Category: Loyalty

Introduction

Most businesses formulate their marketing strategies targeting new customers. While it is important to increase the customer base, businesses must not overlook the critical role played by existing customers in the companys growth. Customer loyalty is often connected to the inclination of a customer to continue associating with the company. This paper looks at some benefits that can be realized by promoting customer loyalty, as well as ways of increasing e-loyalty.

Importance of Customer Loyalty

Loyal customers offer the company a chance for repeat business as they are likely to purchase company products on several occasions over a period of time. Contingent on the type of business the organization conducts, the company is likely to sell more products to a loyal customer than to ten first-time customers. Retaining the loyal customer base is also considerably cheaper and, therefore, more profitable than attracting new customers.

Customer loyalty also offers opportunities for the company to conduct cross-sales. The company can offer more products to meet the loyal customers needs across product lines. This allows the company to improve sales without necessarily looking for new customers.

A loyal customer base also protects the company from the competitiveness of the market, especially in product markets with many new entrants. In e-commerce, for instance, the internet has facilitated price competition that has made many markets recklessly competitive in terms of product prices. Loyal customers offer the company some sense of security as they are less likely to be persuaded by small price reductions.

Customer loyalty also facilitates word-of-mouth marketing that brings in new customers. Satisfied customers are likely to refer their friends to the company. E-commerce customers, for instance, can use the email service to recommend company products to friends and relatives. E-commerce companies are currently automating their referral processes and allowing customers recommend their services to others on the e-company website.

Customers who are loyal to the company brand are also likely to provide honest feedback on company products. This helps the company in determining the areas that require improvement. New customers are less likely to provide feedback and often prefer to try other companies if they are dissatisfied.

How to Increase E-Loyalty

The idea of e-loyalty stretches the conventional notion of customer loyalty to online consumer actions. To acquire the loyalty of consumers, e-companies need to try to obtain their trust.

This is particularly tricky in the e-business where business is carried out over long distances and customers cannot meet sellers face-to-face. When purchasing products online, a customer is supposed to rely on the images posted on the company website and promises made by the company. If the customers cannot trust the company that is offering the product, they may prefer to buy the product elsewhere.

When customers get to trust an online retailer, they often feel free to share personal information that enables the company to tailor its products and services to its customers individual needs. This circle works to enhance trust and provides the company with a competitive advantage in the e-commerce market. Other factors that enhance e-loyalty include customization, customer care, contact interactivity, availability of alternative choices and convenience.

In order to maintain customers in the long-term, e-companies need to offer added value in their products. The internet enables companies to tailor goods and services to fit customer preferences. The company can use the records of the customers previous visits to understand the customers needs. Customers are likely to appreciate the personalized experience.

The company can also design its website interface in an interactive and an easy-to-use way that motivates the customer to perform repeated visits. The website ought to be registered with search engines that enable customers to access different products easily. An appealing website presents a good face of the company to clients and motivates customers to identify with the company.

Conclusion

Customer loyalty is important in maintaining competitive advantage in any business. E-loyalty is even more important given the competitive nature of e-commerce. E-companies, therefore, need to work on their websites and products to make sure that their customers can identify with the company, and to encourage referrals.

Justification for Topic choice

Customer service is an area that has been of concern to researchers and other practitioners since it plays an important role in improving the performance of businesses and encouraging customers to remain loyal. Customers have different orientations and this may lead them into attaching varying importance dimensions to service delivery. Many scholars have been conducting research on the importance of service delivery emphasizing its importance in satisfying customers, reducing costs and building the loyalty of customers in an organization (Berndt & Brink, 2004)

In the UK, it has been discovered that provision of service quality is one of the most critical requirements for service businesses. It is a tool that provides corporate advantage in addition to functioning as competitive strategies since businesses that perfect service quality win the loyalty of customers. However, service delivery in the service sectors is a complex issue as many researchers and scholars have not agreed on what should drive effective service delivery. This makes the topic of the importance of service delivery in establishing customer satisfaction in the UK a really important topic for my dissertation.

Research Questions to be answered

Service quality is very important to any organization since the financial success of any organization highly depends on how the loyalty of customers to the organization. The financial output of any organization will not be relevant if the customers are not loyal to the organization since this has an impact of reducing the profits. Many businesses in the UK have discovered the importance of using service quality to establish customer loyalty and they have made this endeavor one of their valued priorities (Charter Uk, 2011). For this to be effective, it is important for companies to be conversant with how consumers behave. The first question that this research will seek to answer is finding out what drives customer satisfaction. The other question to be answered is to find out the relationship between the service quality and customer loyalty in service businesses in UK.

Literature Resources

It is important for an individual to be knowledgeable in any field that he is carrying out research in. This ensures that any decision made or any information is given from an informed point of view. Because of the need to increase profits in companies, a lot of literature has been written on service quality and customer loyalty. In writing my dissertation, I will rely on textbooks to specifically find out the importance of service quality in establishing customer loyalty. The internet will also be useful in writing my dissertation since I will be in a position to analyze information about service businesses in UK to support my research. In addition to these sources, business journals will also support my research by comparing businesses that offer excellent service quality and those which do not. This will show the importance of service quality in service businesses in UK in establishing customer loyalty.

Data Collection Methodology

Data collection is a critical component of any study or research since inaccurate data collection can lead to the wrong results or conclusions. We have quantitative and qualitative methodologies of data collection depending on the type of research. In my data collection, I will use both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Quantitative methods of data collection will include methods like questionnaires and interviews. These data collection methods will enable me to test hypothetical information obtained from theories and be able to determine accurately my area of interest. Qualitative methodologies of data collection will also be important in my data collection in providing information that will back data obtained from quantitative methods.

Reference List

Berndt, A., & Brink, A. (2004). Customer Relationship Management and Customer Service. Lansdowne: Juta and Company Ltd.

Uk, C. (2011). Customer Loyalty. Web.

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare takes place in the city of Verona, during the 16th century. Within this story, loyalty is shown in many ways, loyalty is being faithful to those who depend on you. The story is about a feud between the two families, the Capulets, and the Montagues. Romeo who was a Montague, and Juliet who was a Capulet, two lovers that are from different families that fall in love. Two lovers, whose love is forbidden, and they must keep their love a secret and go to great lengths to fight the greater forces against them. In the play, within Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, it shows the reader that love is a violent, ecstatic, and overpowering force that takes over all over values, and emotions. Love is what brought them together but it’s always what tore them apart. When the story begins Juliet is a 13-year-old girl, that is presented as a quiet and obedient girl; however, she possesses an inner strength that enables her to have a maturity beyond her years. This shows that throughout the play that Juliet is a very dynamic character. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, This was shown when Juliet refuses to marry Paris, when she stayed faithful to Romeo after Tybalt’s death, and when she faked her death to be with Romeo.

To begin, the first way that Juliet shows that she was loyal to Romeo was when she refused to marry Paris, and disappointed her parents and the Nurse. First of all, in act three, scene 5, After Romeo leaves Juliet’s bedroom, she demonstrates her loyalty to her new husband by refusing to marry Paris. Juliet’s father then goes on to rage at her and tells her that she will marry Paris or he will abandon her and she will be kicked out. After her father leaves Juliet talks to the nurse, but, the Nurse tells Juliet that she believes that she should marry Paris and not see Romeo anymore. The Nurse starts to disrespect Romeo in front of Juliet. As soon as the Nurse leaves Juliet says “Ancient damnation! Oh, wicked fiend! It is more sin to wish me thus forsworn, Or to disparage my lord with that same tongue Which she hath praised him with above so many thousand times? Go, counselor! Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain. I’ll go to the friar to know his remedy. If all else fails, I have the power to die” (III.V. 265-270). Juliet proves her loyalty to Romeo by going against her family and the Nurse.

Continuing on, the next way that Juliet shows that she is loyal to Romeo and a loyal person is when she stayed loyal and faithful to Romeo after Tybalt’s death. In Act 3 Scene 2, after Tybalt’s death, Juliet found out that her cousin was dead it made her sad, and that news shocked her. When Juliet is still trying to find out from the Nurse exactly what happened to Tybalt and Romeo, she refers to Tybalt as ‘my dear-loved cousin,’ and to Romeo as ‘my dearer lord.’ When Juliet was talking about Tybalt, she still sounded sincerely sad for Tybalt, but she also loved Romeo. When Juliet calls Romeo a ‘fiend angelical!’ she called him because Romeo killed someone that she loves which is making her feel so upset. Juliet’s words show how much she loves Romeo, “Blistered be thy tongue, For such a wish! He was not born to shame. Upon his brow shame is ashamed to sit; For tis’ a throne where honor may be crowned, Sole monarch of the universal earth. O, what a beast was I to chide him” (III.II. 98-103). However, when this happened she realized that Tybalt would have killed Romeo, and she loves Romeo so much. This shows just how much loyalty and faith Juliet has in Romeo and in their relationship. In all, Juliet is sad by Romeo when she first learns that Tybalt is killed, but her love for Romeo made her feel differently quickly.

The last way that Juliet is loyal to Romeo and is faithful is when Juliet fakes her death and takes the poison instead of agreeing to marry Paris. This shows that Juliet is loyal in their relationship and she wants to be with Romeo. First of all, Lord Capulet wanted Juliet to marry Paris but Juliet didn’t want to because she already loved Romeo. Juliet went to Friar Lawrence because she needed some help, Friar Laurence had a complicated plan so Juliet can be with Romeo. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a potion that will kill her for 48 hours; and will put her in a deep sleep. Friar Laurence will send a letter to Romeo, instructing him of the plan so he can meet Juliet, and then they can leave Verona. Since Juliet was agreeing to take the potion this shows how loyal she is to Romeo because she would take the poison just so that they could be together. “O, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris, From off the battlements of yonder tower, or walk-in thievish ways, or bid me lurk where serpents are; chain me with roaring bears, or shut me nightly in a charnel house, O’ercovered quite with dead men’s rattling bones, With reeky shanks and yellow chaplets skulls’ or bid me go into a new-made grave and hide me with a dead man in his shroud Things that, to hear them told, have made me tremble And I will do it without fear or doubt, To live an unstained wife to my sweet love”. (IV.II.85-95). Even though Juliet was scared to take the poison her loyalty to Romeo mattered more to her.

Overall, throughout this essay, I have talked about the loyalty between Romeo and Juliet and how she is a very loyal person, and how her loyalty to Romeo and devotion to him built trust between them that bonded their relationship to the end of their lives. In the essay, I discussed when Juliet refuses to marry Paris, this showed her devotion to her new husband and how important he was to her. The next example that I talked about was when she forgave Romeo after Tybalt’s death when Juliet found out about Tybalt’s death she was sad but her love for Romeo outweighed the sadness for her cousin. The last example was when she faked her death to be with Romeo. Even though Juliet was scared but she wanted to be with Romeo, and she was loyal to their relationship and devoted to him so Juliet then took the potion that Friar Lawrence gave her. In all, loyalty is what shaped Romeo and Juliet’s relationship to the end.

In South America there were many countries who were ruled by awful dictators who made life bad for the people who lived in those countries. Authors made stories based on the time period when both loyalty and defiance were expressed against their dictator. Throughout the short stories and a novel these themes were expressed differently in different situations. Is loyalty and defiance good or bad?

In the story ‘ The Censors’ a man Juan wants to send a letter to his crush mariana but is scared it won’t make it past the censorship factory. He gets a job at the factory to watch the letter but eventually became attached to his job and regretted sending the letter but it was too late he later got executed. In the beginning, Juan was this daring man who just wanted to get his letter to his love life. “ Juan knows there won’t because e a problem with the letters’ contents, that it’s irreproachable,harmless . But what about the rest? He knows they examine, sniff,feel read between the lines of each and every letter” he knew the requirements that came with sending that letter but he still did it. He even knew the consequences that could come with it .He realized that the letter can get Mariana hurt so he applies for the factory job. After getting the job at the factory he began working and working trying to up his rank to stop the letter. “By working hard, he quickly reached Section E where the job became more interesting ,for he could now read and analyze the letter’ contents.” In this quote he is showing his loyalty to Mariana by stopping the letter so she won’t get hurt. During this time he’s coming more and more involved in his work because he doesn’t want to be caught off guard. Now he’s in section B and he’s getting closer to the letter. “ He was about to congratulate himself for having finally discovered his true mission, when his letter to Mariana reached his hands. Naturally, he censored without regret. And just as naturally couldn’t stop them from executing him the following morning ,another victim of his devotion to his work” He has been so blind to being loyal to his work that he had totally forgotten about the original reason he had gotten the job in the first place.

During the short story “ One of These Days” a poor dentist named Aurelio Escovar is asked to pull the mayor’s tooth but doesn’t want to. The mayor threatens Aurelio that if he doesn’t pull his tooth then he will shoot him so the dentist finally gives in . But the dentist makes the mayor suffer by pulling his tooth without any medicine. That was his way of getting back at the mayor for what he has done to the town. He shows his disobedience by not wanting to pull his tooth . “ The mayor wants to know if you’ll pull his tooth” “ Tell him I’m not here”. When finally giving in and pulling the tooth he made sure he felt all the pain in the world! “ The mayor seized his arms of the chair, braced his feet with all his strength, and felt an icy void in his kidneys, but didn’t make a sound” The dentist is scared and nervous . While this is happening the Dentist said. “ Now you’ll pay for our 20 dead men” and with that “ The mayor felt a crunch of bones in his jaw , and his eyes filled with tears.But he didn’t breathe until he felt the tooth come out . Then he it through tears . It seemed so foreign to his pain that failed to understand his torture of five previous nights”. Aurelio’s loyalty stood where he took out the mayor’s tooth despite his pride but his defiance stood where he purposefully didn’t give the mayor an anesthetic to seize the pain.

In Time of Butterflies is based on a true story when three of Mirabal sisters are killed for trying to remove their government. It takes place at the same time Rafael Trujillo was the dictator in the Dominican Republic. The story goes back and forth between the time the sisters were alive to the time they passed away. Dede the survivor was the only one who was loyal to her husband and didn’t join in with her sister so she was the one considered the coward. “ Back in those days , women followed our husbands”.Such a silly excuse “.After all, look at Minerva. “ Let’s put it this way,”Dedé adds. “I followed my husband. I didn’t get involved”. Minerva, on the other hand, was the most outspoken and rebellious out of all the sisters she talked Patria and Maria to join the revolution with her. “ It’s about time we women had a voice in running” she is saying the Trujillo should be in charge anymore someone else should. Throughout this story Minerva only shows rebellion towards the dictator because she hates him with a passion but she shows her loyalty to her country. She expresses her feelings towards her country. “ Mamá sighs when I tell her that we have to come back tomorrow. “ Ay, m’ijita,”she says. “ You’re going to fight everyone’s fight ,aren’t you?” “It’s all the same fight, Mamá,” I tell her. She saying that anything she does isn’t just going to affect her it’s going to affect the country too. She is referring to the country and her being whole.When María is younger she is the confused sister and the baby who’s only worried about bullies and her appearance. As she gets older she ends up going to jail with her sisters but feels as if she’s a baby again but then joins a group with her sisters to assassinate Trujillo. Patria is the oldest sister and the most religious sister. When she was younger she was the let’s say parents pet and she had a high standard which made the sisters follow suit. She showed loyalty to God that’s who she came to when times get rough . As she got older she started praying Trujillo especially when her sisters and husband went to jail. “Hear my cry, Jefe. Release my sisters and their husbands and mine. But most especially , I beg you , oh jefe, give me back my son. “ Take me instead ,I’ll be your sacrificial lamb.” She then comes around to the when she loses her third baby. The three sisters loyalty were with with each other they were each other’s ride or dies. While their. Defiance lied with Trujillo . But with their defiance towards Trujillo it left them dead.

Each of these stories have a way of showing their loyalty and defiance . But none of them are exactly the same because each character in each story had their own loyalty towards something or their own defiance. The stories that were the most similar were “ The Censors “ and In the Time of Butterflies because the characters died from their defiance. But in “ One of these days” one character just got hurt. Overall they did everything they did for a good cause.

Loyalty and Defiance could be a good thing or a bad thing. Also each story portrayed how loyalty and defiance could be effective in different ways and how why people are either disobedient or true hearted to someone. But it also shows how dangerous it could be

Some people say that a loyal person is worth trusting. Basically, if you are a loyal person, there are so many things you should consider like what you are going to do or what you are going to say. Loyalty is a characteristic of being devoted to a person, place or a thing which requires patience and faith on what you believe.

Loyalty can be shown towards once family, friends and loved one. You must be able to show trust towards your family so that they can give their trust to you because being a family member means having responsibilities and duties. Therefore, you should earn their trust by giving your loyalty to them. The second factor is being loyal to your friends. In this factor, you should accept your friends for whoever they are, whatever they do or even what they look like because good friends are always there in case of problems and difficulties. The third factor and the most important one is loyalty to the one you love. If you tell him or her that he or she is the only one you love and no one else, you should stand by your words. Others say that if you are a loyal person then you stick to one partner in a relationship. This expression tells us one should love one at a time.

What do you think is the difference between loyalty and honesty? Honesty is a characteristic wherein one tells the truth. On the other hand, loyalty is showing that you trust a person no matter what. Being honest to a person means that you should tell the truth and not tells lies but loyalty means not expressing doubt towards another person. When you love someone and you tell him/her that you really love him/her and you actually do therefore, you are honest to the person; but when you love someone and it lasts long then that’s loyalty.

Loyalty is not permanent. In other words, loyalty to a person can easily fade. Loyalty cannot be given or earned easily because if you want the person’s loyalty, you should work for it. Make them believe that you really trust them so they can give their loyalty to you

In its simplest terms, loyalty is a seven letter word but it has a greater and deeper meaning in one’s life. Loyalty can also result in abuse because some people are not worth trusting. Some people just want to use you for their own needs so you better choose the one you should trust in order to have wonderful life.

Loyalty is an aspect of society that is interwoven in ways we never think about. From small ways to major ways, it is all around us. Loyalty is the act of being loyal; showing constant support or allegiance to a person or an institution. This word was derived in the mid-13th century from the Middle English term “leaute”. It was embodied through the loyalty oath that was first documented in 1852. This oath symbolized the principle of allegiance and togetherness. It primarily focuses on conduct and is practiced by showing enthusiasm and devotion for that individual or institution. The first major acts of loyalty that were shown were the military forces for the countries. The military leaders and generals expected their troops to be enthusiastic about fighting for their country, even if that meant dying. They were expected to accept death as an honor for fighting and staying true to the crown and country. There is no greater loyalty than the one that people would die for. The royal family expected devotion from everyone in their country, regardless of status. Other meanings of the term loyalty include devotedness, commitment, and fealty. Antonyms of loyalty are perfidiousness, deceit, and treachery.

I compare and contrast loyalty to the term dependability. It is similar because with dependability, there is a sense of righteousness and credibility. With both loyalty and dependability, there is a sense of certainty to them. When compared, I think of loyalty as being dependable. The person or thing can be turned to no matter what, and is always there. When contrasted, loyalty it is an act of being true and reliable, whereas being dependable is a trait. Loyalty is a key principle that some people deem more important other traits and values. It is a concept that has built and ruined many relationships and aspects in lives. People who do not trust easily can argue that to have a person’s absolute loyalty will never happen. No one is completely loyal to one particular thing or place because there are many more aspects in life where loyalty is desired, requested, or demanded. If the someone’s loyalty is divided up between many things, then it becomes impossible for that individual to give their true and complete loyalty to a single thing or person.

The way that I describe and think about loyalty is in terms of fondness. One is faithful to the person or institution that they are loyal to. I do not see it as a person having a total of 100% loyalty, and then it being divided into multiple aspects of life. It is not like my relationship gets 70% of my loyalty, my gym gets 10%, my place of employment gets 10%, and my school gets 10%. I see it as an act. For example, I give my full attention, effort, and focus to the task at hand. My boyfriend, who I am loyal to, once said, “what is important right now?” From that day forward, I had that mindset, and it almost prioritizes my tasks allowing me to pay full attention to the thing I’m doing at that moment. That task at hand gets my undivided attention, effort, and commitment. Then after I am done with that task, I move on to the next. Nothing is divided, it is not a total of 100% broken down. When observed, it will be apparent that 100% of my loyalty and effort was given during the time allotted for that person or task.

In a relationship aspect, friendship or intimate, I see it as a promise. A promise is made to remain devoted to your partner or friend. This could be temporary or last the duration of the relationship. It is reliability and faithfulness consolidated, and it also comes with a sense of honor and respect, and admiration. When in any kind of relationship, the expectation remains that the other person will not cheat, and they will remain faithful and devoted. People fail at being loyal much more than they do at keeping that devotion, so when they do, it is a special thing. The individual is not staying faithful and devoted because they must, but it is because they truly want to and care.

When thinking in terms things that that hold my loyalty and interest, I think of my place of employment and my sports team I play for. When I was hired, I made a promise to my boss to try my best no matter what. I promised to give my maximum effort every time I walked through the door and to be reliable, dependable, and trustworthy. Sometimes I fail, and do not hold true, but I do the best I can. If they need assistance, I will do anything that I can to help them or the situation. Regarding my sports team, I am loyal to South Carolina United Fùtbol Club. I will not go play for another team as long as I have a contract with the club, and I will do my best. I will be completely devoted to my club and I will try to get better with each step I make on the field. In more of a social context, I think of things on a deeper more broken down level. Places of employment and relationships are obvious things where loyalty is held; however, most people do not think about things like doctor’s/dentist offices, gym places, schools, and housing developments. The every-day institutions or circumstances that are visited and not thought about. The places are viewed as a task that needs to be completed, and not the relationship that the individual has with other individuals or places. I relate this back to the chapters we are reading about in “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan. We think about these things as items, and not how they affect us and the relationship we have with them.

The dentist/doctor’s offices want to assume that the customer will keep coming back for their services. The patient fills out information on their first visit, and then when done with the service, the patient is almost pressured to make an appointment before they leave. If they do not, they will get a text or email asking when they want to make the appointment for. They are insisting and indirectly insuring that the customer will come back to the institution. Gyms are places that also expect your loyalty when you sign up. They make the single sessions so overpriced that you want to buy a package or sign up for a membership. Most of them have contracts that you can sign that are labeled “one-year loyalty plan”. Schools/universities are a huge part of people’s lives, that demand loyalty for years at a time. Tuition is paid, and the student attends and devotes all of their time and energy to getting good grades for themselves, the institution, and the price. Focus and energy are expected along with giving the maximum effort to attain success for the student and make the institution’s rates look better. When an apartment or a house is purchased or rented, many papers have to be signed. The signatures ensure the contract and residency in this location will be fulfilled and honored before relocating. All of these examples require a high level of commitment that is expected, whether you sign a contract or not.

Loyalty, directly or indirectly, does not just affect the person committing the act or receiving the act of loyalty. Many other individuals are affected and influenced by the acts of honor. It is important to have a sense of loyalty and pride because many crucial aspects of society are dependent on others’ ability to be reliable. For example, the gym owner is relying on the customers to pay their monthly fees so he can afford to keep the building, equipment, and pay the staff. Whether it is realized or not, the people affected by acts of loyalty care how it is honored and how it impacts them.

The person who is receiving the loyalty cares because they are putting their trust and faith into the someone, even though they have a chance of getting hurt or swindled. Even though it can be scary or risky, they are relying on the giver to stay true to them. Between the receiver and the giver, the act of loyalty is almost always reciprocated. Friends and family members are most of the time affected, as well as individuals we do not think about. Every single person that attends the gym has a contract that the owner depends on to maintain the atmosphere. The owner’s family is affected, because it is how he provides for them. His staff and their families depend on the workplace as well as the business of the customer to provide money so they can earn a living. Personally, it affects me and my workout partner. If we did not have the loyal relationship between gym and customer, we would not have a place to go and feel better about ourselves. Hope (my friend) would not be motivated to exercise, and her health would decline again. We would both fall into our old unhealthy routines and it would have a super negative impact on our physical, mental, and emotional states. The other people who are realized are the individuals who are not seen. As humans, it is rare that we think about how we affect others by our actions and words. The gym is a matter of life and death for some people. They go because they realize they need to try to change, otherwise them being unhealthy or overweight will cause health problems eventually resulting in death. It takes a lot to realize you have a problem, and if they overcome that struggle and work hard, they will be blessed with life and healthy habits. If the relationships of loyalty become unreliable or broken then so many families, friends, and lives are affected.

Loyalty is such an important concept that everyone should take time to dissect, think about, and appreciate. It is important to realize how crucial it is in everyday life. It is taken for granted because people only partially perceive it. People know what it is, but do not think about the vast role loyalty plays in every day life. Societal networks rely on every single connection that is made; loyalty provides that reassurance. It makes it possible to carry out everyday functions and tasks, with ease and certainty!

Distinguished Guests, Members of the Bishop Tyrrell Community and Students,

Welcome and thank you for joining us today,

I know that you are here today to honor and celebrate members of your family and students are honoring their successes and each other’s success. If you are not publicly recognized today in this prize-giving ceremony, let me acknowledge your collective efforts, your striving together for excellence, and your lifting of others. The reward is not in the prize, it is in the task done well, and done well in the company of other young men and women. Always remember that it will be a team that builds a strong culture and no one is more important than the rest of us. So, congratulations one and all.

Excellence is a habit, on thinking about this, habits are behaviors and behaviors that shape culture, and culture aligns with purpose, and purpose fuels our human quest for excellence as we seek to live and serve in this world.

So excellence is a habit. It is achieved through hard work and dedication all day, every day.

This morning I am going to reflect upon the heart and soul of what I believe is Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College and to point us towards the future.

To help us reflect on that, I am going to use the word LIFT as an anacronym because that is our future.

Lift stands for loyalty, it stands for integrity, it stands for faith and it stands for tradition.

I trust that it will remind us that a bold vision invites us to lift. Progress demands that we lift. Challenges and threats motivate us to lift. A genuine quest for each one of us to be the very best that we can be, inspires us to lift.

Our quest for cultural, sporting, and academic excellence has only just begun. The strength of our foundation will determine how successful we will be in the future. Character, integrity, values, and trust are four constants of a good foundation and creativity unites all of that together.

Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College is not simply a school for students, although this is fundamental to who we are. I deeply and sincerely believe Bishop Tyrrell is a noble enterprise, it is an agency for human transformation. It is also an education incubator for the inspirational servant leadership that we seek to demonstrate day by day, year after year.

Bishop Tyrrell is a place where students are expected to step up. We make no apologies and they do step up. Where students will link arms in unity, where students will act with courage and moral purpose. Students at Bishop Tyrrell learn to value and apply the principles of lift.

To get the best out of a person, you must look to the best in a person. What is in you? Your spirit? Are you nourishing and nurturing it?

Let me talk a little further about the idea of lift and the letter ‘L’ – Loyalty. You’ve all heard the phrase “All for one and one for all’. It is a motto traditionally associated with the hero of the novel ”The Three Musketeers” written by Alexandre Dumas in 1844. It means each individual should act for the benefit of the group, and the group should act for the benefit of the individual. That is what loyalty is. Loyalty is a feeling or an attitude of devoted attachment and affection. Loyalty demands a corporate dedication to truth, honor, fidelity, trust, and communication. Loyalty to Bishop Tyrrell, to students and community members means rejecting forces that seem to divide us, for selfish or jealous gain, and embracing motives and motivations that seek to unify us. Without loyalty as our number one principle, there is no lift.

When I see students in a basketball huddle with their hands on top of each other, or students arms around their team mate’s shoulders, or a group of students sharing notes in a study session putting the good of others before the good of self, that reminds me of the foundation of loyalty. The importance of it? It is the foundation of our team.

The second word beginning with ‘I’ is another critical word. It stands for integrity. Integrity describes a state of being, whole and undivided. It is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It reminds us of words like uprightness, probity, nobility, unity, and honesty. Integrity is being what you claim to be, and doing what you promise to do. A great leader must demonstrate personal integrity every day. It takes years to develop integrity and seconds to lose it. Proverbs 11: 3 is a reminder that the integrity of the upright guides them. If we could teach you only one value to live by it would be this. Success will come and go but integrity will be forever. Integrity means doing the right thing all of the time in any situation, whether someone is watching or not.

Let me give you an example of this, your 2018-2109 College Captain, Charlie Campbell is a role model of integrity. She is Miss Consistency. She is trustworthy. She is honest. She is steady, honorable, and humble, and she thinks of others all of the time. She leads by example and through example. She is engaging and motivating students all of the time just by being in their company. She is a servant leader and a student like Charlie puts the educational debate in perspective by answering the question what do we value most in education? At Bishop Tyrrell, we value integrity lived out in the lives of students like Charlie.

Let me go to the third letter F – faith. As we look forward, we also look back and we see a continuity in life that is guided by our faith journey. And that faith inspires truth, honor, loyalty, and commitment. The faith we encourage is not, and I repeat is not, a call to conformity. It is not a call for compliance or timidity. This does not mean that mind, courage, or passion are put aside when you consider the profound questions of faith. In the words of Professor John Stackhouse faith is about the discovery of shalom. Shalom is not only a greeting of peace but also a description of completeness, wholeness, peace, contentment, and fulfillment. It is about human flourishing for God’s good purposes. It is human excellence in its truest and most profound sense. The faith dimension will lift and equip you in your search and defense of truth.

Let me give you another example. When College Captain Patrick Eve compassionately mentors other students, you think about loyalty faith and integrity in action. Patrick demonstrates the notion of all for one and one for all. And when Patrick stops you for an engaging and mature conversation about students’ antics, or what’s going on around the school, or school spirit, or just a classic Patrick asking you how you are doing, it is something that inspires others and these are moments to cherish because Patrick is a servant leader.

The fourth area that I would like to touch on is tradition. Tradition is not essentially static or backward-focused. Some people think that. It does look to the past, but it seeks to learn from the past. It seeks to draw out things from that inheritance, but it equally looks to the present and the future. It seeks the acquired wisdom of former generations’ appropriate ways and means of dealing with new challenges and circumstances. It keeps you on the road. It is like a road leading to a T-junction, it takes you to a point and it equips you to go left or right with confidence. Somerset Maugham the great writer said, “Tradition is a guide, not a jailer”. However, T.S. Elliott another author and poet warned that “Tradition without intelligence is not worth having”. So, we need to look after and use our traditions wisely.

Our students live and breathe creativity, they love Bishop Tyrrell and embrace its beliefs and values, they propel the College forward and encourage us to lift. But ultimately education is about conviction. These convictions both compel us and inspire us to lead. Each student carries a legacy and you are trusted custodians of Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College’s traditions and convictions in the world. The College hopes you will remember the things that you have been given by your teachers this year.

On behalf of the College Community, I would like to thank our College Council for their vision this year, for their commitment to do their work with seriousness and passion, wisdom, and dedication. I would also like the thank our College Leaders, the staff, the parents, friends, and community that have supported the College this year.

I wish you a happy and joyous Christmas, a Happy New Year and a very safe and peaceful vacation. We look forward to the future for 2020 and remember, excellence is a habit, remember the values of lift because that is the 2020 focus – loyalty, integrity, faith, and tradition, and if you take one message from today, it is all for one and one for all.

We look forward to 2020 with confidence. If God is with us, who can be against us? Learn Lead and Serve.

Thank you.

¨Loyalty is such a force for destruction because it readily clashes with genuine virtues such as honesty and fairness – all while seeing itself as superior to those virtues.”(Asghar, paragraph 4). Blind loyalty is a trait that is often bad. In both the article, Loyalty Isn’t A Virtue, It´s the Enemy of Workplace Ethics by Rob Asghar, and the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, blind loyalty is shown to be a poor trait.

Blind loyalty often makes a person appear weak and vulnerable. Evidence that supports the thesis is from the article, ¨Loyalty Isn’t A Virtue, It´s the Enemy of Workplace Ethics¨ by Rob Asghar. He says ¨Loyalty is such a force for destruction because it readily clashes with genuine virtues such as honesty and fairness-all while seeing itself as superior to those virtues.¨This says that loyalty goes against virtues such as honesty and fairness, and sees itself as superior to those traits. This is not good, because honesty and fairness are important qualities that loyalty goes against. Since loyalty goes against these traits, it makes a person weak and vulnerable, because a person could easily lie to another person, but the other person would still be loyal to the person. Evidence that blind loyalty is a bad trait can be shown in various articles and books. Another piece of evidence that supports the claim is from the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It says, ¨Help me into some house, Benvolio, or I shall faint. A plague o’ both your houses! They have made worms´ meat of me, I have it, and soundly, too. Your houses!” (Shakespeare, Act 3, Sc.1). This quote is said by Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend. Mercutio’s loyalty to Romeo ends up getting him killed, showing that (blind) loyalty is a poor trait. Since Mercutio was blindly loyal to Romeo and the Montagues, he ended up in the fight between Tybalt and the Capulets, and Romeo and the Montagues. Instead of Romeo being the one to die, Mercutio ended up dying. His blind loyalty to Romeo and the Montagues proved to be a bad trait because it made him vulnerable, and a scapegoat in the Montague and Capulet war. Through both the article and Romeo and Juliet, one can clearly see that blind loyalty makes a person appear weak and vulnerable.

Another reason why blind loyalty is a bad trait is because it makes a person easy to use. A piece of evidence that supports this is from the article ¨Loyalty Isn’t A Virtue, It´s the Enemy of Workplace Ethics by Rob Asghar. Loyalty is what allows followers to not merely overlook the crimes of their leaders, but to spin them into acts of heroism.”(Asghar, paragraph 2). This states that loyalty is what causes people to overlook the bad deeds of their leaders, and to spin them into positive deeds. Blind loyalty makes a person easy to use because he or she will always be loyal. The person that they are loyal to can easily get away with doing something bad and can use his or her supporters any way they want, because of blind loyalty. The fact that blind loyalty makes a person easy to use can also be seen in Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo kills himself because he thinks Juliet is dead when she is alive. The quote says, ¨Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide! Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks they seasick weary bark! Here’s to my love. O´ true apothecary. Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.¨ (Shakespeare, Act 5, Sc.3). In this quote, Romeo commits suicide, because he believes that Juliet is dead (even though she is not). His blind loyalty to Juliet ended up getting him killed. His loyalty to Juliet made him weak (where Juliet was concerned), which made him easy to use. Knowing that Romeo is insanely loyal to Juliet, outsiders could´ve easily used Romeo by threatening him with Juliet, showing how blind loyalty makes a person easy to use. In both the article and Romeo and Juliet, a person could use loyalty against another person, making them easy to use/manipulate.

Some people may argue that blind loyalty to a person is necessary to an extent, but that’s not true. Blind loyalty towards first principles/traits is what is necessary for a relationship, not blind loyalty to a person. A quote that supports this is from the article, “Loyalty Isn’t A Virtue, It’s the Enemy of Workplace Ethics”, by Rob Asghar. He says, “The challenge is to move organizations away from the notion of loyalty towards first principles. These principles include transparency, integrity, accountability, and a constant readiness to reform in whatever way necessary matter whose personal interests may be affected.” (Asghar, paragraph 12). This points out how it is important to be loyal to certain principles, but not to a person. Being blindly loyal to a person makes a person easy to manipulate and use. Blind loyalty to a person is not a good trait and is not necessary in a relationship. Being loyal to first principles is what is needed in order for a relationship to work.

Blind loyalty is a poor trait because it makes a person easy to use, weak, and vulnerable. In both sources, blind loyalty is displayed to be a poor trait that makes you extremely weak and vulnerable, and in the case of Romeo and Juliet, it leads to a character’s death. Blind loyalty is also shown to make a person easy to use because loyalty to a person makes the person extremely gullible, and therefore easy to use. Blind loyalty is a trait that claims to be superior to traits such as honesty and fairness.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A vital part of the health-care technology management system is equipment inventory which needs to be frequently updated to provide an accurate look at the status of durable medical equipment in the hospital or clinic. The topics of importance should include original data collection, updated information on the equipment, or when the hospital receives new equipment or discontinuing the use of the equipment and during yearly inventory inspections. Inventorying of medical supplies also includes inventorying extra properties such as extra or replacement parts and testing the safety tools and equipment.

In addition the equipment and inventory is define through a risk-based analysis to make sure time and resources are allocated to eliminate duplication of work. Your organization needs to determine what information to include in its inventory to fulfill the organization needs according to the hospitals capabilities. Once the company decide on a paper or computerized system you can move forward within the Healthcare Technology Management system to make sure medical equipment is safe and effective.

Keeping track of inventory can help to develop budgets for investment purchases, the cost of maintenance and cost to build and support the clinical engineering section for planning workshops, employing and training your technical support staff. The hospital must maintain service contracts to upkeep the durable medical equipment management program, and planning regularly maintenance and tracking work orders when planning and stocking of replacement parts. The hospital can also use their inventory to upkeep their equipment needs assessment within the hospital to record purchases, maintain receipts, retiring and disposing of equipment. Inventory is supported by the organization risk analysis in support of mitigating and emergency disaster planning are supported by inventory.

Five Best Practices

Customer loyalty is considered as a major priority in businesses because clients have plenty of choices, but customer services or loyalty is not treated the same way in healthcare businesses, because choices are limited to patients who are in need of medical care due to restrictions in their insurance, places that they reside or limited access to income. Regardless of the clients, loyalty is of the utmost importance in healthcare.

Patient loyalty is important in the healthcare field because although a lot of patients have limited choices in their healthcare providers they will drive distances for better treatment in their healthcare. When patients are satisfied with the care they receive they tend to be more loyal and this makes everyone job easier. If the patient is happy, they will recommend you to their Primary care manager.

When describing and critically analyzing the best practices improving patient loyalty in a health care organization, the organization needs to be committed to improving privacy because this is key concern in healthcare if a patient feels ashamed or humiliated they are more than like not to return for further care. The safeguarding of patients medical information makes the patient feel more relaxed, and they will respect the organization. We must understand and assure the patient of our obligation to the hospital or clinic privacy policies. Secondly, the expedition in the speed of care is vitally important to the patient because they are already unclear about their medical situation and want responses and treatment quickly and if we show that we are working harder to deliver the care they need immediately the patient will be grateful.

The third way to improve patient loyalty is to implement a social media approach because patient use Facebook, Instagram and other social outlet daily, it can promote interaction with your patients and will help the business seem more dedicated and promote participation with patients in other areas, this platform allows you to address patient complaints, needs, or suggestions and help you to know them better. Next, when a patient is seeking care that want the doctor to be transparent about the information they are delivering this can make the patient and provider relationship more satisfying if information isn’t is held back from them, they will mistrust you and may feel they are mistreated, and they may not follow the provider advice. Lastly, listen to the patient is saying, they want you to treat them as a person and make direct eye contact when conversing with them and inform the staff about the importance of small gestures. Alton, L. (2016. Para 1-9).

Loyal Repeat Customers

In a study suggested by Mangrolia, (2018, Para 1-16) that when patients are loyal to the clinic or hospital they are more than likely to return for further services of try new products. When establishing loyalty within the clinic, your impression is the first thing that the patients sees. Always give a warm and friendly greeting, and address the patient by name. This will build self-assurance in the patient knowing that they made the right choice in choosing your organization. You should always follow-up with the patient to see if they are happy with the services that they received and asked what the clinic could have done better. Offering a reward program to the patient to build points and once that reach the total number of points they can redeem points for free services.

When the patient has established a relationship with the clinic he/she is more than likely to spend more money with each visit, this well increase revenue for the clinic without trying to bring in a new clientele. The most effective way to reduce cost to the clinic is by word of mouth, when loyal customers are happy and satisfied they will market your organization for you and even bring in their friends and family members. You can also create a 24-hour online message broad or web page to answer frequent question or problems the patient may have and offer solutions.

A Vital part in the healthcare clinic is forecasting, this helps the organization to get an idea of future cost, deductions, and plan for future emergencies, without forecasting it will be difficult to plan for future hospital investment. We also should focus on improving the hospital image this will help obtain new patients, increase profits, decrease advertising cost and form new corporations. The clinic should stand out from your competition because your rival may offer the same services or product and through your client loyalty your organization will gain more popularity.

Lastly, honest opinions received from loyal clients about the outstanding customer service and the products your clinic or organization provides can improve patient satisfaction and keep patient coming to the clinic and decrease the about of patients that are lost due to dissatisfaction.

Improving Loyalty

When improving customer loyalty we must first earn the respect of the client to develop a relationship, and gain their trust and loyalty this will occur over time. We must go above and beyond the customers’ expectations if we want them to buy from you. Cordle, J. (2016. Para 1-4)

Medical supply companies strive on improving customer loyalty when buying equipment or products the clients’ focus is how much will it cost? According to Bulter, H. (2016. Para 2-8). To gain loyalty from customers we can make a connection over the core values of the company through communication, teaching and recognizing the value. We must provide clarity when problems occur and they should be handled quickly, the medical supply company is responsible for updating the organization often about the equipment or supplies.

The standing of the company should be built on reliability. If you make promises to the organization about products and supplies we need to do everything to make sure we follow through with what we said we will do. Asking for customer feedback is essential when seeking out loyalty this will help to make improvements and build stronger customer relationship and finally we need to respond quickly when issues or obstacles arises. It is important to reach out to your customers first before they seek out help and voice complains.

Initial Training

When developing an initial training plan for my medical company based on the recommendations, my organization thought it would be important to train the employees on the safe use of durable medical equipment or supplies.

This training will include all employees and supervisors that are in use of any durable medical equipment or supplies to ensure that employees are able and trained to safely operate the equipment, and that risk management systems are in place and being followed. We need to make sure that the staff using the equipment or supplies are competent, to ensure the competency of the employees they will be trained, well informed and proficient when operating equipment.

The policies that are in place defines Medical Devices as any piece of equipment or artifact that is used including software to use on human beings to include diagnosis, prevention, watching, and treatment of diseases, injuries, or handicap. Medical devices are also used for examining, replacement or changing of the body and physical appearance. The purpose of this policy is to ensure safe practices are being used and to ensure medical judgment is exercised at all times, rather in a clinical or emergency situation. To avoid legal liability and, when using your professional judgment any changes to this policy needs to be noted on an incident form.

Scope

Davis Medical Supply along with Winn Army Community Hospital goal is to make sure all staff who operates any medical equipment do so safely. It is trusted that all employees involved in patient care follow the rules of this policy. This policy is used to diagnostic and treatment of patients and not to include using in the laboratory setting.

Aims

To make sure employee who operate diagnostic equipment or supplies do so safely and be mindful of their responsibilities and exhibit competency through training programs. All records concerning training should be kept at the executive level to ensure all employees training is current.

Duties

All hospital staff that use medical equipment should be aware of their responsibilities and act in accordance under these policies and have completed competency training in the use of the equipment when used individually. On, completion of competency training information needs to be recorded on the Medical Equipment training record system and made available via learning on the organization intranet. When adjustment are needed it should be talked over with their supervisor relating to any disability that is necessary to meet the terms of the current policy. All employees who use medical equipment needs to follow the principles before using any medical devices and should only use equipment recognized on the medical equipment inventory list. Equipment is not to be used unless trained and competent to do so. The supervisor must identify the training that is required of the employees, and the employee must complete the training through self-assessment by their preceptor to operate alone. Equipment should be examined for damage before using and the location of the manual should be readily available.

When you are a manager of medical equipment your responsibility include recording the use of equipment on the inventory sheet. Discussing with the employee which equipment they are expected to use and the method for training and proficiency and regular updates. It is the manager’s job to ensure all employees are well trained and competent to use the equipment, and ensuring that competency records for the medical devices are being used.

Davis Medical supply is responsible for developing, applying and observing compliance with the current policy to guarantee safe practices and developing an action plan inadequate assertion of compliance with the policy.

Training

The unit manager is responsible to compile and inventory the use of all medical equipment that is used in their area and should be inventoried annually or new equipment is introduced. The department manager and executive needs to review training relative to medical devices to detect the training and skills needed on employment or annual review which should include training updates and new equipment. When proper training is inaccessible from any sources, this needs to be labelled as a red flag and should be recorded the register until the problem is fixed the equipment cannot be used. Until the workers who use the equipment have completed the required competency assessment and device training including examining equipment prior to use no equipment will be used.

Competency Statement

All physicians using supplies or equipment individually are deemed competent in the safe and operative use of the equipment must show competency to their supervisor. When training on the use of the medical equipment including its functions and operations this training should be provided by a skilled physician. Competency statement are posted by the approving person on the hospital intranet labelled as Medical Equipment Competencies. If any employees are unable to exhibit proficiency in the operation of medical equipment the supervisor must make arrangements for the employee to be retrained. The staff employed with the hospital must complete the hospital induction program it includes topics such as infection Control, competencies, Reporting incidents. When new equipment is introduced to the clinic training should be required before using and recorded on the hospital medical device training recording system located on the intranet. When referring to equipment seek out the Medical Equipment policy.

Equality and Diversity

The hospital is committed to making sure the services that are provided, and the way employees are being treated mirrors their specific needs and does not discriminate against the employees. (Clinical Policy Group, 2016, p.1-5)

REFERENCES

1. Alton, L. (2016). 5 Strategies for Higher Customer Loyalty in a Healthcare Setting Retrieved from http://customerthink.com/5-strategies-for-higher-customer-loyalty-in-a-healthcare-setting/
2. Bulter, H. (2016).5 Ways to Earn Your Customer’s Loyalty Retrieved from https://roicallcentersolutions.com/customerservice/5-ways-to-earn-your-customers-loyalty/
3. Cordle, J. (2016). Six Strategies to Increase Patient Loyalty https://www.healthcaresuccess.com/blog/doctor-marketing/six-strategies-to-increase-patient-loyalty.html
4. Mangrolia, A. (2018). Importance of Patient Retention: 8 Benefits That Every Practice Loves Retrieved from https://www.practicebuilders.com/blog/importance-of-patient-retention-8-benefits-that-every-practice-loves/
5. The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. (2016, December) Training in the Safe Use of Medical Devices Policy. Retrieved from http://www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk/downloads/policies/Operational/TrainingintheSafeUseofMedicalDevicesPolicy201701.pdf
6. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s21565en/s21565en.pdf

Introduction

Brand loyalty is extremely significant when sports are involved. Sports fans complete many activities to help their clubs. A growing approach that sports marketers use is the determination of how sports fans are loyal. This loyalty is used to create exceptionally strong principles about their team; hence this builds a resilient brand image. This image is key, as it not only represents the brand but also the team. H. Bauer, H. (2008). ‘Loyal sports consumers are people who will remain with the team over an extended period. The behavioral consistency or repeat patronage that characterizes loyalty is a significant financial goal for many organizations, and yet true loyalty needs to be considered as more than simply the inertia of engaging in team-related behaviors.” Kaynak, E. (2007). What are the different types of fans and how do they help their sports teams? What different types of activities can fans complete to help their club? Our group created our model that will answer our question and this research will also explain how the model works. Hunt, K., Bristol, T. and Bashaw, E. (1999). (See Figure 1) This research paper will detail what activities brand-loyal sports fans complete to support their teams.

Why are sports fans loyal to their supported team?

Fan loyalty is separated into two different proportions: behavioral and attitudinal. There are various behavioral types of loyalty that a fan can complete. These types include buying tickets for sporting events, viewing sports on television, word-of-mouth discussions about sports, and obtaining different types of sports products, e.g. training jackets. The attitudinal type is when a fan is committed to a certain sports team or player. This specific type focuses on personal choice and resistance to changing the individual’s favorite team. These two complex proportions differentiate the commitment of a fan; however, these two proportions are similar as they have a lot in common. The similarities are the commitment of the fans – these include resistance, struggle, and cognitive intricacy. This proves the loyal bond a fan has to a certain sports team and the total engagement the fan provides to its team. D. James, J. (1997).

Loyalty is one of the most studied variables in marketing, as it is a concept of how customers stay loyal to one brand. Customer commitment is common to drive the loyal thoughts fans feel towards their favorite sports team. Without a commitment from a customer, businesses have minimized the chance of a repetitive purchase, e.g. When a sports fan is purchasing a team’s new season t-shirt each year when it is introduced. Customer commitment to a sports team is common to have an important and optimistic influence on customer loyalty’s actions and insights. Customers have mutual values with sports fans, as both are consuming products produced by a manufacturer, e.g. When a fan buys a ticket for a sporting event to support his acquired football team. A. Martin, C. (2013).

Most fans enjoy being involved with their sports teams. Involvement extends to emotional attachment to the sport. Emotional attachment means the sports team plays a significant part of their life and is key to their lifestyle. In sports terms, the involvement of a fan insinuates the value of importance a fan gives to the sport. This indicates the level of the fans’ beliefs that sport has to them and the relevance it plays in their own lives. Sports fans also keep updated with their teams through media, e.g. news, scores, and analysis of their team. Stevens, S. (2012).

Team loyalty is when a fan is completely dedicated to a certain team and has full allegiance to the team constructed on the spectator’s attentiveness to the team over some time. Fan loyalty is the high commitment that a sports fan has to the team. Commitment isn’t the only thing that is associated with fan loyalty, although additionally it is associated with intimacy, mutuality, interaction, and trust. For example, soccer fans are the most loyal fans in the sporting world and they maintain a deep relationship with their desired clubs. The loyalty of fans can be seen through emotions. These emotions are implemented by the performances of their team; whether they are winning or losing. Within a sporting event, the two teams’ aim is impartial as their agenda is the same. The emotional status of fans can be seen in media sources such as newspapers and Television. The emotions of fans are seen in images, e.g. When Leicester FC won the premier league in 2016; fans took to the streets with flags to celebrate. (See Figure 2) Koenigstorfer, J. (2010).

Sports fans are great spectators as they influence a team’s success. If there is a higher number of sports fans at a certain team’s event, it can entice companies to sponsor the team. However, if a fan base is minor it is going to find it difficult to attract many large corporation sponsorship deals. Fans create a club to become superior, if there is a large fan base; it therefore reinforces that sports fans have an emotional loyal obligation towards a team. Many fans attend sports events to gain knowledge about that particular sport and improve their physical fitness by watching these events to motivate them in their own lives. The fan loyalty of a sports fan is crucial to reaching a worldwide audience. These unique fans are fully committed to their team and it is ‘arguably unparalleled in other business or leisure sectors”. In the business world, brand loyalty is on the decline between customers and the brand. However, within the sports world, fans have shown various amounts of loyalty, this loyalty is also apparent when the team is also performing poorly. Samra, B. (2014).

Our Model

Our team chose this solution as we could give comprehensive answers; therefore this is why we came up with our model for our question, “To reveal the types of activities brand loyal sports fans perform to support their teams.” The model we created classifies certain types of sports fans and explains what activities they do to help their supported team. The following model will explain the different types of sports fans, but also what activities they complete.

“To reveal the types of activities brand loyal sports fans perform to support their teams.” (See figure 1)

1. Classifying sports fan types
2. Different types of fans
3. Type of Activity

What are the different types of fans?

There are different classifications of sports fans which can also be entitled if fragmented down as “serious” and “normal” sports fans. However, these five fans are classified as Temporary fans, local fans, devoted fans, fanatical fans, and dysfunctional fans. A. Hunt, K. (1999).

Temporary fan

A temporary fan is an individual who believes in wearing objects that identify with the sports team. This certain type of fan’s attention in the team is time inhibited. After this certain period has finished, the fan is not a fan and has lost interest in the team. The fan is only a passing fan for this period, and they may choose a different sport to be interested in rather than another team in the same sport. The time boundary can range from hours to years and after this time is over, the ‘temporary fan’ is no longer interested in the sports team.

Local fan

A local fan is completely different from a temporary fan, they are not restricted to periods but they are bordered by geographic limitations. Within this geographic area, the fan is regarded as ‘local’. This is when the fan supports its closest local team. The ‘local’ fan can become similar to a ‘temporary’ fan, however, this fan is still under a restriction, for example: If the ‘local’ fan decides to move location, their loyal devotion to the team may change due to the length of travel time it takes to get to their previously supported team. The local fans’ motivation is mostly decided by geographic locality, nevertheless, if the fans are completely loyal to the team they will still support them.

Devoted fan

Another type of fan is a ‘devoted fan’. A devoted fan can begin their support either as a temporary or local fan. There are no restrictions that occur to a devoted fan, they are completely motivated by the sports team. The motivation of the fans towards the team is increased even more rather than the other fans, as they are defeating the restrictions of time and locality. However, the devoted fan is completely loyal to their supported team and is committed to this team. Even if there are humiliating demotions or promotions for their team, devoted fans thrive on of the intensity of their feelings. This certain type of fan identifies themselves as a ‘loyal’ supporter and wants people to identify them as a key team supporter.

Fanatical fan

The ‘fanatical fan’ is engaged in producing ‘fan-like’ behavior, they are very comparable to a devoted fan. This particular fan is not restricted to periods or distance, they are more inclined to the sports team than a devoted fan. However, both of these fans may possess similar characteristics to a devoted fan, and therefore they appear the same on paper. This fan puts their sports team on the same level as family, work, and religion. The individual believes that they are more than a fan and part of the club as a whole. For example, in American football, fanatical fans of the New York Jets painted their whole body and face in the team’s colors to show their dedication. (See Figure 3)

Dysfunctional fan

The final type of fan is a ‘dysfunctional fan’. This type of fan utilizes the sports team for self-identification as it identifies themselves as an association of the sports team. This ‘dysfunctional fan’ is different from a ‘fanatical fan’ as a dysfunctional fan is seen as a primary form of self-identification rather than an important part of self-identification. Both of these fans display ‘fan-like’ behavior, but dysfunctional fans are more inclined to take part in anti-social behavior, e.g. British soccer fans are known for fan violence and this is known as ‘hooliganism’. They believe that they are fighting for their team against other team supporters. (See Figure 4)

Activities that sports fans complete for their teams

The supported club never questions a sports fan’s loyalty. It is unusual for a fan to have a problem with the sports club that they are dedicated to. However, within the world of football, there has always been a problem with a club and its fans; either it is financial difficulties or the team isn’t performing to a high standard. Fans can own football clubs and these clubs are usually less likely to have financial struggles. Supporters are less profit-driven and focus on the long-term achievements of the club, for example: one of the biggest football clubs in the world, which is owned by fans, is Barcelona FC and it is one of the highly successful clubs. O’Shaughnessy, J. (2019).

Football fans feel indebted to support their teams financially. If the team is struggling financially, it will not be able to pay its professional players and sign new players. Therefore, this demotivates the players and in turn, lowers the playing performance of the team. The club cannot purchase new players due to financial difficulties; a fan can purchase merchandise and tickets which will therefore help the club gain profit and sales revenue. Attachment has been identified as a major determinant of relationships between fans and professional sports clubs, for example: Bury FC fans cleaned 11,640 seats at Gigg Lane Ground to help their club and to urge the selling of the club. (See Figure 5) Sports fans in general play a major part in how a club is run and influence how the team performs by showing their willingness to help the team’s success. de Ruyter, K. (2000).

Another example of football fans helping their club is ‘Real Oviedo’ which is also located in Spain. The club was struggling financially and bankruptcy was only a matter of time. However, a fan’s loyalty is important for a club to survive. The fans raised funds for the club and they are now halfway to reaching their target. Social media played a key role for fans to express their heartfelt love for the club by trying to fundraise online too. This proves that a sports fans club means a significant amount of affection towards them in their lives. Wilson, J. (2012).

Conclusion

This research paper has assisted in determining the types of activities brand-loyal sports fans perform to support their teams. The general view is to what different types of fans there are and what activities do they perform to show their loyalty to their chosen sports team. As the research paper was carried out, there was an exploration of what fans existed and how they helped their teams. In this paper, I talked about how loyalty with fans was shown through the activities that they perform for their sports teams. “Individuals characterized as loyal fans are thought to demonstrate particular behaviors: talking and reading about sports, watching sports, and purchasing sport-related products. While an individual may demonstrate fan behaviors, an accurate assessment of fan loyalty should consider an individual’s behavior and commitment to a sport, team, or player. Commitment is thought to be characterized by cognitive complexity, volition, and resistance to change.” D. James, J. (1997). Sports clubs have recognized the affection that fans show for their team by offering supporter clubs in certain areas, e.g. In Northern Ireland, there is a Downpatrick Manchester United Supporters Club, which allows fans to get priority access to tickets if they are a member. (See figure 6) The types of activities loyal fans perform can include helping the team financially to volunteering at sporting events. Sports fans are unique due to their strong commitment to a certain team, if the team needs support, the fan will certainly assist. These points within my research paper have indicated the wide knowledge and understanding of the different types of activities brand-loyal sports fans perform to support their teams.

Recommendations

• Sports clubs have to demonstrate further acknowledgment of their fan base and make sure that they are comfortable enough to stay loyal to the team, e.g. Christmas letters to members of the club to show recognition that they are important to them.
• Brand managers of the sports team should concentrate on directing products toward temporary, devoted, and fanatical fans. However, the sports team can only find out what type of fans they have through primary market research, e.g. Asking fans to fill out a questionnaire before a sporting event.
• Fans should try and help their teams in more ways, for example: After a sporting event, fans could help clean and pick up rubbish. This happened in Japan, as Japanese international football fans helped clear rubbish from the ground. (See Figure 6)