Category: Customer

Customer Service In Logistics: Performance Criteria And Objectives

Customer service defines as taking care of the customer’s requirement by providing or serving and delivering professional, efficiency and high quality service. The service will be provided during and after the customer’s needs are reached. In logistics industry, customer service is the activities, service actions that are provided and acting as added value. The purpose is to bring more value than the core service that customers need and bring the most satisfaction to customers. For businesses or business organizations today offer more services to customers besides their main products. It is also means the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. It takes into account the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this regards, an organization that treasures good customer service may utilize more money in training their staffs than the average organization or may eagerly follow up customers for their valuables feedback. In the organization, customer service, sales and marketing effort lead crucial role to generate revenue and reputation. To gain the customer loyalty, your service should be better than your competitor from the same industry. One good customer service experience can turn the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization. (https://lecvietnam.com)

Customer service is the direct one-on-one interaction between end user who makes the purchase and the representative of the company that is selling it. Most of the retailers understand that this direct interactions is a critical factor in confirming buyer satisfaction and encouraging repeat business. Nowadays, most of the business are serving the customer service by automated self-service systems but it can’t speak as a human being and is seemed as necessary to most businesses. The customer service representatives are the persons who have to deal directly with the prospect buyers of your products. The buyers’ regards of the organizations and the product are shaped in part by their experience in communication with the person. Customer Service can be defined as the attitude, it is everyone’s job and it is not a department. Below are the customers service quotes that every organization should realize. (https://www.investopedia.com)

1. Customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
2. Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.

To develop the long term relationships, cooperation, information sharing and trust in implementing logistics management of firm depend on the customer service activity. Because it is the important interface between supplier and customer, the customer service interface has obvious implications for relationship quality and exchange of information between 2 firms (i.e, Business to Business). The nature of interaction between the supplier and customer are fully depends on the quality of service and relationship between them in logistics management which insights the role of customer service in enhancing customer relationship and customer satisfaction.

The term ‘customer service’ in logistics considerably utilized to mention both marketing and substantial distribution activities which aimed at enhancing the product offering or facilitating the exchange process between supplier and customer. But it has been proved that an institutional client in the logistics has much greater and often different requirements than the end consumer, at the same time appearing in two role of the supplier and the customer, and first and foremost, should take an active part in creating and implementing logistics strategy.

Performance Criteria for Customer Service

Logistics is one of the management of flows products, finance, information among business functions. It performs the important part of the supply chain along with procurement, new product research and development, sales & marketing, operations, finance and customer service. Previously logistics was in the form of a supportive duties to all the functional areas but in nowadays it has been provided a far-reaching strategic role.

The crucial of logistics has significantly improved with advancements in communication and transportation technology. It has an important role to perform even in understanding the aim of regional business integration and development (Tongzon, 2011). It possess a huge impact than just transaction cost and on-time delivery (Kumar, Andersson & Rehme, 2010). During processing time, all the sales and market information strategies are combined with all aspects of logistics strategy with a clear focus on customer service, then logistics distributes to organizational competitive responsiveness. Thus the good coorperative logistics strategy improves customer service effectiveness as well (Kohn, McGinnis, & Kara, 2011).

Most of the organizations attempted to keep fully owned supply chain with the thinking of forward and backward vertical integration. According to some competition, businesses are now forecasting specialized fields to build major competencies in specific areas and strive to gain competitive advantage by delivering better outcomes to customers. Logistics management is is very important that try to possess competitive advantage.

It could be the best resource for the successful organizations because most of the competitors firms are not able to attain it. Even they can compare with other facilities but it is difficult to obtain customer satisfaction. The best practices that the latest logistics management practice is the reduction of stocks, reduce cost of production but better quality, and lead time.

To develop the positive goodwill among customers and in the industry, customer service is crucial. The key factors that should perform are to make your stakeholder satisfy your service, maintain their relationship, timely attention to the matters informed by the customers.

All logistic organizations should have the clear set of goals and objectives. It is necessary to define the logistics industry as a whole. There are several goals and objectives for logistics industry. These are:

• ncreasing Efficiency
• Rapid Response
• Fewer unexpected Events
• Minimum Inventory
• Reduced Transportation and Logistics Cost
• Quality Improvement

Increased Efficiency

The most important and preference for every logistics industry is increasing efficiency for both inbound and outbound logistics and transportation. To make it success, the improvement in cost effective transportation, decrease in overhead, processing expenses for cost per order and inventory. By operating efficiently, standard operations processes, layout and process flow of warehouse operations will be better too. Working together with the suppliers who provide value added services such as packaging or quality inspections will help in efficiency increasing. Logistics management will know their flows and sharing best practices and other opportunities.

Rapid Response

Same as the efficiency, customer satisfaction is important factor to be the successful logistics entity. Fulfilling customer service goals, is considering as a rapid response approach. The advantage of latest technology is that we can control and check the logistics operations through the system. It can manage the storage of the excessive inventories in the thinking of that customers requirement will be more. Nowadays, logistics management are fulfilling customer requirements based on a delivery-to-delivery basis.

Unexpected Events

These can occur in every aspects of logistic operations. Disruption at the time of manufacturing, goods received are damaging at the final place, Takes long time to deliver customers order or doing wrong delivery, all these are the wasting of time and resources used. To control these, the software which are capable of obtaining a positive logistics system control are used. To be the best, everyone should participate to minimize the unforeseen matters.

Minimum Inventory

Inventory management is also very crucial for logistics management. Inventory availability and increase in turnover shows that the stocks are utilized effectively. The aim of reducing inventory movement to the minimum possible levels also makes the customers satisfying and less the total logistics cost.

Reduced Transportation Cost

It is the main cost in logistics. It is directly connected with the mode of product being shipped, the measurement of the shipment, and also the location. Most of the logistics systems that offer premium, high quality service are mostly based on high speed, small shipment transportation. Ability to make small shipments consolidated is very special. If the shipment is huge, and the location is far, cost per unit will be cheaper.

Quality Improvement

Another goals that every logistic organization should achieve is to improve in quality, increasing their services and getting customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management becomes the main issue throughout the business landscape.

All these main goals and objectives should be obtained by every logistics organization. It will benefit both the organization and the customers.

Physical Distribution is the movement of finished goods from the final step of production operation to the end users. It includes wholesaling and retailing distribution channels, and also crucial decision factors such as customer service, inventory control, materials handling, protective packaging, order processing, transportation, warehousing. It is part of the process called distribution, which wholesale and retail marketing are included.

Logistics is harmonizing the movement of goods, services, and concerned information between members of supply chain. The main target of its is physical distribution or marketing logistics, doing the planning, implementing and controlling the physical flow of materials, finished goods and concerned information from points of origin to points of consumption to reach end user requirements with profit. Physical distribution includes the handling and moving of raw materials and finished goods from the production to end user often through the agent. It is the design and administration of systems to control the flow of products. It produces ‘time’ and ‘place’ utility, which highest the value of products by delivering to the right customer at the right time and place.

Physical distribution has 2 dimensions, the process of information from the individual customer or groups of customer to the producer and the process of materials from the production to the end user. The main functions of physical distribution process are

1. Customer Service – It must set the customer satisfaction that should make sure that all the product are delivering to the end users and it maintains the standard.
2. Order Process – It is the most important process for the organization as it need to take orders from various customers and to ensure all the orders are satisfied by customers. It should handle efficiently. By doing this, it can minimize the cost of transportation and logistics.
3. Inventory Control – It is also one of the crucial process in the physical distribution. Inventory carrying costs, depreciation costs are included.
4. Transportation and logistics – It is the process to communicate with the procurement of raw materials supplier and final delivery of the finished products to the customers. Depends on the location and the urgency of the order, different transportation mode will be arranged.
5. Packaging – It could be different based on the product and the level of protection requirement for the products.

(http://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts)

Customer service is significantly important in logistics management of physical distribution operation

In nowadays, a customer experience is very important in global marketing and it can determine a reputation of a business firm. Thus, a customer service plays a vital role in the modern marketing nowadays. Sometimes, customer service looks like a science for selecting a service which is necessary to customer in order to keep and to attain the customer loyalty by providing quality service and efficient communication which will support an image of customer value. Actually, a customer service is one of the components in the modern marketing management which has changed largely from the previous time according to the current market place is basically changed from the past which leads to many challenges. Therefore, the business firm has to compete with its rivals as well as to develop or create a proper satisfaction which will keep a customer loyalty for a long term. Additionally, Ferrell et al. (2015) pointed out that a customer satisfaction is one of the most important factors in a successful business strategy.

There are two things that the people talking about in the present global market; quality of service and a quality product. Therefore, a customer service is becoming a major role of the marketing because of globalization and technology that the major forces for making new challenges in the market as well as creating different opportunities in the market.However, the present economic tendency is facing both opportunity and threats. A customer may share his experience with others in terms of a customer service of a company. A company could attain a good reputation according to its quality of service if a company makes its customers satisfy. Consequently, a happy customer will indicate others for a company’s servicing and it will help to spread the company’s image for making a business in the market. However, it is very difficult to provide or maintain a perfect customer service because it will be according to temporal and spatial factors. Therefore, it is impossible to provide a perfect service to everyone but it can be possible to provide the best service possible.

Kotler and Keller (2016) stated that the physical distribution commences at the factory and it is required to make a consideration on a place of warehouse and transportation that will influence on delivering the products or goods of the company.

For a logistics session, some companies may rely on the third party to facilitate or helping for transportation in order to deliver their products to customer in time and on time. Therefore, a business firm must consider for targeting its customer who prefers to a short response time and it is necessary to locate adjacent to customers (Chopra and Meindl, 2016).Moreover, a business firm needs to think about its rivals’ service standard. A relation with customers is more important than those with employees of a company in terms of logistics.

The business firm has to consider in terms of decision making for the company’s value proportion to its customers and it is also required to develop an operation for warehouse management and transportation management which are important to customer satisfaction. Therefore, a business firm needs to consider collecting raw material, storing, warehousing, delivery which are involved with physically distributing product.

Many companies emphasize on the logistics management by producing the right products to the right places at the right time with minimum costing (Kotler and Keller, 2016). Hence, a customer service in logistics is mainly the activities that relates with servicing that providing besides the business firm’s product. The end user will be fully satisfied if the products were available at the time they require with enough quantity.

Bibliography

1. http://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mbaskool.com: http://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/operations-logistics-supply-chain-terms/15561-physical-distribution.html
2. https://lecvietnam.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://lecvietnam.com: https://lecvietnam.com/en/operations/news/what-is-customer-service-in-logistics-72.html
3. https://www.investopedia.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/customer-service.asp
4. Tongzon, J. (2011). Liberalisation of logistics services: the case of ASEAN. International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, 14(1), 11-34.
5. Kohn, J. W., McGinnis, M. A., & Kara, A. (2011). A structural equation model assessment of logistics strategy. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 22(3), 284–305.
6. Kumar, N., Andersson, D., & Rehme, J. (2010). Logistics of low cost country sourcing. International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, 13(2), 143-160.
7. De Wit (2017) argued that logistics should be focused on reducing shipping distances, streamline handling and improve vehicle route.

The Peculiarities Of Customer Service Management For The Work Coach

CUSTOMERS

In your role as a work coach you will deal with customers on a daily basis the definition of a customer for the purpose of the work coach role can be defined as a person or organization who requires our service.

You will deal with two types of customer internal and external, below are two examples but these are not the only customers you may come across on a regular basis.

Internal Customers

In your role as work coach on universal credit you will laisse with the Universal Credit (UC) Service Centre and they are one internal customer. The level of service they expect from you is to support the delivery of services to external customers enhancing and assistant their customer service role. You can do this by making the best of our digital channels to maintain contact with them over any customer issues that may arise that they require your support with enabling a joint approach to managing claimants and their accounts, supporting our external customers to the highest standard possible. Ensuring queries are answered; payments are made on time and ensuring a seamless and hassle free journey for the customers we share. In order to maintain this symbiotic relationship, it is important that both parties agree to act in a professional manner, treating each other with respect and fairness. In addition to this we need to recognize the differences, values and skills individuals and teams bring to the relationship. If services are not being delivered to the agreed standards and attempts to resolve the failings are unsuccessful issues need to be escalated through appropriate channels. This will then ensure that we fulfill our organizational team and individual objectives. Namely the reduction of poverty and worklessness, whilst promoting growth and opportunities for all.

External Customers

The main external customer/s work coaches have, consist of Universal Credit claimants. These consist of a diverse group of individuals with their own specific needs and circumstances. We currently deal with Universal Credit claimants that are self-employed, have health issues, lone parents and those actively seeking employment for example. Each client and client group expects you to behave in line with the department’s customer charter. So each individual with their own circumstances is treated with empathy, respect and fairness. Work coaches should use their communication and listening skills to ascertain the customer’s circumstances and explain what is expected of them to maintain their payment of universal credit. You should ensure they understand these commitments and the consequences of not abiding by them. In return they can expect you to provide them with the support they need to successfully move closer to, into work and increase their earnings. They can also expect you to explain things should they go wrong and help them correct their behaviors to ensure the issues don’t arise again. They can expect you to use my knowledge and experience to guide them. They will also expect you to ensure thier personal information is kept confidential and secure.

As a work coach you will be expected to support your caseload move closer and into work. You will do this by employing a variety of techniques and below we are going to explore the advantages and disadvantages of some of the techniques you will use.

Information, advice and guidance

This will be something you will employ regularly as a work coach and will probably be the mainstay of your work. One advantage to this method is that we can use it to support a wide range of customers. We deploy this to assist them make decisions based on their individual circumstances and needs. Providing the correct information, advice and guidance allows them to make an informed decision based on their individual circumstances and needs. Another advantage to this is the customer will ultimately feel they have made the decision and thus be more committed to the outcome leading to a greater chance of success. The main drawback to this method is the need to ensure the information advice and guidance offered is unbiased and factually correct so we need to ensure as work coaches our knowledge base is constantly kept up to date. Providing inaccurate information could lead to misdirection and the customer being given a poor service. The information is also open to misinterpretation by the service user and individuals can interpret advice and guidance in different ways which can lead to misunderstanding and undermine trust. So when dealing with service users we must ensure there understanding of the information, advice or guidance is interpreted in the way it was intended by questioning their understanding of what has been given.

Technical Information

Definition of technical information associated with operation, use, process, or system. In relation the work coach role this would be not only IT skills but the knowledge we have around training providers, Processes and support mechanisms.

Having technical information will allow you to carry out your work coach role within the department which in turn will help the department deliver on its customer service goals. We can use our technologies and technical information to ensure we operate our systems correctly this is allow you to ensure vital tasks are completed correctly and on time, payments being issued for example or assist customers with queries and even locate the relevant information you wish to share. This ensures customer service and relations are maintained. Another advantage to this is that using technical information can show a customer you are confident it what you are discussing with them and can inspire confidence in your abilities within the customer helping to established trust. There are downsides to consider as well, for example if you are confident in your technical knowledge you may not explain it to the customer correctly using terminology they don’t understand. As a universal credit coach you will be expected to communicate to customers via IT systems and be able to show and explain to them how it is operated, you need to take care not to pitch you vocabulary at the correct level and check understanding. Another disadvantage to this is differing levels of knowledge with the work coach team itself this can lead to information not being consistent leads to confusion if a customer has dealt with more than one work coach especially when dealing with the most venerable of society.

Signposting

Signposting means directing an enquirer to other more suitably qualified legal representatives where the registered organization cannot provide the service required, or lacks the capacity to do so.

For example as a work coach you will not have the skills to instruct someone to drive a fork lift truck and as an organization the DWP also can not perform this task, however the DWP work in partnership with training organizations who can so you are able to give the customer information on where they can fulfill this need. This is signposting and it allows us to fulfill those needs that we are not equipped or qualified to do allowing. Another advantage to signposting is that it allows the customer to gain information independently of the work coach for example you might signpost the customer to the citizens advice beaux for further advice on what benefits they may be able to claim. As a Work coach you will undoubtedly know this information and may well have communicated this to the customer but signposting them to get independent advice can simply boost their confidence in the information you have given them. You can also use signposting to empower the customer giving them basic information like a website to look at to gain the answers for themselves can increase there confidence levels. Disadvantages of signposting include a lack of control over the information given or time scales, if the fork lift course is popular for example it mat take a while to get the customer started on it, this can cause issues as a work coach as customers may become resistant or apathetic to other activities such as job search stating things such as “I cant get a job till I get that fork lift license… so theirs no point looking”. Creating a new barrier to progress rather than resolving an existing one.

How organisational change can affect delivery of customer service

The department of Work and Pensions is a constantly evolving and changing government body the biggest change in recent times is the introduction of Universal Credit that is currently taking place throughout the country. This is a massive undertaking not only for our customers but for you as a work coach as well. Universal Credit promotes personal responsibility on behalf of the customer something that in the past the benefit system hindered. It places the responsibility for actively seeking employment, increasing earnings and maintaining their information firmly at the customer’s door. It is the work coach’s role to ensure that we continue to support our customers in this especially those who need it most. The underlying ethos to Universal Credit is doing what’s best for the customer, so as a work coach quality service should be at the forefront of everything you do.

To support this change the department put it to place a new Work Coach Delivery Model to help the transition between what have become known as “legacy” or “historical” benefits to Universal credit. It introduced a mixed case load approach as part of its development meaning that work coaches would be working with a larger customer base often with more complex needs than they traditionally would have managed and removing the need for specialist advisers. This means that a customer can remain with the same work coach irrespective of how there life may change. This helps maintain rapport and confidence, removes the need for the claimant to repeat information that may be distressing and improves the continuity of the support the work coach can offer and ultimately the service the department provides. However as we move away from the specialist work coach role we must be mindful to ensure that we maintain our own skills and knowledge to enable us to maintain and improve customer service.

Maintaining customer service during transformation is imperative. We can not risk losing customer satisfaction, reputation and confidence during the change period. Therefor the change needs to be well planned to minimize its impact on staff and customers reducing the resistance from all parties involved. If the transformation is not handled well it can have wide ranging implications. It can impact on staffs health and wellbeing, a breakdown in trust with management and decrees in moral, which will inevitably lead to reduced job satisfaction and a down turn in productivity that will impact on customer service. If staff are not properly equipped and trained to deal with the new working environment this will also impact on there ability to fulfill there new role and again have a negative impact on the services offered to customers. Employees being ill equipped to carry out there role will again negatively impact on staffs wellbeing and moral and in a customer facing environment these issues will be apparent to the customer no matter how professionally the staff present themselves. It is imperative that any change is managed positively to reduce these factors.

The change will also have a direct impact on our customers themselves and it is vital that we present it to them in a positive manor encouraging them to erase the change and minimize any fears they face by ensuring that any information ion is factually correct and supporting them through your work coach role to ensure they have confidence in there own ability to manage there information and educating them on how the changes will affect them and the service they receive. The work coach role is vital in ensuring the success of any change especially one as fundamental as Universal Credit.

If the change is managed correctly via good communication, consultation and meeting any development needs. Then the organizational goals will be met whilst maintain customer service levels within expectable parameters. However it is important to note that with a change as large and wide reaching as the change to Universal Credit is even the best plan will have some negativity attached to it and will probably have some detrimental impact on customer service as you go through the learning curve. The aim should then be to return to excellence as soon as possible using the information gathered through lessons learned so the same mistakes are not repeated time and time again and become embedded in new processes so deep that they will be difficult to overcome.

The Customer Service Champion

Customer service is the department’s ability to meet the needs of its complex customer base whilst delivering on its operational aims and objectives. By demonstrating outstanding customer service it allows us to form relationships with our customers and building trust. Outstanding customer service increases customer satisfaction and reduces compliant handling. It increases staff moral and thus increases productivity which in turn leads to a leaner organization with reduced waste and costs. This in turn should impact on customer satisfaction and the cycle continues.

To embed a customer service culture within the work coach role communication is essential. This communication between management and staff and staff and customers needs to be easily understandable, factual accurate and above all easily accessible. It is important that you are well trained and knowledgeable in the process and good practices promoted by the department. You will need to remain customer focused and remember the importance of customer service in every interaction and task you do. Ensuring you incorporate the values of the organization in everything you do ensuring you remain professional and efficient.

In order to ensure we maintain customer service levels going forward we need to engage with our customers at every opportunity taking on board feedback and evaluating the service we offer ensuring we continually make improvements where needed.. You will also receive feedback from managers, team leaders and colleagues that will help you improve your own skills. You should also ensure you support any ad hoc customer surveys that aid in the gathering of this information.

In order to support your colleagues with customer services and to promote customer service practices. Accomplishments should be shared. You should also reward good practices recognized in yourself or others via a simple “well done” or one of the departments reward and recognition schemes. This encourages good customer service in others by highlighting examples.

You will always do your best to resolve any issues but there will be times where the resolution is beyond your abilities or accountabilities, so you need to be knowledgeable of the customer complaints and compliments procedures for those issues you are unable to resolve and be able to communicate these to customers.

REFERENCES

1. How to manage change- ACAS https://www.acas.org.uk/media/2673/Advisory-booklet—How-to-manage-change/pdf/Acas-How-to-manage-change-advisory-booklet.pdf
2. Rewrad and recognition https://intranet.dwp.gov.uk/page/dwp-award-and-recognition
3. Good news stories https://intranet.dwp.gov.uk/section/organisation/work-and-health-services-group/uc-one-service-central-england-and-wales/north-and-east-midlands-group-homepage/good-news-stories
4. Five golden rules to complaint resolution https://intranet.dwp.gov.uk/page/five-golden-rules-complaint-resolution
5. Small changes big difference https://intranet.dwp.gov.uk/page/small-changes-big-difference
6. Customer Charter https://intranet.dwp.gov.uk/page/our-customer-charter-0

The Ways To Create Effective Customer Service Team

In order to create a customer service team from scratch, I would start with a plan containing what I am setting out to achieve, what resources I require to create the team and going forward how I will maintain resources and manage the performance of my team.

My resource plan would include the physical resources I would need such as:

• Human Resource – Based on what roles are involved.
• Environment – Costs involved in property/office space, lighting.
• Equipment – IT hardware and software (PC/printer/fax/photocopier/phones), office furniture, office stationary.
• Training of workforce – Additional/Temporary staff, Initial outset costs, time involved.

I would need to consider how much of each resource I need based on supporting the estimated customers expected. This will determine the labour resource required, how many full time and part time staff I need to complete the task factoring in the skill level of the employees, the number of desks/PC’s and how big the office space needs to be to accommodate the team and customers.

I would also need to consider the costs per item and per day and the timescales of completing tasks to work out expected productivity.

To make the business sustainable I will need to factor in the needs of the customer base in order to meet them for example, how accessible the office is to the public and whether there is a lift to accommodate all customers. These considerations not only apply to customer but also to the workforce in line with adhering to the Equality Act 2010.

3 ways in which the resources will be managed

In order for employees to deliver a good level of customer service, the resources laid out in the initial planning of the team must be sufficient and well planned. This involves the forecasting of customer demand being well calculated to ensure staffing is at the optimum level to deal with the workload, not having the correct staffing levels will lead to an ineffective and un-motivated team, and therefore it is to be reviewed on a regular basis so that changes can be made where needed. This is to be managed by a Human Resources department or line manager of the team, IT systems could also be used to manage the amounts of resources used.

Managing time effectively is the responsibility of all employees; this requires organisational skills and planning. The team working together to schedule work in a systematic way will result in a more efficient way of working, this in turn increases productivity providing time to deal with more customers on a daily basis. Inadequate time management will lead to resources being under-utilised or over-exhausted. To reduce time losses to the team, each individual’s productivity will be reviewed and where needed, training will be provided to better manage time on a daily/weekly basis.

IT systems need to be kept up to date as they are an invaluable resource for customer service based teams therefore I would have a virtual IT team available that can attend the office as and when required and incorporate online fixes as early as possible to minimize the impact on service delivery to our customers. So that the business can still operate in the instance of loss of IT, I would also include clerical/contingency processes that can be used in place of IT systems when they unavailable such as forms, letters, templates etc.

One way to reduce IT issues could be to have timeframe standards for how long information will be stored for depending on the type of information the documents contain, i.e. customer data will only be held for 12 months, if it has not been accessed within the last 12 months, it will auto delete after this period has past. This would ensure the company do not hold unnecessary information for prolonged periods whilst complying with the General Data Protection Regulations.

Why performance management is important

The importance of performance management is to gain the most productivity, whilst maintaining a happy workforce to achieve the best outcome for our customers, in line with the organizations goals and targets in the most effective and efficient way.

This can be applied through setting targets, these need to be:

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
• Achievable (agreed, attainable).
• Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
• Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).

As part of employee’s job descriptions it will state the company’s objectives and stipulate that as part of their contract they will achieve specific measures. By setting goals this provides standards and measures for employees to perform to meaning that if an employee is not achieving the agreed targets, a plan will be put in place to help improve the employee’s performance to reach the required standards.

When poor performance is identified, I would tackle this by inputting a support plan at the earliest opportunity based on the individual and their needs. This may involve reviewing performance more frequently, checking for gaps in knowledge, training/coaching, observations and confidence building.

In order to identify whether employees are meeting their targets, observations via a manger and systems that record and track performance are used. Benchmarking to compare team members against each other and your team against similar teams can also highlight areas of concern to be addressed. At regular intervals I would set up performance reviews to ensure the employees are on track whilst discussing their well-being and offering any support to improve performance where needed.

The higher performing the team is, the higher the customer satisfaction ratings. I would monitor the team’s ratings to check for dips in service delivery and attain reasons for this to resolve any issues. This can be measured by completion of customer surveys on a frequent basis which also identifies feedback on any areas of improvement and if there is anything the customer would like to suggest to improve the service they receive. The data obtained from these surveys is recorded to provide employees with qualitative and quantitative feedback to provide motivation to deliver excellent service.

Bibliography:

1. Website: Gov.uk, Equality Act 2010, Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance
2. Website: Tenstep.com, Steps to create a resource plan, Available at: https://tenstep.com/use-these-three-steps-to-create-a-resource-plan/
3. Website: Flevy.com, Ways to manage resources more efficiently, Available at:Nhttp://flevy.com/blog/4-effective-ways-to-manage-resources-more-efficiently/
4. Website: Gov.uk, General Data Protection Regulations, Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation
5. Website: mindtools.com, SMART meanings, Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm

Customer Service Management In Hospitality And Tourism In Hilton Hotel Singapore

Introduction

Hilton hotel Singapore providing high quality services to the customer. It is a 5 star hotel in Singapore. It is situated at 581 Orchard Rd, Singapore. There are so many accessibilities like public entrance, guest room, elevators, and public rest room. Set in a concrete-and-glass constructing within the Little India district, this polished motel surrounded by using stores and eating places is a four-minute stroll from the nearest subway station, and 4 km from The Esplanade – Theaters at the Bay waterfront appearing arts complicated. Warm rooms come with loose Wi-Fi, flat-display TVs and mini fridges, plus tea and coffee making facilities. Some have bay windows and/or metropolis views; upgraded rooms characteristic balconies and/or sofa-beds. Room carrier is to be had. Amenities include an airy grill-fashion restaurant, an out of doors pool and a gymnasium. There’s additionally a 24-hour comfort store, as well as coin-operated laundry centers. There are so many things around the hotel like Broadway hotel, TEKKA center, little India metro station and taxi stand for approaching the airport.

Customer service operation in hospitality and tourism

Customer carrier is the manner of making sure purchaser pride with a services or products. Often, customer service takes place even as acting a transaction for the client, such as creating a sale or returning an item. Customer service can take the shape of in-person interplay, a cell phone name, self-service structures, or by way of other approach.

Anticipating customer needs is an important part of hospitality business. Anticipating needs helps hospitality industry to grow personal and professionally. Customer needs explaining customer behavior. Customer preferences are expectations like, dislike, motivation.

Service requirements are important for clients, potential clients, personnel and management of a business. They assist to define what a patron can expect and to remind control and personnel of the undertaking and duties that they face

Competent and trained staff- Worker idea is noticeably crucial for every corporation due to the blessings that it conveys to the corporation. At the factor while representatives are persuaded to work, they will for the maximum part positioned their pleasant exertion within the undertakings which might be allocated to them.

Empowerment-When workers are engaged, they need to acknowledge duty. They can never again assert, ‘That is not my activity’. At the point when representatives are not enabled, clients must work their way up the hierarchy of leadership so as to get their issues settled.

Facilities- Association need to give best quality services and facilities in light of the fact that if facilities are bad then it might cause customer disappointment; nature of items might be bad. In this way, association needs to give better offices to customer.

Every organization should have a basic expectation for employees to provide good customer service. This is important because taking care of all customer groups is to business success. Investing the time to create service standards

Methods of collecting feedback

• Through websites: Through social media an organization can collect feedback about products and services. Social Medias are like trip advisor, organization’s website etc.
• Comment boxes: organization collects feedback forms from comment boxes. Guests fill up feedback forms about the products and service and drop in comment box. Organization utilizes customer feedback forms to enhance your current items and administrations.

How to improve?

Staff should be so much possessive with the customer’s needs and happiness. The bell boy should stand on the gate to receive the customer’s luggage and receptionist also asking about the customer’s needs and comfortable things from the customer’s before approaching or give the room if the customer book a room at online there should be also give options for related to the rooms and hotel’s locations.

The resolution of customer’s queries and complaints in hospitality and tourism

After the dust has settled, allow your purchaser understand that they’re in your thoughts. Even if there is no real want to follow up, send a handwritten word or personalized email asking them how matters are going. You may additionally even want to send them a special discount if you have been partly at fault.

Possible actions to prevent problems

To prevent issues the business ought to make customer fully satisfied like fulfilling changing or new desires, pleasurable vital desires, perceived value and so on.

Improve customer service- Provide nice service is important to deliver exceptional revel in for every purchaser because customer service is the only of most critical property of corporation. So, it’s far important to admire aid and deliver first-class service.

Improve communication- To prevent primary troubles the companies ought to improve communiqué abilities. Like 24*7 phone service or truly offer email or message facility. Now day’s commercial enterprise use CRAM software that permit employees to make notes of troubles of man or woman clients which helps to enhance enterprise.

Proper Training of staffs- Having well trained staff may benefits your business in many ways. Staff training is very important to avoid problems. Staffs should be properly trained to provide best services; they should know how to handle customers’ problems etc.

Reasons for customer complaints

• Poor customer service- Main reason for customer complaints is poor quality customer service to customers. Whenever customer’s needs and wants are not fulfilled complaints arise.
• Slow delivery- Another important reason of customer complaints is slow delivery of services. So, Hilton hotel needs to do more on service delivery and deliver the products or services more quickly.
• Lack of communication- Lack of communication may lead to major problems and a big reason for complaint against company.
• Not fulfilling promises- Another major reason for complaint in Hilton hotel is not fulfilling promises towards customer like check-in time or regarding services etc.

Based on the above case study (1.5) there are many reasons about these complaints like not keeping promises, poor customer services, rude staff, low quality products and services etc. Customer complaints describe an issue, regardless of whether that is an issue with your item, workers or interior procedures, and by hearing these issues specifically from your customers, you can research and improve to prevent further complaints in future.

A customer complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction towards company. Customer provides feedback to company, customer complaints are usually informal complaints directly addressed to company or public service provider.

Handling customer complaints

Complaint handling is most important for any company. Resolving complaints efficiently creates good opportunities for your company. Resolving complaints may increase confidence in your services and improve quality of product and services through feedback and prevent smaller issues from developing into major issues.

Listen and understand customer- Staff has the ability or passion to listen customer first and understand the customer problem. Staff should take time and truly understand the problem.

Solution of complaints- After listening problem, always focus that what solution you can provide. Staff should provide a solution quickly and efficiently.

While dealing with customer complaint try to be claim even if customer is angry and never argue with customer. Try to solve customer complaint as soon as possible, for dealing with complaint staff have to follow process like listen carefully, apologize, ask customer what you accept, and at last provide solution.

In hospitality industry it is very important to maintain records like (issues, problems, incidents) which can directly or indirectly help business. Maintaining records may monitor the progress of business; records give information about problems and issues which a company has to solve. Records are also helpful in identifying sources of income and what improvements are needed.

The effectiveness of customer service in hospitality and tourism

Providing satisfactory and splendid provider could be very vital in each business however in hospitality enterprise it’s far first precedence to offer brilliant service and satisfy client desires because hospitality industry ought to offer what they promised and meet consumer’s expectation.

An evaluation plan in accordance with organizational requirement

An evaluation plan critically examines the progress of your organization. It collects and analyzes information about organizational requirement. A well planned and carefully executed evaluation plan will benefit an organization in various ways. Evaluation plan can helpful to identify areas require for improvement and help you to realize your goals or aims efficiently.

Monitoring can be done by two keys.

• Customers feedback by means of manner of client questionnaires, comment playing cards, client forums, word of mouth
• Staff feedback by the way of mystery customer, complaints/compliment letters, external comment.

Evaluation can be done by various ways:-

• Employee Turnover?

  In human useful resource terms, worker turnover is a dimension of the way lengthy your employees live together with your company and the way often you need to update them. Any time an employee leaves your organization, for any motive, they’re referred to as a turnover or separation.

• Awards?

  The company gives the awards like a respect to the best manger, executive officer and to the other staff.

• New customers?

  We believe that the statistics we have provided on our internet site will come up with an amazing summary of our operations and extensive perception on our management system and the well-known resort in Singapore.

• Level of complaints/compliments?

  ‘Complainants’ are described as clients who’ve had a recent trouble, and feature advised a member of personnel approximately it. They have now not necessarily lodged a proper grievance, and their issue might also or won’t be captured in an enterprise’s court cases monitoring machine.

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Staff feedback:-if the hotel gives discount to all customers (it’s some cheaper for them) and make not so much profit.

Guest/client feedback:-this type of offer for some short periods and limited also and so many customers cannot take advantages of this type of offer.

Information analysis using agreed techniques

Impact analysis- This is a simple technique that is used to assess the impact on specific environmental changes in an organization or its competitors. Simply impact analysis means contingency plan or backup plan for an organization.

PESTEL analysis- This technique uses to search information on political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal aspects. This technique assesses impact they make on the tourism and hospitality industry.

SWOT analysis- SWOT is a technique to find out particular strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of any particular company.

An off growth strategy matrix- This strategy provide four strategic options to an organization like focused on high selling of product, related to people whom to sell, product development and diversification (getting into new business)

The use of quality system in the tourism and hospitality industry

Using quality system or quality service in tourism or hospitality industry is very important because customer satisfaction is first aim of this industry. Quality is the delivery of service that meets the standard which is set by hotel. Guest requires quality service and reward with loyalty.

Normally quality means fully meeting customer needs and requirement all the time. Quality is an experience of customer. Service quality perception comes from your service process design and the customer contact impressions.

Quality attributes can be implemented on those organizations which have adequate resources and have an effective quality team which maintain quality and training department. Quality attributes are many like availability, performance, reliability, security, conceptual integrity. Quality attributes are realized non-functional requirements used to evaluate the performance of a hotel.

Quality measures

1. Total quality management (TQM) – Total Quality Management is an organizational management strategy which aspires to improve the quality of products or services
2. European foundation of quality management (EFQM) – A measure for benchmarking, self-assessment and improvement. EFQM promotes the following things like setting a target, providing consistent leadership, provide opportunities and development.
3. ISO 9001 – ISO 9001 covers the process relating to production and service. The international organization for standardization (ISO) has defined a series of standards for hotels, which all hotels have to follow like improve quality, rules in quality management, reduce wastage and defects.

The components of an effective quality system

Quality management system is a collection of plan, policies, procedures for the production or development of product or services. These set of rules or policies is implemented in organization to satisfy the needs of its customers.

How to identify problems, defects and shortfalls against quality standards

These are some reasons for defects and problems against quality standards like standards being managed by wrong people, not properly understanding need of quality standards, shortfalls in designing overall system.

Some points show how effectively quality standards should be used to overcome these defects or problems

Strategic quality planning- Strategic quality planning includes aim, goals, vision and values for Hilton hotel. Effective strategic quality planning efforts employees take into consideration for development of goal, aim or values of hotel.

Quality improvement culture- Hilton hotel always ready to improve their quality standards because quality management system is a continuous process and this require continuous improvement in policies , plan implemented by management of hotel.

Focus on customer requirement- It is essential to measure customer requirement because today customer require perfect quality of service and product without any defect. So hotel has to focus on customer requirements for long term survives.

How quality standards can be used to make improvements

Some benefits for Hilton hotel using quality standards

Increase level of profit- Setting quality standards may increase the profit and it main benefit that Hilton hotel require. Hilton hotel use quality standards effectively, so they get higher level of efficiency and productivity which automatically increase level profit.

Develop morale of employees- Using quality standard which define responsibilities of each employee and anything which make employees carrier progression, which make them happier and more confident at work. This automatically increases morale of employees working in Hilton hotel.

Make better decision- Having proper quality standards, procedures or structure which helps management to make better decision for hotel. Having the ability to make quality decision will help a firm to grow and make continuous improvement.

Improve customer satisfaction- Using quality management system will definitely improve the customer satisfaction and quality standard also help in maintaining good relation with customer and Hilton hotel. Hilton hotel depends on customers and therefore this hotel understands customer’s future or current needs.

Increase in production- Proper evaluation of quality standards help Hilton hotel to improve production level. A better quality standard process helps in performance consistency. Increase in production help hotel to achieve goals which they set.

CONCLUSION

Customer service has to be managed properly. Customer service in tourism and hospitality industry is very important because they are totally dependent on their customers. Proper customer service is important to satisfy their customers. Customer Satisfaction is of utmost importance in hospitality and tourism industry. Customer is the person behind whom this whole industry is running. Every hotel and restaurant wants its customers to be fully satisfied, so that they can make an impact on the customer. Every hotel and restaurant has to establish a standard of their customer services and which should be regularly improved. The hospitality industry has to anticipate the needs and wants of their customers, so that they can be fulfilled without the customer asking for fulfillment of these services. Hotel and restaurant should regularly be in touch with their customers while they are on their visit to the place. The hotel and restaurant should manage data with regard to customers’ feedback. This will help in improving the customer services. Hilton hotel is famous for its customer service, which makes it different

Customer Service Team Management

There are various resources needed in an office environment to keep the customer service running in the department for work and pensions. The types of resources are, work volumes, staff members, training opportunities, working patterns, opening hours, I.t software and hardware, skillsets, premises, photocopiers, printers, telephones, legislative requirements (e.g. health and safety, Equality and Diversity).

Staff work forces are important to delivering the customer service and running operations. Within the work force there are different leads that specialize in their own field such as, NEA, work coach and front of house. For instance when customers attend JCP they are sought by the front of house team who then direct them to the correct staff who can deal with their benefit query.

The DWP provide training opportunities to up skills staff in order to maintain the highest level of customer service across the department. For instance when a JSA advisor migrates onto UC they will undertake 3 weeks training in order to up skill themselves on how to navigate the UC system so that they can deliver the service necessary.

Office equipment such as IT software and hardware, premises, photocopiers, printers, telephones etc has made it easier to carry out and automate regular yet important tasks that were previously timing consuming. This will reduce the work burden on work coaches and will help maintain operational delivery and prevent staff from tiring out. The use of IT equipment reduces work coaches’ workload. Certain tasks such as booking a gateway intervention appointment for self employed claimants can find their notification letter automatically attached in their journal. This lessens the need for work coaches to carry out repetitive manual tasks which allows them to focus more on important part of their role. In addition, this will lessen errors in the workplace, and improve the quality of the work from staff.

Legislative requirements such as health and safety, Equality and Diversity are highly important and necessary within a workforce to ensure efficient and positive operations. This gives staff members’ sense of security where their rights are being protected. Since DWP is a diverse and welcoming department, the staff equality rights promote well being of the workforce for them to carry out their role to the best of their ability.

How this information can be used to produce a resource plan

Staff work force is highly important to have an efficient operational delivery. There are various employees who work on different roles to deliver the range of service which caters to the specific need the claimant has. For example, a customer attending the JCP may need support with updating their CV whereby then the front of house team would direct the claimant to an NEA adviser. The claimant can then go back to his work coach who now can support him on being referred to a live vacancy. Both the work coach and the NEA adviser work back to back in order to delivery customer service to the highest level. This information is necessary to make a resource plan before carrying out any operational delivery.

It is important to lay out the training staff will need before carrying out any customer service operations. This is because there are constant and ongoing changes in policy and guidance. For example the migration from Job seekers allowance to universal credit full service. In addition it is necessary to have adequate staff members before sending out any colleagues to training cover their work whilst away.

Technology is transforming how the claimants who rely on DWP services expect to interact with their work coaches. The department published their digital strategy which highlights how the DWP will provide the high quality digital services that people prefer to use. It is important to have the IT services laid out in the resource plan prior to having any operational delivery being taken place. The employees will know the services they have available to carry out their role as wells the customers knowing what services are available to them when finding work.

It is important to highlight the opening hours in the resource plan and to balance out the working pattern across the office to ensure efficient operations. This is because the department does not need every in at 7am when they are no customers. Since work coaches are contracted to work 37.5 hours per week.

How to manage the resources in order to improve customer service going forward

Digital statistics is an important resource that needs to be monitored regularly to improve employee performance and ensure customers are paid within a timely manner. In the job Centre plus, the high priority is ensuring customers are paid on time. Monitoring the payment accuracy and blockers are vital to making sure quick payments are issued to customers.

In the DWP, customer feedback is information provided by claimants about whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with a product or service and about general experience they had with the department. Their opinion is a resource for improving customer experience and adjusting employee actions to their needs. The following reasons show why customer feedback is important in the DWP:

• Helps with improving products and services
• Helps with measuring customer satisfaction
• Shows you value their opinions
• Helps to create the best customer experience
• Gives data that helps taking department decisions

In order for DWP to provide the highest level of service, they must put claimants at the centre of their operations and treat customer feedback as the most valuable source of information in the department. It is the customers who the services, therefore they are most aware of what could be improved to make them more satisfied. If DWP fail to ignore their feedback, it may incur customer complaint thus leading to bad press.

“A customer complaint highlights a problem, whether that’s a problem with your product, employees or internal processes, and by hearing these problems directly from your customers, you can investigate and improve to prevent further complaints in the future.”

It is vital for DWP to manage customer complaints. It highlights the customer perception and the attitudes of work coaches. Paying attention to complaints can improve customer satisfaction.

Many claimants with a complaint won’t report it to the department and instead will inform other people(i.e other customers, and the press). Those who do make a complaint are highly valuable to the department as they give information the DWP need to improve customer service. It is important for the department to review, revise and reinforce customer complaints management policy to make sure every upset customer becomes satisfied.

Analyse how important Performance management is In relation to improving Customer Service Delivery

Performance management is an ongoing process of communication between a manager and a work coach that occurs every month, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization. The communication process includes clarifying expectations, setting objectives, identifying goals, providing feedback, and reviewing results.

To initiate the planning process, management and a work coach review overall expectations, which includes development of performance objectives. In the meeting, work coach development goals are also updated. Management then develops a performance plan that directs the work coach efforts toward achieving specific results to support department and employee success.

Goals and objectives are discussed throughout the year, during 1-2-1 meetings on a monthly basis. This provides a framework to ensure work coaches achieve results through coaching and mutual feedback.

At the end of the performance period, management review the work coach’s performance against expected objectives, as well as the means used and behaviors demonstrated in achieving those objectives. Both management and work coach establish new objectives for the next performance year.

In order to get the best performance from work coaches, they need to know what is expected of them. One could be that the management shows the work coach the job description that highlights the main functions, skills, and responsibilities of the role.

To perform well, employees need to know what is expected of them. The starting point is an up-to-date job description that describes the essential functions, tasks, and responsibilities of the job. It also outlines the general areas of knowledge and skills required of the work coach to be successful in the job.

Having a constructive performance management in place feeds in to improving customer service overall. This comes as a result of more skilled workforce, satisfied work coaches, more productive work coaches leading to more engagement, focused and creative employee engagement and promoting positive customer service.

The consequence of not having a performance management in place could affect the communication between management and work coaches, averse from helping work coaches attain performance objectives and meeting standards, it may also have an impact on work coach motivation and commitments.

Correlation Of Service Quality Performance With Customer Loyalty

Research, regardless of whether be subjective or quantitative, or even mixed technique, incorporates new philosophical methodologies and inventive structures and strategies that empower progressively significant, fundamentally drew in, for all intents and purposes applicable, and reflexive bits of knowledge into the issues and perceptions in the hospitality industry. Hospitality researchers have customarily depended on subjective and quantitative research strategies to ‘clarify’ this unpredictable and multidimensional industry. Factual centrality is generally the sole model used to choose the criticalness of results, in any occasion, when the results are either obvious or immaterial.

Qualitative methodologies are valuable for creating rich contextualized understandings (Ben-David & Nel, 2013; Hong & Garbarino, 2012). Interestingly, quantitative methodologies are valuable for numerically outlining conditions of settled units of analysis (Demanet & Van Houtte, 2016). Qualitative researchers try to hear the voice and consider the to be of people as a way to all the more likely see how individuals participate specifically settings. Though, quantitative analysts have created strategies to numerically display the idea of progressively subordinate information structures (Diez Roux, 2022; Goldstein, 2003).

Purpose

This review has the aim to systematically analyse studies published in these two hospitality articles chosen in terms of correlation of customer loyalty and satisfaction with employee service and performance which are Article 1.Interrelationships between Physical Environment Quality, Personal Interaction Quality, Satisfaction & Behavioural Intentions in Relation to Customer Loyalty: The Case of Kinmen’s Bed & Breakfast Industry (Chien Min Chen, Sheu Hua Chen and Hong Tau Lee, 2013). This abstract research develops a perception of dubious, complex, and multidimensional approach, and portrays events and genuine components found in their common; And Article 2.Building Customer Loyalty in Intercultural Service Encounters: The Role of Service Employees’ Cultural Intelligence (Nicholas G. Paparoidamis, Huong Thi Thanh Tran, and Constantinos N. Leonidou, 2019). This quantitative research consolidates speculation testing, measurable depiction and the determination of associations between factors. Expressive and inferential bits of knowledge at need levels of significance are utilized to test fated hypotheses and to develop connections.

SIGNIFICANCE

Research on these subjects is one-sided towards quantitative procedures to the cost of subjective and mix strategy methodologies. Specialists have analysed different determinants of consumer loyalty with employee performance such as behavioural aims, perceived service quality, emotions, physical condition quality, individual interaction quality, and social intelligence. The positive consequences of satisfaction on loyalty, behavioural intentions and cultural intelligence are well established. Specialists include conceptualized multilevel concentrates within both qualitative and quantitative research in these articles.

FOCUS

In (Paparoidamis et al. 2019), In spite of the enormous financial advantages, the increasing diversity in Intercultural Service Encounters (ICSEs) presents a test for the two people and associations in creating multicultural adaptiveness to empower affirmation, openness, and resistance in intercultural correspondences (Demangeot, Broderick, and Craig 2015). It is anything but difficult to envision how in universal service settings (e.g., hotels, restaurants, transportation), service employees’ failure to work viably because of different intercultural boundaries (e.g., language or social contrasts) could fundamentally break down culturally diverse relational collaborations, causing customer disappointment or even displeasure and dissatisfaction (Hansen et al. 2011; Johnson, Meyers, and Williams 2013; Sharma, Tam, and Kim 2009). Therefore, administration associations are searching for techniques and course for improving assistance quality and retaining customers in an inexorably increasing and globalized market. Regardless of the rich calculated work on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in worldwide HR and cross-cultural studies, as per (Paparoidamis et al. 2019), no studies have analysed the moderating job of service employees’ CQ in influencing the PSQ–customer loyalty link in worldwide service settings. This absence of observational work restrains the comprehension of some service employees being more effective than the others in associating with customers in socially diverse contexts, bringing about a more grounded impact of PSQ on customer loyalty. To fill these loop holes, in terms of literature, CQ is examined, as a service employee’s capacity of adjusting to and working effectively in intercultural circumstances (Earley and Ang, 2003), as a potential breaking point state of the effect of PSQ and customer loyalty. (Paparoidamis et al. 2019) has used a multi-dimensional way to examine the components of service employees’ CQ on distinct moderating effects on PSQ-loyalty link. Furthermore, using this conceptualization of CQ, they have investigated the effects on administration results. With numerous organizations turning towards rapidly growing emerging markets in the globalized commercial centre, they have expanded their existing knowledge on CQ with collectivist culture (emerging markets) replicating it with individualist culture (mature markets). Thus, this study demonstrates the first specific, country level approach for effectiveness of CQ on PSQ-loyalty link (emerging vs. developed).

In (Chien Min Chen et al. 2013), prior researches have concentrated more on the association between service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel industry (Akbaba, 2006; Briggs, Sutherland, & Drummond, 2007; Callan & Kyndt, 2001; Ekinci, Prokopaki, & Cobanoglu, 2003; Juwaheer, 2004). So the overall purpose of (Chien Min Chen et al. 2013) inquiry has been to gain an exact comprehension of service quality and behavioural intentions in which it identifies the interrelationships between consumers’ overall behavioural intentions in relation to customer loyalty, and influential factors, which incorporate service quality, on the aspects of physical environment quality, personal interaction quality and customer satisfaction. More specifically, this study recognises and explores the sub-dimensions for the physical environment quality and personal interaction quality as perceived and its relationship with customer satisfaction and loyalty.

CONCEPTUALIZATION

With the absence of exact work on the effect of CQ on customer perception and loyalty, (Paparoidamis et al. 2019), has expounded on the hypothetical conceptualization of CQ’s three components (cognitive, emotional/motivational & physical), social exchange theory and CQ, the impact of CQ on customer relationships and CQ as a mediator. With this examination, it predicts, PSQ in developing business sector setting is emphatically identified with client dependability and its relationship with CL is reinforced (debilitated) with higher (lower) CQ power, passionate/inspirational CQ, physical CQ separately.

In (Chien Min Chen et al. 2013), some exploration in past examinations has exhibited that administration quality and fulfillment are significant develops in a structure of investigation towards customer intentions, consolidating components such as expectation and consumption experiences (Bosque & Martin, 2008; Chen & Tsai, 2007; Engel, Blackwell, & Miniard, 1993; Spreng, Mackenzie, & Olshavsky, 1996). Service quality has a significant constructive outcome on brand picture, and in this manner an ideal brand picture thusly decidedly influences consumer loyalty in the cordiality and the travel industry segments (Andreassen & Lindestad, 1998; Aydin & Ozer, 2005; Chi & Qu, 2008; Park, Robertson, & Wu, 2005; Ryu, Han, & Kim, 2008; Schlosser, 1998). Clemes et al. (2007, p. 310) built up a progressive model of administration quality that contained three essential basics: communication quality, physical condition quality and result quality. Behavioural intentions are associated with customer loyalty (Alexandris et al., 2002; Rust & Zahorik, 1993; Zeithaml & Bitner, 1996), and customer loyalty is influenced by customer satisfaction (Bitner, 1990). Based on previous such research findings, this study could propose that (1). Physical environment quality has a positive influence on satisfaction. (2). Personal interaction quality has a positive influence on satisfaction. (3). Physical environment quality has a positive influence on behavioural intentions relating to customer loyalty. (4). Personal interaction quality has a positive influence on behavioural intentions relating to customer loyalty.

Methodology

In (Chien Min Chen et al. 2013), realizing the elements of service quality pertaining to physical environment quality and personal interaction quality that were derived from the extant literature, the authors developed a hierarchical model of behavioural intentions to measure the determinants of service quality dimensions that coincide with the characteristics of the B&Bs in Kinmen. This module provided a summary of constructs and synopsis of the items used in each construct operationalization. In depth information was drawn through focus group interviews with the active participation of various personnel linked to hospitality industry and were encouraged to list out factors that might encompass their perceptions of service quality. This helped the authors to draw derivations and categorised their assessments and accordingly amended and updated to develop a self-administrated survey to have an appropriate approach towards data collection. And this questionnaire administered four major constructs namely physical environment quality (PEQ), personal interaction quality (PIQ), satisfaction (SAT), and customer loyalty (CL) which were measured through an item scale of 19, 8, 8 & 6 respectively suggested by different authors and expertise with a few modifications. And then had all the items measured again on a Likert-type scale to give it more content validity, readability and clarity.

On the other hand, in (Paparoidamis et al. 2019), investigation was focused primarily on cross-cultural interactions between frontline service employees and customers in international hotels. To empirically investigate their hypotheses, a particular country was selected using Hofstede’s (2003) 6-D classification module on the basis of its significant difference in the international market. A two cross-sectional field survey was conducted (between employees and customers) and were administered by research assistants in parallel to avoid any bias results related to the survey. The survey included measures of a cultural intelligence (CQ) index as well as demographic and individual difference variables. Both questionnaires were completed voluntarily by the front-line employees (in private) and the customers assisted by the research assistants maintaining their confidentiality and these reports were matched on employee code numbers to establish an employee-customer link for the total response percentage. The CQ scale of Earley and Mosakowski (2004) was adopted consisting of three main components: cognitive, emotional/ motivational, and physical for frontline service employees, measured PSQ with the scales established by Dagger and Sweeney (2007) and evaluated customer loyalty using the work of Sirdeshmukh, Singh, and Sabol (2002).The questionnaires were translated from English language to their native language to be further translated back and evaluated for its accuracy. This process continued until an agreement over uniformity and similarity of the translations was reached. Final versions in two languages were presented to focus groups and were asked to evaluate and identify errors. The results were then further refined for items with ambiguities or that were socially and culturally incompatible.

LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

As the study states in (Chien Min Chen et al. 2013), adopting a reflective measurement using a multidimensional approach or different methodology combining a qualitative one could lead to different results over the two dimensional concept and measurement used in this study. The proposed model’s generalizability can be increased in the global market by replication of the model evaluating an extensive range of hotels. From the managerial perspective, the results of the study differentiate from the extant literature in that satisfaction may not directly result in customer loyalty that leads to the success of the tourism industries.

The findings of this study in (Paparoidamis et al. 2019), might not reflect actual loyalty behaviour as a metric of firm performance to measure customer loyalty, hence novel dimensions and adequate estimations of loyalty behaviour as a comparison paradigm across different countries need to be explored. Dimensions of loyalty, such as the affinity to switch, the eagerness to pay more, and customer responses to service failures may be neglected and needs examination. Service employees’ CQ may vary over time where PSQ is a flexible and social construct, which could advance in its setup (Agarwal, Malhotra, and Bolton 2010), hence a longitudinal study which displays relationships between service employees’ CQ, PSQ and customer loyalty before and after specific training programs which could be investigated for its adequacy could prove useful. This model application stays limited to the international service setting which involves high customer contact wherein cultural competencies play a crucial role; however, experimentation of this model over a setting of low customer contact could be contextualized. External validity of the findings could be enhanced by replicating this study in other international service industries and national contexts as different customers evaluate different aspects of service performance worldwide.

CONCLUSION

The study in (Chien Min Chen et al. 2013), was conceptualized based on the specific characteristics mainly pertaining to physical environment quality and personal interaction quality having a positive impact on satisfaction and customer loyalty. On the other hand, the study of (Paparoidamis et al. 2019) confirms that the service employees’ CQ-have differential moderating effects on perceived service quality (PSQ)-customer loyalty link which vary across national markets.

The Peculiarities Of Personal Customer Experience

Technological developments have enabled marketing and advertising experts to integrate consumer information into tailoring personalized content drawn from the personal interests of individual consumers (Tucker, 2012). In the recent years, we have witnessed a vast scale change in the type of advertisements and marketing strategies we come across in our daily lives. As social media and online platforms increasingly become an integrated part of our daily lives, marketing and advertising strategies are developing accordingly. Hence, we are consistently being exposed to online adverts, some of which we realise while some of which slip our attention. With the utilisation of consumer data for the creation of more personally tailored advertising, new strategies emerge in the form of personalization, customization and retargeting (Aguirre, Mahr, Grewal, de Ruyter, & Wetzels, 2015; Bleier & Eisenbeiss, 2015). Aguirre et al. (2015) analyze the effectiveness of these new strategies on online advertisement and evaluate the personalization paradox, which refers to the situation in which greater personalization in marketing strategies lead to increased response rates from customers while, paradoxically, they could also result in an increased sense of vulnerability of customers, ergo lower response rates. Customers’ sense of vulnerability is assumed to be directly associated with two types of data collection: overt and covert. Consumers display higher click-through responses to personalized advertisements that engage in overt information collection, in contrast with covert data collection strategies which threaten the effectiveness of personalization (Aguirre et al. 2015). In this essay, I will analyze two personalized advertisements I have come across on my social media accounts in an attempt to verify their accuracy based on the links between the advertised content and my personal interests and previous online behaviour.

Personal Customer Experience

The first example of personalized advertisement (see Visual 1 in Annexes) was a sponsored content available on my Facebook home page, which was a promo for the UEFA EURO 2020, the international men’s football championship. The advert was directing to a website where a contest was set up to win tickets to attend the final draw of the tournament in Budapest and meet the official artist of the 2020 tournament, Martin Garrix. Since this is a personalized advertising, the algorithms underlying this strategy should have linked either the football tournament or the artist to my personal interests. However, this example constitutes a poorly personalized advertisement due to several reasons. First, the advertisement doesn’t relate to my personal interests on any level. On one hand, I am not interested in neither football, nor the international tournaments of football. Therefore, virtually it isn’t possible to trace this back to my previous online social interactions such as following accounts related to football on my social media accounts or liking/sharing related posts; to my online shopping behaviour as I have never bought any tickets for football games or any product related to football or UEFA; and to my browser history which doesn’t involve any football-related search. On the other hand, my musical interests don’t include the genre that is associated with Martin Garrix either. My Spotify account is connected through my Facebook account, allowing Facebook to be able to trace my listening history on Spotify, which doesn’t comprise Martin Garrix. This advert appearing on my Facebook page, despite the fact that none of my online behaviour could be related to the content of the advert, shows that this is a poorly personalized advertisement, making it less appealing. Moreover, Bleier and Eisenbeiss (2015) suggest that ad personalization is a complex strategy that can be analysed in two dimensions: depth and breadth. The depth refers to the how accurately an ad reflects a customer’s implied interests, and the breadth refers to how meticulously and exhaustively these are represented (Bleier & Eisenbeiss, 2015). In this case, there is no depth of advertisement as the sponsored content does not accurately represent my interests; and hence no breadth either.

The second example (see Visual 2 in Annexes) was also a sponsored content, available on my Instagram feed (which is also connected to my Facebook page, the parent company of WhatsApp), and it was an advertisement for wireless noise-cancelling earphones, Huawei Freebuds 3. The advert directed me to the brand’s website where the product was available for purchase. This is an example of good personalization, as the ad is traceable to my personal interests, as well as online behaviour. Prior to seeing this ad, I had done some research on the internet about headphones and earphones to have an idea of the available products in the market and their prices, and I also had conversations with friends about this type of products both online and offline. On WhatsApp, I recently had a conversation with a friend who had bought some noise-cancelling headphones, and I expressed my interests in buying a similar product, while I also had conversations with friends, face-to-face, about getting noise-cancelling headphones. So the ad can be traceable to my interests based on my previous research on internet, previous conversations with friends both online, and offline. Moreover, I had never considered Huawei as an option for buying earbuds, which makes this ad even more appealing as it’s a product I have never experienced before as a consumer, and therefore might have a go at. Nevertheless, this ad also makes me feel vulnerable as a consumer at some point, as it shows that the allegedly encrypted WhatsApp messages are possibly used by Facebook and by Instagram to collect my consumer data, which constitute to a violation of privacy.

Conclusions

Tailoring banners and advertisements to individual customers is an effective method, but it also is of a complex and fragile nature as its implementation carries the risk of triggering adverse responses (Bleier & Eisenbeiss, 2015). The examples studied in this case yield the complexity and delicacy of personalization in advertising, as it is shown that even in the case of good personalization, the risk of creating a sense of vulnerability in the customers emerges.

Interface Between Farmer And Consumer By Using Big Data

Abstract

If we develop the relationship among farmers, government and consumers using the technology, the middle men’s role could be easily thrown out from the whole scenario. We can easily overcome the problems being faced by farmers in selling their goods in the market. We need to maintain this relationship with one friendly user interface, which can be used to help farmers in selling their goods, by uploading their goods in the interface. Farmer goods information is needed to be uploaded through user friendly interface. This data will go to the database and gets saved. That farmer’s data is easily accessible by the consumers too. If consumers are interested in buying, they can buy directly from that tool. In this way an easy and precise worth lasting relationship will get automatically established between them this research is if we implement this interface between farmers and consumers, we can easily overcome the farmer facing the problem in selling the goods in market. And also, we can increase the government GDP from the farmers. And we can also establish mutual trust between government and farmers.

INTRODUCTION

The sector that is the backbone of Indian economy is currently facing a lot many problems. In that many problems I took one problem that is the right monetary well-being of the farmers.

Whenever the farmer is going to sell his crops in the market, it’s damn sure that middle men will enter into that process. Here the middle man buys the farmer’s products and resale it in the market. He will buy those goods for fewer prices than what farmers invested in field. Farmer doesn’t know what the exact price of his goods in the market is due to lack of information relationship between the government and farmer.

If we develop the relationship among farmers, government and consumers using the technology, the middle men’s role could be easily thrown out from the whole scenario. We can easily overcome the problems being faced by farmers in selling their goods in the market.

We need to maintain this relationship with one friendly user interface, which can be used to help farmers in selling their goods, by uploading their goods in the interfaFarmer goods information is needed to be uploaded through user friendly interface. This data will go to the database and gets saved. That farmer’s data is easily accessible by the consumers too. If consumers are interested in buying, they can buy directly from that tool. In this way an easy and precise worth lasting relationship will get automatically established between them.

Present

Present problem facing by the farmers

There are so many problems presented in the agricultural field

Agricultural marketing system

Agricultural marketing still in the distinguish situation bad shape in both rural and urban areas in India. In term of marketing facilities, the farmers have to depend upon local traders and middlemen for the disposal of their farm produce which is sold at a throw-away price.

​Fraud Weights and Scales

One of the important defects in agricultural marketing facing due to fraud weights and scales. Usually, in village areas weight estimated rocks, etc. are used as weights and in city markets also wrong weights are found. Thus, the reason farmer is weighed by a heavier weight for their own gain. Most of the traders keep separate weights for purchase and sale of grain.

Less Financial Resources

They are some village areas there are less financial resources, because of that reason their emergency requirements are not going satisfied. In that situations, the farmers selling their crop before its finishing. likewise, there are some financial system, like, installments on loans for equipment like a piece of machinery, manpower etc. they have to be pay on a monthly or crop basis because of that reason they have to sell the crop quickly. Because of less financial help, this is the problem farmers are facing .

Worst managing Marketing hierarchy

comparing another country Agricultural marketing our Indian agricultural marketing hierarchy is very bad due to this reason farmers are getting paid very less and middle man and government official getting paid illegally very high in terms of paying money to the farmer. because of this reason farming land usage and farmers headcount going less year by year if this is continuously happening after some years India is not going to get good GDP in terms of agricultural income. need to change the agricultural marketing hierarchy. by implementing the interface between the farmers and producers.

Farmer and Consumers Relationship

Whenever a farmer starting his crop interface maintain one tracker which is looks like if we order product in the e-commerce website, we will get one tracker in the Interface find our product progress it is also following the same mechanism.

Farmer can check his progress and also the consumer. This feature works the with a forum page model.

Example: – if farmer is going to start the rice crop in his field. After stating his/her crop if he updates the information in the interface whatever information updated by the farmer it will save in the interface database after that notification will go to nearest consumers if the consumer wants to buy crop, he can accept the deal.

Ex: – Rice mill owners, big bazaar, More, Reliance fresh etc.

Payment: – Farmer can receive payment after accepting a deal (Advance) with the consumer and also after delivering goods to a consumer farmer will receive full payment through the interface

Fertilizers based on the land requirement:-

After uploading the information regarding the land farmer will receive how much fertilizers should be use in field

Getting alerts

Farmer can receive alerts from the government regarding price, policy’s introduced by the government

After producer (Farmer) uploading his goods in the interface consumer will get notification. If consumer wants to make a deal with the corresponding farmer he can do. And also, a consumer can search whatever goods required to him he can accept deals.

Consumer Requirements

if consumer having any requirements like rice and vegetables consumer can post in feed after that information can be visible to the farmers if farmer want to accept that he can accept that deal. Mutually farmer and consumer will get the deals.

Example: – If consumer required 100 kg’s of rice he can post in the consumer side interface after that requirement information will go to farmer he can easily accept the deal with the consumer. Based on this kind of features we can easily export and import goods from the other country’s then our India GDP will increase.

Goods information

Consumer having the access to check where the goods are available across the Village, District, State it will cover all over the India. Consumer can filter the information. Based on the consumer requirement

Online payment

Consumer can do online payment through the interface securely after completing the deal with the farmer. And also, he does payment after goods delivered to the consumer from the producer

Conclusion

The conclusion of this research is if we implement this interface between farmers and consumers, we can easily overcome the farmer facing the problem in selling the goods in market. And also, we can increase the government GDP from the farmers. And we can also establish mutual trust between government and farmers. By implementing this interface we can actually collect the all data regarding farmers sells info exporting, importing goods

Reference

1. Government of the Uganda thesis farmer’s economy.
2. Farmer suicidal impact on the farmer community. Author by Dr Prakash Srivastava
3. problems facing by the farmers data collected from bighaat.com website
4. problems facing by the farmers data collected from problems facing by the farmers data collected from bighaat.com website

The Effect Of Corporate Philanthropy On Customer-Based Brand Equity

Introduction

Over the recent decades, the issue of the benefits and risks associated with Corporate philanthropy (CP) has been an evolving topic on shareholders and the society as they have developed stronger expectations of firms behaving in a socially responsible way. Houqe at el (2016) purport that society’s perceptions play an important raw in contributing to firm’s success in the current business environment. In addition, society’s perception over a firm act as a stimulus for the organisation to grow its customer-based brand equity, which according to Kin and Kin (2014) is essential for driving customer equity, differentiating brands, assessing brand performance and gaining competitive advantage. This study is aimed at examining whether CP has an effect on customer-based brand equity.

This chapter gives the background information of the study on the effect of CP on customer- based brand equity in the Telecommunication sector of Zimbabwe, with emphasis on NetOne Cellular Company. The chapter provides the statement of the problem that motivated the researcher to undertake the study. The purpose of the study is also indicated in this chapter with specific objectives being highlighted. The research questions are derived from the objectives and key assumptions, significance of the study, delimitation and limitation are also included.

Background of the study

Corporate philanthropy, according Wang and Qian (2011) entails the gifts given by corporations to social and charitable causes, such as support for education, culture, or the arts, for minorities or health care or for relief funds for victims of natural disasters. Carrol (1999) stipulates that CP is one of the important dimensions of Corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Previous research by Huang and Cai (2015) reports that the majority of research on customer-based brand equity (CBBE) has emerged from theoretical frameworks developed by Aaker (1991, 1996) and Keller (1993, 2003). Keller (2003), delineates CBBE as the differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of a brand. Keller (2003) postulates that CBBE is amongst the two variables used to measure brand equity and the other variable is referred to as financial based brand equity.

Over the past recent decades, CBBE has risen as one of the important marketing concepts for academics and practitioners (Keller 1993). There have been little agreements with regards to literature on the dimension which can be used to measure CBBE. According to Aaker (1991), provided the core CBBE dimensions which include brand awareness, perceived brand quality, brand association and brand loyalty. Keller (2003) postulated that CBBE can be measured using dimensions such as brand salience, brand performance, brand imaginary, brand judgement, brand feeling and brand association. Yoo and Donthu (2001) treated CBBE as a three-dimensional construct, combining brand awareness and brand associations into one dimension. However, authors such as Buil et al (2008, 2013) provided empirical evidence of the multidimensionality of CBBE, supporting Aaker’s (1991) and Keller’s (1993).

Within the Zimbabwean region, different domestic and foreign firms have been taking initiates toward marketing investment on CSR activities mainly inform of CP. Among the entities engaging in CP is NetOne cellular which is the second largest giant company in terms of subscriber base and market share in the telecommunication sector of Zimbabwe. NetOne cellular is the first telecom company to be created in Zimbabwe and is totally owned and controlled by the government.

[bookmark: _Hlk3438758]In addition, NetOne Cellular offers a wide variety of goods and services which include voice call services, easy call package(simcards), One money (mobile money service) and other value-added services (VAS) which include, one fi, one music, one tech Vehicle tracking, one cover and one fusion. The Zimbabwe’s telecommunication sector is governed by the Postal telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) which has the mandate of implementing policies, operational measures and parameter which all entities operating in this sector must abide to. The regulatory authority is also responsible for the creation of sector performance reports based on the data provided by the service providers.

According to the statistical data, as from the period of 2016 up to 2018, NetOne Cellular has been recording a slow rate of increase in subscriber base, as the greater number of its potential subscribers are being lost to Econet Wireless which has been recording outstanding numbers in subscriber base, as per the three-year period. Telecel has to lesser extent been recording limited numbers in subscriber base which have been below that of NetOne and Econet.

Due to the fact that the telecom sector is characterised of product of similar nature, customer switching cost are low and it takes a lot of hard work for organisations to convince customers to become loyal to their brand. For the past recent years, the management at NetOne has been

embarking on a number of strategies aimed at improving their operational viability and boost their brand equity. The strategies that were implemented include the introduction of a successful one fusion brand, increase in network coverage, introduction of the long-term evolution network system (LTE), introduction of brand ambassadors and an excellent customer experience service.

Despite all the efforts made by the management through implementing strategies, the telecom sector has been continuously proving to be a difficult ground for NetOne cellular to operate, as evidenced by their subscriber base and market share growing at low rate as compared to that of its major rival Econet Wireless, even though the management had hopes that their implemented strategies could result in NetOne dominating the sector. Customers are still switching towards Econet and Telecel products and services at the expense of NetOne product, despite the improvements in operation efficiency. Therefore, indicating that the strategies were not effective enough in encouraging an increase in brand equity of NetOne Cellular. Therefore, active measures have to be implemented to ensure that the brand equity of the firm increases, thereby signalling an increase in the subscriber base and market share of the firm. If the organisation fails to come up with measures meant to curb the problem, they are likely to lose more of their customer to competitor which in turn indicates a leakage in the firm’s potential and actual revenue.

In light of this, the management of NetOne has recently decided to engage in CP through contributing some donations to places such as Mushamukadzi inform of funding on cancer awareness programmes, donation of foods stuffs and sleeping beds to Queen of Peace Gweru, donation of $25000 to National Blood Service of Zimbabwe and the recent donation of 4 motor bikes, 217 reflective jackets, 31 rain suits and whistles valued at $65 000 to the ZRP traffic department in order to create positive perception and strengthen the relationship between society and the organisation’s brand, thereby eventually promoting growth on brand equity of the organisation. According to Aaker (1991) companies with high brand equity are expect to experience favourable brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand association and perceived quality. It is not known whether the philanthropic programmes done by the firm are effective or not in establishing a strong brand equity. Therefore, this study aims at giving a hint on whether CP is effective in promoting brand equity growth.

Prior researches on CP have been carried out by various authors and the results have managed to create a substantial body of literature regarding CP. Amongst the research done is that of Peterson (2018) with the title “enhancing corporate reputation through corporate philanthropy’. The aim of this study was to investigate the variables affecting the link between annual changes in the amount of corporate foundation giving and changes in reputation. The author concluded that corporate charitable giving and corporate reputation covaried positively for firms with an existing favourable reputation, versa via, especially under a condition of an economic downturn. However, the study failed to investigate whether CP has an effect on CBBE. Therefore, the current study seeks to bridge on the gap through examining effectiveness of CP on CBBE at NetOne Cellular Zimbabwe

Another research was done by Wonsuk. and Michael during the year 2016, which focused on board of directors and industrial determinants of corporate philanthropy. The research was encored on empirically exploring the specific type of antecedent, that is director composition and industrial membership. The researcher concluded by stating that the extent to which firms build relationships with certain stakeholders is tied to the personal and social background of the board member who in turn influence the allocation of resources towards philanthropy. However, the author did not go an extra mile through examining the effect of CP on CBBE. Therefore, the author seeks to bridge the gap through analysing the effect of CP on CBBE in Zimbabwe, in relation to NetOne company.

Valor and Grzegorz (2017) undertook a research which focused on quality reporting of corporate philanthropy. The research was mainly encored on outlining the framework for CP reporting that could help differentiate between symbolic and substantive reporting and whether reporting practise of large corporate donner are symbolic or substantive. The finding of this research stipulated that disclosure regarding CP are more symbolic than meaningful. The study only focused on quality reporting of CP and there were no further investigations done on whether CP has an effect on CBBE. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate whether CP has an effect on CBBE in the telecom sector of Zimbabwe, with regards to NetOne company.

Yongqiang (2017) did a research which emphasised on inverting a U-shaped relationship between CP and spending on research and development (R&D). The author concluded that CP, by securing stakeholder support differently at different levels of spending first increases then reduces spending on (R&D). The study only focused on determining the relationship between CP and R&D, but other areas relating CP and its contribution on variables such as CBBE were not explored by the study. In this regard, the present study seeks to examine the effect of CP on CBBE in the Zimbabwean context, focusing on the telecom sector.

Cisheng et al (2018) also undertook a research on CP which was aimed at examining the relationship between female executives and corporate philanthropy. The results from the study show that female top executive or managers who are female stimulate CP, there is no published literature focusing on the contribution of CP stimulated by female leaders on CBBE. This study aims at sealing the literature gap on CP through examining its effect on CBBE at NetOne.

A quite number of studies related to CP have been carried out by different authors and the results of these studies have indeed contributed much towards building more literature on CP and different aspects related to it. However, there seem to be limited research on literature examining CP in particular relation to customer-based brand equity. This as a result indicate a vacuum in the contemporary literature of variables which relate to CP. Therefore, the present study seeks to add more to literature through sealing in the gap and providing useful insights to the theory and practice of CP. The research will focus on the effect of CP on customer-based brand equity in the telecommunication sector, with regards to NetOne Cellular Zimbabwe.

Statement of the problem

NetOne cellular has been facing stiff competition from its major rival competitors within the telecom sector and this has been shown by a limited increase in its subscriber base as indicated by POTRAZ reports, as from 2016 to 2018.This in turn indicate poor brand equity and limited market share. The competition has been stifled by the fact that the three giant firm dominating the sector sell products and services of similar nature. In light of this issue, the company has been engaging in cooperate philanthropy, an activity which the management have hopes, that it might help them foster good relationships with their potential and actual customer and also help them improve their brand equity. It is not known whether the philanthropic programmes done by the firm are effective or not in establishing a strong brand equity. Therefore, this study aims at giving a hint on whether CP is effective in promoting brand equity growth.

Significance of the study

To the researcher

The researcher will benefit from the in-depth insight gained during the research process. The researcher will also gain time management skills of conducting research. In addition, the study will assist the researcher in completing his degree programme.

To theory

This study could close the literature gap since no study was carried out in Zimbabwe concerning the effect of CP on CBBE in the telecommunication sector, with regards to NetOne. The study might provide literature on CP, which other studies reviewed in the background to this study did not focus on.

To practise

The results and recommendations of this study will assist the organisation in effective practise of CP, thereby helping the company boost its brand equity. To add more, the results will also assist the company in getting an insight on the non-monetary rewards of marketing investments done by the firm, this will in turn assist in formulating future marketing decisions.

Delimitations

• The scope of the research is confined to the market in Harare only.
• The respondents to the study were managing directors, company employees and the Harare customers only.
• The study only focused on corporate philanthropy as the only factor which has an impact on customer-based brand equity behaviours.
• The data periods which were used in this research ranges from January 2016 to December 2018.

Limitations

• The research is limited to the CRS activities currently being undertaken by NetOne Cellular.
• The respondent to the questionnaires and interviews were managing directors, employees and customers of NetOne only.
• The research could not use vernacular language for data collection, hence only respondents who could read and understand the English language were used.

Assumptions

• The researcher assumed that the use of data gathering tool such as questionnaires and interviews was going to be more effective as these tools are the best suited for the purpose of out sourcing information the desired information from customers.
• The researcher also assumed that the respondents will give genuine and sincere responses.
• The researcher also assumed that the research design was the best and well suited for the study.

Chapter summary

Chapter one comprises of the background information that motivated the researcher to undertake a study on the given topic, the outline process, the significance of CP activity on achieving customer-based brand equity. The statement of the problem and research objectives are mentioned to provide guidance to the researcher. The limitations and delimitations were also examined in this chapter. Finally, the key terms were defined and assumptions outlined. The next chapter focuses on literature review

REFERENCE LIST

1. Aaker, D. (1991). Managing brand equity. The Free Press, New York.
2. Aaker, J. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research.
3. Ailawadi, K. L., Lehmann, D. R. and Neslin, S. A. (2003). ‘Revenue Premium as an Outcome
4. Carmen Valor, Grzegorz Zasuwa, (2017) Quality reporting of corporate philanthropy, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 22 Issue: 4, pp.486-506, https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-07-2016-0051
5. Marylyn Collins, (1993) Global Corporate Philanthropy – Marketing Beyond the Call of Duty?’, European Journal of
6. Marketing, Vol. 27 Issue: 2, pp.46-58, https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000000651
7. Michael Abebe, Wonsuk Cha, (2018) The effect of firm strategic orientation on corporate philanthropic engagement, Management Decision, Vol. 56 Issue: 3, pp.515-533, https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-09-2016-0625
8. Kotler P. and Lee N.2004, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Pub.
9. Kotler, P. Armstrong, G. (1996). Principles of Marketing, Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall Inc.
10. Joe M. Ricks Jr, (2005) An assessment of strategic corporate philanthropy on perceptions of brand equity variables, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 22 Issue: 3, pp.121-134, https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760510595940

Ethics and Professional Conduct in Business

This case was particularly chosen since it once presented itself to me two years ago while employed as a cashier at a hardware store. In a firm the cashier holds the cash register at various locations such as point of sale or at a retail store. This individual is responsible for receiving and disbursing money. Like mistake or miscalculation may occur in any position, there is no exception with the cashier. With the constant busy nature of this job, cashiers are at risk of having storages and overages at the end of the day.

Management however expects cashier to be accurate and conclude the day with the perfect cash register. In some cases, such as that of Fresh Markets, the storages will be deducted from employee’s salary while the overage is simply deemed as poor cash management.

The following control and ethical measures should be implemented at Healthy Markets:

Reassigning position

Steal from customer is unethical and very unprofessional and I believe if Sue steals from customers, she is capable of stealing from the firm. From my viewpoint, both sue and Ingrid should be reassigned to non-cash handling position and non-managerial positions respectively. Stealing from customer indicates that sue is not the best fit for the job. A cashier is expected to be a friendly, understanding, well presented, accurate and trustworthy individuals, it is more than evident that Sue need to be assigned to a new position.

Implementation of cash handling policies and procedures

Management should have written policies which indicates what is expected from the cashier handling transactions. These policies should include before and after cash verification process, policies applying to the cash register (security and safety) and supervision policies. All of which are agreed to by the employee.

Training

Employees of Healthy Markets should be provided with training on how to develop interpersonal skills and ethical practices at the workplace. The cashier in particular should be trained on cash handling practices. This includes counting of customer’s change twice ( once personally and once in the presence of the customer having there undivided attention). This prevents any confusion for both the cashier and customer in the future.

Implementation of a new cash review system

At the closing of the day I would recommend that cash handling and balance be done by the accountant in the presence of the cashier. Sue has not been short in about a year now. There clearly indicates that there is some loophole at Healthy Markets which has to be investigated into. Additionally, there should be an assigned amount that shortage and overages will not be penalized for.

When these policies are implemented at Healthy Markets cashiers are better able to understand what is expected from them and the effects of doing otherwise. The fact the Ingrid, the store manager is ok with the overage indicates that there is lack of proper training, supervision, professionalism and policies implemented within the firm.