Introducing Customer Services Essay Example for Free

Introducing Customer Services Essay Introduction In this assignment I will be writing about the importance of having good communication skills in customer service. I was assigned to a two week work placement at Superdrug where I had to deal with different types of customers and their needs and expectations. I also was instructed by the supervisor to give good customer care and service to customers. Task 3 Explanation of what a customer is Customers are people or businesses who pay for goods and services or benefit from a particular business. People such as: * The elderly * Teenagers * Disabled * Insurance companies * Banks * Cleaners Task 4 In this task I will be explaining the meaning of internal customers. I will also be giving examples of what an internal customer is. Internal customers Internal customers are those people and employees who might use a companys services and products. Examples of internal customers are: Store Manager The store Manager is an internal customer because he/she benefits from the company when the company gets sales. They also may get a pay rise if the business does really well. The manger depends on the business to get sales, if the business does badly the manger is then at risk of losing money or getting sacked. Security guard The security guard is an internal customer, for his/her service of making sure goods are not thieved from the store he/she benefits from the business by getting a months salary and also may get discounts from the business. Cleaners The cleaners job is to make sure that everything in the shop is clean and presentable. The cleaner benefits from this by getting a monthly salary and may get a discount on the products he/she buys from the business. Task 5 In this task I will be explaining the meaning of external customers. I will also be giving examples of what an external customer is. External customers An external customer is an individual or business outside of the company who receives goods or services from that particular company. For example: Banks Banks are external customer because they benefit from the money that is given by companies. They benefit from this money because when the money is given to the bank the bank loans the money to other companies and make profits off of it e.g.(interest). Suppliers The suppliers are external customers because they provide the products for the businesses and the businesses therefore buy the products from them. The suppliers make a profit from that money used to pay for the product which enables the people who work with the supplier to get a salary. People People are external because they buy products from the business and in return they get good service and quality products. Task 6 Customers at Superdrug and their needs and expectations In this task I will be identifying 4 types of customers I came across while working at Superdrug and what their needs and expectations were. While on my work experience I came across a range of different customers such as: * The elderly * Disabled * Teenager I didnt come across the external customers who are: * The cleaners * Bank * The manager * Insurance company Internal customer needs at Superdrug Store Manager The store Manager needs to come to the store and buy product in-order for him/her to get paid. The manager also needs employees to come to work early in-order for the store to open if no-one comes in to work the business will have to get closed down and the manager will lose his job. He/she also needs holiday entitlement Security guard The security guard needs to get paid for his/her services. Him/her also need to have at least one lunch break and needs to be useful e.g. (watching out for thieves). External customer needs at Superdrug Bank The bank needs Superdrug to put more money into it that they take out so the bank can make profits. The bank also needs the money to get into the bank on-time and always have some of that money in the bank. Insurance company The needs of the insurance company are for Superdrugs to pay them. Elderly To meet customer needs knowledge of the products are necessary. A lot of elderly customers come in to the store for the in-store pharmacy, the customers brings their prescription to the counter and or they may ask you for something you will have to understand what they need so that the customer can purchase the product. The customers are also like to be buying the product from a decent enough price and have good quality. Teenagers Superdrug attracts a lot of teenage customers because they like to buy a lot of hair products and perfumes. They need good value for money as they dont work to get money themselves and quality products. Internal customer expectations at Superdrug Store Manager The store Manager expects employees to come in every day and give good customer service and expects a permanent job. He/she also expects the employees to be polite and pleasant to him/her, and expects the business to look after him/her e.g.(sick pay). Security guard The security expects to be treated with respect by all staff in the store, a lot of thieves come into the store everyday and if the security is to catch one of those thieves he/she expects to be praised and maybe get a pay rise for the hard work. For his/her service of making sure goods are not thieved from the store he/she expects to benefit from the business by getting a months salary and also may get discounts from the business. External customer expectations at Superdrug Bank The bank expects Superdrug to pay their money on time and use they right forms. They also expect the money to come in regularly. Insurance company The Insurance Company expect Superdrug to pay their money on time every month and not make untrue claims because this will make the insurance company lose out on money. They also expect Superdrug to fill the form out correctly when apply for that particular company. Elderly Elderly customers expect to be treated with respect and when asking for a prescription they expect staff to be polite and the prescription to be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Elderly customers also expect to have easy access around the store. Teenagers Teenagers expect good customer service from employees. They also expect the products to be of good quality and value for money. They also expect for the product that they want is always available. Task 7 Customers expectations at Superdrug are quiet high and are always increasing. While on my work experience I came across many different types of customer, below are just a few examples of customers I came across in the business and what their needs and expectation were. Task 8 Why you have to present yourself appropriately and prepare your work area before customers arrive in Superdrug. In this task I will be explaining why it is important that staff present themselves appropriately and prepare their work area before customers arrive. In Superdrug the majority of customers are members of the public, the appearance of both the staff and the premises are very important. It is important in a retail business that staff pays attention to their appearance because customers expect you to be smartly dressed, and also to be approachable this includes having good hygiene. It is important that I had a positive attitude towards customers so that they may feel welcome to return back to the store and buy products. Knowledge of products and services is also very important because customers wont always know about the product so they would seek advice from staff. In Superdrug it is important that the work area is clean and tidy before customers arrive to provide a pleasant and sufficient environment to give the impression to the customers that the store is well looked after. It is important that equipment is easily accessible to those who need to use it. For example the tills would be turned on and appropriate amount of cash put in, and televisions advertising certain products so that customers can buy them. The work tops will also be cleaned before customers arrive. It is also important to keep store safe for customers at all times this can be done by making sure that the till area is always tidy and making sure the walking areas no obstructions such as boxes and plastic wrappers left from staff stacking items. There would also be security staff protecting the store. Task 9 How Superdrug staff prepare themselves and their work area for customer service In this task I will be describing how staff in Superdrug prepares themselves and their work area for customer service. Staff Positive attitude While on my work experience I had positive attitude when dealing with customers and was enthusiastic about the products I was selling. It is also important that I was polite and understood the customers needs so that the customer will be happy to buy the product I was describing to them. Personal presentation In Superdrug it was expected of me to be professionally presented. The customers will have certain expectations including being approached by staff that is clean, smartly dressed and has good personal hygiene. Dress code I was instructed by the manager to arrive at the Superdrug wearing a smart black blouse with smart black trouser and black shoes (no trainers). It is also expected of me to have clean hair and brushed teeth so my breath does not smell while talking to customers. Posture It was important that I had good posture which means standing up straight and looking confident so that you look approachable by customers. If I did not have a good posture for example slouching with my hands in my pocket customers may think I cant be bothered and I dont care about my job, therefore customers will not feel comfortable approaching me. Personal space It is important that when I was talking to a customer face to face that I was to stand at least arms length away from them. Standing closer than the recommended length is invading that customers personal space and they may feel uncomfortable. Standing further away from the customer may give them the impressions that you are either scared or you dont have time for them. First impressions First impression of a business is very important. If a shop is first opening and the shop floor is dirty and staff looks scruffy, the customers may think the business is not run properly and may not get the chance to see the products. The customers will see the dirt and poor appearance of the staff and will expect the product to be poor quality. Knowledge of products and services Customers expect staff to know about the products and services that the retail outlet provides. It is important that staff familiarise themselves with the layout of the shop floor, this will enable staff to provide information regarding products (e.g. product whereabouts). While on my work experience at Superdrugs it was required of me to have knowledge of the section I was working in and also know other sections around the store, I was given a sheet of paper showing everything that was in the store and where they were. By the end of the day I knew where every thing was on the shop floor, when customers approached me asking where a particular item was, I was able to tell them straight away. It helped to have the section I was given to work in because I had a lot of knowledge of those products as I am always buying those products myself. Organisations guidelines and standards required for customer service It is essential that Superdrug have a customer service policy that states the required standard for customer service. This ensures that employees know what to do when they are dealing with customers and will help them provide a high standard of customer care. Teamwork It is important that staff are good at working as a team, this can improve your customer service skills as you would have to use the same skills in order to build a good relationship with your team workers. For example listening skills, negotiation skills and assertiveness. Teamwork involves sharing ideas and working together, for example in Superdrug on the pharmacy counter processing customers prescriptions is customer service staff working with each other the till staff send prescription info to a computer behind the scenes, the prescription is then processed and given to the customer. Work area Appropriate equipment In Superdrug it is important that the work area is clean and tidy before customers arrive to provide a pleasant and sufficient environment to give the impression to the customers that the store is well looked after. It is important that equipment is easily accessible to those who need to use it. For example the tills would be turned on and appropriate amount of cash put in, and televisions advertising certain products so that customers can buy them. Safe and tidy work area It is important in that Superdrug keep the work area clean and tidy. I did this by making sure that I cleaned up my rubbish after stacking the shelves. If the store is not kept safe and tidy it could cause hazards and may result in customers injuring themselves. It is also important that the workplace is kept tidy because staff may find it is easier to lose important documents. Efficient use of space It is important that in Superdrug there is enough space for all types of customers to walk about with. For example mothers with buggies and disabled people in wheelchairs. It is also important that items displayed on the shelves are easy reach by customers of average height. Remember high shelves can make it hard for shorter people to reach. Health and safety By law all employees/staff are required to take responsibility of their own health and safety and that of other e.g. (customers). It is also important that when staff use equipment they clean up after themselves or put the equipment in its rightful place. For example, when stacking out items on the shelves make sure the boxes or the products wrapping is not obstructing the aisles, this could cause a customer to trip and injure themselves. Fire safety It is important that staff follow the procedures of fire safety. All members of staff should know what to do in an event of fire and where the equipment is, for example marked fire exits, emergency evacuation procedures and fire extinguishers. While on my work experience on the first day I was shown all the nearest fire exits and it was explained to me what I should do in an event of fire. There was a practice fire alarm and it was my job to make sure that all customers were safe and evacuated the building immediately. Accident It is important that all staff in Superdrug no what to do in case of an accident to an employee or customer. If a customer or employee has been injured it is important that you notify an appropriate member of staff e.g. (manager, first aider). If the injury severe you should dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. Task10 Health and Safety risks in the workplace Task 11 In this task I will identifying four possible hazards found in Superdrug. Four possible hazards in Superdrug Poor maintenance Slips, trip and falls Fire exits Smoking Task 12 In this task I will be identifying the potential hazards and risk in Superdrug. I will also be explaining how the hazards and risks could harm employees and customers. Hazards Risks Poor Maintenance If shelves are broken and not repaired quickly. A customer might want an item which is on a high shelf not knowing that is broken they will pick up the item and the products could fall on the customer which may cause an injury. If shelves are broken and not repaired quickly. An employee can be stacking the shelves not knowing the shelf is broken they will stack items on there and the shelves will collapse onto the person causing an injury. Slips, Trips and Falls If the floor has just been cleaned and a hazard sign has not been put up. A customer could walk into the store not knowing the floor is wet, they would then walk in that wet area and slip and injure them self. If an employee has just finished their task of unpacking products and stacking them on the shelves and they leave the rubbish on the floor, another employee could walk by not knowing the rubbish is there, the could trip over rubbish and fall and injure themselves. Fire exits If the fire exits are not clearly labelled for customers in an event of fire customers could be a great danger. If employees leave their boxes and rubbish in front of the fire exits in an event of fire people wont be able to get out of the building and will then result in a lot of staff and customers getting injured. Smoking It is important that customers do not smoke in the building because if they are to drop the cigarette on the floor without putting out, this could cause the building to set on fire and put a lot of lives in danger. If employees are to smoke in the building they at risk of injuring themselves and others around them, everyone around them will be breathing in second hand smoke which could damage their body severely. The employee is also at risk of causing a fire and getting sacked. Task 15 In this task I will be explaining the meaning of communication. The meaning of communication Communication is when people interact with each other and share information. For example, while on my work experience I listened to customers needs and what they had to say which is that they wanted to buy a 3 mobile, then I gave back the right information on products and services in order for them to buy the products they wanted. Task 16 Why it is important to have good communication skills It is important to have a good level of communication skills because in the retail industry a large proportion of the work is dealing with customers verbally. Customers expect retail staff to be helpful, polite and to be well presented. Retail staff are required to have a good level of spoken English in order to understand customer needs and to be able to clearly provide information on request. Throughout my work experience I think I had very good communication skills towards customers I feel that I showed that I was enthusiastic about what I was doing. And there for customers would not hesitate to approach me. In the end it is important that the customers get what they want, the business then makes money and customers will be happy to return to the store. Task 17 In this task I will be explaining 3 types of communication I came across when approaching staff in a business Verbal communication One example of verbal communication that I came across as a customer was that when I asked a member of staff for a particular item they explain very clearly where the item was and they were very welcoming and polite Non-verbal communication One example of non-verbal communication that I came across was that when I tried to approach a member of staff in a store they didnt even make eye contact with me they just pointed to a section of the store. Body language One example of body language that I came across is that when I tried to ask a till cashier for some information they just shrugged their shoulders with an angry face like I done something wrong. Task 18 In this task I will be identifying six communication skills and why they are important Appropriate spoken English It is important to have appropriate spoken English in Superdrug. While on my work experience it was important that I was polite to customers and that my language was clear and straightforward so that customers would fell comfortable buying the products and to return back to the store. Level and tone of voice When speaking to customers it was important that I pay close attention to my level and tone of voice. For example, if my tone of voice is too loud the customer may think I am being angry towards them. The level of voice should be balanced, not too loud and not too quiet. Welcoming In Superdrug it is important to be welcoming and friendly. For example, I welcomed every customer that came into the store and ask if they needed any help finding anything. This encourage .customers to return to the store/ Listening In Superdrug it was important that I know how to listen to customers. I made sure that I listened to the customers needs and what they wanted. I showed that I understood the customers and didnt interrupt them unnecessarily. Assisting It is important to offer and give help to customers. While on my work experience I made sure I did this. For example, opening doors for customers with lots of bags, this will encourage customers to come back to the store. I also offered to get products from high shelves and if the customer was looking for a product that my store didnt sell I advised them on what others stores would sell the product. Questioning Questioning is very important in customer services in Superdrug. When customers first enter the store the first contact with them was in form of a question. For example, how can I help you Sir/Miss? or what are you looking for? Questioning helped me find out the needs of the customer. Which then gave me information on what they needed, to ask another question like, what is your budget for this item?. M3 How can I provide good customer care and services? In this task I will be describing how I can provide consistent customer care and services. Good customer care It is important in Superdrug that customers are satisfied with the way they have been treated; giving good customer care and loyalty will attract more customers to the store and keep Superdrug in business. Giving good customer care means being polite and helpful to customers. It is important that I listen carefully to customers and ask them questions so I get an understanding of what the customer wants so that I can get the right products for the customer. Having a positive attitude towards customers is mostly important because without a positive attitude customers will receive a negative vibe and therefore will not feel comfortable with me serving them. For example, while on my work experience customers asked for products that were no sold at the Superdrug store, instead of saying we dont have that I recommended them to a store that might have it. It is important when providing customers with information that I am clear and accurate about the product and that I confirm that the customer understands the information I have supplied. It is good to remember that when a customer enters the store, try and give customers more than they pay for. Good customer services When customers enter the store they should be assisted. In Superdrug every customer that entered the store was given information on the products that were sold there and the products features. It is important in Superdug to provide after sales care such as refund and guarantees. Communicating with customers is an essential part of customer service. This includes letting them know what services are available and making sure they are happy with the product I have sold to them. Good customer service in Superdrug attracts more customers and increases sales. It also improves the business reputation which means more customers just through recommendations. For example, two main factors that contribute to its business success are Superdrugs commitment to high standard of service and the expertise of its staff. To maintain these standards and keep staff up to date with new products Superdrug invests in training. D2 The importance of providing good customer care and services Importance of good Customer service Customer service is the provision of care to customers from pre-service to after sales service. It may be face-to-face, over the telephone, written or via new technology using e-mail and the Internet. Superdrug use customer care to create an overall impression of an organisation that puts the needs of the customer first, to ensure quality and increase sales over competititors. Increasingly, Superdrug have customer services departments or customer services desks whose job is to ensure the efficient process of delivering customer care, including provision for those customers with special needs. Superdrug produce literature, which outlines their Customer Care Policy or Charter; this may include their policy on refunds, warranties, after sales service and how to make a complaint. Customer service is very important part of any business organisation. Bibliography BTEC introduction business-published by Heinemann in 2005 Heinemann Educational Publishers Halley Court, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8EJ ISBN 978 0 435401 21 4 John Ruskin college intranet site Superdrug 452-456 Brixton Rd

E-Commerce Business Aims and Objectives

E-Commerce Business Aims and Objectives Md Imtiaz Ahmed Task Covering LO1 INTRODUCTION TO E-COMMERCE E-Commerce, formerly referred to as Electronic Commerce, is the trading of several of goods services over a wide area of electronic means; such as the Internet or any other Computer Networks. The various sources where the e-commerce is successfully being running and the uses of e-Commerce are mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems and automated data collection systems. E-Commerce allows the exchange of data over electronic means in order to facilitate the financing payment aspects of business transaction. Within the help of e-Commerce, an organization is benefitted through effective communications better business conducts. In order to build up a proper e-commerce website for a business, there must have to be some implementations of these analyses as follows:- PEST (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological) Analysis Political- The potential change of government, as well as the changes in the policies priorities and the introduction of a new government initiative could be major political factors. Such factors include political stability, tax guidelines, trade regulations, safety regulations employees laws. Economic- Economic factors may also be limited to the home country but as global trade continues to grow, economic difficulties in one nation would tend to have a broad impact overall. Factors affecting the economy in such ways include inflation, interest rates, economic growth, the unemployment rate policies, and the business cycle followed by the country. Socio-cultural- Socio-cultural factors are those that arise from customers or probable customers. These changes can often be slight and they can be difficult to assume or identify until there’s a major effect or impact. Within this social factor the business finds it helpful to analyze the socio-economic situation of its market by means of fundamentals like customer demographics, cultural limitations, lifestyle attitude, and education. Technological- This area is all about those that are related to the uprising developments on the uses of technology. There are 2 types of changes in technological uses in general: developments in the uses of IT, and, developments in IT in specific industry or market.[1] In modern days, we have an extension in the PEST analysis which has added two more factors to take effect in the business. These are Legal(L) factors and the Environmental(E) factors, which for instance, stands to be the PESTLE Analysis. Legal- It is very important to take into accounts the factors arising from changes to the law. Changes can be by means of Discrimination laws, Health safety laws, Consumer Protection laws, Copyright Patent laws. Environmental- The factors arising from the concerns about the natural environment, in other words the ‘green’ issues, include increasing concerns about packaging and the increase in pollution. SWOT(Strength,Weakness,Opportunities,Threats) Analysis This analysis is only focused on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities threats that are significant to an organization for a brand new scheme. Strength(S)- Internal attributes that are helpful to the organization to achieving its objectives. Example includes: superior product quality, superior technological equipment, education to employees, popular product name, products embraced by consumers. Weaknesses(W)- Internal attributes that are harmful for the organization achieving its goals. Examples include: extension of the distribution system, lack of direct contact with customers, higher prices. Opportunities(O)- External factors that help the organization to achieve its aims objectives. This might arise from: exports, approaching the youth markets, cross-selling. Threats(T)- External factors that help the organization to achieve its aims objectives. These are brought up by: huge tax rates on luxury items, indirect competitors.[2] Onto a business organization, the SWOT Analysis has been divided into two categories, Internal Analysis which is Strengths Weaknesses, and External Analysis which is Opportunities Threats. The Strengths are valued by measuring the ability of an organization to compete with other companies globally or locally. The start-up cost overhead cost is low to introduce e-Commerce system in the business, which is a plus point. Direct consumer communication too takes place while this e-Commerce system is implemented by means of when an order is made; the goods are directly delivered where a personal meet up takes place. So it generally creates a good customer relationship. Weakness could be the higher prices of their products which will result in less consumer attentions and hence less profit. Another point to take into account as the weakness of an e-Business could be the online page loading time. If the page takes much time to load, the visitors of the site will eventually tend to turn their search off and leave. Hence no profit would be earned by the business. Opportunities are measured by their 24/7 availability online to serve their consumers. Growth is estimated to continue at high rates and launching an online business allows the merchant to be in a position to benefit from this growth. Threats are measured by the business’ ability to survive in the field by competing with other organizations. Another point to take into consideration is fraud. Some consumers find it risky to deliver their financial data and such kinds of feeling among the population can be a great threat for any online business stores. Privacy concerns too are a factor to be thought of. CORE BUSINESS FUNCTIONS OF E-COMMERCE I am Md. Imtiaz Ahmed, and, Mr. Bashar has appointed me as an e-Commerce Developer in his e-commerce business. He is planning to open an e-Commerce online book store. Nowadays we see a rapid rise in such businesses that runs online. There are various sectors such as the one Mr. Bashar is planning to open, apart from that there are jewelries, fashion items, perfumes, groceries, electronic appliances, household items and much more. Mr. Bashar wants to organize such an online book store where people from all around the world can get access to and order for their desired books of their own choices favorite authors. E-commerce is basically functionalized as to deliver the customers with the desired service in an online basis. For instance, the customers will stay at their favored place from where they can easily place an order for the product they want. They will either make the payment online using debit/credit cards or, they can also make the payment on cash while the product is finally delivered at the right place. That’s one of the most efficient and generally important function though which the system runs. Named Boibazaar.com, Mr. Bashar has set his online storefront targeted to basically the people of any ages since there are absolutely no limitations to read books. Starting from the youngest to the oldest, anyone can order for books as they want or would like to. Mr. Bashar targets to deliver his potential customers by serving them the right output as required. There are various functional areas partly divided in a sense to run the e-Commerce business on a smooth flow. Among them, follows are the most important ones that Mr. Bashar’s online storefront must implement:- The Sales Function- This department is assigned to maintain the sales promotion of the business, for instance, by means of effective advertisements discount offers. It also responds to their customers’ queries and tries their best to deliver them with the best possible solutions. Their task is to sell their products either over the telephone or using the face-to-face method of business transactions. They decide the estimations to offer discounts on their selling items, this is done through effective persuasive advertisements. Financial terms too are anyhow maintained by this department in some businesses. They also provide technical advices keeps records of their customers updated. The Production Function- This department plays a vital role in any business organization since it checks monitors the storage of raw materials. It also builds up the schedule of the productions for the maximization of the uses of equipments. Producing the items is the core function of this department and hence it also assembles the finished output. This functional area is also assigned for the quality checking of the products all through the production process. Machinery inspections too are managed by this area of business. The Purchasing Function- This department is necessary since its task is to order inputs/raw materials for the production of expected items from its suppliers. If any problems, such as disagreements from a supplier to sell raw materials, are faced, then the department would hold the right to change the supplier and order from the new one. If to introduce new items, new kind of raw materials is to be bought and utilized. In such cases, this department would search for new suppliers to meet the requirements. It also refers to the problems on delivery, e.g. quality or quantity. It is also very necessary for this department to be in good relation with its suppliers so that the business doesn’t face any negative trust issues amongst each other. The Administration Function- In simple senses, this department is all set to maintain the legal documentations, paper works necessary record keepings. In some business it helps their customers by providing expert advices for the queries faced. The Customer Service Function- Similar to the above one, it responds to their potential customers and gives them the best soluble options. It also provides after-sales services including the replacements of damaged items, arrangements for repairing the items, etc. It deals with the customer complaints and takes necessary steps to overcome the problems arising. The Finance Function- All the financial works are maintained by this area of business. The money that is received is well recorded by this department. The checking paying of the invoices received are too done by this department. All any financial documentations payments involved in the business are monitored by the Finance Department. The ICT Function- Most of the tasks of the Administration Department are followed by this ICT area such as maintaining the records on computer. Also the online helps too are done by this department. All that are related to the IT are controlled by this department. Since Boibazaar.com is an online book store, the Production Department is not much necessary since Mr. Bashar’s business does not produce books but deliver what are available on the market, just by means of selling on the online method. The ICT Department is the most important one since the business is online basis and thus the whole thing is maintained according to its own ways as supposed. Boibaazar.com has categorized their selling items according to the genres so that the visitors of the site find it handy easy enough to find out what they are looking for. The prices too are mentioned so that they don’t really need to navigate to any more pages to go for inner details. Seller contacts too are added so that if customer decides to purchase can make direct deals with the seller easily. Boibazaar.com agrees accepting the method of payments on Cash on Delivery basis for local consumers. Soon they will be accepting Card Payment method using VISA, debit/credit cards and online payments. For local consumers, the shop is also accepting the online payment procedure of Bkash. Regarding International consumers’ payments, the store is working on to accept methods followed by banks and also The Western Union process. But customers must be sure that there are different methods to follow for payments for different orders. Cash on delivery basis is highly being appreciated by the customers who prefer dealing online for their desired products. It’s less hassle and over all the difficulties that might appear compared to physical trading. AIMS OBJECTIVES OF E-COMMERCE Profit maximization is the core aim of any organization whether it is a physical business place or the one that runs online. Some organizations even aim to survive with just less or no profit at all. Breakeven, one method of surviving is to focus on breaking even over a certain period. This means making enough money to cover the total costs involved in producing and selling the goods or services, and running the business, although there is no profit, no money is lost. Also there are some businesses that only tend to focus on selling (sales maximization) as more products as possible in order to expansion in their business. BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN THE BUSINESS Below is a table that shows the aims of the business following the relationship of their stakeholders into the business. Stakeholders are those people who are both directly and indirectly related to the business in general means. The table below will help make a clear view:- Task Covering LO2 [1] http://pestleanalysis.com/pest-analysis/ [2] http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/SWOT-analysis-strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-and-threats-analysis

The Walt Disney company

The Walt Disney company Questions: Did Disney still have a coherent strategy for its business mix? No. Its mix of creative production, business expansion and marketing was hampered by financial restraints and increased competition between divisions. Did Eisners 20% growth target still make sense, particularly when Disney faced ever-increasing competition across all its businesses? No. The expansion of the market previously cornered by Disney had become a threat. The market share was stratified. With the creative teams facing difficult management guidelines it was challenging to create new innovative products. Further, Disney would reduce marketing ventures to cut costs. Disneys expansion into other ventures, such as television and non-animated based film distribution and production, were high-risk, high-reward ventures. While some of these high-risks were successful they further deviated from the core ideals and products of Disney. They also did not offer the type of cross-promotion and marketing opportunities previously provided through the standard Disney brand. Can Disney be run [successfully] by single person? No. Eisner attempted to be both a leader and a manager. Disney required a manager who could balance and shape the different divisions while encouraging Eisners vision of a holistic organization. Does Eisner need to change his approach to running his entertainment empire? No. Eisners primary strategy involved synergy, both vertically and horizontally. Eisners idea of synergy includes cross-marketing and branding. This is successful amongst the core of Disney activities and products, such as theme parks, licensed characters, and branded items (such as toys). The vertical component of the core brand involved the distribution and production aspect of Disney an ability to leverage costs. This was a successful strategy. However the expansion of Disney into other entertainment venues proved challenging. There were limited opportunities to cross-market television production with other parts of the company (Disney movies on TV). There was not an opportunity to brand a live action films via the integrated, synergistic marketing systems at the core of the company. For every ESPN spawning a restaurant there was a ABC television show with no ability to expand revenue beyond its initial value. Introduction In 1923 Walter Elias Disney moved to Hollywood, California where he founded the Disney Brothers Studio (Disney) with his brother Roy. The company suffered a rocky start; however the creation of Mickey Mouse in 1928 and the introduction of synchronized sound provided Walt the momentum he needed to get the company moving forward. The success of utilizing synchronized sound taught the Disney brothers how technology would be a key factor in growth. The ground-breaking full-length feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs began Disneys foray into the licensing of its products. Brand management became a fundamental ideal at Disney. As the company released more successful films it realized the value of a holistic marketing approach. Disney diversified its holdings creating a conglomerate including Walt Disney Music Company and Buena Vista Distribution. Disneys goal was to management their ventures from beginning to end. Cross-marketing and branding continued to be fundamental concepts in Disneys endeavors, including its investment in theme parks and television programming. Over the next decades all new divisions were a part of Disneys large scale marketing machine. Each division fed each products and creative outlets. However as creativity dwindled due to financial pressure the company suffered Disney required products to maintain its market share. When Michael Eisner took the helm at Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Disney in 1984 he sought to again instill Walt Disneys original concept into the company. He announced a goal of growing Disney shareholder equity (net worth) 20% per year. Eisner believed in â€Å"managing creativity,† or encouraging development divisions to work collaboratively with business divisions. Eisner understood Walts initial management concept of balancing the corporate ideals of â€Å"quality, entrepreneurship, and teamwork.† Eisner pushed the Disney to heavily reinvest in its original products, such as television production and films. With Disney solidifying its market share it was free to undertake new ventures in live action films, high tech animation production, and new theme parks. Eisner utilized these new ventures in the same manner Walt built his company cross-marketing and brand management. But as Eisner expanded the company to meet his annual net worth rate of growth Disney undertook a number of high-risk/high-reward ventures. As the conglomerate grew Eisners micro-management style was unable to produce the success it once had attained. Further discussion of marketing. Growth/How Disney grew (theme parks, etc) How Disney changed acquisition of other organizations/firms Nature of the Problem Suffered a major slump starting in 1994 until the turn of the century. 1994-2000, lost several high-level executives Eisner took on sole leadership of the organization Synergy did not account for the â€Å"culture† of new acquisitions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When merging firms/media ie Touchstone Television from NY to LA (p12). Seen as â€Å"traditional† Alternatives of the Firm Overall idea for all alternatives is that 20% growth is unreasonable. Growth rate should be development on a medium term scale 5 years at a time. Status Quo Disney continues with Eisner at the helm and no President to work in finance, mediation, and labor relations. Continues current strategy of controlling costs and placing a financial check on division managers. One Company Two Major Divisions Separate Entertainment Divisions into Adult (ABC Television, Touchstone, Hyperion Books) and Childrens (Buena Vista television, distribution, publishing and theme parks) New Leadership Use Eisner to continue synergy through the hiring of an experience President/COO. Fire Eisner and establish a new management that is experienced in large conglomerates and cross-marketing Return to Basics creativity, animation, stories w/good morals The green movement Religion/wars/differences Take more international theme and Marketing Concepts Brand Management Cross-Promotion/Marketing Holistic Management of Product Recommendations Combination of New Leadership and One Company/Two Divisions. Bring in President/COO to work with divisions. Release creative divisions from strong-armed financial management to increase opportunity for cross-promotion. Separate company into two primary factions to preserve the Disney name one related to family entertainment.

Crime And Drugs :: Crime Drugs Research Papers

Crime and Drug Use The link between drug use and crime is not a new one. For more than twenty years, both the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Justice have funded many studies to try to better understand the connection. One such study was done in Baltimore on heroin users. This study found high rates of criminality among users during periods of active drug use, and much lower rates during periods of nonuse (Ball et al. 1983, pp.119-142). A large number of people who abuse drugs come into contact with the criminal justice system when they are sent to jail or to other correctional facilities. The criminal justice system is flooded with substance abusers. The need for expanding drug abuse treatment for this group of people was recognized in the Crime Act of 1994, which for the first time provided substantial resources for federal and state jurisdictions. In this paper, I will argue that using therapeutic communities in prisons will reduce the recidivism rates among people who have been released from prison. I am going to use the general theory of crime, which is based on self-control, to help rationalize using federal tax dollars to fund these therapeutic communities in prisons. I feel that if we teach these prisoners some self-control and alternative lifestyles that we can keep them from reentering the prisons once they get out. I am also going to describe some of today’s programs that have proven to be very effective. Gottfredson and Hirschi developed the general theory of crime. It According to their theory, the criminal act and the criminal offender are separate concepts. The criminal act is perceived as opportunity; illegal activities that people engage in when they perceive them to be advantageous. Crimes are committed when they promise rewards with minimum threat of pain or punishment. Crimes that provide easy, short-term gratification are often committed. The number of offenders may remain the same, while crime rates fluctuate due to the amount of opportunity (Siegel 1998). Criminal offenders are people that are predisposed to committing crimes. This does not mean that they have no choice in the matter, it only means that their self-control level is lower than average. When a person has limited self-control, they tend to be more impulsive and shortsighted. This ties back in with crimes that are committed that provide easy, short-term gratification. These people do not necessarily have a tendency to commit crimes, they just do not look at long-term consequences and they tend to be reckless and self-centered (Longshore 1998, pp.

Responsibility in Fred Gipsons Old Yeller Essay -- Fred Gipson Old Ye

Responsibility in Fred Gipson's Old Yeller Responsibility may be defined as "a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct." (www.thefreedictionary.com) Responsibility is shown all through Fred Gipsons novel Old Yeller about a family living in the dangerous wilderness in 1860. The young hard working Travis, his loving mother and the loyal dog Old Yeller all show responsibility. Travis has many responsibilities when his father left for the cattle drive and he must work hard to take care of his family. Papa's chores weren't easy. Marking their hogs was a lot of hard work. Old Yeller and Travis work together to mark all thirty hogs. The job gets dangerous when the two get hurt badly from the mad hogs. In addition to marking the hogs Travis also had to supply food to his family. Killing a deer on the run Travis feels proud and important supplying food to his family. Above all Travis had to keep the varmints out of the corn patch. Again Travis and Old Yeller work together staying up at all hours of the night fighting off the varmints in the corn patch. Travis working hard and his responsibility was not enough for the family. Mama also had to work hard for the family’s survival. Hard work was a big part of the family’s survival but the family also needed loving care supplied by Mama. Mama showed her loving care by keeping her family well fed. When Bud Sanderson comes to claim Old Yeller Mama ma... Responsibility in Fred Gipson's Old Yeller Essay -- Fred Gipson Old Ye Responsibility in Fred Gipson's Old Yeller Responsibility may be defined as "a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct." (www.thefreedictionary.com) Responsibility is shown all through Fred Gipsons novel Old Yeller about a family living in the dangerous wilderness in 1860. The young hard working Travis, his loving mother and the loyal dog Old Yeller all show responsibility. Travis has many responsibilities when his father left for the cattle drive and he must work hard to take care of his family. Papa's chores weren't easy. Marking their hogs was a lot of hard work. Old Yeller and Travis work together to mark all thirty hogs. The job gets dangerous when the two get hurt badly from the mad hogs. In addition to marking the hogs Travis also had to supply food to his family. Killing a deer on the run Travis feels proud and important supplying food to his family. Above all Travis had to keep the varmints out of the corn patch. Again Travis and Old Yeller work together staying up at all hours of the night fighting off the varmints in the corn patch. Travis working hard and his responsibility was not enough for the family. Mama also had to work hard for the family’s survival. Hard work was a big part of the family’s survival but the family also needed loving care supplied by Mama. Mama showed her loving care by keeping her family well fed. When Bud Sanderson comes to claim Old Yeller Mama ma...

Many Teenagers Run Away from Home Essay

Each year, many teenagers run away from home. Why do you think are their chief causes? There are many teenagers who run away from their home. Recently the problem of teenagers running away from home is getting more and more serious. This happens in big cities and small towns, and our country is no exception. Each year, many teenagers run away from their families. But it all depends on the person. The main reasons of teenagers’ running away are in surrounding community. The closest people in the world are our family. But if there are some problems in family, then person, especially teenager, who is formed own current psyche, escape from the hopelessness. Nowadays it is very difficult to live with the society around us. Many people try to find a benefit only for themselves, trying to deceive someone in order to satisfy their needs. They deceive each other without thinking that makes a pain and mental injury. There are several reasons why teenagers run away from home, normally these reasons are related to conditions in the families, bad influence of their friends and financial problem. The first cause of running away is conditions in the family. One of the reasons is because they come from broken homes where their parents are divorced. They do not get enough love and care from their parents. As a result, they will go and find love and care elsewhere. Some parents have the habit of quarrelling in front of their children. The children feel ashamed of their parents and cannot stand this kind of environment. In the end they run away from home. Some parents are too strict with their children. They always punished, scold and lecture their children. They also put too much pressure on their children especially in their studies. Actually they should encourage and guide them more instead of putting unrealistic goals on their lives. Most teenagers do not like to be restricted and treated like children. They want to have their own freedom. They like to be creative and learn things for themselves. To overcome the problem, parents should learn how to care and love their children. They need to be sensitive and careful not to do certain things in front of the children. For example, if they have conflicts among themselves, they need to settle it on their own first instead of arguing or quarrelling in front of their children. In many families children are afraid of talking to their parents and asking them for what they want. For this reason the misunderstandings between them grow bigger and bigger. This often ends in a big quarrel. The second reason that leads to run away teenagers from their home is bad influence of their friends. They find their own way of escape by running away from home. They tend to spend their time with their friends than staying at home. That is the beginning of the problem. If they mix with the wrong group of friends, they will get involve with all kinds of wrong activities. For example, under the influence of bad friends, teenagers who escape from home may fall under alcohol dependence. Teenagers abuse alcohol. They seem to be getting a hold of alcohol at a younger and younger age. Since alcohol is used to celebrate and have fun, teens that abuse alcohol most likely has no idea of the affect alcohol and its abuse can have on their bodies. If they find bad friends that influence of them, they begin to offer drinking and in the end teens used to drink and become an alcoholics. Then finish their life in the street. Also teens may become drug addict, which in turn lead to depression and suicide. The most common reason why teenagers use drug is to relieve stress. Many of them have to suffer stress from family condition. One of the explanations is that drugs users have a poor family life. The majority of drug users have had an unhappy childhood which includes cruel punishment and parental neglect. Many teenagers become a fraudster and a thief when the run away from home. Thus the undergrowths, which are associated with bad friends, began to becoming fraudsters or steal on the street. Eventually they are arrested for petty theft and in the future they have no chance to make something oflife, because they have a criminal past. The last cause of teenagers running away is financial problem. The most teenagers run away from their house for financial problem in the family. Mendicancy is big problem nowadays, especially in our country. A lot of people standing on the street and ask money. Most of them teenagers, I am sure that they have family and house, but anyway the escape from their home. The main reason it is financial problem. They become a thief and begin to stealing bags, wallets, mobile phones and others valuable things. If someone steals so they can survive or to help other people that are in need then in most cases it’s alright. To steal just because they didn’t want to pay for something even though they’re capable then it’s wrong. These people should be punished in order to learn that they were wrong for stealing. But these teenagers who have home and family, who must study, help parents, they should not steal. But others teenagers find not good pay jobs, such as water in cheap cafes, cleaner, job in car washing, janitor and so on. They need the money, but they have not opportunity and choice and they have to work in such jobs as these. They have not education and no one can help them with good job. Every teenager who run away from home, have made a bad decision. They got themselves under the pressures that they felt the need to escape from. Instead of facing their problem and solving it, they chose to run from it. When they have the right decision to change some of the things that may be going on in their lives, the pressure lessens, and there is no more need for them to escape. If they learn to solve their problem and their parents will help them to do so,withoutcursingandimpose theirgoals and solutions,then the escape of teenagers reducedmanytimes. In conclusion, there are so many teenagers who run away from their families. There are many reasons for it, but one solution parents must be more careful, understanding and loving. If parents will pay enough attention to their children, the children answered them reciprocate and they the same as apply to their children in the future. For teenagers is very important parents’ attention, their understanding and advice. Parents should only speak with their child and all this will not happen. I think the main problem of this issue is misunderstood of our parents, because they forget that they also be teenagers, they want fence in all things. But this lead to lies quarrels and finally escapes from home.

Student Version of Decleration of Independence

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for students to break off with their parents and teachers and to become independent; they must explain why they deserve to be independent to the rest of the world. This requires us, as students to write our own Declaration of Independence for the rest of the world to see and comprehend why we should be and will be independent to show our oppression against our teachers. To begin with, it is obvious that all students are created equal and are given by their creator the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of whatever makes them happy.To get these rights, teachers should allow students do as they wish. However, when teachers begin a long train of mistreatment and machination against students with their communistic ways and Pearl Harbor sneak attacks with discipline it shows they only want to control every aspect of our lives. Do we not deserve respect? It is the duty and right of us sapient students to get rid of the control o ur fastidious teachers have over the students and our school.Furthermore, students have been very patient with the teachers and faculty of South Gwinnett High School, but with such a long history of mistreatment, headache and constant nagging from the staff it is only right that the rest of the world finds out what has been happening. It has rained so long, it seems as though it has rained for 40 days and nights. They give us repeated pointless referrals; they give us way too much work with no time to finish. Staff are constantly questioning students in the hallways and telling us what to wear.They tell us when we can or cannot use the restroom; they tell us that we only have six minutes to get to each class, which is not enough time. Our lockers are too small and our lunches are inedible. They refuse to let us go off campus for lunch, and they refuse to let us self-checkout anymore. They punish us if we do not make it to class on time by going to the tardy room, and they punish us for gratuitous reasons that were unfair and not our fault. Even after all of this mistreatment, the students including myself have expressed how we felt to our teachers.However, our complaints have fallen flat. And as usual we have been shunned and ignored. We have even brought our situation to the ears of administrators, teachers from different schools and parents, but we have been muted. A petition to ease the dictatorship of our teachers was refused by many. Some even attempted to post posters illustrating how the students felt. Students even tried going on strike, refusing to go to classes. Meetings to try and sit down with the faculty of South Gwinnett to discuss the matter were ignored as well.The betrayal was stern. Do we not deserve respect? Though, now we must announce that we are accommodating in this debauchery and separating ourselves from the school as a whole to become more independent and liberated. We, therefore the students and representative of South Gwinnett High School in Snellville Georgia present these facts to the rest of the country and the world for freedom. And with this, the students of South Gwinnett write and declare that we are now independent from South Gwinnett High School.