Baby Dumping Among the Teenagers

The pie chart shows what could immediate reason for the teenagers to dump babies. There are several reasons for them to dump babies.Based on figure 6, 71% shows the reason for the teenagers to dump babies is feeling ashamed, followed by afraid of parent approval which is contributed 29%.As a conclusion, most of respondents choose afraid of parent approval as an immediate reason for the teenagers to dump babies.Figure 2 The chart above shows respond from respondents about is it fair to dump a baby if the mother is forced to. Based on the figure above, 17.6% of the respondents say yes about this question. Beside that 82.4% of respondent say no.As a conclusion, majority of respondent say no. In fact, child is a priceless gift from Allah SWT. So that is very unfair to punish them because of our sin. It is narrated in holy Al-Quran 81: 8-9 :â€Å"When the girl-child that was buried alive, Is asked for what crime she was slain?'.Therefore, dump a baby not a solution to address this issue. Factors influence of baby dumpingFigure 3From the figures the three highest factors influence of baby dumping are lack of religious upbringing, poor application of religious knowledge and lack of parented care supervision.Figure 1 above showed 20 respondents choosing the lack of religious upbringing is the highest factors responsible for the problem of baby dumping among teenagers in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, 17 respondents choosing the poor application of religious knowledge as a factor number 2 and 11 respondents choosing the lack of parented care supervision as a factor number 3 as a causes for the problem of baby dumping among teenagers in Kuala Lumpur.As a conclusion, there are seven causes of baby dumping. Out of the seven causes of baby dumping from our survey, respondents have choosing the 3 main causes namely, lack of religious upbringing, poor application of religious knowledge and lack of parented care supervision and the two lowest factors of baby dumping are media influe nce and economic problem (poverty).Seven main causes of baby dumping among teenagers in Kuala Lumpur1. Lack of religious upbringing In this case, we don’t deny that the lack of religious upbringing is the main reason for baby dumping cases to occur. Usually, groups of adolescents are involved in the case of abandoned babies. Lack of religious teachings and guidance to life cause them to lose direction in life and engage in negative symptoms, such as free association. Adolescents who are engaged in free sex tend to result in unwanted pregnancy before marriage. In this situation, teens who lose their faith measure inhumane and would leave their newborns  in places like public toilets, litter bins, side drains and so on2. Poor application of religious knowledge â€Å"Religious prayer pole† said our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. When someone lacks of their religious prayers, their whole life is damaged. Without religious, humans are blind as they cannot have proper guidance to life.3. Lack of parental care supervision Sometimes, parents are always busy with their work. Teenagers must pay attention to them a lot. They need love and they need friends to talk about their problems. Some teenagers like to take opinions from their friends of different gender. When that happen, some of their boyfriends take advantage to do free promiscuity. When unwanted babies are born they are dumped because of absence of adult adence.4. Family break-up Family break-ups happen after a long period of misunderstandings, fighting and unhappiness. Sometimes they happen suddenly and it is hard for children to understand the situation. Children are mostly affected by this kind of situation. If both their mother and father decide to a divorce and cannot raise their children alone, the tendency is that they will dump their child. This child will become homeless and find himself alone.5. Peer Influence In addition, peer influence also leads to cases of baby dumping occurred. This is b ecause at a young age, teens are very easily influenced by their peers. This problem becomes worse when they associate with negative peers. Negative friends will invite young people to do things outside the boundaries of religion and norms of society, such as going to places of entertainment such as disco, taking drugs and doing free association. Many teens who fall into promiscuity, and eventually reach a dead end to find her self with unwanted pregnancy. In desperation, they have to discard their babies.6. Media influence As we know, media such as Majalah Mangga, URTV always publishes many articles and news about social life. Sometimes television also highlights social life. Such matters encourage teenagers to follow the example expose.7. Economic problem (poverty) If the teenagers come from poor family, they always have economic problem. Sometimes they see economic problem as a one way to go far away from the family. Sometimes they become prostitude to make some easy money. So fr om promiscuous activity. When unwanted babies are borned, without think, they dump the babies anywhere without mercy.

Cause of Children Obesity: Marketing of Unhealthy Foods Essay

â€Å"Daddy, there it is†¦ please stop,† my kids yell and scream from the back seat of the car as we pass by the signature golden arches of McDonalds. My children recognize the golden arches, the leprechaun on Lucky Charms cereal, and all the characters from Tinkerbell, to Dora to Scooby Doo on all the boxes of fruit snacks. Yet no one is screaming for a stick of cheese, an apple, or a banana at snack time. It’s amazing really, that foods loaded with extra calories, sugar, and fat have a colorful, fun friend attached to enhance their marketing and foods that are healthier like milk, cheese, bread and chicken do not. Everywhere you look from TV, billboards, to creative packaging unhealthy foods are being pushed to our young consumers in an irresistible manner. The US rate for childhood obesity and health issue is at an all-time high and yet we wonder why. The Marketing of unhealthy food to children, has led to the overwhelming health issues in the lives of our present generations. The creative presentation of sugar loaded, calorie laden and salt ridden snacks makes it nearly impossible for parents to offer healthier snacks to their children or to fight obesity with healthier living, therefore leading to the health issues. The advertising of unhealthy foods makes it difficult for parents to encourage healthy eating to children and leads to the obesity of the youth. Unhealthy fast food is posted all over the place and it is designed to grab the attention of the consumer on all levels. In the majority of cases it’s cheap, fast, and convenient and the packaging and presentation makes it almost impossible to say no. There are very few advertisements that focus on healthy choices for kids. I disagree, that the marketing of unhealthy foods makes it impossible for parents to present other alternatives. I do believe that marketing creates more enticing alternatives, but in my opinion it’s ultimately the parents decision what to give a child and no one is forcing them to make that decision. There are plenty of ways to present healthier alternatives to children that make them more appealing, yet they may be more time consuming and at times not seen as being as economical. However, I personally did a little experiment where I compared the amount I spent eating out for an entire week breakfast, lunch and dinner to the amount spent purchasing healthier foods and preparing my meals at home. At the end of the week I had spent $10 less eating at home than I did eating out. Yes, it was more time consuming but as they say anything worth having is worth fighting for and what is a little time when it comes to your children’s health and well-being. The second major issue with creative marketing of unhealthy foods is the difficulty it creates in fighting obesity and promoting a healthier lifestyle. Most favorite snacks and meals that are encouraged are high in calories, salt and sugar which lead excess weight gain and cause non-communicable diseases like high blood pressure and juvenile diabetes. They also are not high in nutritional value, leading to low energy levels, further causing sedentary lifestyles and sluggish behavior. I disagree that marketing alone makes it difficult to encourage healthier living, because more goes into play in healthy living than what you eat alone. I believe that the advancement of technology and generation X, also encourages a very sedentary lifestyle. Young people are not nearly as active as earlier generations because technology puts everything within sitting reach for entertainment, and all the blame can’t rest on big bad food marketing. However with that being pointed out, I do believe it all goes back to parenting. In my opinion parents who encourage more active lifestyles, sports and creative alternatives to gaming systems, laptops and TV help to fight obesity. Taking responsibility for your children’s health, diets and activity levels is part of the responsibility of parenting, and to simply blame it on marketing and fast food restaurants because you don’t want the hassle of saying no repeatedly, standing your ground or being the bad guy is simply a scape goat.

Barclays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Barclays - Essay Example According to Needham (1999), organization is the system that has a conventional structure and cognizant planning, in which people deal and work with one another in a supportive and synchronized manner for the achievement of common and recognized goal. Barclays is a major financial service provider in UK , engaged in retail banking, investment banking, credit cards, corporate banking and wealth management (Plunkett, 2005). They have marked their presence in other countries of the world like Europe, Asia, Africa and United States. The company is operating in more than 50 countries and has employed 147000 people (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Treasury Committee, 2011). Barclays looks towards investing and protecting the money of their clients and customers from all over the world. Organizational Structure Organizational structure is the hierarchy of the organization that shows how the elements within the organization works together to accomplish the common organizational goals. The organizational structure encompasses employees, departments, responsibilities of the employees, resources they require as well as the relation between the department and the employees working within the organization ... Barclays believes in an organizational structure that encourages continuity of the firm in investment processes. The organizational structure of Barclays is divided into several work groups and units according to their knowledge, expertise, resources and skill. Barclays is headed by the Chairman Sir David Walker. The Group Chief Executive Antony Jenkins is responsible for the strategic planning and direction of all the operations taking place in Barclays (Jenkins, 2013). He reports directly to the Chairman of the organization. The operations of Barclays are divided into two broad categories: Global Retail and Commercial Banking and Investment Banking and Management (Barclays Bank PLC, 2006). The Retail Banking business encompasses the retail banking, business banking, international retail and commercial banking (including and excluding Absa) and Barclays cards (Barclays, 2010). The Chief Executive who looks after all the operations of the Global retail and Commercial banking is also responsible for taking strategic decisions. The president of Barclays PLC and the Chief Executive is responsible for looking after the Investment Banking and Management section. Investment Banking and Management encompasses area like Barclays Capital, Barclays Global Investors and Barclays Wealth. All the decisions related to this branch are taken by the Chief Executive. All the Chief executives, Group finance Director, Group Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Barclays reports directly to the Group Chief Executive (Barclays Bank PLC, 2006). All the departments like finance, marketing, human resource, audit, risk, investment banking,

Compare and contrast book and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Compare and contrast book and film - Essay Example fting an age, contriving the attendant characters and showcasing an animal protagonist, with the objective of making them have an overall feel of this nonfiction drama through the medium of written word. In contrast, the movie version that is Seabiscuit is both versatile and constrained in many ways. The movie Seabiscuit does afford to extend to the viewers a very rich and all round sensory experience, going by the fact that it could directly stimulate the senses of the viewers. However, cinema being an art form constrained in terms of its time span, the need to retain emotional and factual continuity and the imperative to bring in drama, the movie does drop much in terms of the facts, characters and details, when compared to the book. Thereby, the book Seabiscuit: An American Legend is a well researched, detailed and engrossing nonfictional, biographical narrative, providing much information about and insight into the Great Depression, the sport of horse racing, and how a legendary race horse symbolized the resilient and unflinching spirit of those times. In comparison, the 2003 movie Seabiscuit happens to be a miniaturized human drama involving three shattered humans and an equally reclusive race horse, which somehow helps them come to terms with their hurt and loss. Yet, irrespective of the differences shown by these two works of art, going by the medium they subscribe to, to showcase an era and a sport, the movie Seabiscuit though compromising on facts, characters and details, does manage to retain the quintessential spirit and feel inherent in the book it is based on. When it comes to comparing and contrasting the film and the book it is based on, one does need to mention that they very names of the book and the movie do elaborate on as to how they differ in terms of their focus, appeal and the intended impact. The book Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by its very name does convey that it’s a non-fiction, biographical and historical work that conveys the

English Composition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

English Composition - Essay Example Now I understand that gay marriages are to be considered an essential human rights issue. It could raise the social statues and economic stability of the sexual minority of gays and lesbians. The civil rights aspect of it stems from the question of equality for all individuals. Homosexuals have to be treated on an equal basis in the socio-cultural sphere, and be provided equal opportunities to participate in all possible areas of public domain. The narrow-minded arguments against it by religious sects and homophobes have to be addressed and disproved so as to defend the basic rights of homosexuals. One may need to redefine the parameters of family structure to accommodate gay marriages, but that will only strengthen the possibilities of tackling the issues of dissent in the general social structure. A few of the controversial issues related to gay marriages have to be addressed and analyzed to make this view clear. The real reasons behind the arguments against gay marriages go deeper to the levels of ignorance and lack of proper understanding among human beings. Many are misinformed regarding the nature of gay relationships and consider it as something entirely different from heterosexual relationships. Gay relationships are often perceived to be all about sex, but that is hardly the issue. The reality is that homosexuality is based on mutual attraction, love and affection, very much like in the case of heterosexuality. If the commonly held misconceptions regarding gay relationships can be eradicated, the prospect of gay marriages can be understood clearly. The false presumption that a marriage can take place only between a man and woman has to be uprooted. Nor does one have to fall for the argument that the basic purpose of marriage is procreation. The element of immorality attached to gay relationships is also

China Unicom's entrance in Brazil for mobile network Essay

China Unicom's entrance in Brazil for mobile network - Essay Example China Unicom’s Entry Strategic Plan 12 5.1 Product Segmentation 12 5.2 Customer Behaviour 13 5.3 Distribution Channel 13 5.4 Risk Mitigation 14 5.5 Political Implementation 14 6. Conclusion and Recommendations 16 References 17 1. Introduction 1.1 Background In relation to the recent phenomenon of the unconventional business environment, organisations are often recognised to expand their business subsidiaries across different foreign business markets. Moreover, the rapid pace in economic stabilisation of the global countries has long been witnessed to motivate the global marketers for implementing aggressive expansion strategy in order to strengthen their global presence and sustainability in any business industry. In this similar context, Brazil can be duly considered as one of the major and highly preferred business locations for the global marketers while intending to expand their respective business subsidiaries (Rugraff & Hansen, 2011). According to the present day context , Brazil has been identified to attain greater interests of the global marketers to extend their business locations. ... Aims and Objectives Emphasising the increased level in business expansion by the international marketers, the essay intends to critically understand the rising opportunity and develop an effective country analysis for China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd (China Unicom) in the Brazilian telecom business industry. In this regard, the aims and objectives of this research are to analyse the economic environment and also the current trend of the telecom industry prevailing in the respective business location. Moreover, the identification of certain specific issues along with challenges persisting in the respective industry as well as in the country or the business market is also the other aim and objective of this research. Moreover, the essay would also focus on demonstrating the current political environment of Brazil and prepare a relevant entry strategy for China Unicom. 2. China Unicom 2.1 Introduction Officially established in the year 2009, China United Network Communi cations Group Co. Ltd (China Unicom) is regarded as one of the leading and dominant telecom service providers across the globe. The organisation is recognised as the merger of the leading telecom service provider of China Netcom and previously developed China Unicom. The organisation is widely renowned as one of the dominant telecom service providers in terms of providing an extensive fixed-line network across its widely accessed global subsidiaries. Moreover, China Unicom is also observed in offering its range of high-speed along with higher-capacity based transmission networks to its global customers. During the year 2008, the company was able to gain its assets beyond 5 hundred billion Yuan and also recorded to incorporate in excess of 460,000 global employees across its different

Social Security Administration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Security Administration - Research Paper Example Social Security Act which was enacted in 1935 should be considered to be that starting point of Social Security programs. However, it was not until 1937 when the Supreme Courted proved the constitutionality of this piece of legislation (â€Å"Social Security History†, 2014). That is why this year was the first to witness the American government providing benefits to its citizens. In spite of the fact that the first people to receive these benefits were workers who retired, with the help of acts that were issue further in history, the scope was expanded to other categories of people. If one takes a look at the programs that are currently implemented in the United Stated within the framework of Social Security, one will have to note the following one. First of all, it is the oldest of them which is titled Federal Old-Age (Retirement), Survivors, and Disability Insurance. The next one is called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Then, there are several ones which focus on provision of healthcare services. The first of them is Medicare and the second is Medicaid. The program that should also be mentioned is Supplemental Security Income which has already helped a lot of people. Today with the help of technology it is rather easy to calculate benefits that a person is entitled to. Social Security Administration website contains a lot of calculators that will do it in no time. However, the basic algorithm for this is the following: a person multiplies actual earnings by index in order to get indexed earnings (â€Å"Your Retirement Benefit: How It Is Figured†). After certain adjustments are applied this number is divided and the result is how much money the person will be entitled to each month. Other than money that a person will get after the retirement, there are other benefits that ensure that a surviving spouse will be entitled to the money that late

The spread of diseases on poor countries Research Paper

The spread of diseases on poor countries - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that in some cases, diseases of poverty are considered to be obstacles to economic development that would curb poverty. In contrast to diseases of poverty are diseases of affluence. Affluence diseases are ailments or disabilities that are more prevalent in developed countries. Activists claim that virtually all diseases of poverty in underdeveloped countries are neglected. Many scholars argue that the pharmaceutical industry has not taken any substantial steps in investing and has failed to devote sufficient efforts in research for these diseases. It is estimated that nearly 14 million people die every year due to diseases of poverty. A large proportion of these diseases are curable with existing medicines with some actually been avoidable. Notably, most of these diseases in underdeveloped countries stems from poverty. These societies are plagued by poor nutrition, lack of access to the quality or proper sanitation, poor health education, and increased air poll ution. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 45% of the diseases in underdeveloped countries are associated with poverty. Alone, Gastroenteritis which is commonly associated with diarrhea is responsible for approximately 1.9 million deaths in young children every year with the majority of these been from low-income countries. Based on research, some of these diseases have been neglected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies these diseases as priorities for health actions considering the number of people infected. Tuberculosis is the leading diseases in causing death across the globe.

The Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Organization - Essay Example A focused supply chain strategy has enabled Tesco to strengthen its UK based business and expand it to new global markets. To achieve its purpose of expansion, Tesco heavily relies on comprehensive analysis of its supply chain data. Tesco's supply chain analysis processes have earned it a profit of millions of pounds by recognising various opportunities such as carrying out effective promotions and reducing waste (Sukati & Baharun, 2011). Customers. Customers are the jugular vein of a business enterprise. They are the most valuable asset of an organisation and Tesco is no exception in this regard. The core purpose of Tesco is to create value for its customers and earn their lifetime loyalty. The success of Tesco can rightly be attributed to its widely spread customers who have enabled it to emerge as a market leader of retail business. Satisfaction of customers directly leads to greater sales and profits; therefore, Tesco sticks to two major values when dealing with its customers. No -one tries harder for customers, and Treat people as we like to be treated. Tesco offers a wide range of products to cater the needs of its diverse customers. Although Tesco offers numerous cheap products, Tesco Finest products are a specialty of Tesco, available for its premium customers. Some of the well renowned Tesco brands are Cherokee, F&F and Healthy Living (Clark, 2013). Planning. The purchase request initiated by Tesco’s customers is followed by a production plan that is adopted by its planning department to manufacture a product according to the requirements mentioned by the customer. The planning department takes great pains to prepare a dynamic and vigorous plan utilizing all materials and resources to fulfill all requirements put forth by Tesco’s customers. Suppliers. Tesco has the opportunity to collaborate with thousands of suppliers around the globe who are experts in diverse aspects of business operations. To exchange knowledge with its supply chains a nd keep abreast of the rapidly changing needs of the supply chain industry, Tesco has set up an online Tesco Knowledge Hub to share best practices with its suppliers on an everyday basis (Malley & Palmer, 2010). Being a pioneer in delivering safe and responsibly sourced quality products through its retail stores, the sole purpose of Tesco is to create value for money and gain an everlasting loyalty of its customers. To achieve this goal, Tesco has nine sourcing offices around the world that enable it to source products from across 40 countries and collaborate with a large number of suppliers who are the major contributors in strengthening and materialising its core values. Tesco makes special arrangements for training courses and workshops of its suppliers. These training workshops are aimed at elaborating its standards, creating an awareness of ethical issues and establishing supplier confidence while dealing with all such issues in their respective countries and factories (Malley & Palmer, 2010). Warehousing and Distribution Centres. In Europe, North America and Asia alone, the number of stores is 5,380. It is the undisputed leader of the grocery market in the United Kingdom, where its market share is close to 30 percent. Warehousing and distribution

Gravitational energy Essay Example for Free

Gravitational energy Essay This is the gravitational energy lost by the jumper and when plotted, this graph should be linear. I could plot these on the same axis the point where the two graphs intersect is the extension at which the jumper comes to rest. Unfortunately my Eel-extension graph did not turn out as expected in a nice smooth curve but was instead all over the place and would not intersect g=mg(l+x) at all. To correct this I plotted the cumulative elastic energy against extension giving me the desired curve. Predicting the launch height In theory the point at which to two graphs meet should show the extension at which the jumper comes to rest. I must find the extension where the lines intersect, this can be done from reading off the graph. X=0. 61m To get the appropriate height of the jump for the Lego figure I must add the unstretched length of the chord to the extension where the lines intersect. h=l+x h=0. 5+0. 61 h=1. 11m Jumping from this height would mean the jumper would just skim the floor. The aim is to come within a safe distance of the floor so to get a safe- adjusted height I must add 0. 08m to my launch height. Safe height=1. 11+0. 08 Safe height=1. 19m Analysis According to my graph the point at which the two lines cross and hence the extension at which my Lego figure comes to rest is 0. 61m. Assuming the jumper starts from rest, the launch height for the jumper just to hit the floor will be 0. 5+0. 61=1. 11m. My graph shows no anomalies and both my lines are very smooth showing that the experiment has been carried out to a high degree of accuracy, however they are not plotted quite far enough for me to take a completely accurate reading from the graph of where the two lines intersect. In order to take the reading at all I have had to carry on my lines of best fit further than the points on the graph. When the predicted launch height was tested (not including the 0. 08m safety measure) the figure just hit the ground. When the safety adjusted height was used the jumper reached the bottom of the jump 0. 06m from the ground. This shows that without the safety adjustment the jumper fell 1. 13m showing my predicted launch height of 1. 11m was fairly accurate being only 0. 02m out. Percentage error = 1. 13 1. 11 1. 13 The use of triangles on the force extension graph when it was in fact curved led to small errors, the line was curved both inward and outward however most likely cancelling each other out leading to a fairly accurate total Eel.

Monitoring Meeting the Needs of Customers

Monitoring Meeting the Needs of Customers Task 1 a) Describe the different type of customers in your selected organisation, identify their needs and expectations External customers are those who purchase the product through the distributors and require after sales service either through the regular servicing of the cars or when the car does not meet their expectations through mechanical breakdown. The Mercedes-Benz product is targeted at the executive level and high standards are expected as the company has a â€Å"reputation for quality, value retention and prestige† (Mercedes-Benz 2004, p. 1). They have highlighted a desire to gain more of the fleet car market and have researched the needs and expectations of the fleet managers and found that the concept of depreciation is more important to them than the initial cost of the car (Mercedes-Benz 2004). Mercedes-Benz has introduced an incentive system for fleet managers to encourage them to purchase from the company. This includes offering a wide range of potential products and a choice in how the financial incentives are paid. In addition to the fleet managers, Mercedes-Benz also supplies individuals. In many ways, their needs will be similar to the fleet managers but, as they themselves will be the end user, their specific needs have to be identified and fulfilled. Mercedes-Benz fulfils this through the promotion of their brand as a status symbol. Mercedes-Benz also markets vans and offer a comprehensive package to allow customers to add additional features to their van during manufacture to ensure it will be able to meet their exact needs. Since 1992, they have also offered a database of used Mercedes-Benz vans for sale which assists the existing customers in selling their vehicle and attracts new ones into Mercedes-Benz ownership. The concept of internal customers includes the employees. Mercedes-Benz offers a comprehensive apprenticeship system to its technician and parts specialists which includes training programmes carried out at the new Mercedes-Benz National Apprentice Academy leading to nationally recognised qualifications. They believe their scheme is â€Å"one of the best apprenticeship training schemes in the UK† (Mercedes-Benz website). Mercedes-Benz sell their products through a series of dealerships as these can also be classed as internal customers. The dealerships need the support of the parent company to be able to provide what they have agreed with the customer. Mercedes-Benz must ensure it has a good, open relationship with it’s dealerships as the relationship is of mutual benefit. b) Give example of how this organisation ensure that their customer receive accurate and reliable information about their services? The Mercedes-Benz group market their product through a range of dealerships each of whom is allowed a large degree of autonomy in how they operate. They are supported by Mercedes-Benz through their website, probably the first port of call for an individual contemplating purchasing one of their cars. The parent company also offers advice and guidance to their distributors and provides practical support in terms of finance package options. On the main company website there is the facility to locate the nearest dealership to the potential customer. These dealerships also have their own websites where the customer can find the information they require or contact the dealership to make enquiries. The employees responsible to dealing with customer queries have extensive training on an ongoing basis to ensure their knowledge is current. c) How does this organisation measure how successful their customer services is? Each of the dealerships is able to introduce their own system of measuring customer satisfaction. A common method used is that of collecting feedback. The Inchcape dealership, for example, has â€Å"robust processes (to) ensure every customer is contacted following their visit, and the feedback is used daily to improve and enhance the quality of their service delivery where necessary† (Inchcape 2006, p. 1). Mercedes-Benz has a range of Key Performance Indicators which cover areas such as sales, customer satisfaction levels and service performance which each dealership is required to report on at regular intervals. Task 2 Sticking with the organisation that you are already familiar with, carry out further investigation and illustrate five things that are going well and three that are not going so well. to do this Successful techniques include monitoring sales levels, having people dedicated to the collection and collation of customer service data, incentives for individuals to provide outstanding customer service and a strategy of providing a consistent level of service through using a dedicated call centre. Improvements that could be made are offering a free call number for customer comments and the introduction of a nationwide customer satisfaction incentive. It would also be beneficial to obtain feedback from people who expressed an interest in buying the product but did not make a purchase to determine why they did not make a purchase and to identify how a sale could be secured in the future. a) Explain how monitoring and evaluating of customer services is carried out. Mercedes Benz express a high level of commitment to providing outstanding customer service and have introduced several initiatives and projects to encourage this. These include â€Å"regular staff CSI (Customer Satisfaction Indicators) meetings, introducing customer service objectives, CSI league tables, and reward and recognition schemes for all employees† (Inchape 2006). Data is also collected from the call centre. b) How has this improved the service for the customer, the organisations own prospects and for its employees? Customer service has improved as any issues can be identified and corrected at an early stage, thereby ensuring that future customers receive an ever-increasing service level. Trends can also be seen and proactively managed. The Mercedes-Benz organisation relies both keeping current customers and attracting new business. By developing a good reputation for their customers service levels, people are more likely to buy their product. This increases the sales and profitability for the business which benefit’s the employees as it gives them job security and provides a good benefits package. c) Make constructive comments or suggestions of what improvement that can be made for the future. As the Mercedes-Benz business operates through a series of dealerships, it would be of benefit for there to be more interaction between the dealerships. Whilst currently Mercedes-Benz itself consolidates the information and shares it between dealerships, it would be useful for the dealerships to be able to speak to each other more directly to discuss specific points as there may be different expectations in different geographical areas. Task 3 Now customer services is crucial to the survival of most organisation. Most organisations have invested a lot of money in making sure that they get this right. a) What strategies have been used by your organisation to display a confidential approach when delivering customer service to their customer? (Confidential)All customer information is kept confidential with access only being allowed to those who need it to be able to do their jobs. The information is held on a computer database which is password protected. (Confident) The employees of the business, especially those dealing directly with potential new customers must be confident and competent in their role. To ensure this happens, they are given extensive training in presentation and communication skills and are also made aware of the numerous benefits of the product to be able to answer any questions the potential customer may have. The employees are encouraged to have a belief in the product that it is a high quality, status symbol. b) Explain why presenting, interpersonal and communication skills are important in delivering effective service to customers The person dealing with the customer directly must be able to project the right image for the company. As the target market for Mercedes-Benz is at the executive level, they expect a professional approach from the company’s representatives. Their role may involve a mixture of providing factual information, advice and descriptions and must be done in a manner which promotes a sale. The individual needs to be able to present information clearly and in a manner appropriate to their audience. They also need to use interpersonal skills to assist them to develop a form of relationship with the customer to be able to ensure they can tailor their message to that specific person and to make the customer feel at ease. As well as being competent in providing the information the customer requires, they need to be able to do it in a way that is tailored to the person to whom they are speaking and have good listening skills to listen carefully to questions and comments from the customer. Th ey also need to have knowledge of non verbal communication such as body language and be able to use techniques to overcome barriers to communication. Task 4 a) Focusing on two groups of key external which is the customer and maybe distributors and the internal customer which is the employee and the organisation of this organisation, analyse and evaluate how the organisation anticipates and meets the needs of these customers in range of situations. The customer’s needs are fulfilled in several ways and Mercedes-Benz prides itself on being able to offer additional services beyond those offered by their competitors. One example of this is the efficient record keeping service they have for regular maintenance of the vehicle which enables reminders to be sent to customers and ensures the quick diagnosis of ongoing problems. This is known as the ASSYST (Active Service System) which advises the owner when a service is due. A further example is the provision of an â€Å"end of life† service. There are strict legal requirements as to how a motor vehicle can be disposed of and Mercedes-Benz offer a free service to their customers providing the â€Å"certificate of destruction† that is required by law. Mercedes-Benz constantly reviews the car market and is able to develop it’s range to ensure it meets the needs of the consumer. They also identify new markets which may be available to them. 80% of the Mercedes-Benz service centres operate for 24 hours a day Monday to Friday thus providing a better level of service for their customers (Mercedes-Benz website). The dealerships are given full support by Mercedes-Benz to allow them to be able to market the product successfully. Mercedes-Benz has a good relationship with their dealerships which allows them to be able to communicate openly and share any concerns or ideas. Mercedes-Benz ensures all it’s employees have the skills necessary to be proficient in their job by providing on-going training and development. Where possible these programmes lead to nationally recognised qualifications thereby allowing the individuals to develop their careers elsewhere should there be no opportunities for them within the organisation. Mercedes-Benz ensures it can provide a competitive benefits package to it’s employees helping not only to retain the high calibre employees but also to attract new ones. This strategy extends throughout the business rather than just being limited to those who have direct customer contact. b) Analyse using example, how effective customer service benefits the customers, the organisation and its employees The ASSYST system allows the customer to be able to plan the periods when their vehicle requires regular servicing and this allows them to make better use of their time. This also benefits Mercedes-Benz themselves as they can plan their workloads more efficiently if the customers plan and book their servicing in early. This further benefits the employees as their workload is more consistent and easier to manage. Through identifying the specific needs of the fleet managers, Mercedes-Benz believe that the fleet manager’s organisations will be able to attract and retain higher quality executives by offering them a Mercedes-Benz company car. This benefits Mercedes-Benz and their employees through higher sales and greater profitability. All the initiatives designed to improve customer service will additionally benefit the organisation and it’s employees as greater customer satisfaction will lead to more repeat business and new customers and this increases sales and profitability. A business that is growing and profitable is able to offer it’s employees a greater level of job security, better prospects in terms of career advancement and training and an attractive and competitive pay and benefits package. References. Inchcape. (2006). Inchcape Receive top Customer Service Awards Accolade. Accessed at: http://www.inchcape.co.uk/PressDetail.aspx?Documentid=98 on 22/02/07. Mercedes-Benz. (2004). Mercedes-Benz Not Just Executive Cars Anymore. In Business Briefing: Exploration and Production. The Oil and Gas Review 2004. Accessed at: http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/951/mercedes_tech.pdf on 22/02/07. Mercedes-Benz. (Date not given). Accessed at: http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk on 22/02/07