its customers. Tesco aim is to attract as many customers as possible and keep exisiting customers. If Tesco manage to achieve these aim, it will maintain or increase its turnover and make the profits it requires. A good customer service is one of the main ways for Tesco to succeed. The first step Tesco must take is to provide good quality product because if the products on sale are not of sufficiently high quality, customers will stop buying after some time. Before Tesco decide on what service to provide, Tesco must understand clearly its customers’ expectations. Tesco recognised the need to provide staff training and set up systems to ensure customers’ expectactions are met. Tesco’s customer expectations 1. Good value products: if Tesco do not offer good value products, it will lose customers. Tesco like to keep a close watch on prices charged by rivals in order to make sure that their own prices are competitive. 2. Clear and honest information: Tesco’s customers like to know the prices that they are expected to pay. They also want to know about any extra costs. Having hidden charges is not a good customer service for Tesco. 3. Efficient ordering systems: good quality customer service means that Tesco customers want to receive products soon after ordering them. Example of this is Tesco using order tracking systems on their websites. This will tell customers when the products they have ordered will be despatched. 4. After-sales-services: this include products such refrigerators, televisions breaking down. After sales services include repairs and replacement of faulty products. Tesco’s customers expect such repairs to be carried out quickly and efficiently and faulty products to be replaced without delay. 5. Dealing quickly with inquiries: Tesco should always reply promptly to complaints about poor service or low quality products. Tesco’s customers expect to be given telephone numbers and addresses where they can contact customer service when necessary or direct them to the customer service desk. Good customer service means keeping customers happy. Tesco may offer competitive prices, have helpful and friendly staff and respond quickly to customer complaints. Offering good customer service also helps Tesco to be competitive. Terry Leahy the chief executive of Tesco said that good customer service helps Tesco to compete successfully with other supermarkets. An explanation using appropriate examples, of how the organisation uses customer service to meet customer needs. Including the strategic objectives of the organisation Tesco customer service involves identifying and meeting customers needs in the most effective way. Effective customer service is very important to Tesco and it will help Tesco to meet its aims and objectives. Tesco will use effective customer service to attract new customers and retain existing customers. Tesco aim to achieve continuous improvements in its customer service so that they can gain competitive advantage. Tesco’s customer service offers a wide range of services to its customers, this include providing information, giving advice, providing assistance, after sales services and service for disabled customers. Tesco provides different information to its customers. For example Tesco’s website contains information about Tesco’s history, Tesco careers, Tesco financial information, how to shop online and so on. Tesco offer a wide range of advices to new and existing customers for example Tesco staff can help customers to choose a product. Tesco can help its customers in different ways; example of this is helping disabled people with their shopping. Tesco’s after sales services include handling and dealing with customer’s complaint. Tesco aim to provide high level of service to its customers. Tesco is always willing to hear from customers that are not satisfy, this matters can be shared with staff members face to face, by letter or by telephone. This year Tesco is sponsoring the 2006 Tommy’s Angel Award. This award will be presented to individual that deserves special rocongition for helping someone through a difficult pregnancy or a parenting promblem of any kind. The winner will be presented with a prize at the star studded Tommy’s parent frendly awards ceremony held at an exclusive London venue. Tesco has been voted Tommy’s most parent friendly supermarket for the third year running. Tesco knows how important it is to make shopping with a child as easy as possible, that’s why Tesco work really hard to offer its customers with the following parent friendly services. 1. Toiletries: Tesco offer a range of toddler wipes and toiletries which enable toddlers to start learning to do every day tasks themselves. 2. Parent and child parking: which is dedicated parent and child parking spaces, where possible located near the store for easier and safer access. 3. Trolleys: Tesco provides trolleys that carry car seats so that baby can stay in its carrier whilst the parent shop. Tesco also supply trolley wips to ensure the trolley is clean and hygienic. 4. Instore cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½: many of Tesco larger stores have cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s with healthier options available for children, these include sandwiches, fruit, jacket potatoes. Tesco also offer toddler cutlery, high chairs, bottle and food warming services. 5. Bag packing: Tesco provides customer assistants to help pack the parent’s shopping bags. 6. Queues: Tesco aim to open another till until all the checkouts are open is there’s more than one person in front of parents. 7. Umbrellas: Tesco provides umbrellas for customers to take out to their car if it’s raining. 8. Help: Tesco helps to take shoppings to the customer’s car if the customer can’t take it themselves. 9. Assisted shopping: Tesco helps customers with their shopping if they need a hand. 10. Baby clothing: Tesco offer an extensive range of exceptional quality, 100% cotton clothing which is machine washable and tumble dryable. 11. Baby changing rooms: many of Tesco’s larger stores have baby changing rooms and also provides free nappies. 12. Pharmacy: Tesco provides expert advise from its pharmacists, dispensing service, time saving repeat prescription service, full range of over the counter medicines, consulting rooms if customers need privacy. 13. Petrol at customer’s convenience: provides new pay at pump option, so customers don’t have to leave their baby alone in the car when they go to the till, offer competitive fuel prices in customer’s area, earn clubcard points on all petrol and automotive products. 14. Kids club: provide kids club for free for children between 5-8 years old, keep them entertained with fun and games in the clubzone magazine, plus exclusive offers, coupons and advice for busy parents. 15. Baby and Toddler club: Tesco baby and toddler club is a series of 10 segmented magazines which track baby’s lifestage, from pregnancy through to five years old. Tesco provide expert advice, top tips and money off coupons. If a customer was using a trolley and it broke down and would cause risk to the customer, depending on the physical status of the customer, he or she would want to be treated differently. If a customer had an illness or some sort of medical problem they would want to be treated in a way that they would be most comfortable. All Tesco customers would want their information to be kept private and safe so that when they buy products with debit or credit cards, their information will not be given out so Tesco have a database protection act where any customers information cannot be viewed by anyone that hasn’t got authority. Tesco have to provide staff who can meet targets of different customer service. If a customer is looking for Tesco manager they would expect to be referred to the person correctly including where and when the person can be found. Some of Tesco customers may not understand English and will find it hard to understand what the staff says so it is the responsibility of Tesco to provide different staff with different languages. Tesco can also provide signs and maps in different languages so that it will be easy for the customers to understand. If a staff does not speak the language that a customer understand, the customer should be refer to another staff that can speak the same language as the customer. Tesco have different customers with different needs. For example disabled people should be helped with their shopping, a blind person alone should be escorted around with a member of staff or Tesco can have sign that are brailed so that this will make it easy for blind customers. Customer service includes a variety of tasks but the crucial importance is for Tesco to keep its existing customers and gain new ones. All forms of customer service require communication between the provider of goods or services and the customer or potential customer. All Tesco member of staff dealing with customers must have specific skills and understand the importance of a number of aspects of the front line activity which includes: customer behaviour, modes of communication, interpersonal skills, telephone manner, technological skills and product knowledge. Customer behaviour: when dealing with customers, it is important to realise that different people react differently and that a customer’s response is frequently a direct result of the attitude and behaviour of the person they are dealing with. This includes not only appreciating the reasons for an individual customer’s behaviour on a particular occasion, but understanding the reactions of people in situations which are often quite stressful, as when seeking information that is difficult to obtain, asking for assistance or making a complaint. Modes of communication: many different modes of communication may be used in customer service which includes; written, verbal, non-verbal, face-to-face that is body language. Written communication: can be by letter, fax or e-mail. It should always be remembered that letters written to customers on behalf of Tesco are formal and all the rules of formal letter writing must apply. The customer’s name and address must be correct and the contents of the letter should be clearly laid out, brief and concise. If the letter is in response to a communication by the customer, care should be taken that it deals with matters raised by the customer. While faxes and e-mail need not be quite so formal in format, they must still be well written, give all the correct information and be properly laid out. Verbal communication: can be face to face or on the telephone. While politeness and courtesy are always important when talking to a customer, when the conversation actually takes place face to face, appearance and dress also become important. Non-verbal face-to-face communication: can convey more than is intended. Actions communicate our attitude to others and are certain to bring about certain responses. Communication via the internet: is used more and more frequently and the same rules of attention, patience and helpfulness should apply. Interpersonal skills: is the verbal and body language skills needed for good communication between people. Appearance: is important in all face-to-face situations, so Tesco lay down ground rules on how its employees should dress by giving them uniforms. One of the basic aims when talking to customers is to put them at ease. This will only happen if the number of staff willing to listen to them, does not interrupt and shows polite interest in what they are saying. The right attitude to the customer has the added advantage of making it more likely that he or she will not feel slighted or threatened, thus making it easier to deal with the matter in hand. Telephone manner: people use the telephone so often that many assume that anyone can talk effectively on the telephone. However in telephone conversations, it is important to learn the principles of pitch, projection, energy, volume, articulation. Pitch: nobody wants to listen to a screeching voice on the other end of the line. Projection: the voice should carry sufficiently to be easily heard. Energy: the speaker should ensure that he or she comes over as confident and fully in control. Volume: should not be so loud that it deafens the listener or so low that the listener has to strain to hear what is being said. Articulation: each word should be clearly pronounced, to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. These telephone skills have to be learned and wise employers provide training for employees, either inhouse or from their supervisors. Technological skills: staff working in customer services need to be trained in IT to be able to retrieve information, refer to records, handle customer accounts and personal files, set up and use customer databases and obtain feedback from internet/intranet websites. Product knowledge: staff in the front line of customer services must have a good knowledge of the goods or services provided by the business. Failure to do so will result in customers losing confidence in the produts offered. The above skills are equally important for all organisations, whatever their size, it is of course, easier for a large company to train its employees than it is for a small business. Customer charters: tesco have its own codes of practice which set out in detail the customer services that they aim to provide. On the basis of such codes of practice, Tesco create customer charters. These contain information about customer rights and the services offered. While customer rights are statutory, in other words laid down in various acts of parliament, it is the additional extras that are likely to interest customers and persuade people to buy from the company. Customer charters are only worth having if the promises they contain are kept. For example; Tesco promises to open another checkout if there is more than one person waiting at those that are open, this promise was adhered to all Tesco stores visited. Tesco promises to provide quality customer service at all times but fails to open enough checkouts at peak times thus increasing waiting time at the tills. A concise and accurate account of how the organisation had incorporated consumer protection into its customer service policy. Tesco is aware of the importance of good customer care. In order to ensure that Tesco know precisely what its responsibilities are towards its customers, legislation is necessary. All transactions between Tesco and the buyer are contracts with both sides having clearly defined responsibilities. The responsibility of the buyer is to pay for the goods purchased while the responsibility of Tesco is much more complex. Consumer protection looks after consumers in a number of ways. It prevents: > Tesco from charging very high prices or very high rates of interest > Dishonest practices, such as selling measures other than those stated on the label > The sale of unsafe products, such as children’s toys with sharp edges > Information about consumers being passed to other businesses without the consumers’ permission. Consumer protection legislation These are the main Acts of Parliament dealing with consumer protection: 1. Sale of Goods Act 1979: under this act products sold must be undamaged and in good working order. They should do what is expected of them and perform as described and be of satisfactory quality. If consumers discover that products do not meet these requirements they can reject them and ask for their money back providing they do so quickly, alternatively they can request for repair or replacement or claim compensation. The act covers fundamental requirements of purchasers which means that goods must be as described – this means that goods must conform to their description, be of satisfactory quality – in relation to the price paid, the description and the age of the item, must fit for the purpose for which they are intended – goods must carry out the purpose they are made for. Goods must be fit for any specific purpose, which the buyer has made clear to the seller at the time of the sale. If the goods are not of satisfactory quality the courts would take into consideration various factors such as whether goods were free from minor defects, satisfactory in appearance and finish, safe, durable and as described. Tesco customers are entitled to refund of unsatisfactory goods within a reasonable time after purchase. Tesco customers do not have to accept a credit note. 2. Supply of Goods Acts 1973: this acts deals with the responsibilities of the seller in relation to hire-purchase contracts. Anyone buying goods on hire purchase has the same protection under the law as a person who buys the goods outright. The supplier must ensure that he or she has legal title to the goods, the description of the goods is accurate and not misleading, the quality of the goods is of reasonable standard, if selling by sample, the sample is representative of the rest of the consignment. The buyer who enters into a hire purchase agreement is in a stronger position than one who pays for the goods outright. When buying on hire purchase, it is still possible to reject the goods after accepting them, whereas in transactions in which the full price has been paid, once the goods are accepted they cannot be rejected. 3. Data Protection Act 1984: this act protects the confidentiality of information stored in computers. As more and more organisations now hold personal information in their databases, it has become necessary for the government to regulate the ways in which such information should be stored and used. The act requires anyone an individual or an organisation holding personal data on computer to register with the Data Protection Registrar. It also requires that data must be acquired legally, data must only be used for the purpose for which it is held, data must not be disclosed to others unless this is necessary for the purpose for which it is held, data must be accurate and up to date, people whose data is held must be allowed access to any information about them, any incorrect information must be corrected, every data holder must make proper security arrangements to ensure that no unauthorised person gains access to the data. This means that computer users must not give unauthorised pr intouts of data to anyone and must ensure print outs are not left lying about. Passwords and Ids should be kept confidential and not disclosed to anyone. 4. Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982: this act requires traders to provide services to a proper standard of workmanship. If a definite completion date or price has not been fixed then the work must be completed within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price and any material used or goods supplied in providing the service must be of satisfactory quality. The law treats failure to meet these obligations, as breach of contract and consumers would be entitled to seek redress if necessary through civil courts. The act protects buyers against shoddy workmanship, delays and exorbitant charges. The act states that all services should be carried out for a reasonable charge, within a reasonable time, with reasonable care and skill and using satisfactory materials. 5. Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994: this act is important for its substitution of the term satisfactory quality for the previously used phrases merchantable quality and fit for purpose. Goods purchased from trader whether new or second hand must be of satisfactory quality. This means that it should be safe, durable and have acceptable appearance taking into account its price, nature any description that apply to it and any other relevant circumstances. A thorough explanation of the techniques used by Tesco to monitor and improve customer service. Customer service is important to Tesco. I have already looked in details at the laws that must be obeyed by Tesco and at the legal rights of customers. All the rules and regulations are the theory but what Tesco actually do to look after their customers is the practice. Am going to examine the ways in which Tesco establish, monitor and constantly try to improve customer service. A huge organisation like Tesco can provide a wide range of customer services and has at its disposal the financial and technological means to try and establish its edge over others. Tesco now recognise the importance of customer service. Tesco is so large that it could not operate without communication systems in place. There must be means of contact between separate departments and between the employees in each department. It is vital that customers are able to reach the correct department and then the person with whom they need to deal. There is always danger that decisions have to be referred through several channels, making for delays and failure of one part of the system can easily lead to customer dissatisfaction in Tesco. The personal touch approach is difficult if not impossible to achieve. Tesco like many other organisations now ensures that its telephone operators, the first link with customers identify themselves by name when answering the phone. This has the two-fold aim of creating a more informal atmosphere during any conversation and giving the caller a name, which he or she can then refer to or ask for again. Tesco have its own codes of practice to provide a benchmark against which the efficiency of their customer care can be monitored, measured and make any necessary improvements. Code of practice is not legally binding but Tesco usually guarantees that the contents of the code will always be adhered to. If a customer can show that the theory of the code of practice is not being translated into practice, he or she has very strong grounds for complaint. Tesco also have specific customer service policy, which includes detailed information on how staff must treat customers in a variety of situations. The nature of Tesco’s business dictates how the general principles of customer care should be implemented. The customer policy is a follow up of Tesco’s mission statement. Suggestions of how Tesco might improve its customer service. In order for Tesco to assess its existing standard of customer service and be able to introduce improvements, Tesco needs to know what its customers need and want and how these needs and wants can be satisfied. Tesco can use different techniques these are: customer questionnaires, interviews, user panel discussions, management information analysis, internet websites, telephone surveys, suggestion schemes and mystery shoppers. Customer questionnaires can be very useful in providing information on customer expectations, reasons for choice of provider, and negative as well as positive views about Tesco. Tesco can organise such surveys itself or use a market research firm to carry out the research. Interviews especially personal interviews with customers can often provide an insight that may be lacking in a questionnaire response. Tesco can ask its frontline staff for their views on services provided and their experience of customer reactions. User panel discussions also provide valuable information but are quite difficult to set up and are also expensive. If a user panel is successfully selected to include a representative cross-section of customers, the results can give the business organisation a good indication of what the customers want and need. Management information analysis is now much easier to carry out, as the information from every area of Tesco’s activities is usually stored on computer. Computerised information is only as good as the input, however to be effective, management information analysis must be based on correct input and reliable methods of analysis must be applied. Internet website are now in general use and valuable feedback can be obtained from websites. Tesco can use Internet to monitor its customer’s service and receive feedback from customers through Tesco’s website. Telephone surveys can be carried out in one of two ways. 1. calls can be made using an existing customer database, to tell customers about new additional services and or invite their opinions on services already provided. 2. the second method invites customers to phone in themselves and provides a free phone number on which to call. Tesco, inviting customers to suggest ways in which services could be improved, runs suggestion schemes. This might be a question of opening hours, store layout or information provided or specific facilities such as access for the disabled or mother and baby rooms. This sort of customer feedback can be very useful for Tesco. Tesco employs mystery shoppers. These shoppers visit the stores to ascertain the standard of customer care. Their activities might include playing the part of a difficult customer or lodging a complicated complaint. All these are only valuable if the findings obtained are analysed and practical conclusions drawn which can then be incorporated in Tesco’s customer policy. Tesco holds regular meetings with customer panels to discover what its shoppers do and don’t like. To improve customer service training is vital. The type, duration and frequency of training must be decided once the needs are identified. In customer service as in other areas of Tesco, it is relatively easy to pinpoint shortcomings and to resolve and overcome them. It is much more difficult to implement the changes. It should be remembered that the process of improving customer services is an ongoing one and therefore constant monitoring is necessary. If found that a particular technique does not bring the expected result, it often becomes necessary to revise and perhaps change the methods used. An independent approach to assembling and analysing information about Tesco. The most recent approach to customer service is to stress the role played by all employees in enusring that customers are satisfied. Every member of staff is expected to provide customer service to an equally high standard. Staff are all trained in customer service and given the opportunity to gain qualifications in this aspect of the job. In Tesco, a high standard of customer service is a way of gaining a competitive advantage. Tesco has acknowledged that one way that it competes with other supermarkets is by offering higher standards of customer service. High quality customer service offers Tesco a number of advantages which includes; immediate benefits and longer term benefits. The immediate benefits are: Tesco will win new customers, gives customers information about Tesco’s products, helps Tesco to keep market share while the longer term benefits are: improves corporate image of Tesco, may win a business increased market share, Tesco keeps existing customers and Tesco enj oys rising sales and profits. Below is a sample of role play that Tesco can use to approach customer service. Customer service assistant: hello, how can I help you? Customer: hello, sorry for disturbing you. I bought this play station 2 game five weeks ago, when I got home I then realise that the disc it’s not working but because I travelled I’ve not been able to return it on time so I’ll like to change it for a new one or a refund please. Customer service assistant: am sorry to hear that but unfortunately our policy is that customers only have 28 days to return purchase and you have missed the 28 days policy. Customer: the only reason I didn’t return it on time is because I travelled and I still have my receipt with me so it’ll not be fair if you don’t change it for me. Customer service assistant: am very sorry sir but I’ve to follow the company’s policy. Customer: so what do you expect me to do with a disc that’s empty, it doesn’t even show anything on it and you are telling me that because of your policy I should have missed my holiday. Customer service assistant: I didn’t say you should have missed your holiday but you should have return the disc on time in order for you to get it exchange or refund. Customer: so what’s going to happen because you can’t expect me to pay for nothing. Customer service assistant: there’s only one thing I can do to help you and that is to talk to my manager. Customer: oh please do that as long as I get the disc exchange or a refund. Customer service assistant: ok my manager just told me that I can exchange it for you this time but I can’t refund your money. Customer: that’s alright, no problem. Customer service assistant: this is your new play station 2 game and I hope this one will work. Customer: I hope so too. Thank you very much. Bye Customer service assistant: bye From this role play, Tesco will be able to know how employees deal with difficult situations with customers, type of train they need, if they need improvement and how the improvement will be done. A logical analysis of the effectiveness of customer service in the organisation using examples of good pratice. The main objective of customer service is customer satisfaction. Tesco can measure customer satisfaction by using questionnaires completed by customers. A satisfied customer does not mean someone who has no complaint but someone who is genuinely happy with the service, product and the whole experience of dealing with Tesco. There is then a feel good relationship established with the customer. It is then up to Tesco to develop the relationship into profit by using the techniques of customer relationship management. The overall effectiveness of Tesco customer services are; the staff contribution, the premises, the quality of products. > Staff contribution: the contribution made to customer service by staff can make or break Tesco. Some of these aspects may seem obvious, but it is when they are not present that the problems start, this can include: * General appearance: staffs’ tidiness and personal cleanliness and hygiene are important, a staff wearing uniform can help to give a good impression but a strong dose of garlic or unwashed socks can do a lot of harm to customer relations. * Mood and expression: a smile can make such a difference * Attitude: helpfulness can give a customer confidence. * Product knowledge: staff ignorance and uncertainty put the customer off, if a staff member does not know the answer to a question, he/she should be able to find someone who does. Teamwork is an essential element of the effective functioning of any workforce. It relates to all funtions of Tesco not just customer service. Teamwork is currently a popular method of management. It encourages a democratic approach. Through this, individual team members learn to take responsibility for what is going on and are motivated by success. Tesco encourage this approach to customer service by grouping its sales staff into customer service teams and holding team meetings to discuss customer problems, complaints procedures, shoplifting and new product campaigns. Customers can soon sense when teamwork is breaking down for example when staff members do not take responsibility for errors or problems and blame others. Effective staff training is another essential element in providing a high level of customer service. > The premises: the layout and organisation of premises of Tesco are important factors in welcoming customers and putting them at ease. Issues to consider when assessing the premises of Tesco include: * Is the layout and the product areas well signed * Is it tidy or are there boxes lying around, blocking customer access * Are the aisles wide enough * Are special offers prominently placed at the end of the display stands * Are the display stands well stocked * If the customer needs a trolley, are they readily available and is the car park easily accessible. > The quality of product: the quality of product is of prime importance. An easily overlooked feature of customer service is the product itself. Returning to shop again in Tesco or providing value for money is the product of high quality. It all depends on what the customer expects. Tesco pride itself on high levels of quality. The objective of Tesco is to provide value for money. An appraisal of the techniques used in Tesco for monitoring and improving customer service with built in quality measures An Appraisal of the techniques used in Tesco for monitoring and improving Customer Service with in-built quality measures. Tesco is a huge organisation and they know that the secret to being successful and reliable is to provide good Customer Service. Tesco monitor the customer service progression through Benchmarking, training and development, ISO 9000, quality circle, total quality management and quality assurance. Benchmarking is a used by many organisations and is helped to show the performance of Customer service with other supermarket outlets. If Tesco is to improve it must be able to set standards and monitor its progress. The motivation for continuous improvement by Tesco and its workforce must often be the recognition that they are not the best. If Tesco’s competitors are doing better so can Tesco. Benchmarking involves number of stages: 1. To decide what in Tesco needs benchmarking e.g. production time, delivery time or after sales 2. To choose another business for standards of excellence to benchmark against 3. Gathering information about the standards of excellence 4. Setting standards and making sure everyone in Tesco knows about them Benchmarking is a very simple concept and gives Tesco a target to aim at. Almost anything can be benchmarked such as: * Personnel, which are the number of, staff Tesco used to sell product, their qualifications, the amount and type of training, number of supervisors. * Use of IT which include type and quality of the sales database and type of equipment Products Tesco offered which include added value, features it have as standard, options available, and competitors’ products. Training and development is a crucial part of the implementation of any quality programme. The type and requirements of the training will depend on: 1. Current performance/success of Tesco 2. Current and planned quality system 3. Level of management 4. Tesco organisation structure All techniques designed to improve quality standards depend entirely on Tesco workers. If Tesco is to be truly quality focused it depends on everybody being involved. When the whole workforce is to be involved and effective then everybody needs to be properly trained. ISO 9000 (International Organisation for Standardisation) covers supply of goods, quality control, training, internal documentation, after sales service, procedures for dealing with faults and management of the system. All these ensure that finished product will be of a standard that will meet customer requirement. The certification process is very demanding. The benefits of IS0 9000 for Tesco include marketing necessity, saving in costs, fewer complaints, fewer problems and reduction of waste in internal processes. For Tesco to get the certificate they must document all its procedures and carry them out precisely as they are specified. There are three sections covering every aspect of Tesco operations, including product design and development, purchasing, manufacture, installation, inspection and testing, maintenance, storage, marketing, sales and distribution, packaging and waste disposal. Tesco needs to write: 1. Quality policy 2. Quality manual 3. Procedures and work instructions 4. Set up system to record and deal with all quality failures and customer complaints, including putting in place measures to stop them occurring again. 5. Name a quality manager who will have responsibility for managing the quality system and carrying out internal quality audits. Tesco would benefit from ISO 9000 accreditation particularly if they have ambitions to become suppliers to national or international companies. Quality circle is a way Tesco workers meet to examine workplace issues as quality, productivity and wastage. For Tesco team working to be successful, it relies on competent responsible workforces who want to improve quality. Their ideas for improvement can be discussed at regular meetings. The workers meet voluntarily at frequent and regular intervals to discuss problems encountered in their work with a view to discovering solutions. Problems they studied may relate to safety, productivity, cost reduction, improving the working environment as well as quality. For quality circles to be effective Tesco needs a well-educated and trained workforce capable of receiving, analysing and solving problems. The most effective quality circles have these features: * The group consists of between 5 and 10 people and all members have special training in quality control techniques, decision-making and problem solving. * Membership is voluntary and people can choose their own issues/problems to examine * The members are all involved in the same kind of work, which increases the range of experience and knowledge * The group has access to management and can make suggestions and recommendations. Quality circles are most appropriate in Tesco because there is participative, consultative management style, workers views are recognised as a valuable asset. Quality circles require trust from both Tesco management and workers. Tesco staffs need to be empowered or given responsibility to make decisions and create solutions, this comes with adequate training. Total quality management is a way Tesco manage to improve effectiveness, flexibility and competitiveness of business as a whole. Tesco effectiveness of total quality management depends on total team working. Tesco essentials of total quality management approach is that workers on production processes have personal responsibility for passing on to following operations only products of perfect quality. Total quality management and team working can result in high levels of motivation and involvement, leading to better quality standards, lower levels of waste and generally higher productivity. The basic principles of Total Quality Management Tesco have to put in mind are: 1. Put the customer first by * Making sure all customers, both internal and external are properly looked after and have their problems solved * Having systems in place to provide effective customer care and service * Anticipating and fulfilling their needs * Exceeding their expectations, by using market research to find out what they want * Being responsive and listening to their views so that complaints are welcomed and seen as an opportunity for positive change and improvement * Making sure all service standards are met. 2. Make continuous improvements by * Reducing costs * Reducing waste * Better ordering procedures * Better delivery systems. Quality assurance make sure that quality standard is maintained throughout all areas of Tesco. It is concern with preventing faults from happening in the first place by aiming at producing at producing zero defects. Quality assurance is by contrast, an organisation wide approach that places responsibilities for quality on the whole workforce particularly the front line operators who actually make the product. Tesco quality assurance for foods is seen as a priority for their customers. An evaluation of the provision of customer service in my chosen organisation and how the customer service is monitored Good customer service is vital for any business to success. Customer service is a set of behaviour which Tesco undertake during its interaction with customers. A good customer service is improtant for Tesco because it will allow Tesco to increase sales and market share. Providing good customer service will enable customers to shop again at Tesco because the customers will feel respected and value. Tesco’s policy is to offer value for money, good customer service, pleasant shopping experience and good qualities. Customer service includes different tasks but it is important for Tesco to keep its existing customers and gain new customers. Good customer service within Tesco require communication between provider of goods and customers. Tesco aim to provide all its customers with the best quality and good value for money when shopping. Having a store at every corner, Tesco provides all its shoppers with the benefit of very high quality products all at low prices. Tesco have a market share of 30.5% which is currently the highest supermarket market share in the UK so I’ll say Tesco has meet its aims and objectives by improving customer service and providing cheap products at good quality. Tesco customers believe that Tesco have a wide range of products. Realistic and thorough recommendations on how my chosen organisation could improve its quality systems to help meet customer quality expectations, with an explanation of the changes the recommendation would bring about. The story of Tesco began in 1919 when Jack Cohen sold groceries from a stall in the East End of London. Tesco name came into use in 1920’s when Jack and his partner took TES from TE Stockwell and CO from Cohen to coin what is now a household name. Having close to 600 stores, Tesco is now the largest food retailer in the UnitedKingdom holding an estimated 15% share of the total market. Tesco’s success is based on the principles of innovation, high standards of customer service and a firm policy of listening to its customers and acting on what customers say. I have designed a questionnaire to evaluate if Tesco has improved its products and customer services. Please tick the relevant box. 1. What gender are you? Male Female 2. Where do you normally do your shopping? Tesco Sainsbury Asda Other 3. How would you range the customer services of other supermarket? Good Bad 4. Do they offer wider range of products? Yes No Don’t know 5. Do you like shopping at Tesco? Yes No 6. How would you range the attitude of staff at Tesco? Poor Good Excellent 7. Do you think the staff have enough knowledge of products? Yes No Don’t know 8. Do you think the staff are friendly enough? Yes No 9. Do you think Tesco offer good products quality? Yes No 10. Is Tesco layout good enough? Yes No 11. Would you recommend Tesco to any one? Yes No Below are the results of the questionnaires I handed out to customers. This is the result of where different people shop.The chart shows that 12 out of 30 people shop at Tesco, 5 out 30 shop at Sainsbury, 7 out of 30 shop at Asda and 6 out of 30 shop at other supermarket. The chart below shows that 3 out of 30 people think that Tesco’s staff attitude are poor, 27 think the staff attitude is good while 10 think that staff attitude are excellent. Which means that Tesco staff have a good attitude to customers. In order for Tesco to keep to this, Tesco need to continuely motivates its staff to work efficiently. The chart below indicates that Tesco’s customers have good product knowledge. The chart below shows that customers are happy with Tesco’s product quality. Majority of Tesco’s customers believe that Tesco’s layout is good enough Majority of Tesco’s customer will recommend customer to other people. After conducting my research about Tesco I’ve now decided to write a report to the board of directors outlining the research I have done into customer service strategies employed by Tesco and making suggestions for improving the customer service. To the Board of Directors of Tesco. I have been conducting research about your company’s customer service and I found out that you are currently the top leading growth supermarket in the UK which indicate that your customer service is properly the best in the UK supermarket. Above the page are the results of questionnaires that I handed out to get your customers opinion about your company and I was impressed to know that most of your customers like the way your staffs treat them and also have enough knowledge of products. If you continue to keep to this, then I believe you will continue to meet your aims and objectives and also continue to increase your market share. I’ll recommend that you keep to providing goods and services at high standard always, ensure accurate procedures for dealing with enquiries and always give information that is accurate and precise, ensure your company only promise what can be delivered. I believe that if you keep to this, you will not loose customers. From my own point of view if you continue to provide good quality of products to your customers, you will make more profit because customers are always willing to buy good quality at a value price. I also believe that your managers should continue to encourage staff to provide good customer service. Having bad relationship with managers can cause poor customer service. Managers should always make sure they have very good relationship with all employees in order to improve customer services. Good customer service is essential in order to meet customers’ needs and make profit.

Exploring How State of Matter Affects the Rate of Diffusion Essay

Introduction Diffusion is the random process by which particles distribute themselves within a container or medium. There are two factors that distinguish how substances move passively through membranes. The first factor is hydrophobic , a nonpolar molecule that can dissolve in a lipid bilayer and freely move through the membrane. However a hydrophillic molecule consisting of ions and polar molecules inhibit in their movement through the membrane making it a slower diffusion process. Selectively permeable, moreover, are charged atoms and molecules that are mostly blocked from traveling through the membrane due to the hydrophobic center. The purpose of this experiment was to test how the state of matter affects the rate of diffusion in a semi-solid vs. a liquid state. If the Potassium Permanganate crystals are placed in Petri dishes filled with water and 2% agar, then the crystals will diffuse at a faster rate in water than in the agar. The addition of the Potassium Permanganate crystals to the water and agar, there will be a result of more diffusion and more obvious color change in water compared to agar which will result in a slower less obvious diffusion. Materials The materials needed for this experiment are: One Petri dish with 2% agar and one Petri dish of water filled half way up to test the rate of diffusion. Also, two small crystals of potassium permanganate and one pair of forceps will be needed to place in the Petri dishes. One metric ruler will be need as well to measure the change of color in diameter and one 8 x 11 piece of white paper will also be used for safety precautions. Methods First, a member of the group will gather all the materials including the Petri dishes filled with tap water and 2% agar, forceps, ruler, 8X11 piece of white paper and the jar that contains the potassium permanganate crystals, and bring the materials back to the designated area. Then the experimenter will start to conduct the experiment. Then the experiment will consist of placing the empty Petri dish and the agar Petri dish on top of the white paper side by side. Second, Tap water will be added to a half way point in the empty Petri dish until it is approximately the same level as agar in the other Petri dish. Before continuing, wait for the water to stop moving to get an accurate measure of the diffusion. After that, have lab partner assist with placing potassium permanganate crystals into the agar Petri dish, while at the same time, the primary experimenter places the other two potassium permanganate crystals into the tap water. Be sure not to splash water in the aqueous dish. The moment that each crystal has been lowered is Time Zero. A purple color will be obvious immediately. Next have the experiment observe the diffusion rate for every 3 minutes for the next 15 minutes. For every 3 minutes, measure the diameter of the diffusion circle in millimeters (mm) and write down the measurement on the chart given. Be careful not to disturb the aqueous Petri dish. Discussion The results show that there a major difference in the rate of diffusion between 2% agar and tap water. Immediately, when the potassium permanganate crystals were dropped at 0, there was already an instant diffusion of 2 mm, compared to agar which was 1mm. Because water is a polar molecule, diffusion across membranes travel quicker compared to a nonpolar substance like agar that diffuse though the lipid part of a membrane. At the first 3 minute mark, it shows that the crystals have diffused relatively fast at 15 mm, compared to the diameter in agar which has slowly diffused to 5 mm. for the next 12 minutes, results have show that the diameter in water has increase about 8 – 10 mm every 3 minutes and agar has stayed the same throughout. Due to passive transport, the movement of molecules from the potassium permanganate have a higher concentration, and are then added to water which diffuses from that high concentration to a lower concentration. This was the expected result. Since water is polar, the crystals can easily diffuse through the gradient. Furthermore, with agar being a nonpolar molecule, it maintained a state of dynamic equilibrium because it diffused slower but was diffused evenly. However since other factors do play a role in the rate of diffusion, maybe temperature could have changed the rate of diffusion for the two Petri dishes. Also had the allotted time been different there may have also been a change in the results. There were no negative results or errors made during this experiment. Based on the results it can be concluded that dropping potassium permanganate crystals into water, diffuses across the gradient faster compared to 2% agar. This does support the initial hypothesis and the predictions were accurate.

Cera Sanitaryware Ltd

CERA SANITARYWARE LTD COMPANY BACKGROUND Cera Sanitaryware Limited (Cera), a Gujarat-based company, was established in 1980. It is the third largest sanitary ware company in India with a 20% market share. Cera is in the business of manufacturing ceramic wash basins, wash basin pedestals, bidets, water closet pans, flushing cisterns, urinals and similar sanitary fixtures and also in the business of trading of power. Its sanitaryware manufacturing plant is located at Kadi in Gujarat. With a production capacity of 2. million (mn) pieces per annum (25,000 tonnes per annum), it is India’s largest sanitaryware plant. It also has wind farms located at Jamnagar and Kutch in Gujarat. PRODUCT PROFILE †¢ Sanitaryware o Premium Collection o Regular Collection o Senator Collection o Wall Hung Basin †¢ Glass Basins †¢ Shower Range †¢ Whirlpool & Bath Tubs †¢ Pozzi Ginori COMPETITORS [pic] INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS [pic] PORTER’S FIVE FORCES CONCLUSION Based on Appe ndice 1 The  sanitaryware  manufacturers  in  the  unorganized  sector  continue to enjoy duty exemptions, which is not conducive for  healthy competition.CSL faces a lot of competition from the unorganized sector in Gujarat which is a cause for concern to the company. After studying the Model, we can conclude that Sanitaryware  business completely depends on the development and booming of the Housing and Retail Sector. Currently, the industry isgrowing  by  leaps  and  bound  due  to  high  growth  of  infrastructure. In near future, the great phase of consolidation will start. Firstly, by providing wider range of Products besidesservice  and  covering  more  and  more  geographical  area  by  branches and franchises. SWOT ANALYSIS Based on Appendice 2Recommendations †¢ Need to give full knowledge about product use to customers through advertisement in magazines, newspaper or TV. channel. †¢ Need to make some improve ment in products to satisfy its customer. †¢ There should be all information regarding product use, installation, product features, and emergency repair of product in User Manual. †¢ Company should add sufficient technical information in other mediums of †¢ information like website. So customer can use alternate way for †¢ information. †¢ Company should provide technical expert employee for every specific area.Those can personally solve the problem of customer. †¢ If company is not providing service to its customer timely. Then there should be provision of compensation to its customer PRODUCT MIX [pic] Cera’s product mix  Ã‚  and new marketing strategies: Cera has a mix of products that would cater to all needs of consumer. Cera has top end products like the Senator Collection, the Shower Temples with Jacuzzi features in them. Cera also has the Premium Collection focused at middle end users and the Regular collection which includes the Indian E WCs as well as European EWCs for the lower end customers.In Bath Fittings, the Single Lever Bath fittings are for the elite, followed by the Quarter turn and the half turn fittings meant for  people looking for more economical range. 7P’S Product: Product of the company as is defined in company’s introductory chapter is a sanitaryware product having mainly  extraordinary features like twin flush water saving product, soft close seat cover, shower temple product. This product talks about giving a spa foot massage and inbuilt Jacuzzi unit which give experience artificial water waves and facility like radio and telecalling with six body jetspray.Price: Prices  of  the  product  and  services  offered  are  competitivecompared to our competitors products and also provide value for money to the customers. Because as we talked  in  the  earlier  Ã‚  paragraph that features provided in the products are very uniqueand are having low cost so finally company becomes best cost  provider in the  market. Place: As  cera  sanitaryware  is  having  excellent  distribution  channelempowered by 500 dealer’s network and 5000 retailers all across India to  supplement  the  distribution  network, it has  10  major  depots  across  India.It  has  7  zonal  sales  &  service  offices,supported by another 28 sales offices, 7 bath studios strategicallylocated in major cities across India. To capitalize on the growth market for premium products, Cera has entered into an exclusivemarketing  agreement  with  Italy's  luxury  brand  Pozzi-Ginori  tomarket its designer sanitaryware in India. Promotion: Cera sanitaryware ltd. has always been proactive in promotional activities for increasing thebrand awareness among the consumer so the company has promotional scheme directedtowards consumer as well as its partner (dealer). Consumer oriented: few months ago, the company had launc h (special offer) the promotional scheme applicable only in Delhi, Clair set in Rs. 3999/- for only one month. †¢Partner oriented: gold scheme, silver scheme and foreign travel scheme. People: In ceramic industry as goods are produced and prompt service is given to the people i. e. employees need to be highly trained and qualified. So requires good qualified and expertise employees to this competitive industry. Cera sanitary ware has achieved a good sense of the same by employing highly qualified employees like M. B. A. nd other Marketing specialized. Physical Evidence: Cera sanitary ware is providing catalogs to their customers as a physical evidence of  purchasing the product. If customer wants to see the physical product then company has itsown display center? Cera bath studio? in metro cities of India. Process: This last step of marketing mix of  Cera sanitary ware includes following points to be done for making the product available to the  customers. †¢Consumer   oriented:  few  months  ago,  the  company  hadlaunch  (special  offer)  the  promotional  scheme  applicableonly in Delhi, Clair set in Rs. 3999/- for only one month. Partner  oriented:  gold  scheme,  silver  scheme  and  foreigntravel scheme. Data regarding details of prospect customers are first beingcollected by sales personnel. †¢These personnel then make calling and getting appointmentsfrom prospects to explain product and services. †¢Ã‚  Next  step  includes  meeting  and  explaining  product  andservices. †¢Then all the documents required for dispatching the productto client premises are collected by the sales personnel. †¢These all documents are then submitted to Head Office at Ahmedabad. †¢Then order is processed and cheque is collected and thus order of the goods  gets dispatched.STP of SENATOR COLLECTION Segmentation: The segmentation of SERA products has been done as follows: †¢ Hig h End Segment †¢ Lower and Upper Middle Segment †¢ Mass Market Segment These segments are keeping in mind the income levels, taste and preferences. Targeting: For the Senator Collection CERA has targeted the high end segment with unique feature like shower temples, Jacuzzi and sensor technologies. Positioning: It has positioned the senator collection as a premium brand and effectively did so through its TVC ad campaign. Appendice 2: Portes Five Forces Model Rivalry Among Existing Players:There are about 20-25 organized players and high percentage of unprganized players whose market share is very high. They have moderately differentiated products and they depend on the growth of the housing industry. Bargaining Power of buyer: The buyer has a wide range of products to choose from and information about the products is easily available. The switching cost is very low. Thus CERA needs to increase its awareness as bargaining power of buyer is very high Bargaining power of Suppl ier CERA is moderately dependant on its suppliers as there is limited number of suppliers in the marketThreat of new entrants The industry entry is difficult due to high cost of set up and manpower, non availability if materials. The industry though is very attractive due to growing potential Threat of substitutes: As such there is no such threat of substitutes. Appendice 1 SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS: †¢ India’s first to use natural gas firing. Direct connection of natural gas from GAIL has certainly helped CERA in better margins. However, this is only one of the several advantages. CERA has captive power plant using natural gas. CERA also has wind turbines.Thus CERA is not dependent on government electricity board for its power requirements. Others will take a long time to catch up. Further, CERA is getting natural gas on very cheap rate directly from the ONGC oil fields, which will continue to be cheap, wherein others are getting imported LNG which is three times costlier than what Cera is getting. †¢ India’s first to launch twin flushtechnology ; 4 liters flush WC. We have twin flush models that on an average consume only 4 liters of water, against the others which can use up to 6 liters every flush. That quantifies to 50% of water saving.With water scarcity in urban areas, there are a lot of initiatives that have already been taken by Metros like Mumbai. Others will have to soon follow in order to save water. †¢ Wide product range. Capitalizing on a strong brand image and an evolving market for bathroom products, CSL expanded its product range to other related products like shower panels, shower cubicles, shower temples, bath tubes, whirlpools, bath fittings etc. , which makes it a total bathroom solutions provider. †¢ Huge distribution network. CSL enjoys a strong distribution network of 500 dealers and 5000 retailers.To supplement the distribution network, the company has several depots and zonal offices across India. This will help the company in increasing its market share. WEAKNESSES. †¢ The company has only one manufacturing plant at Kadi, Gujarat. While its nearest competitors HSIL and parry ware has more than one manufacturing plant strategically located across different parts of India to bridge the gap between demand and supply. †¢ Large unorganized existence. †¢ Low R;D for product innovation. OPPORTUNITIES †¢ Rising domestic demand for tile, sanitary ware and table ware.

International Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Security - Essay Example Protection is also provided by PMCs nationally and internationally. They also give their services to supplement those services given by armed forces. They provide these services in places where there are no security details that are personal are involved. This means that the state actor is not involved in this case. 1 The PMCs work in conjunction with states. This is in line with providing training in military matters and national defence issues. They tend to be located where the conflict intensity is quite low. In these places it is usually risky to deploy armed forces to them. This is in terms of economics, diplomatic and politics. At Guantamano Bay, they help in setting up camps for detention. The Afghani president has benefited by getting bodyguards supplied to him from the PMCs. Colombia has in the past been given helicopter gunships which assisted in destroying coca crops. George H. W. Bush really influenced the privatization of these enterprises. The PMCs can be grouped generally to mean contractors of defence. Tactical skills and specialised operations are provided by PMCs to their personnel. Combat experience is also included in this. This is unlike what the other contactors of defence do. The PMCs provide their services to state forces, business corporations and non-governmental organizations that are internationally based. The difference between PMCs and defence contractors is not recognized by (GCIII) The Geneva Convention. They term them as supply contractors. They are termed as war prisoners when issued with identity card that is valid. They are termed as mercenary when they engage in combat. Demand of private military companies There is a likely hood that there will be an increase in the demand for the private military companies. Governments usually employ the private military companies to help solve conflicts. This has been done by Angola. These companies are contracted to give logistical help. Most of the states that contract the private military companies cannot afford to sustain big militaries. For example private military companies were employed to do recruitment in Balkans. International organisations also highly demand the services of private military companies. The PMCs are also contracted or employed by the UN to provide security. Once a private military company is reputable and strong, it normally has very high demand. The UN usually compares the costs incurred in having armed forces and that of employing the PMCs. It is usually very cheaper to employ the PMCs than to have the armed forces in the nation. It is estimated that there are many private military companies that operating in Africa. This is even up to 100 private military companies in operation. The African countries that have benefited from this include Indonesia and Colombia. The PMCs are mostly contracted by countries that are in very remote areas. Such places are usually very dangerous. The PMCs are mostly from the UK and the United States. Recruitment Many private military corporations are recently attracting people and the entire personnel from Special Forces. This is because the private military companies pay the employees well compared to the salaries paid by Special Forces.2 UK private military companies There are many private military companies in the United Kingdom. They include Adson Holdings, registered in Guernsey. Aegis Defence Services, AKE Group and

FASB Standards Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FASB Standards Overview - Essay Example The essay "FASB Standards Overview" talks about the FASB, and particularly Statement No. 116, in which over the vociferous objections of many of its constituent not-for-profit organizations, decided that unrestricted pledges should be reported as revenue in the period received. They should measure the pledges at â€Å"the present value of estimated future cash flows using a discount rate commensurate with the risks involved†. They should take into account both anticipated bad debts and the time value of money. If they establish an allowance for uncollectible(s), then they should use a risk-free discount. If not, then they should use a higher rate-one that takes into account the risk of being unable to collect the pledge. They should not both establish an allowance for uncollectible(s) and adjust the discount rate for risk. That would cause the default risk to be accounted for twice. Entities need not discount pledges to be collected within one year. To avoid recognizing contri butions as revenue before they are available for expenditure, not-for-profits should consider pledges of cash to be received in future period as subject to time restrictions. The FASB concluded that by promising to make payments in the future, donors implicitly restrict the donated resources to support of future, not current, activities. The recipient organizations should classify them as temporarily restricted. When the cash is received and available for expenditure, they should release resources from the temporarily restricted category.... Contributions also include unconditional promises-that is, pledges- to give those items in the future. Thus, pledges are regarded as contributions, although they exclude conditional promises to give these items in the future. A conditional promise depends on a specified future and uncertain event to bind the donor. For example, a university alumnus may pledge funds to construct a new physics laboratory if the university is successful in winning a government research grant. Contributions must be distinguished from exchange transactions. A contribution is a transfer of assets in which the donor does not expect to receive equal value in return. An exchange transaction is a reciprocal transfer in which each party receives and gives up resources of commensurate value. For example, if a private corporation were to give a not-for-profit research foundation funds to study the cause of a disease with the expectation that the results would be published in a scientific journal, the transaction would be considered a contribution. If, on the other hand, it gave the funds with the contractual agreement that it would have the rights to resultant patents, then the transaction would be an exchange transaction. The difference between the two is not always obvious. When people join the local Friends of the Library Association, do they do so to support the library's scholarly activities or to benefit for the right to attend member-only lectures Do they join the American Automobile Association to promote auto safety and good roads or to obtain emergency road service and travel directions Do they join the AARP to advance the interests of senior citizens or to take advantage of low-cost life and auto insurance

Consumer and consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Consumer and consumption - Essay Example This "Consumer and consumption" essay outlines the marketing strategies that Coca-Cola used to become the leader on the market. The globalized world has resulted to new borderless markets with numerous corporations crossing geographical and political boundaries to market and initiate operations and investments on a global scale. International marketing leads to a new problem where organizations have to utilize ingenuity, creativity, and huge budgets to attain a competitive edge in the market. This has resulted in international marketing concept; leading organizations to utilize different perspective in attracting customers on a global scale through perceptions and brand images. While a consumer product is made in the factory, consumers in most cases do not buy the product, but the brand, which is perceived to add value to it. This was a statement by Charles Revlon, the founder of Revlon, who noted that in the factory, he made cosmetics, but customers bought hope from the stores. This trend will be strategically portrayed in Coca-Cola Company in manufacturing, marketing, and production of the coca cola beverage that has become one of the leading global brand names in refreshments. The Coca Cola company history began in 1886, when the curiosity of one Atlanta pharmacist Dr. Pemeberton resulted to the creation of a tasty distinctive soft drink, which could be sold in many soda fountains. The strategy was creating flavored syrup, mixing with carbonated water, and giving to neighbors around his pharmacy. Those who tasted the drink exclaimed that it was excellent (Coca Cola, 2011). During the first year, the Coca Cola servings were at 5cents per glass, with the sales being an average of nine servings daily in Atlanta; compare this with the current estimated coca cola servings of about 1.6 billion daily current (Coca cola, 2011). The history that marked the current Coca Cola Company as it is known today dates back to 1894, after the death of the founder; when Biedenham installed the first bottling machinery at the Mississippi soda fountain, which was the first attempt to sell Coca Cola drink in bottles (Coca Cola, 2011). Joseph Whitehead and Lupton developed what i s known as the Coca Cola worldwide bottling system, as it is known to

Marketing plan for Nike (running shoes) Coursework

Marketing plan for Nike (running shoes) - Coursework Example Since the inception of Nike Company, the firm has been able to expand its market base to different parts of the world. Despite the increasing levels of globalization which results from liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information, and integration of economies, the firm has been able to maintain its strong competitive base. This is through the use of audio, visual, and print media in order to reach its target customers (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2012). Nike competitive advantage in the market are based on its strong goals which are to carry out on its legacy of innovative thinking whether is through developing products that will help athletes reach their potential or even to create a business opportunity that provide values to its shareholders. The company has an objective of helping the athletes unleash their potential irrespective of their background. Moreover, the firm focuses on improving the lives of less fortunate through participating in corporate social responsibility. Nike has been able to improve its competitive advantage through diversifying its markets. For instance, the company has positioned its running shoes strategically in the Europe and American markets (Lamb, 2012). This provides the company with a reliable source of revenue, an aspect that has enabled it to create a barrier of entry to other interested investors. Nike’s corporate strategy focuses on innovation and research. Over the years, the company has invested heavily on innovating new products through intensive research. This has enabled the firm to come up with innovative running shoes that helps in eliminating injuries and enhancing the comfort of the athletes. In addition, the strategy focuses on expanding the operations of the business in different parts of the world. Over the years, the firm has expanded to different markets across the world. This has reduced the risks and uncertainties associated with concentrating on a single market. The company’s business strategy

Ethical Ways and Unethical Decisions on a Case Assignment

Ethical Ways and Unethical Decisions on a Case - Assignment Example These include Autonomy promotes choice (Patterson & Patrick, 2000). However, while allowing the woman to make her own choices, the parole officer should still tell her about the parolee’s previous charges. This is because the parole officer has been trusted to offer protection. Pollock (2007), reports that while utilitarian ethics may tolerate actions (means) that ultimately have a good end, any â€Å"bad means† (such as not letting the woman know about the previous child molestation offences of the parolee) might lead to a bad outcome. In this case, not letting the woman know of the parolee’s previous child molestation charges would be going against the code of ethics established for rehabilitation counselors. This is because the woman’s three children aged 6, 9, and 14 would be at serious risk of being harmed by the offender (John). However, in keeping with the justice requirement cited in the rehabilitation counselors’ code of ethics, the probation officer should recognize that no crime has been committed against any of the woman’s children yet (Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors, 2009). An unethical decision would be to assume that the parolee has already committed a crime by being close to â€Å"potential victims.† Other options available in this situation include informing the woman to avoid John at all costs for the safety of the three children. The argument for this is that extreme shaming should be avoided. Pollock (2007) argues that â€Å"shaming† conditions only work towards making the offender feel abandoned and cast aside by the society and may work against the rehabilitation process. Since no offence had been committed to the woman or her children, avoiding â€Å"shaming† the parolee further would still be ethical and morally acceptable. Patterson, J., & Patrick, A. (2000). Choice: Ethical and Legal Rehabilitation Challenges.Rehabilitation Counseling

Impact of Television Technology in Global Communication Research Paper

Impact of Television Technology in Global Communication - Research Paper Example In fact, 89% (1.42 billion) of all households worldwide have 1.6 billion TV sets with 4.2 billion (61% of the world’s total population) TV viewers (Ahonen 1). Particularly in the US, 99% of its households have TV sets and are watching at an average of four hours a day which when computed in a 65-year life would mean a total of nine years of television viewing, the A.C. Nielsen Co. says (Herr 1). â€Å"Its all-pervasiveness and instantaneity are finely tuned to our way of thinking†¦ [that] we expect from it effortless pleasure and hot news† (Peters 1).This captivating power of the television technology is essentially embedded in the very term ‘television’. Etymologically, the term ‘television’ (TV) is a combined term of different origins. The prefix ‘tele’ is from Ancient Greek that means ‘far’; the main word ‘visio’ is from Latin that means ‘sight’ or ‘seeing’. Hence, televis ion means ‘far seeing’ – a perfect term for the great miracle it offers mankind, as it amazingly extends man’s seeing capability beyond the limits of physical distance. (Stephens 46) Technically defined, â€Å"television is the electronic delivery of moving images and sound from a source to a receiver† (Noll, par.1). The receiver manipulates three kinds of different necessary information: the picture, the sound, and the synchronization. Amazingly, the picture is moving though not real but simply an optical illusion made possible by the rapid succession at 30 per second rate of slightly different still frames. (Videoforms 1) It is this experience that keep people hook up to the TV. Today, it has even become a necessity and has become an indicator of one’s socio-economic status. In fact, the global distribution of television ownership and use is illustrative of the so-called digital divide as can be seen in the following data. The Industrialize d World has 630 million TV sets in 470 million households with only 1.05 billion viewers, hence a ratio of 1.3 TV set for every household and a ratio of 1.6 viewers for every TV set. On the other hand, the Emerging World has 970 million TV sets in 950 million households but with 3.15 billion viewers, exactly three times larger than that of the Industrialized World, hence a ratio of only 1 TV set for every household and a ratio of 3.24 viewers for every TV set. Also, 34% of households in the Industrialized World own 2 or more TV sets; whereas, only 2% of households in the Emerging World own 2 or more TV sets. (Ahonen, par. 4) 1 The Evolution of Television How could a lifeless entertainment device greatly impact global communication? Understanding the evolution of TV from its inception to its current form (see Appendix) will help clarify this unexpected phenomenon. The television technology had its humble and skeptical beginnings, but except for the Internet is the 20th centuryâ€℠¢s most influential invention, Monaghan argues (1). Even its own inventors may not have imagined the development it has reached today and the further development it could reach in the future. The invention of the television cannot be attributed to a single person but many individuals (Bellis, â€Å"The Invention of Television† 1) whose works and accidental discoveries on optical, mechanical and

The effect of nitric oxide and cGMP on follecogenises Essay

The effect of nitric oxide and cGMP on follecogenises - Essay Example to female disorders, 20% of male origin, 27% resulting from abnormalities in both man and woman, while 15% of the cases could not be attributed to either partner (de Kretser, 1997). According to Evers (2002), five types of disorders leading to infertility have been recognised. They are summarised in Table 1. Ovulation disturbances are a common cause of subfertility in women (Snick et al., 1997). Ovulation problems due to disturbances in reproductive hormones present themselves as irregular or absent menstrual periods viz., oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea (Hamilton-Fairley and Taylor, 2003). Hormonal balance governing the ovarian cycle is a critical factor in female fertility. Several factors including stressful lifestyles, extremes in body weight, diet, certain hormonal diseases (e.g., pituitary gland tumours) and endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as PCBs and some pesticides can impact a womans hormonal balance and, thereby, the ovulatory pattern (Farr et al., 2004). Age is another important factor that influences female fertility (Maheshwari et al., 2008) which starts to decline around the mean age of 37.5 years (Hourvitz, 2009). Fecundity of a woman declines with age because of the loss of follicles from the ovary. Advancing age could lead to infertility in a woman on account of poo r oocyte quality related to a higher number of chromosomal aberrations and cytoplasmic malformations in the oocytes (Laufer et al., 2004). Furthermore, advancing maternal age could adversely influence the capacity of the oocyte to sustain early embryo development vis-a-vis biochemical and molecular processes promoting fertilisation, embryo formation and successful development to term (Gilchrist et al., 2008); Male infertility resulting in the reduced ability of the female partner to become pregnant is usually on account of low sperm counts, obstructive azoospermia or primary spermatogenic failure including reduced motility and/or abnormal morphology of sperm (Snick et al., 1997);

Memorable summer Essay Example for Free

Memorable summer Essay Magic, name of the cruise line we went on last summer, have one thousand feet long as much as twenty seven length of school buses combine and fifteen decks above of surface sea water, and because of a imagination, my kids called it by â€Å"big boat†. We were very excited, and my kids had been asked about the trip every night since spring. Also, we were join a group had five families were going to. Wow, group vacation on cruise sounded like it could have a lot of fun, or at least I would hope I could. After the Magic took off the Galveston’s port, we have our first group dinner at North Restaurant on deck three, that how it called because there were a South Restaurant on the other side of the lobby. Big group with a lot of small kids we were usually had three adults waiting at the line, while the rest of us watched our children at lobby. Then after thirty minutes of waited, the waitress led our group to the tables on the side off restaurant next to the window, where the kids could looked out to see the big ocean and the ship was moving, were have a big table, but with twenty people, the table could not hold enough seats. Then, we had to separate into two small groups: three families at table next to the window and the other two families sat at the table next to it. My family was at the table close to the middle of restaurant with the other family, Tue, Hac and there two kids, Ronan was three years old as same as my second son Justin, and Summer was twenty two month olds which was four months younger than my daughter Julia and my five years old son, John. Pretty much all-next dinners we were sat at the same table with the same waiter and waitress, and later I were know that were how the restaurant want to set up table as the same everyday, so they can keep track easy. For breakfasts or lunches, we were called each other that were there, the Lido restaurant buffet on deck ten, first to reserved tables for the whole group because it was always crowed. We were helped each other to get food for our kids, because there were lots of people, almost four thousand passengers on board plus employees, tried to have breakfasts or lunches made all the lines was very long. There were the Mongolian stir fry boot, I was had to wait forty- five minutes to get my turn, so I told the chef that I would like two dished of stir fry noodles instead of just only one I had been want from beginning. At the same time, Kevin, one of my friend, got pizzas and cheeseburgers after thirty minutes of waited, or Hac got a pancake after twenty minutes waited So, to void the hunger of our kids, we were usually shared foods with every one, and whomever stayed at table had to take care the kids. It was a nice thing of group vacation. Although, that were first time our kids met on board, but they were seem click together really fast. They were almost same ages. There were had two more boys same as my older boy was five years old. They were all like to swim and play at the water park a lot. There was a salt pool at open deck ten with four feet deep seem like dangers to all of our small kids, then we told them to go to the fresh water park on deck twelve. Most of kids, they are like to play with water, so our kids were the same. Although, water park were just almost size with basketball field, and not really have a big and high water slide like the one at Slash Town up north Houston, but our kids really loved to running around. My husband had taken my oldest son, John, got in line waiting for a big water slide. He was really loved it, but he did not want to go again. Because they were have to wait forty-five minutes, and he was just want to have more fun running around with his friends, his brother and sister. Instead of waiting at the line, there were still had a small water slide for under three feet tall, and they were very happy to just play there. Also on board had camp for all kids ages with no extra charge, and our kids loved to go there. At room from two years old to five years old was most our kids went to. There were three teachers in class with a lot of activities such as sing, read, draw, dance†¦ just like at Kids r Kids day care. They were also had a lot of toys that made our kids loved to be in there too. Although, camp have a lot of things kids like, but of course kids were always want to go with parents. However, to all of our kids if they heard the other go to camp then they all want to go such as when I asked my kids, John, Justin and Julia, that they would like to go camp. The first thing, they were always asked that the other, Ronan, Jefferson, Alan, Elaine†¦were at camp too, then they would go. This was happened all the same way to my all friend, and we were told each other that our kids to hang around than us. Of course, they were five years old and younger, their simply thought fun were just mean be playing together. The camp was open from eight o’clock in the morning to three o’clock in the afternoon, and they open back from five o’clock in the afternoon to ten o’clock in the evening. With that time frame I could have little time for my self. One day after drop off all kids at camp, all of us were walking around deck ten. We found at one side of the ship were not had many people, our group kind of little lousy, and we sat there and started to plan what should we do with no kids at that time. Then all ladies started playing cards, and all men were want to play basketball on deck twelve. We were made joked and laughed to each other. The weather was clear blue sky with little wind, and sometime we could taste a little salty from the wind. We were sat there and look out distance just only blue sky, seawater and wind†¦ we felt so peaceful, relax and stress less. I had been thought the wind blew all pressure of life off, and dropped it into the big blue ocean. While all ladies sat there relax, then all men were having fun with basketball. I did not know how much fun that they had but turn out one of our men got leg hurt, and they had to stop after fifteen minutes. So they were came back, where we were and sat with their wives, and when the ship still going and none of us could know where was the ship head. While kids were at camp, all moms and dads were laid on the chairs enjoy time with lots of joked and laughed on a beautiful day were remarkable vacation for us. Vacation for a family with three small children like mine was has never been much fun before, but this cruise trip was a best summer vacation for every one of family members. Especially travel with group have children as almost same ages were help our kids got company, then we, moms and dads, were really could have free time to relax our self. We were also can looked each other back to help other parent or they could help us. Although our trip we did not do much things special, but every one of our group, kids, moms and dads, were had seized our great time for our self and together that just simple of happiness.

Love as Joyous Essay Example for Free

Love as Joyous Essay Both Plath and the Metaphysical Poets show love as joyous by suggesting a strong physical intimacy between themselves and their lovers. Donne, known for his hedonistic ways tried to seduce his lady in the poem To his mistress going to bed by relating her undressing to a holy analogy. Hallowed temple heaven paradise Angels gives a sense of purity about the relationship and emphasises the innocence in that the love they are about to share is purely between them. Along with this, in order to fortify the intimacy felt during love making Donne uses polysemic terms such as My mine of precious stones which not only displays mine as a first person possessive pronoun- perhaps showing pride in the possession he has over his mistress- but also the mine that is her genitals- the new land he is yet to discover. Similarly Plath uses polysemantic terms as a way of showing the exclusivity in her relationships in the poem Ariel , specifically referring to the apparent lesbian affair she had soon after her and Ted Hughes split The childs cry melts in the wall not only suggests that when with her alleged lesbian partner shes free for the burden of motherhood and can just focus on their passion but also that when being in a homosexual relationship the possibilities of conceiving a child are none an therefore there is no-one else to detract from the bond and overwhelming desire that the 2 have for each other. Plath also represents this intimacy by using metaphorical imagery such as White Godiva which indicates the female naked freedom while also subtly protesting against her husband by portraying this great female symbol. Plath also uses imagery to intensify the passion she feels in love making with another woman The brown arc of the neck and into the red eye suggest the vagina and feminists would argue that Plath portrays the orgasm as Foam to the wheat glitter of seas which exaggerates the intimacy experienced when the 2 are at their most vulnerable naked states. Along with this both Plath and the Metaphysicals display the joyous love by the overwhelming of emotions that it creates. In Donnes poem To his Mistress Going To Bed the whole poem is written in one stanza with its contents being ridden with enjambment we easily know By this these Angels from an evil sprite:. This shows the feelings Donne has as not being able to express them fast enough as, as hes seducing her, so many emotions are being created at the foremost frustration and lust. At the time, Donne was known for being debauched and this excitement and unable to contain his feeling emphasises how much he risked in order to sleep with the woman. The use of plosives such as Behind before, above, between, below represent the transactional and heightening strength of the emotion whilst the caesura in the line suggests Donne needs to pause after the words to try and calm himself down from all the overwhelming urges and desires he has for his mistress. As Donne was a child genius and was working in law by the time he was 17 he was popular with the ladies, and so when a woman such as the one hes addressing in the poem doesnt succumb to his epicurean ways so easily, his emotions flair and overwhelm him into an almost plea for her to make love with him. Plath also uses linguistic features in portraying the overbearing love and excitement she has for her first child to be born. Youre is a poem written during her pregnancy of her first child Frieda. She uses the phrase Vague as fog and looked for like mail to represent the anticipation and urgency she has to meet her new child. However, this is a homophone and mail could also mean male as in the absence of her husband Ted Hughes who was rarely around. At the time she was having relationship issues with Ted and building a new everlasting love bond with her new child and so the conflict in positive and negative emotions at the time would have certainly been overwhelming. The fog in this phrase represents the uncertainty and space between the mother and the gestating baby which may also be ironic of the disbelief she has that she can love a person so much without having met them yet. Finally both the metaphysical poets and Plath display love as joyous by seeing it as an opportunity for a new start. Donne sees this new start being one as starting from the pure naked state in the relationship to enter in these bonds is to be free is an oxymoron as the bond of marriage incarcerates two people in a relationship eternally. However Donne is expressing that by having this new start of marriage they will have a sense of freedom and self completion making love even more joyous. Whether Donne actually meant to marry the woman is questionable, after his strong womanising reputation however if he is then the new start he would have in actually committing himself in a marriage shows the strength of the love he feels. Plath, in Ariel sees the birth of her first child as a new start for herself. The metaphor of the last 2 lines Right, like a well-done sum. A clean slate, with your own face on shows the positivity she already sees in this new being well-done sum and clean slate. At the time she was going through hardships in her marriage with Ted Hughes and so the new child could be a source for a new start of optimistic love and a positive source to project happiness onto. The compound words in Thumbs-down on the dodos mode. Represents the new life and thus new beginning Plath will receive from the new baby whilst the assonance of the o sound fortifies this by showing certainty and stability she sees in that this undoubtedly will give her the release and new start that shes needed for so long

Importance of Political Theory

Importance of Political Theory POLITICAL THEORY Political Theory is generating an endless debate about its comprehensive definition; there are several views by theorists in understanding the nature of the discipline. There is need to clarify the meaning of key political ideas such as freedom, equality, justice etc. in a systematic manner. There is need to examine the arguments put forward by various political think-tanks in the justification of these concepts. In examining arguments, there is also need to reflect upon our modern political experiences and spot out trends and expectation for the future. Political Theory â€Å"is the combination of two words, ‘politics’ and ‘theory’. The word ‘Politics’, here stands for an identification of that which is to be â€Å"theorized† or â€Å" understood,† while ‘Theory’ comes from a Greek word called â€Å"theorema† which means what emerges from â€Å"theorizing.† ‘Theoros’ which means an intelligent observer, one who looks at what is going on, asking questions about it and tries to understand it. (LSE 1/1/54. Autograph).† John Plamenatz described political theory as the ‘systematic thinking about the purposes of government’ (Plamenatz, 1960: 37) and I think this definition is just as apt today as it was then. Political theory is, however, usually regarded as a distinctive approach to the subject, even though, particularly in the USA, it is seen as a subfield of political science involves the analytical study of ideas and doctri nes that have been central to political thought (Heywood, A. 2004). Political theory According to Farrell C. (2004), Political theory is thus a normative discipline; it is primarily concerned with how things ought to be as opposed to how things actually are. Leftwitch (1994), points out that one of the main contribution of political philosophy to our understanding of politics, is the potential for developing consistency and clarity of thought and judgment and that this process of clarification is not about analytical or explanatory activity: it is also about listening. According to Leftwitch politics is about conflict and its resolution, and resolving conflicts of interest occurs in all societies at all levels. Philosophical questions such as the nature of truth, will, determinism, etc. play a crucial role in argumentation, but we prefer the term â€Å"theory† because it seems less daunting and abstract; however we don’t see any substantive difference between theory and philosophy (Hoffman, etal, 2009). Political theory is not a question of whether political animals follow theory, but a question of which theory or concept is supported when they present policies and undertake actions (Hoffman, etal, 2009). Theory and concept are tools used interchangeably for political analysis with which we think, criticize, argue, explain and analyze to guide and inform political action. To argue that something is true is not to cast out all doubt, if something is true this does not also mean that it is not also false. It simply means that on balance one proposition is truer or less false than the other. To argue otherwise is to assume that a phenomenon has to be one thing or another; philoso phers call this dualistic approach (Hoffman, etal, 2009)†. Theorists are not only important to politicians: our notions of common sense and human nature are heavily infused with the views of thinkers we may never have heard of, for instance, Ben Barber tells us in his website that he was an informal advisor to President Bill Clinton between 1994 and 1999 because of his ability to bridge the â€Å"world of theory and practice.† I can contest as to whether the political leaders, acts according to the right political concepts, but it is irrefutable that their dealings are connected to theory. In relationship to what Hoffman says, to point out that â€Å"democracy† is good is both true or false, because even the true democrats would acknowledge some shortcomings of democracy and even the aggressive critics would agree that it has some positive component. According to Friedman, this vital freedom is found only in free market capitalist economies, in which ‘freedom’ in effect means the absence of government interference’. According to Mills (1859), â€Å"if all of mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one other person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would no more be justified in silencing that person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.† Thomas Hobbes for instance, described freedom as the ‘silence of the laws’. John Locke suggested that law does not restrict liberty as much as defend or enlarge it. Therefore I can argue that while I agree that individuals should be forced to be free on the other hand unconstrained freedom or liberty could amount to the infringement of other people’s rights. For example, people should be forced or encouraged to express their freedom of expression or movement or demonstration while taking into consideratio n the rights of others without infringing their rights. The idea of equality is perhaps the defining feature of modern political thought (Heywood, A. 2004). The most noticeable, and perhaps most imperative, manifestation of formal equality is the principle of legal equality, or ‘equality before the law’. In constructing his theory of ‘justice as fairness,’ Rawls appeals to the idea of the social contract. Cohen, portrayed legal equality as ‘market’ or ‘bourgeois’ equality, and argued that it operates as little more than a facade, serving to disguise the reality of exploitation and economic inequality. In constructing his theory of ‘justice as fairness,’ Rawls appeals to the idea of the social contract. A liberalist view, every person is blessed with reason or will, which hinges on individual rights, beliefs of rationality and self-interested. In true sense, however, equality does not mean the same treatment in as much as there can be no likeness of treatment as long as peopl e differ in want, capacity and need etc. As Walzer argued, different principles of justice may therefore be appropriate in different spheres of life. Rawls’s theory of the difference principle does permit inequality it does so only when such inequalities benefit everyone, especially the least advantaged. Dworkin’s principle, (2000) of equal concern requires us to compensate those who have handicaps and little native (or non-marketable) talents, there is a difference between someone who is less advantaged as a result of circumstances beyond their control (for example, being born with a severe handicap) and someone who is less advantaged as a result of their own choice (for example, choosing to live off welfare payments instead of working). For instance, when the government distributes fertilizer-subsidy or food items to the disadvantaged- I slightly agree with Rawls difference principle on one hand I do not agree on the other, especially the identification of the least advantaged. It is a little bit tricky for someone to qualify as a genuine needy person because it could encourage laziness to those who pretend to be the poorest. It is better for anybody to sweat in order to get something rather than getting anything on silver tray. History is evidently important, as part of exploration into modern challenges. My view, ‘political theory,’ is the ability to inquire into the political activity by using analytical tools such as concept, model and theory to dissect by believing the answers to the questions examined to have an important impact of what goes on in the real world. It is important for political academics to develop the critical skills necessary to explore new experience and new knowledge through the analysis of political ideas and their relationship to political practice. This experience in-turn informs the future. I can argue that academic political theory should ascertain to enhance the quality of public political debate. BIBLIOGRAPHY Farrelly C. (2004). Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory. Heywood, A. (2004). Political Theory: An Introduction, 4th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Hoffman J and Graham P. (2009). Introduction to Political Theory. Leftwitch A. (1994). What is Politics?