How Higher Education is more than Academics- A Reflection on the Essay

How Higher Education is more than Academics- A Reflection on the Decision Making Process - Essay Example The objective of higher learning institution is to ensure that the learners get sufficient knowledge that will enable them to be important members of the society. This Calls for the cooperation of the students since they are the beneficiaries. The aim of this paper is to discuss the decision-making process of students in higher learning institutions; and why they should remain honest and not break the honor code. In every learning institution examinations are used to rate the academic qualifications of the students. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has offered a proper definition of academic standards as precise levels of academic achievement employed in the explanation and gauging of academic needs and accomplishments (Materu, 55). The University code requires students to embrace honesty in their tests and class assignments. In the academic life, students usually face the challenge in deciding on ethics and choice. When it comes to examinations and assignments, it is usually the decision of the student to behave ethically and embrace honesty in his or her work or to choose to take part in illegal group discussion or to copy the work from the internet. The decision a student makes pertaining the testing and assignments, will affect him positively or negatively. For instance if a student decides to cheat in an examination, it is a very risky decision because if he is caught, he is likely to be discontinued from the University if proved guilty (Forest & Kinser, 280). This will be a very big loss to the student and the society since the student will not attain his academic goal, thus hindering him from pursuing his or her career. It is important for the students to embrace honesty since dishonesty is destructive to the victims, parents, the instructors and the colleagues. Whenever the college education of a student is terminated, everyone feels the loss. The students should work hard by ensuring that

Management action plan for enhancing pedagogical outcomes on a Essay

Management action plan for enhancing pedagogical outcomes on a selected institution (educational report) - Essay Example With the constant endeavor of the thinkers/intelligentsia, ‘Pedagogy’, the science of teaching evolved as a separate and distinct discipline wherein emphasis was given on improvising the teaching methods to make the teaching-learning process more productive and result oriented. The teacher, students and the teaching methods combined make the skeleton of the education system and a good education policy focuses on all of them taking them as interrelated factors. â€Å"Education should develop pupils and students as independent individuals by promoting such qualities as initiative, courage, enthusiasm and the desire to learn something new. Education should make it possible for the individual to cope on his or her own, to develop his or her potential and make his or her contribution to the civil society. In this way, education sustains the community and the common cultural identity.† (http://pub.uvm.dk/2002/better1/01.htm ) Including all above, action plans for pedagogical development is prepared. Learning outcomes are very much dependant on pedagogy. These refer, to what a student will be able to know or do at the end of the instruction. Likewise a plan for actively doing something is called an action plan. When students are taught in classes, they are supposed to learn according to the learning outcomes. But, in many cases, it is seen teaching is done in a very traditional method where neither any goal is fixed nor is achieved. Parti cularly, taking the case of china, the pedagogical structure is based on decades of practice and according to the instruction of Ministry of Education of Chinese Communist Party. (Lang & Zha 2004). So, the challenge here is to remove bureaucratic hurdle and also placing realistically achievable goals.( Andrews et al 2002) Where there is a need to combat a problem or to introduce a new pedagogical approach, a plan is made for achieving some specific kind of learning outcomes. So, it is very much required to have a

The European Union in International Commercial Negotiations Essay Example for Free

The European Union in International Commercial Negotiations Essay Commercial negotiation is negotiation in the context of a business setting such that it involves the management of commercial activities that includes contract negotiation and project management with the sole intention of making maximum returns from the same. This process allows for the development and creation of new business opportunities CITATION Bea00 l 1033 ( Beasor Steele, 2000). The job description of commercial negotiators includes an overviewing role in the whole sales process and to some extend responsible for the implementation of a detailed business sales plan. The overall role is to make sure they retrieve the best deal out of any business opportunity. It is therefore important for a commercial negotiator to have a grasp of the customers’ business needs in order to offer the required products and services demanded by the consumer. Commercial negotiation entails the following vital functions. Conducting market research of the different products by the business, analysis of data from the sale activities of a business, provision of financial reports to the senior management of the business and also to the different stakeholders of the enterprise. Another function is the identification of new opportunities for the business, commercial negotiation also includes reviewing and assessing opportunities for new businesses. Commercial negotiators play a critical role in the maximization of the revenue from the business. Commercial negotiation thus requires one to have the necessary skills to excel in the field. One needs to have great interpersonal skills that will enable them to easily interact with people. This is important in order to win and sell ideas to the people one interacts without stepping outside one mandate. Procedural and communication skills are necessary for commercial negotiators because of the constant flow of information from team members. One should also be accommodative of other team member’s opinions that are different from dependable as a commercial negotiator. Commercial negotiators play a pivotal role in the success of any business. A successful commercial negotiator brings together control elements and definitions and operates them efficiently. This means that a successful commercial negotiator will apply leadership skills already applied in the departmental running. The role of a commercial negotiator is to blend responsibilities related to project execution, planni ng, monitoring and achievement of the desired goals. For someone to be a successful manager they should have demonstrated ability to lead others and organize work CITATION Gat11 l 1033 (Gates, 2011). A commercial negotiator needs to have contact with other required resources. For projects that need coordination between divisions and departments, a commercial negotiator with contacts outside a single department is required. An aspiring commercial negotiator should ensure and develop contacts within the organizations departments to help run a project successfully. They should also be able to coordinate a diverse pool of resources. This would be achieved by working with different people from different backgrounds and disciplines. As an aspiring commercial negotiator, one should be able to supervise and delegate work in areas alien to their background. All this is possible by having a close rapport and teamwork. Procedural and communication skills. This is because of the constant flow of information from team members. One should also be accommodative of other team member’s opinions that are different from dependable as a commercial negotiator. Commercial negotiation skills and techniques in the western world (European Union) and China For one to do business abroad he has to understand the various cultures and practices that are accepted in the process of commercial negotiation. Before travelling to the European Union one has to consider the required etiquette that is observed and required in the meetings, negotiations and business protocol. Europeans are known to be humorless, stubborn, and aggressive they also pay attention to details. A successful business has to understand the cross cultural aspects to present the right etiquette. The Europeans are strictly formal while doing business and according to them it’s wrong to swap jokes or have informal chats when working. Europe is a significant trade partner for many states. Learning to do business in Europe and understanding their business practices, culture and etiquette improves skills and success of international business men CITATION Meu05 l 1033 ( Meunier, 2005).The first aspect of etiquette in Europe’s business spheres is Organization. They are usually uneasy with ambiguity and disorder. They lean towards conservatism and conformism they don’t like uncertainty so one has to have first-hand information and facts at hand. When doing business in Europe, one has to emphasize on careful planning. One has to consult and get a consensus before presenting his idea and opinions. European commercial negotiations appreciate statistics, facts and details and there is no room for mistakes and omissions. To observe business etiquette one has to avert risk and negate uncertainty. The stress on conformity and fear of risk makes them apprehensive and they guarantee security through risk analysis. This is ensured by keen deliberation and scrutiny based on factual evidence and not intuition. They prefer written documentation as it is the safest and objective for analysis. In communication the Chinese mind their privacy and they usually divide their private and public life. While communicating one has to be formal and stick to official duty. They don’t talk about their private lives as they are protective of personal issues. They prefer their communication to be short direct and straight to the point. They consider emotions unnecessary in conversations at the work place.They don’t talk out of context as they only stick to the issue at hand. The Chinese also prefer brief greetings and that’s why they only do short handshakes When several people are being introduced they take turns to greet each other and they avoid reaching out over someone’s hand. They find it rude to greet someone with one hand in the pocket and when women enter a room the men stand as a show of politeness. The men sit after all the women have taken their seats. The Chinese etiquette requires that people are addressed using Mr., Ms or Mrs. followed by the s urname. The only people who are allowed to use the first names are family members and very close friends. The Chinese culture also insists on the use of professional titles such as doctors, academics and others. One has to establish professional titles before any meeting. They use the surnames to maintain formality and respect CITATION Lam00 l 1033 ( Lam, 2000). Punctuality is another important aspect of etiquette in Europe. Punctuality is a serious issue as they value their time. The business people are usually under a lot of pressure and they plan for their time very well to meet their daily objectives. Being late shows disrespect for people and their time, it is also a show that the person is not interested or not serious about the business deal or meeting. The punctuality is seen as a sign of commitment to the business. Europeans also don’t mix humor with business affairs. If jokes are made they should be in context and tasteful. They usually have a very strict protocol in their meetings leaving little room for humor. They believe that when jokes are made during business then the meeting seizes to be formal. In doing business with Europeans one has to plan ahead the meetings should be booked two to three weeks in advance. They have a culture where they hold their meetings between eleven to one and three to five p.m. They avoid mee tings on Friday afternoons, during their regional festivities and the holiday months of July, December and August.Their meetings in most cases are usually formal, functional and they stick to the set agenda. The set start time and finish time are obeyed by all means so everything is done within the time limit. They prioritize business as they discourage relationship building and small talks CITATION Lam00 l 1033 ( Lam, 2000). They analyze commercial negotiation proposals thoroughly while considering every detail. They ensure the information and facts are provided in written and scientifically presented. They make logical conclusion basing on the empirical details. Decisions are not made based on the subject’s charm or marketing skills but they consider concrete facts and the accuracy found in the details. The Europeans are slow when it comes to making decisions hence the proceedings should not be rushed. They take their time as they try to furnish the decisions with additional information. Once a decision is reached they rarely change their mind regarding the same. They give respect priority and they give each other personal space in the work environment. They are not allowed to touch during meetings and business dealings. They don’t mix official meeting with social issues. They prefer official dressing when doing commercial negotiations .They rarely dress in casual clothes when working. Europeans trade show participants do not wear badges. Introductions are saved until the visitor shows interest. If the introduction is made too early they consider it superficial and intrusive. Europeans also don’t give their business cards quite easily. They value their privacy and in case they hand you one it should be treated as confidential and private. It should not be passed to another person without the owner’s permission. In calling the Europeans they take it offensively when they are not referred to by their title and name. Europeans shake hands to say hello and goodbye. The hand shake should be done using a firm grip. This is a show of respect and also it depicts the appreciation of the colleague. Women are the ones to be greeted first and not while seated. The men have to stand before they greet women this clearly shows the high level of respect they maintain in the working area. They also have a culture of maintaining eye contact. This is a show of confidence and legitimacy. In Germany company stability and long term commitment are top priorities. Europeans are usually curious about the company ownership, history and the product lines. References will be requested to prove honesty and reliability. Because of all this the process may be slow and trying to speed them up is considered rude and suspicious. Importance of Knowledge on Target Culture in Commercial Negotiation The influence of cultural diversity has major impacts on work relationships in most organizations commercial negotiation. The cross cultural occurrence affects communication between employees, causing confusion and thereafter results in misunderstanding in the workplace. It is therefore important for both managers and their employees to understand the target cultures’ communication process and recognize the sources of cross cultural conflicts. Depending on how they are managed, cross cultural conflicts may have either positive or negative outcomes. It is also important for managers to develop better skills that help in handling the complications caused by different cultures. Managers should be able to convert the problems of cultural diversity into strengths of the organization CITATION Bea00 l 1033 ( Beasor Steele, 2000). This is so to avoid getting in disputes in different cross-cultural platforms. As a commercial negotiator it is important to identify and address any underlying disputes or conflicts before anything goes wrong at the workplace. I have made it clear to my employees of the expected behaviors at the work place and most importantly during their interactions with foreign customers. As a negotiator one is the greatest ally but greatest obstacle to effective management of my employees. One has to closest to the junior managers who need to adapt to the new behaviors and cultures associated with management programs. Getting supervisors and managers on board and taking the lead in supporting cultural diversity is an important aspect of my commercial negotiation skills. This will ensure that employees are given an opportunity and platform to interact and raise any issues or concerns that they might have. Most importantly, employees should be given a chance to develop their own competencies and skills for enhancing cultural sensitivity among other employees in the company. As a commercial negotiator working in a multicultural company, it has been necessary for me to develop my skills in cross-cultural conflict management which affects productivity in the long run. Cross-cultural disputes have often lead to voluntary employment termination. These conflicts resulted in the loss of working time and loss of morale CITATION Bea00 l 1033 ( Beasor Steele, 2000). References   Beasor, T., Steele, P. (2000). Business Negotiation: A Practical Workbook. London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Lam, M. L.-L. (2000). Working with Chinese Expatriates in Business Negotiations: Portraits, Issues, and Applications. Greenwood Publishing Group. Meunier, S. (2005). Trading Voices: The European Union in International Commercial Negotiations. Princeton : Princeton University Press. Adoranti, F. (2006). The Managers Guide to Understanding Commercial Contract Negotiation. New York: Global Professional Publishers. Burke, W. (n.d.). An examination of the commercial principles of the late negotiation between Great Britain and France in MDCCLXI: In which the system of that negotiation with regard to our colonies and commerce is considered (Google eBook). Printed for R. and J. Dodsley. Fox, W. F. (2009). International Commercial Agreements: A Primer on Drafting, Negotiating, and Resolving Disputes. Kluwer Law International. Gates, S. (2011). The Negotiation Book: Your Definitive Guide To Successful Negotiating. New York: John Wiley Sons. Marsh, P. D. (2001). Contract Negotiation Handbook. London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Pye, L. W. (1990). Chinese Commercial Negotiating Style. Hong Kong: Oelgeschlager, Gunn Hain, Publishers. Ward, D. (2012). Contract Negotiation Handbook: Getting the Most Out of Commercial Deals. New York: John Wiley Sons. Source document

How To Improve Customer Service Marketing Essay

How To Improve Customer Service Marketing Essay In todays competitive, fast-paced and global economy, financial service has placed increasing emphasis on customer service as a means of gaining competitive advantage (Sarah Cook, 1995). The nature and number of competitors and the ability of retailers, banks, government deregulation and other financial service companies to offer similar products at similar prices has led to increasing emphasis being placed on personal service as a means of adding value to customers. Providing an exceptional customer service is no longer an added benefit, is a necessity, customer who are not satisfied with the way they are treated can easily take their business elsewhere, exceptional service is accomplished by positively interaction through effective communication and relationship building. Exceptional customer service will bring unexpected result, whether you give a good customer service or poor customer, the people will tell other how they are treated (Renee, 2005). Customer service is about consciously building customer centred organisation where employees are focused on serving their customers both internal and external for sustained, profitable growth, (Michael, 2003). How well you communicate and establish relationship with your customer is the meaning of customer service, the relationship may not be long the instant relationship is customer service, moving away from an intense focus on product development to lay much emphasis on relationship development (K aren and Keith, 2006). Customer service is the key issue to any organisation which involves the entire staff member of the company from the executive to the least staff of any organisation for not losing their ground to the competitors, customer is the foundation of any business we must delight our customer to keep the business in existence. Also, purpose of any organisation is to create a customer, why not give the exceptional service to them in order to achieve the purpose of the organisation (Ian Linton, 1994). Customer service should not be seen as a necessary attachment to financial service, but an integral part of business, especially at it deals with customers the real assets of companies operation in a fiercely competitive market (Bryan and Merlin, 2002). 1.1Background This section will give the background of the research since the customer is the key of any business, it gives the importance of customer service in financial services, reasons for developing customer service, benefits of customer service to financial service, how to improve customer service, the research questions will be answered in the literature review. In the banking sector the customer service involves diverse of relationship between the providers and their customers especially personnel are tools in creation and provision of services quality service, they need to take care of the customer by meeting their needs and well satisfy, we must put customer first, listen to them, by listening to your customers and providing them with the products and services they really want, you can gain and keep your share of the market, solve their problems, it make you retain the customers, provide products and services to meet their need and be friendly with them, it includes service to the customer, delivery, operations, employee and management. In meeting customer need, banking sectors must manage product and service, delivery system, environment and people so as to provide an efficient and caring service getting things done appropriately and maintaining standard. Customer care and good service must be the work of all the staff from management le vel to all staff which brings together executive, marketing, operations and human resources management. Reasons for developing customer service The reason for customer service is controlled by customers, employees and a changing business environment, customer can be individual, household, group or organisation are aware of competitors in financial services or provider organisation and also of rising standard of service they are willing to give compare to service they receive therefore, expectation of consumer rise and become faulty finding of the quality of service they receive and so organisation can be never be less concerned. Also knowledge of cost and benefit from the existing customer compare to attract new customer draws companies attention to good customer service to existing customer, meeting their needs and complaint, developing long-term relationship, companies must understand that good customer service does not disagree with profitability. Looking after employee is also a chance for an organisation not place a target amount for them to meet capital base to the bank because employee is an internal customer, as organisation become larger they may also become anonymous and bureaucratic which dissatisfy the employee. Communication may deteriorate any relationship between customer and customer contact personnel, between customer contact staff, between management may suffer. Also in a recessionary climate, cost-cutting exercise, re-organisation and redundancy can impart on staff morale, motivation and performance. In spite of this company should realise that commitment to employees bring companies rewards and more benefit it also encourage employee participation. Another reason for developing customer service is the business environment, this create need for customer services, the business environment is typical economic, legal and technology which is not stable, recent deregulation in financial service has increased competition between providers, which provides more choice for the consumer. In this business environment banking sectors must emphasize operations and financial efficiency and focused more on product and market strategy. Additionally, they can focus more on customer service (quality in the corporate and marketing strategies). Exceptional customer service must be seen as tool to achiever differentiation and a competitive advantage, so it has become integral direction and planning for BankPHB. Customer service is such an outstanding issue that no major financial service provider can overlook whilst other are improving the quality of service levels. Benefit of Customer Service In the absence of focus on customer service and quality financial service organisation will face challenges and complaints from both employees and customer, which will affect the sales and profitability of the organisation and associated financial and other costs. Also, a number of unsatisfied customers will complain and tell others, generating unfavourable word of mouth, publicity and some may move to competitors. However, with focus on customer service e and organisation can expect a number of benefits such as: Customer Loyalty: Taking good care of existing customer can cause repeat and increase business and lead to attract new customer from positive word of mouth to others by existing customer communication. Customer retention is more cost effective, loyalty to the company will make the customer to be an advocated that create a reputation for being a caring customer oriented company. Increased opportunities to sell: Understanding and complete product knowledge and sales techniques among employee together with develop interaction and rapport with customer enable staff to know customer needs and suggest appropriate product and service that will satisfy the customer. Employee satisfaction: When employee is taken care is increased job satisfaction, morale and commitment to the company good employer employee relationship and increased staff loyalty which contribute to reducing the rate of staff turnover and the associated costs of recruitment, selection and training activities. Happy commitment and competent employees will also make fewer mistakes and this lead to fewer complaints from customer and contribute to cost savings and increase the profitability of the organisation. Also good customer service improve the corporate quality image and provide protection form price competition, above all successful service leads to reduce costs such as mistakes, operating and advertising and promotions, and increase productivity and sales, market shares, profitability and business performance. HOW TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE Changing nature of customer service BankPHB needs to change or improve the traditional way they do business with their customer, using sales representative as the only means of increase their capital base is risky, is seen as public humiliating to the representative, telling the representative to get certain deposit to the bank or get fired what is needed for BankPHB and other financial service provider in Nigeria like other financial services in United Kingdom is to inject innovation to life-blood of the organisation so that it becomes part of its very being, such as telephone banking service, effective internet banking service this focus on speed, convenience, quality and service for the customer and less work for the employee. Also BankPHB needs to be more customer-focused than product focused. Creating customer-centric systems BankPHB must be willing to change the policies which has become blueprint that sales representative or marketer should bring deposit less than that they will be sacked the prospect of customer centric can be very great, this system may hurt initially, but is a good prospect. Business essential and top management involvement: BankPHB must understand that it is a clear that unless there is a business essential for customer retention and top management is fully committed to customer service there is little chance to success. Customer orientation need to accustom the organisation mission, vision, value and objectives it needs to be both executives and senior managers word and actions Service strategy and goals: To be successful in competitive market and a customer focused organisation, BankPHB must have a clear strategy and a set of specific and measurable goals for service improvements People development: Training and development is an essential in promoting customer service philosophy, there must be often training and development for the staff and customer which company can benefit because this will enhance their attitude towards the customer in a positive way their behaviour, knowledge and skill, and make the organisation more flexible, proactive and customer focused in the face of strong competitor, the quality of leadership in an organisation is an indicator to success. Communication: Communication is life-blood of an organisation to sustain and develop a service initiative, effective communication about customers, competitor and the best practice in customer service can create a positive change to BankPHB. The development of communication media to convey the service philosophy is a vital means of creating awareness of the organisation, communication can be verbal or written Reward and recognition: Organisation with best practice provides a motivating environment for their customers and employee b rewarding and recognising the employee and the customer for their contribution to achievement of the organisation and implores them to do more. Customer-driven process: BankPHB must do business with its customer in a way that matches the customers needs not its own. Changing customer expectation Because of the technology consumers expectation are high they want better service which will give them satisfaction, they want greater choice and will not be sold to or manipulated. Value for time BankPHB and all other banks in Nigeria must value the time of their customers by providing self service such as effective cash machine, where you can withdraw your money 24hours without long queue in the banking hall an effective internet banking sitting at home pay bills, check your account balance and telephone banking if customer has any issue to clarify is easy to do on telephone than going to the bank waiting for the Manager to call head office for clarification which can take two to four days it is time consuming, the process of value for time resulted to easy customer and employee satisfaction. Know your customer rights Customers know their rights they tend to be unsatisfied if is violated and complain, majority of BankPHB customers complain about loan promised to give them is their right, to get loan without security if they have good records, they likely to make their opinion known if they violate this right. BankPHB must keep to the right of customers. Technology One of the greatest changes that can improve customer service in BankPHB is technology, checking account balance on internet, pay bills, open account, debit and credit alert via phone the use of technology can potentially revolutionise BankPHB relationship with customer, bank representative can visit customer input data via computer and print out cheque, use technology to wish the customer wishes on their memorable days like wedding anniversary, birthday it gives customer existed. Technology gives customer self service. What is customer service? Ability to provide an exceptional service is a perquisite of both attracting new customers and retaining the existing customers, but customer service is the perception of the customer to the service given, and the perception is based on their expectation, if a customer receives service better than the expectation is excellent service, but if customer receives less than the expectation is bad service. To provide excellent service BankPHB must exceeds customer expectations under-promise, over deliver, keep to promise never guarantee what cannot be delivered, to win customer today BankPHB needs to delight and astound the customers with products and services that beyond their expectations. Customer experience The main concern of great service organisation today is on the total customer experience. The customer experience of the organisation based on the effective communication/marketing efforts its package and interaction with employees as well as its products or services. Financial service provider in United Kingdom Barclays Bank train their staff to help customer with all their needs such as loan even when you do not need it they will advise you also on insurance which can be of benefit to you and the entire family so that the ethnic of Barclays is brought to life by their staff as they know customer is the key of the business. Developing a relationship There must be mutual relationship between the customer and service provider and the way this relationship is managed is pivotal to achieving excellent services. Relationship has become more important in financial services even know your customer by their name. BankPHB customers must be seen as value important as part of the bank not seen as different account to the organisation. Theodore Levitt of the Harvard Business School relates giving good service with building a long-term relationship, or relationship marketing He says: ..the sale merely consummates the courtship, at which point the marriage begins. How good the marriage is, depends on how well the seller manages the relationship. The quality of the marriage, determines whether there will be continued and expanded business or troubles and divorce Embracing change One thing that constant in life is change a successful companies will sustain competitive advantage by transforming their businesses rather than maintaining the traditional way of doing business, that is finding a new way of doing things both for and with customers BankPHB must embrace change through technology by operating 24 hours banking service, getting feedback from customer to help them improve on their service and customer loyalty and satisfaction to the employee. Contact centres: Is a way of reaching to customer know their need meet their needs 24 hours such as email written as well as telephone request, ease of contact to the service provider, convenience and speed of service are the main benefit of contact centre for the customer. Some financial sectors are using contact centre policy as a marketing tool. The internet: Is another change to delight our customer if offer them greater speed and choice, 24 hours a day, it enables them to market more quickly and gather direct customer feedback to develop better products and customer loyalty, retailing on the internet is already giving customers a sense of being in control, accessing your balance, pay bills, this has made financial services rethink how they communicate with customers, what they understand markets to be, how they segment and how they plan and advertise their products and services as well as the level of service they provide. Nevertheless, BankPHB website needs to be integrated with the rest of the customer strategy in order to maintain brand synergy. Customer relationship management (CRM) The process of setting up a customer service infrastructure using contact centre and internet technology is good start to become customer focused than product focused, Customer relationship Management offers opportunity to manage their customers relationship, because the more information a company has about the customer better, CRM strategies is to identifying desirable customer segments, micro or individual on one to one basis and developing integrated programmed that maximize both value to the customer and lifetime value of customer to the financial services profit enhancing and customer retention. It can also assist to identify sales prospects from existing or potential customer this management serves as an intermediary between the service provider and the user with this management BankPHB can be a better financial service amongst its competitor and known globally. 1.2 Problem area discussion One of the major problems most financial services are facing is how to manage their customers is the formulation and delivery of their proposition to customers (Bryan and Merlin, 2002). In a customer service strategy for a company, there are often significant changes required in the corporate culture, employee training, technology infrastructure and measurement system, this changes is associated with investment of resources and personal commitment depend on the good leadership of the executive management. Excellent customer service will only be considered a critical success factor if senior management demonstrate their involvement in terms of time, money effort, commitment, persistence and visibility (Sarah, 1995). BankPHB customers (both internal and external) are not satisfy with the service provided lack of commitment from the senior management, employee such as marketers are left alone to get deposit into the bank which is quite frustrating for the employee due to this the expectation of the customer are not met, let us assume that the senior executive of the business understand the expectation and perceptions of the customer regarding service, which is based on personal experience with the staff or face to face discussions and a sense of perception issues that exist in the minds of target consumers and frontline, service delivery staff. Also, Executive manager have an intimate understanding of customer expectation and perceptions and have ensured that service standards are relevant and meaningful in marketplace, the culture of the organisation must aligned with the objectives. The company resources is not focused on service standards BankPHB promised customer if you domicile your salary account for three month you will be given loan, after three month the expectation is not met due to this the customers are dissatisfied and willing to take their account to another bank. This is misdirected marketing which creates both explicit and implicit promises in the mind of the customer, when these promises are not fulfilled, customer satisfaction will suffer (Bryan and Merlin 2002). 1.3overall research purpose Looking at the above discussion, how to help BankPHB engender and sustain customer focus, the purpose of this research is the importance of customer service in an increasingly competitive environment and how effective customer service can help BankPHB enter into global market and the implication of increasing customer expectation and changes in trading patterns exposed. To address this point above, two research questions are drawn to explain the reason for this research R Q 1 How can R Q 2 how did you rate the staff behaviour at BankPHB? 1.4 delimitation The distance between the researcher and case study financial service and time constraint, also the compilation of the questionnaires, the feedback from the staff may be characterized with similarities and prejudice because management might have influence on their feedback of the questionnaire. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Improve customer service by technology Technology can be used to improve the quality of customer service by making easier for service provider to respond to customers request and satisfy customers needs, also with right equipment, this technology provide customer with a 24 hours response service this maintain high level of customer loyalty. Technology can contribute immensely to customer service in this area. Reliable equipment operation Customer will be very satisfy if there is reliable operation of their equipment to maintain their competitive business performance; a rapid quality response to service request is vital, a bank cash-dispensing system must be constantly available, technology helps customer to operate on their own business effectively and deliver high standards of service to their customer. Better account control The financial service wants to improve account control, technological links not only provide the customer with higher standards of customer service, they help to strengthen relationships with the customer and prevent competitors from taking over. Service staffs rely on information The more an organisation know about its customers the better service it can deliver, customer databases can be invaluable in helping customer service staff quickly provide advice and guidance to customer quickly Consistent local service a large customer spread over a wide geographical territory and dealing with a financial service through a network of local branches expects a consistent standards of service, if the company does not have the resources to offer the same level of service in each branch it must find a way of centralising and allocating its resources so that customer can be offered that consistency and satisfy. THE ELEMENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE Customer care for the external customer requires an organisation to pay attention to its products/services, delivery systems, delivery environment technology and employees which are highly interdependent. Product/Service range: This includes both basis and augmented services Gronroos (1987), this is based on the basic or core financial service, may be a current account with associated services which are needed to facilitate consumption of the core services e.g. ATM and another service which are not required but facilitate the service and differentiate with other competitors. The greater service offering includes how the service is delivered and the relationship between a bank and its customers which can be the accessibility of the service, customer participation in the process e.g. use of ATMs and relationship between employees and customers, system and customers and the physical environment and customers. Delivery Systems:- Delivery systems and procedures must be operate effectively and efficiently, responsive and reliable in order to avoid queuing in the banking hall, Silverstro, Fitzgerald, Johnson and Voss, (1992) refer to three types of service delivery, professional services are described as few transactions, highly customised services a process orientation, relatively long contact time, mass service is example of many customer interaction limited contact time and customization, product orientation with value being added. The level of direct interactions with service providers and customers in delivery process in known as service Encounters or moments of truth. This service encounters may take different forms, a customer wishing to make an enquiry may chooses an interaction with ATM, or bank employee by telephone, by email, face-to-face contact whichever contact the customer chooses especially coming in contact with the bank and its employees, the employee must for an impression of the bank and its service encounter also have an impact on employees in relation to their motivation, performance and job satisfaction and their rewards. Recent perspectives and research relating to service encounter are reported by Bitner (1990), Bitner, Booms and Tetreault (1990) and Larsson (1990). Delivery Environment: The delivery environment is another elements of customer service, the environment includes physical design and access aspects and also emotional or atmospheric impact, this involve customer and employees, physical design such as layout, furnishing, noise and music, space for cars, lighting temperature and comfort, most of banks are redesign open-plant to eliminate the barriers between customers and the staff (Greenland, 1994). Access aspects includes hours, availability, convenience of location and security, physical environment research has been carried out by Bitner (1990, 1992) she introduces the concept of servicescapes which may involve customers only e.g. (self service), employee only (remote service) or customer-employee relationship which is common is service delivery, she said environment must be conducive for customer satisfaction and employee pleasurable, environment lead to positive customer evaluations of service and desire to spend more time and m oney, on the other hand, unpleasant environment lead to avoidance. Technology: Technology is part of the whole service product, it facilitates customer-company exchange and increase service level, it also increases speed, efficient and accuracy for the employee and better personal service for customer. Employee:- The function of employee in customer service cannot be overlook, their personal qualities, ability to understand and satisfy customer needs. Gronross (1984a) discussed the outcome of quality of service encounters, the way the service is delivered is done by employee of the financial services this will include attitude and behaviour, appearance and personality, service-mindedness, accessibility and approachability of customer contact personnel. Edvardsson, Gustavsson and Riddle (1989) present four aspects of quality which affects customers perceptions: Technical, Integrative, Functional and outcome, while LeBlanc and Nguyen (1988) suggests that corporate image, internal organisation physical support of the service producing system, staff-customer interaction and degree of customer satisfaction all are customer service/quality. Parasuraman Zeithaml and Berry (1985:1988) suggested that he criteria used by consumer that are important in moulding their expectations and perception in ten ways: Tangible i.e. physical evidence, reliability: honouring promise, Responsiveness: readiness to proved service, Communication: telling customer what they need to know, Credibility: Trustworthiness, Security: physical and financial, Competence: skill and knowledge, Courtesy: polite, Understanding: knowing your customer needs, Access: easy to contact. MEASUREMENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE Measurement of customer service can been seen as a different between consumer expectation and perception; Expectations are desires or wants, which people believe that service provider should give, Perceptions are consumer judgement about actual service performance or delivery, if there is shortcoming between predicted and perception there is service quality gap which the provider would like to close. Zeithaml and Parasuraman (1985) are influenced by four other shortcomings/gaps. Consumer expectation: (Management perceptions and consumer expectations) If customer expectation is low (both internal and external) the result might be in lower level of delivery service this is gap, gaps may be closed by market research and better communication between management and personnel. Management perceptions of Consumer expectations:- when customer needs are known, there may not appropriate service specification due to lack of resources, organisational constraints (such as promise to give loan) absence of management commitment to customer service. Service quality specifications: (actual service delivery) This gap is called service performance gap, when there is difference between management specification and service delivery due to variations in the performance of service personnel. The reason may be the employee is not willing to work or incompetence. Actual service delivery:- External communication about the service, this gap is when, what said about the service in external communication is different from the service deliver e.g. advertising therefore, it is important not to promise more than what can be deliver. 3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTION

Charles Dickens Exposes the Dangers and Horrors of Victorian London in

Charles Dickens Exposes the Dangers and Horrors of Victorian London in Oliver Twist All of Charles Dickens novels are set in the period he wrote them in and contain certain points of social and political beliefs that he highlighted with the desire to change his audience's views, on mainly the poor, but also all those that were treated unjustly because of laws and stereotypes. 'Oliver Twist' is the story of a young orphan who is the illegitimate son of two good people. It shows the attempts of a collection of villainous characters to break his hereditary kind-heartedness and innocence. This is to benefit them through his considerable, unknown inheritance that they have found out about. However, behind the story Dickens hides messages raising the issues of the terrible conditions of the workhouses and the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the abuse and exploitation of children, poverty, crime, inequality, prejudice towards different religions and nationalities and ignorance to the existence of some physical disabilities and mental illnesses. The poor law act was a typical example of a whig-benthamite reformation legislation of the Victorian period. That is to say it follows Bentham's theory of segregation. It gained general parliamentary support and was passed with considerably less consideration and discussions as was normal when new laws are proposed. It ensured that conditions in the workhouses were as vile and uncomfortable as possible so that only the truly destitute would even consider submitting. It also implied that the poor were only in that state because they were lethargic and were therefore named the 'undeserving poor' w... ...angry as he is enraged by his crime. As his terror leads him to his rage he strikes out on the disfigured body. That description tells us that his emotions are out of his control. His temper is unrestrained and he is liable to act in a way that relieves his anxiety. With people like Sykes in London it is worrying to think what may happen. After studying 'Oliver Twist' the reader gains understanding of the true horrors that exist in Victorian London. They discover key facts about the behaviour of the underworld inhabitants through Dickens techniques such as similes, pathos, adjectives, and choice of words. These techniques helped in showing the reader why life was so horrific in that time by building up images so the reader can almost see and smell and use other sense to understand the world that Dickens lived in.

Cultural Anthropology Article Comparison :: Anthropology Culture Essays

Introduction: Cultural Anthropology is a term that is in everyday lives and topics. When one thinks of anthropology they think of the study of old remnants commonly referred to as archaeology. This, however, is not the only form of anthropology. There are four types of anthropology and they are archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. However, Cultural anthropologists are every where and study people of all walks of life. One can find a topic and find some type of study that an anthropologist has conducted on the matter. The following are five articles that explain how anthropologists are every where. Section: Culture and Fieldwork Chapter: Corporate Anthropologists, page 24 Summary of Article: The article talked about how anthropologists play an important role in the corporate environment. Anthropologists have been working with businesses since the 1930?s, however in the 1980?s this field experienced significant growth. This was due to the ?globalization of business activity and the increased awareness of the importance of culture for business,? (Laabs 24). Cultural anthropology is the study of existing people and corporations find this information useful in trying to understand human behavior within their own organization. ?Business anthropologists have been studying the corporate world for years, on such varied topics as how to encourage more creativity or how best to integrate multicultural learning techniques into an organization?s training program,? (Laabs 25). Most anthropologists who work in the corporate environment do not use the title of anthropologist. There are currently over 200 anthropologists working in this field. The article then gave an account of one ant hropologist?s experience in the corporate environment. The article concludes by saying what corporations think of the value that anthropologists add to the companies and that the role will continue to grow. Anthropologist?s Experience: The anthropologist that contributed to this article was Lorna M. McDougall. She works at Arthur Andersen?s Center for Professional Education, which is located in St. Charles, Illinois. McDougall is ?studying why people from some cultures learn best from lectures, although others learn best through interactive learning,? (Laabs 25). McDougall has played a large part in developing Arthur Andersen?s Business English Language Immersion Training (ELIT) program. This program builds a language skill that allows for communication between two parties where English may be a second language. This program also provides an awareness of each culture?s business ethics. ?The results of her work have helped instructors, who train Andersen consultants working in 66 countries, be better teachers,?

Criminal Law and Monster Essay

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.