Sarbanes Oxley

Sarbanes-Oxley Act Contents Overview3 Enron3 Sarbanes-Oxley Act3 11 Titles4 Major Sections of SOX5 Section 3025 Section 4046 Section 4096 Section 9027 Section 9067 After SOX: What has Sarbanes-Oxley Accomplished & Issues that Remain7 Conclusion8 Overview The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was signed into law in 2002 by President Bush. Sarbanes- Oxley came to be because of corporate level accounting scandals that had then, recently occurred. The most common of these scandals include: Adelphia, Enron, Peregrine Systems, Tyco and, WorldCom. This act â€Å"introduced major changes to the regulation of financial practice and corporate governance. Enron The Enron Scandal is one of many that prompted the obvious need for reform of accounting practices. It began in November 1997 when the company bought stake in another company to create a sub company of Enron. The new company, Chewco, was run by an Enron officer who enabled Enron to run a series of transactions through Chewco and ultimately, funnel deb t from one company to another, even though they were both Enron. By 2001 â€Å"CEO Jeffery Skilling resigns, becoming the sixth senior executive to leave in a year. † In October, Arthur Andersen’s legal counsel advised auditors of Enron to destroy â€Å"all but the most basic documents2. So, the cover up began. Arthur Andersen was once amongst the â€Å"Big 5† accounting firms and the provided tax, audit and consulting services to corporations like Enron. Their reputation plummeted after they were admittedly aware of â€Å"possible illegal acts† committed by Enron and ultimately, Arthur Anderson was dissolved. Sarbanes-Oxley Act Enron and other scandals cost investors billions of dollars. Stock prices were at all time lows and the people were beginning to lose faith in corporate leaders. Something had to be done to restore faith and tighten standards.Sarbanes-Oxley was named after Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley. Oxley introduced t he act to the House of Representatives calling it the â€Å"Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act of 2002† on February 14, 2002. With minor changes to the name at the Act itself occurring over the span of a few months, Sarbanes-Oxley was officially signed into law on July 30, 2002 by President George W. Bush. Bush called the legislation â€Å"the most far-reaching reforms of American business practices since the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.The era of low standards and false profits is over; no boardroom in America is above or beyond the law. † The turnaround of this act was very quick. It was obvious that something needed to be done and it needed to occur quickly. 11 Titles Sarbanes-Oxley is comprised of 11 Titles, each with subsidiary sections. The eleven titles each focus on one main topic and the changes that are implemented by Sarbanes-Oxley under their heading. The names of the titles are as follows: 1. Public Company Ac counting Oversight Board (PCAOB) – this section establishes and provides the need for independent auditors.So now, a corporation could not solely publish audits that were conducted internally. 2. Auditor Independence – establishes the standards that need to be followed when conducting an external audit in order to eliminate conflicts of interest. 3. Corporate Responsibility – Title 3 states that senior executives must take individual responsibility for the lawfulness and correctness of their financial records. The hope here is that higher up executives will not turn the other way when fraudulent activity occurs for fear that they could be prosecuted on a personal level. . Enhanced Financial Disclosures – In this title, the new reporting requirements are laid out for corporations. The new requirements are much more thorough and leave little room for leaving out relevant information. 5. Analyst Conflicts of Interest – This is the shortest title of th em all and aims to help restore investor confidence. It requires any conflicts of interest to be disclosed. 6. Commission Resources and Authority – The goal of this section is to try and restore confidence in securities analysts and states the SEC’s power to bar analysts from practice. 7.Studies and Reports – The Comptroller General and the SEC are required to conduct studies and then report their conclusions and findings. 8. Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability – This title gives specific penalties based on various crimes that may be committed and also provided protection for whistle-blowers. 9. White Collar Crime Penalty Enhancement – White-collar crime is punished more based on the law described here, stronger sentencing is key. 10. Corporate Tax Return – The basic requirement here, being only one section, is that the Chief Executive Officer signs the company return.This way, the CEO can’t claim that they didn’t see t he tax return before it was filed. 11. Corporate Fraud Accountability – The SEC is granted the ability and authority to freeze an account where payments seem unusual. Looking for large or unusual transactions allows fraud to be more easily detected. Major Sections of SOX Each of the 11 titles mentioned above are comprised of sections. Some titles only have one section but some have up to nine. In this section I will attempt to summarize the five most important sections: 302, 404, 409, 902 and, 906. Section 302Section 302 outlines the Corporate Responsibility for Financial Reports. It is composed of steps that are taken by the company and specifically ensuring that the CEO is very involved and informed when it comes to the financial statement process. The CEO must sign off on the financial statements and the reports when they are complete. By making the CEO the final eye to see the statements SOX is attempting to ensure that the CEO cannot claim ignorance if a fraud is committ ed. When the major corporate scandals were occurring at places like Enron, CEO’s frequently claimed they had no idea what was going on in their company.This section aims to hold CEO’s responsible for their company reporting, a form of internal control. Section 404 Section 404 is entitled: Management Assessment of Internal Controls. With the implementation of Section 404, companies are now required to include an additional report, an Internal Control Report. The purpose of this report is for management to take responsibility for a proper internal control structure and also for management to vouch for the usefulness and accuracy of this control. If the internal controls that are in place do not suffice, the faults are required to be reported as well.Section 409 Section 409 addresses timeliness when reporting. â€Å"Companies are required to disclose on almost real-time basis information concerning material changes in its financial condition or operations. † This i s a way, because of this legislation, for investors and people outside the company to be as informed as possible with changes inside the company. These changes may or may not be significant but, there is always a chance, from the perspective of an investor, that day to day decisions affect stock prices. Now, stockholders can be almost immediately aware of the changes taking place.Section 902 Section 902 falls under the white collar crime title and describes the illegality of altering, destroying, manipulating or concealing documents. The intent of the fraudster here would be to â€Å"impair the objects integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding. † Section 906 Section 906 also falls under the white collar crime category and specifically, the penalties that will be endured to any person that certifies a misleading or fraudulent financial report. In this section, it is stated that penalties can be up to $5 million and 20 years in prison.I believe this section is put in to make it clear that CEO’s are going to be held responsible for â€Å"signing off† so, it is in their best interest to thoroughly look over statements and reports. After SOX: What has Sarbanes-Oxley Accomplished & Issues that Remain The Sarbanes-Oxley had good intentions. It’s goal was to restore faith in the public and to reduce company fraud. SOX has definitely restored public faith and perception. The titles and sections that SOX includes make it clear to companies and individuals outside the company that reporting standards have been increased.Because of this increase, and the penalties that are disclosed in this statute, it would be hard to believe that any person or company would risk committing a fraud. However, this only addresses the restoration or faith and confidence. Sarbanes-Oxley has not necessarily affected the inside the company policies and procedures. There are a number of people who scrutinize Sarbanes-Oxley for its shortcomings. â₠¬Å"Sarbanes-Oxley was intended to restore faith in the integrity of corporations and executives, yet it hasn't really had a measurable impact on fraud. The new rules that were implemented under SOX simply aim to increase the CEO’s awareness in what statements and reports are being published. However, when these documents are received, analyzed and signed off, there may or may not be an actual internal investigation going on to ensure the correctness of the documents. There is really no way to prove that the documents are fraud free when they reach the CEO. Conclusion The goal of this paper was to summarize the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. I discussed the titles that comprise SOX and further went into detail on the most important sections. I am not a critic of this act.I think as far as restoring public perception goes, Sarbanes-Oxley was extremely successful. Also, I think this legislation changed the views of the CEO’s. CEO’s were now explicitly aware of th eir accountability when it came to reporting. This was an extremely beneficial change as, CEO’s use to have the ability to claim ignorance and push the consequences down the corporate ladder. I am sure that if Congress would have taken more time when passing this legislation, it could have been improved upon, but, desperate times†¦ the corporate world needed a drastic change to restore faith and help the economy.There is undoubtedly still fraud occurring and therefore this battle to end it will go on. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. soxlaw. com/ [ 2 ]. http://www. time. com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2021097_2023262,00. html [ 3 ]. http://www. nytimes. com/2002/07/31/business/corporate-conduct-the-president-bush-signs-bill-aimed-at-fraud-in-corporations. html [ 4 ]. http://c0403731. cdn. cloudfiles. rackspacecloud. com/collection/papers/1940/1940_SEC_In vst_Advisors_Act/X. pdf [ 5 ]. ttp://www. sarbanes-oxley-101. com/sarbanes-oxley-compliance. htm [ 6 ]. http://www. soxlaw. com/s302. htm [ 7 ]. http://www. sarbanes-oxley-101. com/sarbanes-oxley-compliance. htm [ 8 ]. http://www. sarbanes-oxley-101. com/sarbanes-oxley-compliance. htm [ 9 ]. http://www. sarbanes-oxley-101. com/sarbanes-oxley-compliance. htm [ 10 ]. http://www. sarbanes-oxley-101. com/sarbanes-oxley-compliance. htm [ 11 ]. http://www. allbusiness. com/professional-services/accounting-tax-auditing/5220240-1. html#ixzz2D3ZIFMye

Philippine History, Influences from Other Countries

Capalad, Raul Miguel C. January 3, 2012 2JRN2 I. During the Philippine pre-colonial period, the basic political subdivision was known as the barangay, which is ruled by a datu or â€Å"village chief. † Within the barangay are multiple political divisions, the highest of which is the nobles. The nobles, which include the Datu and his bloodline, are the highest figures in the barangay. The second in rank is the freemen. The freemen are the merchants, fishermen, farmers, and all other workers within the barangay. The lowest division is the slaves. The slaves are divided into two categories, the aliping namamahay, who stay at their owner’s homes, and the aliping sanguigilid, who have their own home but still work for a master. II. Colonialism is, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is â€Å"a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another†. In the perspective of the Philippines’ past political, historical and social climate, his can somehow be viewed as a positive thing because the Philippines back then was still severely underdeveloped. However if viewed from a moral standpoint, this is a negative concept because it restricts the country (i. e. the Philippines) its natural ability to develop, grow, and prosper on its own. III. The Philippines’ cultures and traditions are very rich and diverse in every sense of the word. This trait can be attributed to the many colonizers that colonized the Philippines, and also the tourists ang businessmen that entered the country. One the the biggest contributors were the Chinese. The Chinese people introduced many things to us in the categories of food, entertainment, and many more. They introduced the use of fireworks, their unique cuisine (like the noodles), porcelain ware, umbrellas, manufacture of gunpowder, and certain mining methods superstitions, etc. The loose style of dressing, like the sleeved jackets and loose trouser of the Muslim Filipino women and the use of flip-flops, are of Chinese influence as well. They are also big players in our economy, with one of the richest and most successful businessmen in the Philippines being of Chinese descent. They have been in the Philippines for a very long time and they have been through what everyone else in the Philippines has been through. As a result, many Filipino surnames are Chinese, like Cojuangco, Lim, Tan, Uy, and Tongco, among others. India also has similar contributions. In cuisine is the making and consumption of the chicken curry, which has an Indian influence. They also introduced Hinduism into the Philippines, although only a small portion of the population practice Hinduism. Our language also has Indian influence. Here are some examples Tagalog * budhi which means â€Å"conscience† in Sanskrit * dukha which means â€Å"one who suffers† in Sanskrit * guro which means â€Å"teacher† in Sanskrit * bathala which means â€Å"supreme God† in Sanskrit lalkambini which means â€Å"princess† in Sanskrit Kapampangan: * kalma which means â€Å"fate† in Sanskrit * damla which means â€Å"divine law† in Sanskrit * mantala which means â€Å"magic formulas† in Sanskrit * sampalataya which means â€Å"faith† in Sanskrit The wearing of a skirt and turban (saro ng and putong; respectively) also came from India. The great hindu epic Mahabarata is Indian. The Arabs’s greatest contribution to the Philippines is Islam, particularly in Mindanao. The sarimanok design, which has been used in a certain network in the Philippines, is also of Arabic influence.

Physics lap report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Physics lap - Lab Report Example Start answering all preliminary questions. You may discuss the questions, but do not write as you talk- this way everyone will have unique answers. Make sure to sketch your graphs where you are told to. 1. Sketch the distance vs. time graph for each of the following situations- clearly label each of the situations with its corresponding letter so you can place these different types of motion on the same graph. 4. Using Logger Pro, produce a graph of your motion when you walk away from the detector with constant velocity. To do this, stand about 1Â  m from the Motion Detector and have your lab partner click ; start walking slowly after you hear Motion Detector begin to click. 9. Repeat the process until your motion closely matches the graph on the screen. Each time you click the button the previous data is overwritten. Explain changes that needed to be made in comparison to step 7: 13. To test your prediction, start Logger Pro by clicking . When you hear the Motion Detector begin to click, walk in such a way that the graph of your motion matches the target graph on the screen. Was your prediction correct? Explain changes that needed to be made in comparison to step 12: 1. Using the Motion detector and Logger Pro, create a graph of position vs time where it shows a body constantly accelerating away from the detector for a period of 3s. First discuss with your group what the graph should look like and draw the graph on a piece of paper and attach it to your

School Counseling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School Counseling - Assignment Example Students will become more self-aware. This self-awareness will heighten their awareness of the surroundings also. This knowledge will help them detect and recognize evidence of bullying. It will also help them differentiate it from other arguments. Students will become more aware of how their thoughts or feelings can influence or change their behaviors. Being able to recognize patterns of bullying will make them mentally mature and behaviourally more capable of saying no to bullying people. Students will be asked to categorize their feelings or thoughts into positive and negative in association with a bullying pattern noticed by them. Feelings will be categorized differently for each pattern noticed. Students will understand that relationships based on trust and communication serve as a key to address bullying issues. It is the lack of trust which prevents victims from communicating or reporting bullying to adults. Students will be trained to efficiently report to caring adults. Mock staff rooms will be set up in the corners of each classroom. Students will be divided in to two groups. One group will imitate the staff and students from other group will pretend to be victims of bullying. This pretend play will encourage students to practice trusting the staff. One important activity which will help students improve self-concept and self-esteem is to accentuate the positive. For this purpose, students will be divided into groups of four and focus will be concentrated by each group on one member. Rest of group members will have to identify one positive thing about that student’s behavior. Mental wellbeing is essential to prevent bullying as vulnerable people are easy targets. Students will be made to sit in a circle at the end of the school day in the classroom. Every student will tell one good thing he/she has learned in that day about

Carpe Diem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Carpe Diem - Essay Example He uses rosebuds as a metaphor for youth and beauty, and unlike the other two poets, does not seem to be talking to one particular lady love, but seems to be directing the advice of 'seize the day' to all in possession of the short-lived splendors of youth and beauty. The stress is less on seduction, and more on the need to celebrate youth and make the most of it, while there is still time. On the other hand, both Andrew Marvell, in To His Coy Mistress, and Richard Wilbur, in A Late Aubade are clearly using their talents to persuade their lady loves to succumb to their baser desires. Marvell's poem starts off by leisurely, languidly enumerating all the romantic things he would do, "Had we but world enough, and time". Then he picks up speed and urgency, as he goes on to say that there is no time to waste since "Time's winged chariot (is) hurrying near". Reason enough not to dally, but to get on with life and love. As he puts it, "Now let us sport us while we may," before "your quaint honor turn to dust,/ And into ashes all my lust." The incredible beauty of his poem barely conceals his agenda, which is very clear and focused - seduction. Richard Wilbur, a contemporary poet, has a completely different approach. Having already spent time with his lady love, he is partially satiated, and seeks to seduce her into staying longer.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - Term Paper Example Historical background After the entry of troops of the Third Reich into Poland in October 1939, the occupation authorities issued the order according to which Jews had to pass their money to financial institutions. A person was allowed to keep no more than 2000 zlotys. In public transport, the Nazis placed offensive posters intended to incite ethnic hatred. Speaking about the reasons for creating ghettos in towns of Poland, the Nazis claimed that Jews were carriers of infectious diseases, and that their isolation would help to protect non-Jewish population from the epidemics. In March 1940 a number of urban areas with high concentrations of Jewish population had been declared a quarantine zone. From these areas about 113.000 Poles were expelled, and this place was inhabited by 138.000 Jews from other places. The decision to organize the ghetto was taken on October 16, 1940 by Governor-general Hans Frank. At this point in the ghetto, there were about 440,000 people (37% of the populat ion), while the area of ghetto was 4.5% of the area of Warsaw. Initially leaving the ghetto without permission was liable to imprisonment for a term of 9 months. Since November 1941 the death penalty was applied. On November 16 the ghetto was fenced with a wall. Life in the ghetto Issues within the ghetto were regulated by Judenrat, which was under the control of German authorities. Chairman of the Judenrat was Adam Czerniakow, who â€Å"refused to take advantage of opportunities to leave Poland in the early months of the occupation, and he held Jewish leaders who did so in contempt as traitors to their people† (Niewyk & Nicosia 175). Head of the Jewish police in the ghetto was Jozef Sherinsky (Berenbaum & Peck 599). Officially established food standards for the ghetto were specially calculated for the people to starve and die. In the second half of 1941, food standards for the Jews included 184 calories. However, due to illegally supplied food, real consumption averaged 1125 calories a day. Part of the population was engaged in German manufacturing. Thus, in the sewing industry of Walter Tebens 18 thousand Jews were employed. The working day lasted 12 hours with no weekends and holidays. Of the 110 thousand workers of ghetto only 27000 had a permanent job. Inside the ghetto illegal production of various goods was organized, raw materials for which were supplied in secret. Products were also smuggled for sale or exchange for food outside the ghetto. In addition to the legal 70 bakeries in the ghetto there were 800 illegal ones. The cost of illegal export from the ghetto was estimated at 10 million zlotys a month. Among the inhabitants of the ghetto there was a layer of people, whose activities and position provided them with relatively good life (traders, smugglers, members of the Judenrat, the agents of the Gestapo). Most of the residents suffered from malnutrition. There were problems with health: Once the ghettos were sealed, the uncontrollable sprea d of typhus became a major problem. Some estimate that there was a case of exanthematic typhus in every family in the Warsaw ghetto, affecting from one-quarter to one-third of the population (Soumerai & Schulz 100). The worst situation was with the Jews, displaced from other parts of Poland. Not having connections and acquaintances, they had difficulties in finding and securing income for

Recreation centre Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Recreation centre - Research Paper Example Twenty permanent staff; twenty to fifty contractual, and ten young volunteers who take turns in guiding and informing the users of the proper use of the environment. Distinction is emphasized between staff and employees on one hand, and local volunteers on the other. Volunteers are accorded guest status, i.e. with some privileges. The XYZ Ecotourism aims to provide outdoor recreation site for local residents and tourists with amenities for picnicking, hiking, bush walking, and other similar outdoor activities. It encourages weekend recreation/retreat for local residents and tourists who temporarily seek refuge from the hassles of urban life. XYZ Ecotourism was conceived some months ago during a group outdoor get-together by well-minded individuals, businessmen with previous acquaintances, who saw a flourishing ecotourism business in Albury, New South Wales, Australia. They were also impressed by the concern of local residents in the area who took turns in caring for their environment, and promoting green tourism among local businesses and small entrepreneurs in the community. With firm determination, the businessmen - five in number - who now comprise the majority of the stockholders bonded together and slowly transformed the once uninhabited and underdeveloped area in the outskirts into a flourishing ecotourism destination to feature an outdoor recreation in a natural setting. The recreation site provides a venue for people to escape - i.e. temporarily - from the rigors and stress of urban life, and to engage in a predominant recreational pastime of picnicking in a natural setting with the amenities of modern facilities and new technology. The site also provides a peaceful retreat for passive pursuits as well as opportunity for more active endeavors such as jogging, walking, hiking, bush walking, etc. 3. Summary of Objectives and Timelines 3.1 To provide an outdoor recreation or an ecotourism destination, conveniently situated near urban centers in Alsbury, New South Wales; 3.2 To produce an approximate number of picnic areas, with parking spaces, roads, paths, most of which are still to be constructed. The target maximum picnic areas is twenty, but can be expanded, considering the large area the facility provides. At present, the company has provided ten picnic areas located within a one kilometer radius, and within a short range from the Admin/Office. The main road is 95% complete, while some access roads are still being constructed; paths and trails are also provided, but still incomplete. These are the requirements for the picnic areas: tables in open spaces with scattered trees tables near parking areas facilities with a view of water, grassed areas with shades acceptable for grass picnicking flat or minimal sloping ground essential facilities: shelter, water, toilet block,

Project Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Management Principles - Essay Example Once the purpose has been stated, the planning stage can commence. An important part of the planning is to define what is required for the problem to be solved. These requirements should be clearly stated and communicated to employees in such a fashion that everyone is onboard with the plan of action. The next stage of project management is prioritizing. This is an often unnoticed stage in the process because it does not openly contribute to the solution. Actually, prioritizing targets is a very sensible thing to do because there may not be enough time or resources available to complete everything to an acceptable standard. It should be expected that the project may not be completed within the budgeted timeframe, so alternative plans need to be prepared just in case the unthinkable happens. Generally, organizations should plan to take more time than is needed just to be safe. In order to help accomplish the goals and objectives of a project management plan, a project manager needs to be appointed as the leader. This person is vital because they will determine the potential success or failure of the project. This person holds a critical role within the organization because his responsibility is to deal with any obstacles that may crop up. Other than this position, there should also be a project sponsor. The project sponsor is the person who will receive a benefit from the project. There are three people that should report to the project sponsor: application architects, technical architects, and data architects. Apart from these people, there should also be analysts, designers, modelers, and developers. It is preferred that experts are given these positions, but trainees are also acceptable. If this happens to be the case, then there should be no more than two trainees to one expert. Once the project has begun, senior management will require an approximate estimate of how long each stage of the project will take. There are three methods that are commonly used wit hin organizations for giving estimations: top-down, parametric, and bottom-up. The first method is not very accurate, but can be useful in giving a rough estimate at the start of the project management process. The parametric system is slightly more accurate in that this process sums the number of work units by the time it takes to complete one work unit. This technique is generally useful when a certain task has previously been completed and thus the new task can be estimated based on that fact. Lastly, the bottom-up method is the most accurate, but every single detail is required to give an approximation on how long a task will take. In terms of issues that may come up in project management, I feel that lack of clarity plays a huge part in the project not going to plan. At the beginning of the project, if every step is not laid out, then it will be difficult to determine which processes have been completed. A written agreement should be made between the project manager, the projec t customer, and the project sponsor. This document should identify the project’s objective and how this objective will be met. It may be that the project needs to change slightly once the process has begun. If this is the case, then the change management process needs to be implemented so changes can be made when needed. This leads to the next issue with project management—shifting managerial priorities. The business environment is always

Samsung Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Samsung Marketing Plan Essay Samsung Electronics has proven to the business world that they are one of the mostprestigious technology companies in the industry. With more technology advancements thanour market can handle at this point and time, Samsung has paved the way for the future inelectronics. One of the most popular new â€Å"toys† in the market today, is the unbelievable 3D TV. The first 3D TV was launched in March of 2010, and has already had a major impact on themarket. With the release earlier this year, Samsung dominated the market, controlling nearly90% of the total share. Samsung’s product, the 9000 series TV, is incomparable to competitionwith its ultra-thin screen, measuring only 0. 3 inches in width. The 9000 series also comes with afull color spectrum that makes for an incredible viewing experience. Although Samsung is dominating the 3D market, we still have very detailed strategiesand tactics that we believe will give us an increased competitive advantage over our competition. The company’s main emphasis the past couple years has been on integration,union, and encouraging innovation. Samsung is always preparing for the next big item to hit themarket, which is why their technology is so far ahead of all leading competitors. In the future,we plan to enter the 3D video gaming market with a partnership with Microsoft. This will give usaccess to all of Microsoft’s gaming technology, in which we will combine with our quality of sound and viewing stations to create the ultimate gaming experience. Of course, throughoutour journey through this market, we will continue to provide the best ad campaigns for the publicso that they will never forget our product. We will put as much prominence as possible in thesleek design and the one of a kind ultra-thin panel, only available in the Samsung 9000 series. By having an effective ad campaign, we will be able to catch the eye of many different targetgroups. Our major target groups are men around the ages of mid twenties to late thirties,Caucasian males, with a new and growing family. Studies show that this category is more likelyto buy the TV, along with a gaming system, than other aged males. We are also targeting â€Å"CubeTubers†. This is a group that consists of young people who grasp onto new technology quickly.

The Case of Old Family Bank Essay Example for Free

The Case of Old Family Bank Essay The interpretations of the case are valid in a sense that the situation of the employees are in complete grasp. However, the strategies needed to be enforced should look deeper into the situation. The strategy needed should be in a win-win standpoint wherein we improve the productivity while maintaining the stature of the bank itself. The case of the human resources at the Old Family Bank, simply put, could be analyzed as a case at which there is lacking motivation amongst its employees especially in the data processing unit. The electronic data-processing unit, based on the constraints of the case, presents the lowest loyalty towards the company. As a consultant, this is one of the major aspects that the management of the bank must work on. On the other hand, the check-sorting should be maintained at status quo in terms of loyalty improving strategies. Thus, increasing interaction between these two departments which both are important in the operations of the bank must be improved. The question of conflicting skill-based salaries may be lessened if both departments interact with each other. This would dictate the elimination of alienation between the workers. True, this may not be done overnight and there may be some time for things to catch up but this particular investment on manpower would serve as a positive reinforcement on the situation. Management could maintain working conditions in the data processing area and create shifts where both departments would interact (Hersey, Blanchard, Johnson, 2000). Old Family Bank could even profit from this by lessening operating costs while improving worker interaction (Leopold, 2002). The bank could also opt for team-building activities which could further strengthen the camaraderie within the bank. On the management side, they should promote an environment of fair and a conducive working place. By encouraging camaraderie within the management structure, they are also marketing a positive outlook towards their clients, making Old Family Bank not only the best place to bank but also the best place to work as well. Reference: Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., Johnson, D. E. (2000). Management of organizational behavior: leading human resources (8th ed ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Leopold, J. (2002). Human resources in organisations: Financial Times/ Prentice Hall.

The Consequences Of Passive Listening English Language Essay

The Consequences Of Passive Listening English Language Essay Passive listening occurs when a person is fully aware of a lecture, Conversation, or something audio that is going on in his or her presence but the person does not react to it. This essay is going to attempt to explain in details the consequences of passive listening. A passive listener does not interrupt the speaker or perform any action whatsoever at the same time in which the speaker is delivering his or her speech. In most cases, a passive listener does not nod his or her head, make appropriate facial expressions, and make eye contacts with the speaker or any other action that indicates whether a person is paying attention or not. When a person concentrates on making non-verbal cues (nodding, eye contacts and so on), then he or she is probably not paying much attention in other words, listening passively because those actions come naturally to a person who is actively listening i.e. he or she does not have to concentrate on doing them. In some cases, passive listening is associated with students in the class room. A student who is listening passively to a lecture barely pays attention to details but at the end of the lecture, the student tends to remember 10% or less of the information passed through during the lecture session. This is because although the student was not paying much attention to the details, the student will zone in and out of his or her mind at regular intervals and in the process accidentally take in some valuable information. Usually, passive listening in students is caused by a dull lecture or an interruption in which a student is attracted to for example, cell phones. It is not always the fault of the lecturer because some topics are uninteresting by nature. Despite all the reasons and excuses a student might have for his or her lack of interest during lectures, the consequences for this action will have to be put into consideration because it can adversely affect a persons academic participation and result. Listening passively without checking in on a conversation to verify whether or not you have correctly received the message often leads to deviation from accuracy in communication. By merely being in a conversation without insinuating questions or active accounts that divulge the speakers real message, a persons personal ideas might begin to mold about the probable implication of the message instead of the tangible meaning. An example is when an apprentice technician joins the audience in an inaugural lecture. If he listens passively, he will only superintend to get wind of the sounds, he will be unable to meaningfully identify the spoken cues, talk less of correctly interpreting what has been said. This will result in errors in the p ersons solutions or answers. If a person is listening passively, then the person is not speaking. Effective communication allows both the message sender and the receiver to express themselves in an even exchange of ideas. A passive listener positions an indirect comparison to a cobblestone, you can see it and you know it is there, but it seems incapable of absorbing anything that you are saying. The reason why passive listening is mostly associated with students is because it occurs mainly with teenagers. Passive listening requires a lot of focus because a passive listener severely focuses on what he or she is listening to but is not doing anything apart from listening meaning he or she is not absorbing any information. The strain on unmonitored focus affects a persons ability to understand. A person can store information correctly in the brain only when both the mind and brain of the individual are relaxed. Straining the brain to listen without any interest on details therefore results in a persons lack of understanding, wastage of time and possibly head ache or brain clogging. Some other practitioners of passive listening techniques are those attempting to learn a foreign language the audio way that is through an mp3 player or an audio CD player. This is common because when advertising these products, the marketing team make promises of satisfying results to whoever uses them. They include attractive slogans like learn French the easy way just by listening to this audio CD while finishing your chores. If a person is performing a task while listening to something, then the person is listening passively. The shocking truth is that passive listening cannot get a person to fluency in a language because it ever rarely produces any good results. What is even worse is that it will not help the ability of the person to understand the language he or she is attempting to learn. It is a fact that a passive listener is unable to correctly store, interpret and recall information, this fact also applies to a language learner who is listening passively. In plain words, a language learner who is listening passively will not be able to store, interpret and recall what has been said because language learning needs some amount of focus and understanding. In some cases, a person does not deliberately listen passively to a lecture or speech, passive listening can occur due to absent mindedness. In this situation, the source of this action is either the speaker or the listener. The speaker can be the cause of passive listening in an individual if his or her voice volume is too low and the listeners will have to strain their ears to listen. There will come a point in time when the listeners will finally give up on listening to the lecture because they are tired of straining their ears and the rest of the valuable information the speaker has to deliver will pass by the listeners ears and go to waste. There is also the case of complexity. When the speaker is using too many complex words or unnecessary issues and details, the listener tends to zone out and start to imagine all sorts of consequences for the discussion at hand and in the process missing out on some of the important key points. The listeners can also be at fault because at tim es, they focus on passing judgment on the speaker, topic or lecture so much that they forget the currently important speech they are supposed to be actively listening to and as a result they listen passively and miss out on the most important parts of the lecture. In my research I have learnt that the word consequence means outcome. The outcome of an event can be both good and bad since everything that has an advantage has a disadvantage. Everything I have mentioned on passive listening so far has been negative but it also has its own advantages. People have a medley of reasons to listen passively by due deliberation, in other words, by choice. Passive listening by choice does not occur amongst teenagers only; it is a mode of listening adopted by a lot of people in this world since an era before now. The positive thing about the variety of people that adopt the passive listening mode is that most of them use it in their leisure hours not when they are supposed to be listening to something important. For instance, after a long days studying and sports, a teenage high school girl finally freshens up to go to bed. As she lay on her bed, it is possible that the sleep does not come to her eyes immediately. This is an appropriate time to adopt passi ve listening. The girl can play a slow music that makes her feel relaxed and comfortable to assist her exhausted mind in getting some rest and sleep. Judging from the intention behind playing the slow music, the appropriate mode of listening is passive. This is because the girl might be very well into the music but she will only listen to the soothing waves of sounds the music is producing without making an attempt to pay attention to the lyrics. Another instance is when a house wife is struggling with the daily household chores while her husband is away at work and her kids in school. She can play any type of music she sees fit while she works and she will get the job well done in no time because her attention on both the work and music will be passive. The positive results that passive listening produce here is that it will help the girl get some sleep without stressing her mind about it since she will not be paying attention, and it will help the house wife to get the job done wi thout feeling bored and lonely. In conclusion, the main points mentioned above is that if passive listening is adopted when listening to lectures or something important, it is considered to be a bad habit because it produces negative results. If passive listening is adopted when listening to an mp3 or radio then it is positive and even recommended.

Robert Frosts Mending Wall Essay -- essays papers

Robert Frost's Mending Wall Traditions have always had a substantial effect on the lives of human beings, and always will. Robert Frost uses many unique poetic devices in his poem â€Å"Mending Wall,† as well as many shifts in the speaker’s tone to develop his thoughts on traditions. The three predominant tones used are those of questioning, irony and humor. The speaker questions many things in relation to the wall that is being rebuilt. For example, â€Å"Something there is that doesn’t love a wall†, is used to question what despises the wall’s presence. The speaker goes on to discuss the earth’s swells that make gaps in the wall, as well as the hunters, â€Å"not leaving a stone on a stone,† (l. 7) merely to please the yelping dogs with a rabbit. In line thirty, the speaker questions, â€Å"Why do they make good neighbors† because he believes that the wall is interfering with a possible relationship with his neighbor. Another key question asked is â€Å"What I was walling in or walling out,† to show that there is no difference when the wall is construct or not, both neighbor’s tasks a...

The Unalterable Human Condition Exposed in Shirley Jacksons The Lotter

The Unalterable Human Condition Exposed in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery The short story, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, managed to capture various human tendencies stemming from the very heart of the unalterable human condition. The willingness to follow tradition blindly, the inherent cruelty of humans, and the unwillingness to change were the primary negative behaviors depicted in the story. The unalterable human condition is one of the truths of human existence. Throughout the course of history, humans tend to act in the same ways, repeat the same mistakes, and end up little better than they were a century before. Although technology has changed, increasing the quality of life, behavior patterns have not changed, decreasing both the sanctity and quality of life. One may begin to wonder if the human race will ever change its behavior in any more ways than rhetoric. The short story, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, managed to capture various human tendencies stemming from the very heart of the unalterable human condition. The willingness to follow tradition blindly, the inherent cruelty of humans, and the unwillingness to change were the primary negative behaviors depicted in the story. People enter into society with certain traditions having long since been established. People are terrified of changing those traditions because of the fact that those traditions have been in existence for decades, even centuries. If they have survived that long, people consciously or unconsciously reason, they must be correct. However, that is not necessarily the case. In The Lottery, the tradition must have been at least a century old, as the black box used to choose the lucky winner "had been put into use even before Old Man Wa... ...s existed for thousands of years, human beings are still making the same mistakes as they were when the first humans walked the earth. People live and die, empires rise and fall, while human behavior remains the same the entire time. People ought to learn from the mistakes of the past, not forgetting the things that have gone wrong. The great authors of the world have taken advantage of the unalterable human condition, using it to point out the grave errors that the natural behaviors of human beings can lead to. But before humans begin to dwell to such errors, they should remember that the mistakes they have made are not as important as the lessons humans draw from them . . . Works Cited: Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. 5th ed. Ed. Laurence Perrine. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Publishers 1998. 180-186

Look Back in Anger

Alienation and Loneliness Jimmy Porter spoke for a large segment of the British population in 1956 when he ranted about his alienation from a society in which he was denied any meaningful role. Although he was educated at a â€Å"white-tile† university, a reference to the newest and least prestigious universities in the United Kingdom, the real power and opportunities were reserved for the children of the Establishment, those born to privilege, family connections, and entree to the â€Å"right† schools. Part of the â€Å"code† of the Establishment was the â€Å"stiff upper lip,† that reticence to show or even to feel strong emotions. Jimmy's alienation from Alison comes precisely because he cannot break through her â€Å"cool,† her unwillingness to feel deeply even during sexual intercourse with her husband. He berates her in a coarse attempt to get her to strike out at him, to stop â€Å"sitting on the fence† and make a full commitment to her real emotions; he wants to force her to feel and to have vital life. He calls her â€Å"Lady Pusillanimous† because he sees her as too cowardly to commit to anything. Jimmy is anxious to give a great deal and is deeply angry because no one seems interested enough to take from him, including his wife. He says, â€Å"My heart is so full, I feel ill – and she wants peace!† Anger and Hatred Jimmy Porter operates out of a deep well of anger. His anger is directed at those he loves because they refuse to have strong feelings, at a society that did not fulfill promises of opportunity, and at those who smugly assume their places in the social and power structure and who do not care for others. He lashes out in anger because of his deeply felt helplessness. When he was ten years old he watched his idealist father dying for a year from wounds received fighting for democracy in the Spanish Civil War, his father talking for hours, â€Å"pouring out all that was left of his life to one bewildered little boy.† He says, â€Å"You see, I learnt at an early age what it was to be angry – angry and helpless. And I can never forget it.† Related reading: My Problem With Her Anger Apathy and Passivity Although Alison is the direct target of Jimmy's invective, her apathy and passivity are merely the immediate representation of the attitudes that Jimmy sees as undermining the whole of society. It is the complacent blandness of society that infuriates Jimmy. When speaking of Alison's brother Nigel, he says, â€Å"You've never heard so many well-bred commonplaces coming from beneath the same bowler hat.† The Church, too, comes under attack in part because it has lost relevance to contemporary life. For Helena it spells a safe habit, one that defines right and wrong for her – although she seems perfectly willing to ignore its strictures against adultery when it suits her. Jimmy sees the Church as providing an easy escape from facing the pain of living in the here and now – and thus precluding any real redemption. Of course, Jimmy has also slipped into a world of sameness as illustrated by the three Sunday evenings spent reading the newspapers and even the direct re placement of Alison at the ironing board with Helena. Deadly habit is portrayed as insidious. Class Conflict Jimmy comes from the working class and although some of his mother's relatives are â€Å"pretty posh,† Cliff tells Alison that Jimmy hates them as much as he hates her family. It is the class system, with its built-in preferential treatment for those at the top and exclusion from all power for those at the bottom, that makes Jimmy's existence seem so meaningless. He has a university degree, but it is not from the â€Å"right† university. It is Nigel, the â€Å"straight-backed, chinless wonder† who went to Sandhurst, who is stupid and insensitive to the needs of others, who has no beliefs of his own, who is already a Member of Parliament, who will â€Å"make it to the top.† Alison's father, Colonel Redfern, is not shown unsympathetically, but her mother is portrayed as a class-conscious monster who used every tactic she could to prevent Alison from marrying Jimmy. The only person for whom Jimmy's love is apparent is Hugh's working-class mother. Jimmy likes Cliff because, as Cliff himself says, â€Å"I'm common.† Identity Crisis While Jimmy harangues everyone around him to open themselves to honest feeling, he is trapped in his own problems of social identity. He doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. As Colonel Redfern points out, operating a sweet-stall seems an odd occupation for an educated young man. Jimmy sees suffering the pain of life as the only way to find, or â€Å"earn,† one's true identity. Alison does finally suffer the immeasurable loss of her unborn child and comes back to Jimmy, who seems to embrace her. Helena discovers that she can be happy only if she lives according to her perceived principles of right and wrong. Colonel Redfern is caught out of his time. The England he left as a young army officer no longer exists. Jimmy calls him â€Å"just one of those sturdy old plants left over from the Edwardian Wilderness that can't understand why the sun isn't shining anymore,† and the Colonel agrees. Cliff does seem to have a strong sense of who he is, accepts that, and will move on with his life. Sexism A contemporary reading of Look Back in Anger contains inherent assumptions of sexism. Jimmy Porter seems to many to be a misogamist and Alison a mere cipher struggling to view the world through Jimmy's eyes. Note: There are comments associated with this question. See the discussion page to add to the conversation.

Marketing management Essay

Marketing management – assignment 1 Case study Question for discussion: 1-give examples of needs, wants, and demand that build –a-bear customer demonstrate differentiating each of these three concepts. What are the implications of each on build –a-bear’s action? The build –a- bear company can really differentiating between needs, wants, and demand by gives the customer a free choice to create a bear by your own personalization so that the experience that customer need to make a value to the product and to satisfied all kind of customer and what they want ,need or demand . The build –a- bear actions are very precise and perfect because clark never forgetting what is like to be a customer and ask customer about what they want and she thinks like a customer. In every action build –a- bear make customer more related and closer by sharing the experience of build –a- bear together with your parents. The company achieve to gives to her customer needs, wants, and demand. 2- In detail, describe all facets of Build-A-Bear’s product. What is being exchanged in a Build-A-Bear transaction? When the children try to build a bear he gets through some station first (choose me) where the child choose unstuffed animal from a bin. At (stuff me) station when the animal comes to life. There is (hear me) station, where customer decide whether or not to includes (voice box) , (stitch me) where the child stitches the animal shut , (fluff me) where the child can give the animal a blow- dry spa treatment, (dress me) filled with accessories galore . That’s better than just buy the teddy or the stuffed animal and go. 3- Which of the five marketing management concepts best describes Build-A-Bear Workshop? Build –a- bear workshop can be describes as societal marketing. 4- Discuss in detail the value that Build-A-Bear creates for its customers? Build –a-bear create a strong relationship and makes a value to the product through participating with customer, interact, offering a good experience. They create social environment with child and their parents, it’s not just a toy shop it’s a relationship it’s goal to satisfy you and gives you what you want. 5- Is Build-A-Bear likely to be successful in continuing to build customer relationships? Why or why not? Yes Because they always lets customer choose, try, feel, and create an experience, also they build strong, loyal relationship. Build –a- bear company always look forward and expanding in their shops ,ideas they also has create web site and game site so they expanding through customer need and opinion . It’s not just a toy store it’s vision that concentrate first on how to satisfy and how to build the concept of customer value creation. I think that build-a- bear will counties growth and earn customer loyalty.

Customer service in Halifax Essay

Customer service Customer service is any part of the service that customers receive from the staff of the business. It is also a way in which the organisation deals with its customers. Businesses need their customers to buy their products or use their services in order to survive and make a profit. The way that they treat their customers is therefore very important. Many businesses have a policy of customer service, which involves putting the customer first in all situations. Customer service involves: * Making sure the product range is available to the customer * Making sure the product is safe and reliable * Providing information about products and being able to give advice * Making sure the product range can be delivered if necessary * Providing credit facilities where appropriate * Providing after sales service guarantees It should be the aim of every business to provide the highest level of customer service. There are laws, which provide protection to customers buying products. Businesses should know what their obligations are under these laws.it will help them maintain a high level of customer service. Why customer service is important in Halifax Customer service is important to Halifax because it brings in profit (the more customers the more the profit). The customers provide income to Halifax. Halifax does so much advertising and looses money but because it provides good customer service, the money lost is replaced. Customers are also a source of market research information Customers ensure the survival of the business Because of good customer service, Halifax spends less effort dealing with customer complaints. Customers are relined and refrained in Halifax because they are treated well and are made to feel good and safe with their money and properties. Halifax’s image is improved This is because everyone knows that it provides good customer service. My friend told me how good Halifax is and I was attracted to go and open up an account with them the next day. I also told my boyfriend about it that also went and opened up an account with them. To build customer loyalty All Halifax’s customers are loyal to it and they keep on using more of its services. They enjoy them. Increase competition It is only natural that where there is an attractive market, competitors will seek to obtain profitable businesses. The newcomer may sometimes even have an advantage due to the fact that he may have benefited from the experience of the long established supplier. As the newcomers start from scratch, they can use the latest equipment, techniques and systems and can select staff to fit the image they wish to create. Good customer service also gives Halifax a competitive advantage over other banks or building societies. Better informed customers Customers know a great deal more about Halifax’s services than they used to, partly because of the competition and partly due to the extensive studies conducted by consumer groups, and Halifax staff. A great deal of information is also available over the Internet. The emphasis put into competitive advertisements also makes customers more aware of the aspects they should examine. Halifax is a very good example where public pressure has forced regulations ensuring fuller disclosure of costs and more realistic estimates of benefits. Product similarity From the customer’s point of view, who I interviewed, it is difficult to distinguish many of Halifax’s services from those of their competitors. They often use the same services perform the same tasks in a very similar way. As an example, I could look at the personal computer industry, where a large number of computers can utilise the same software programs. One of the few ways Halifax can differentiate thereselfs from there competitors is by means the image for customer care that they build up and the reputation for customer support that they have earned over time. Rinsing demand for improved support With the choice of supply sources now available to Halifax customers they know that they are in a buyer’s market and they are therefore demanding improved support from the Halifax they have selected. In general it has been shown that with a higher living standard, customers are willing to pay for improved support. For instance customers in the past may have been willing to wait for a week or two for a telephone to be installed whereas now they expect it to be done in as many days. Life cycle costs As many products are technically more soficicated, customers have become more dependent on the continuing support from Halifax to keep their services in operation. They are increasingly looking at the life time costs and Halifax’s ability to support their services efficiently throughout the life of that service. When a customer buys a car for instance, he will want to know how good the maintenance service is what the costs are likely to be the fuel consumption and the resale value after a certain number of years. Training the frontline This is important because it means good customer service in Halifax in a way that when all staff are trained, there will be good communication between the staff hence providing good customer service. Training helps Halifax maintain good service in different departments. For example technology, promotional, health and safety, money wise. Managers in Halifax identify training needs for internal customers and provide suitable training events. Halifax is aware that well trained internal customer service provides good external customer service. Identification of the situations that require staff to have contact with customers A customer is a person who requires a product in exchange for money or who uses a service. Staff can have contact with customers through so many ways these are: By phone This is normally used when one of them (customer/staff) needs to ask a question and get a quick response.because both the staff and customers cannot see each other, it is unable to observe the other person’s body language. Though this happens, customers are not left waiting. The member of staff says what he is doing and how long he will be. The customer is always being informed of the actions taken. Music is often played to customers kept waiting in order to give them something to do, i.e. listen to music. The staff make sure they do everything they can to make the customer feel valued. Through letters This is used when a permanent record is needed. Eg.where a letter head showing the Halifax logo adds credibility to the company. Sentences are always kept short in the letters. The subject is always introduced at the beginning of the letter so that the customers know what the letter is about. Through Internet This is used when you can not get someone on the phone. The email is given an effective tittle, which makes the reader want to open it. They are not typed in capitals because the reader may think that the member of staff is shouting. Face to face This is done when the customer is on the premises. Usually when delivering bad or good news. Also when a permanent record is not required. Or when documents have to be handed in for opening new accounts. Through fax This is used when speed is required and the information is not confidential. This applies to letters. Staff always contact customers about: * Details about the new extra services introduced * Their bank accounts * Their mortgages * Their complaints * Opening bank accounts * Overdrafts * Foreign exchange purchase transfer * Withdrawal or payment * New service products etc Ways in which Halifax meets the needs of its customers Halifax is a successful firm because it identifies who its customers are and what their needs are quickly. Needs of internal customers Needs of external customers Sick pay To make a purchase Holidays Need to obtain information about a product Pension Company cars To make a complaint Staffs discount To maintain ethical standards Working conditions e.g. Safe environment Specials needs like the deaf, blind, old, physically handicapped, or with children. Job security Food Decent wages or salary. Christmas presents and bonus/ end year party Staff facilities e.g. room, gyms, toilets. Training. Training of internal customers in all aspects of their jobs ensures that external customer needs are catered for, whereas good staff relations or industrial relations, effective communication and good company policies ensures the satisfaction of internal customer needs. Internal customers These are members of staff who rely on other members of staff to help them do their jobs properly. In Halifax, internal customers’ feedback is included in performance reviews. Halifax is now making input a formal part of a 360-degree feedback process, in which employees, peers and the manager all evaluate the performance of managers. In addition. Halifax talks to its internal customers during meetings and asks them about their needs and finds out how it can serve them better. ‘Always giving you extra’†¦ as long as the employees do it for their customers, they’ll do it for the employees. They’re looking to develop the best motivated and best rewarded team in the business, so the employees should expect plenty. Training, sales support, personal development, opportunity, great incentives†¦ you name it, Halifax goes that extra mile to make sure the employees have everything they need for a rewarding career. And that, of course, includes a benefits package they find hard to beat – by anyone, anywhere. It covers everything they’d expect (good salary, generous holidays) and plenty that they wouldn’t, such as bonuses and incentives, share schemes, discounted mortgages and plenty more†¦ all adding up to a total rewards package to match their total commitment. The following are part of Halifax’s human resource policies: Pay (plus bonuses) Generous Holiday Entitlement Shares Colleague Products Money Purchase Pension Life Assurance Flexible Working Flexible Benefits Recognition Our commitment Support when it counts Academy Pay (plus bonuses) Halifax starts by giving employees a highly attractive basic salary. They have bands, but there’s a lot of flexibility. So they’ll take into account the nature of the role, as well as the employees’ skills and experience. On top of this, everyone has the chance to earn more by putting in ‘extra’. So employees can earn a bonus for individual, team and company performance. Reach or exceed the employees’ targets for example, and the employees can expect to receive between 10% and 30% of salary – extra! Nice. Generous Holiday Entitlement The employees receive between 22 and 30 days paid holiday a year, depending on their role and length of service. Shares Halifax group wants employees to share in their success (they like smiling people). They won’t go into detail here, but there are various schemes where employees receive either shares or share options. It’s hugely popular. Largely because it can be hugely profitable for Halifax’s colleagues. Colleague Products Halifax is the UK’s number one for savings and mortgages, and have plenty of other products too, such as insurance and healthcare. All of which are available to employees at attractive, discounted rates. External customers These are individuals and business customers who buy or use the goods and services provided by an organisation. With staff who can speak a wider range of languages, Halifax and customer service has improved. They monitor holiday costs constantly to give customers a better deal. Plus, they can give customers a guaranteed minimum 5% discount on a wide range of brochure-priced holidays and charter flights! Halifax also meets its customers’ needs by giving eye contact, explaining transferred telephone calls to customers and colleagues, being genuine and sincere, knowing about their products or services, knowing about its policies, treating customers as individuals, and minimising queuing times. Home delivery For home delivery, orders placed in a branch or over the phone before 2.30pm Monday to Friday are usually delivered to the customer’s home address by 12 noon the next bank working day (excluding Saturdays). Orders placed on Saturday or Sunday are usually delivered by 12 noon the following Tuesday. All home deliveries are by Royal Mail Special Delivery. There is a charge of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 for all home deliveries. Home delivery is not available for orders placed online. Always giving extra to customers with particular needs Halifax group is committed to providing all their customers with excellent service, whatever type of relationship they have with them. They do their outmost to help all customers with special needs. Their cash machines are generally installed at a lower level to make them easier to reach, and the newer machines have been adapted for the visually impaired to use. Halifax has around 800 branches in the UK, most, of which are open plan to make it easier for customers to find their way around. The majority have a reception desk, with seating provided. And their staff are always on hand to discuss specific needs or answer queries. Wheelchair users Getting in and out of Halifax’s branches is usually easy, with level or ramped access from pavements. And, wherever possible, doors are automatic. Call Assistance At some branches steps are unavoidable, so a ‘Call Assistance’ bell system was installed, so that a member of staff can be called. Servicecall Some branches are fitted with the ‘Servicecall’ system, so that customers with a Servicecall transmitter can alert staff of their arrival. Lifts Where branches have split-level banking halls, Halifax provides internal ramps or wheelchair lifts. Low-level counters and counter queuing rails Lower level writing surfaces are increasingly being provided at the counter. All branches have counter queuing rails, often with lower level writing surfaces. Other banking options To help make it easier for all their customers to manage their finances at their convenience, they offer a number ways to access Halifax as well as via other large network of branches across the country: Online Customers can apply for a Halifax Current Account online. Then once it is registered for telephone banking they can do their banking online via Halifax’s website 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click www.halifax.co.uk for more details. They also offer a Share Dealing service online, and applications for other products such as Personal Loans, Credit Cards and Travel Insurance can be made via the web site. Telephone Halifax Direct is a 24-hour telephone Current Account service. Customers can use it for everything from checking their balance and ordering a statement to arranging an overdraft. Arrangements can also be made for customers to pay bills and transfer money to other Halifax accounts. All Halifax customers can telephone Halifax direct for other services, for example a Personal Loan or travel money. Customers who are hearing impaired, can contact Halifax Direct using textphone on 0845 732 3436 Contact Halifax They have undertaken an extensive disability awareness programme to help staff overcome the barriers which people who have a disability face. To help them continually improve their services, if you would like to make any comments about their site or the services they offer customers with disabilities, they request the customers to use this form. Philomena Gray, Disability Manager by e-mail: JayneO’Connell@HBOSPlc.com or at:Halifax plc Trinity Road HALIFAX West Yorkshire HX1 2RG How Halifax deals with customers’ complaints Once Halifax is prepared for any potential problem a customer may have brought to them, their next step is to use the company’s complaint system the company has in place for dealing with complaints. Halifax deals with complaints in many different ways. This can be done through: 1. The telephone 2. Face to face 3. In writing: typical written communications involve providing information on the services provided, prices of mortgages, statements of accounts and safety procedures. Because Halifax actively seeks and encourages complaints, they are able to understand and meet the needs of their customers. If a customer is dissatisfied and is unable to express that dissatisfaction, Halifax will never see that customer return. What is worse, the customer may also persuade potential customers not to stop within Halifax too. Customers with bad experiences were twice as likely to tell others about it as those with a positive story to recount. Customer complaints are viewed as opportunities to improve a service offered rather than problems ignored. The causes of the complaints are dealt with the and lessons learnt. Customers making complaints are seen as contributors to the process of improving customer services rather than awkward individuals who enjoy making life difficult for staff. By respecting customers and treating them accordingly Halifax is able to monitor and improve the quality of service offered. Many products arise because the law has been broken. There is a large number of laws that try to protect the customers. Halifax tries not to break the laws. The major consumers’ laws include; The descriptions Act 1978, which makes it illegal for Halifax as a business to give misleading descriptions of their services and products. The consumer safety Act 1978, which make sit illegal to sell goods, which may be harmful to customers. The consumer protection Act 1987, which makes it illegal, amongst other things, for a business to claim that its prices have been reduced when they have not. It also makes suppliers responsible for any injury that results from defective goods. The consumer credit Act 1974, which requires Halifax to have a specific licence because it offers credit otherwise they will be committing an offence. If the law has been broken, customers can take Halifax to court. This may cause the business money and give it a bad reputation. That is why they make sure that they do not break the law. Halifax also makes it certain that customers are happy with the services they provide. Details of all customers’ complaints are recorded. This is done so that there is a record of what action was taken in case the customer wishes to take the complaint further. Recording the data also allows staff and management to use it for capturing customer details. The nature of complaint and the service involved is recorded and quite often the name and address of the person complaining is recorded. Halifax has a special service desk for dealing with customer complaints, and also specially trained staff. When customers approach with a complaint Halifax staff make sure they: * Listen to them carefully * Reassure them that their complaint is being taken seriously * Decide on an appropriate action * Apologise if the business is responsible * Record the details of the complaint * Record the action taken Checking that customer’s complaint is valid Halifax won’t take customers’ complaint seriously if it’s something, which is not their fault. For example, if your current account has no overdraft facility but you regularly overdraw the account, you can’t really complain if Halifax charges you for doing so. If, however, charges on your account push the balance into the red, it should not charge you for being overdrawn. Halifax deals with complaints about something in relation to: * Customer expectations not met * Late delivery * Incorrect information * Waiting/queuing times * Attitude of staff * Faulty service products * Statement errors What happens next? If a customer’ complaint is something Halifax has the power to deal with, they will usually start by seeing if they can help the customer to resolve matters in an informal way. One of their staff (usually called a caseworker) will take a fresh look at the facts and let the customer know how they think the customer could reach the agreement. This approach is often called mediation. If a customer has a problem, Halifax can always help They aim to offer customers the best possible service, but there may be occasions when customers feel they have cause for complaint. If so, Halifax will always try to resolve the problem quickly and to your satisfaction. If the customer is unhappy with their response, he/she can take his complaint further through their complaints procedure outlined below. Following Halifax’s complaints procedure does not affect a customer’s legal rights. 1. Where the customer first makes his complaint Halifax aims to resolve customers’ concerns within 24 hours. Sometimes it may take longer to look into the matter fully. If this happens, they will let the customer know within five working days who will reply. The people a customer first raise the matter with are often able to help, but there may be occasions when a specialist area needs to be involved. If the customer doesn’t know who to contact, they can: * Call Customer Relations on 08457 25 35 19 * Textphone Customer Relations on 08456 00 17 50 (if you have a hearing impairment) * Write to them at: Halifax plc Halifax Customer Relations Trinity Road Halifax HX1 2RG They will then arrange for the right person to look into and respond to the customer’s concerns. 2. Customer Relations In the unlikely event that the customer remains unhappy, he /she can ask for his complaint to be referred to a Customer Relations manager for further review. If the customer is still not satisfied he can, at this stage, ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to help, or for service-related complaints about Halifax Estate Agencies Limited, the Ombudsman for Estate Agents The Halifax supports fully and is a member of both the Ombudsmen Schemes. These are impartial and conduct independent investigations. Ombudsmen addresses For most complaints about Halifax products and services customers can contact: The Financial Ombudsman Service South Quay Plaza 183 Marsh Wall London E14 9SR Phone: 08450 80 18 00 email: enquiries@financial-ombudsman.org.uk Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk For complaints about Halifax Estate Agencies Limited: The Ombudsman for Estate Agents Beckett House 4 Bridge Street SALISBURY SP1 2LX Phone: 01722 33 33 06 email: admin@oea.co.uk Website: www.oea.co.uk Types of customer records Halifax uses Market research The final method of monitoring customer service satisfaction is through market research. Market research is a formalised method of obtained feedback and information from customers or potential customers about services that are available or soon to be made available. In Halifax, obtaining feedback from customers is essential in learning how to improve the service offered. The process helps Halifax to understand: * The nature of the service from the point of view of the customer. * What the customers are wanting. * What the customer thinks of the organisation. * What will make the customer feel valued? * What sort of initiatives the customers would appreciate. Halifax is able to show that business decisions are supported by information and evidence gained through research. Therefore through market research, Halifax is able to identify customers’ opinions about: * Interest rates charged. * New and existing services. * After sales service. * The quality of customer care provided by Halifax. Business decisions about these issues can then be made based upon the results of the research. Halifax sends out customer service questioners to 200,000 customers every six months, asking for their opinions on their branch. In addition, ‘mystery shoppers’ posing as potential customers visit and phone the branches to ask for advice. Each quarter, every branch in Halifax network receives two visits and two phone calls from the mystery shopper, who then fills in the research form and marks the branch on factors such as courtesy, speed, and phone handling techniques. All the results are included into a customer service index for each Branch. The findings are also published internally or all to see, with awards for those branches with the best achievements. The market research I undertook about Halifax provided some interesting results. I decided to measure how much customer satisfaction dictated future buying intentions. The research divided the customers into one of three groups: * Those with problem that had been resolved * Those with a problem that had been recently dealt with * Those whose experience of the bank had only been positive As was predictable, the customers who remained dissatisfied were the ones least likely to buy any more of the building society’s services. However, surprisingly, those customers whose problem had been dealt with quickly and efficiently were more likely to use Halifax’s services again in the future than customers who had never experienced a problem. 80% of the customers were happy and 20% were not happy. Among the unhappy customers some of them did not visit the branches often nor use Halifax’s machines. Customers responded positively to open, polite and helpful advice provided by Halifax, even if the outcome was not what the customer was seeking, e.g. applying bank charges. Findings similar to Halifax have emerged from other customer attitude surveys undertaken across a range of businesses. The results of my surveys indicate that by keeping the customers happy, the organisations will retain existing business and will increase future revenue from existing customers. It is essential that a manager act upon any feedback gained through market research. Customers who provide feedback through market research are usually given recognition by Halifax. I also found out that when Halifax do their market research through the surveys, they thank their customers for their time and effort. This is in the form of a card, letter, or telephone call. A number of methods are used by Halifax to find out what the customer thinks of and wants from the service. These include: * Postal questioners. * Personal interviews. * Telephone interviews. * Consumer panels. * Customer feedback forms. Complaints records In Halifax, recording customer complaints and implementing changes to ensure that the customer is not dissatisfied for the same reason again are ways to monitor customer satisfaction. Customers are provided with a system where they feel comfortable about recording a complaint. Only by doing so can Halifax ensure that they are fully meeting the needs of all their customers. When Halifax is dealing with customer complaints, they normally take the customer’s details. This normally helps them to be able to contact the customer when necessary and to know who they are dealing with. Customer Surveys Customer surveys are used to get inside the customer’s mind and learn what they are thinking about Halifax. Surveys can determine customer satisfaction, complaints, compliments and questions. Halifax likes to know what their customers are thinking because it helps them improve or tailor their services. Feedback can be a great source of information. Customer surveys can sometimes be a core competency of Halifax. Surveys can be administered online, in person or even via phone. Surveys should be constructed to pull the most valuable data from employees so that Halifax can later use that data for the betterment of the company. Savings and Debit cards When opening up savings or bank accounts, the staff records your personal details and keep them for further reference. At times this is used to contact customers to participate in surveys, to take advantage of new offers, etc. Internal Complaints When the employees make a complaint, Halifax also takes down their comments and again their details. Personnel records The personnel department keeps records of all employees on the payroll. This includes personal information (name, date of birth, address) as well as details of rates of pay, tax, and national insurance number. The records are confidential and should not be accessible to unauthorised personnel. These records are taken during recruitment. Recruiting When recruiting, managers take employees details for further reference. This helps them to know how much they deserve to be paid to know their retirement age, etc, which can be utilised by the firm to provide good internal customer service. The customer service provided in Halifax and improvements In Halifax, The desire to improve and be the best helps motivate staff by providing them with a challenge. It gives employees the opportunity to suggest ideas, use their initiative and participate in the development of the organisation. Excellent customer service provides a focus for all staff to work towards and results in increased job satisfaction for the employees, as well as increased customer satisfaction. Excellent standards in Halifax’s customer service can only be achieved by having a system that enables them to constantly review and improve the service offered. What is an acceptable standard for a customer today will not necessarily be an acceptable standard tomorrow. Constant improvement is essential. Because Halifax is an organisation seeking to improve the quality of customer service offered, it set quality service standards, which are: * Clearly explained * Realistic for employees * Easily measured Having clearly defined standards and a process to monitor those standards gives employees a goal to work towards. 1. Providing information Staff in Halifax provides customers with information, by letting them know what the business has to offer. The information provided is mostly through leaflets and focuses on: *Lost or stolen cards. * Mortgages * Bank Accounts *Loans * Savings and investments *Insurance * Share dealing. The problem to some members of staff is that they provide wrong information to customers. This happens when they are not sure of the answers to the questions being asked by the customers. Halifax improves this by re-training the staff who have the duty of dealing with customer enquiries. They also provide leaflets containing information of the services they offer. 2. Giving advice Customers often expect advice about the services they know little about Halifax. This is likely to happen with mortgages. When people want to open up accounts from Halifax they expect to receive clear instructions and advice on how to use and maintain them. When a business or an individual goes to the bank, they expect that the staff will know a great deal about banking and that sound advice will be given. But in some cases it does not happen. This is because the member of staff gives wrong advice about the service provided and sometimes it leads to the customer changing him/her mind about opening up an account with Halifax. For example when I wanted to open up an account with Halifax, I was told to bring both my parents passports back with me. I was really shocked by that and was wondering why every Bank does not ask for that. Anyway I suddenly gave up because the passports where with the home office. After three months, I called Halifax’s head office to ask them why I needed my parents’ passports to open up an account yet I had my own passport. The lady on the phone said that it is not right and I should go back to them and tell them that. I spoke to the manager and she said that it is all right for me to use my own passport since I am seventeen. This is why Halifax should train the members of staff going to give customers advice and ensure that they have good knowledge of the service product and procedures. Halifax gives advice on What is the suitable account, loan or action? What is the best mortgage? What is the cheapest way to pay for mortgage? How to use the accounts and cards. How to store and look after the cards. 3. Tailoring the service to what the customer wants Halifax’s staff ensure that customers get what they really want and are satisfied with the services. They know that is what will make them come back again. So staff work out very carefully what customers want and need. They know that customers want to be served quickly and efficiently but sometimes the queue is too long because some tills are not utilised. This really annoys the customers and makes them to leave and maybe pay the money to another account they have in a different bank. Halifax should improve this by letting another member of staff cover for the other if they have gone for their breaks and by making sure that any member of staff who is off sick is covered by using staff who do shift work. 4. Providing credit facilities Halifax accepts payment in a variety of ways for example cheques, cash, account transfers. This makes payment more convenient for customers. In the 1990s, Halifax has been facing a great deal of competition and one way of attracting customers is to offer better credit packages than competitors. Actual details of credit terms have therefore become highly variable and now Halifax is trying so hard to provide the best deal. Halifax is required by law to publish the APR and this does allow some basis for comparison. APR (Annual percentage rate of interest). This shows the actual rate of interest that borrowers must pay on average over the full period of the loan. But in some cases, some customers do not receive their interests which cause complaints and this results to the business loosing customers if the others hear about one’s complaint. This is normally caused by errors on the computers, which they use to automatically offer interest to an account according to its type. So to improve this problem, Halifax management and staff should make sure that the machines are checked regularly to prevent unnecessary errors lik e that. 5. Credit They also offer credit cards to allow customers to buy goods and services and pay for them when they receive their statements from them, usually at the end of the month. When a customer uses a credit card to pay for an item the shop demands its claim for payment back to the Halifax that then pays the shop. Because Halifax must wait for payment from the customer, they usually charge the shop for the right to let customers use the credit card. This explains why the major supermarkets and a growing number of major stores are now offering their own credit cards. For some credit cards, a high rate is charged which makes Halifax lose its customers. They have improved this by putting the rates at a lower charge in order to attract more customers. 6. Administration This is the management of services that help to support the smooth running of department. Every department in Halifax carries it out. These general administration functions might include; 7. Reception This includes greeting people visiting a specific branch, dealing with their enquiries, and taking outside phone calls and connecting customers to right departments. It is also known as the customer service department. When customers come in the branch to make enquiries, in most circumstances there is a long queue. This really annoys customers in that they will complain and give pressure to the member of staff attending to them which will lead to her making mistakes and giving wrong or incomplete information to the customer she is serving. This can be improved by letting the members of staff who are available (not doing any work at that moment) to help out on the reception. This helps Halifax to deal with customers courteously and promptly. 8. Security Ensuring the security of the building property and staff. If there is no security in Halifax, people’s money will not be safe hence loosing customers because all they want is security and trust from the building society. To improve this, CCTVs are installed in the building to keep track of all that is going on in the premises. Most people who come into the Halifax and find it untidy and dirty get the wrong impression and neglect opening up accounts with them. This has been improved by arranging for outside contractors to clean the building, and cater for staff. The clerical work of making records managing records, filling, photocopying. Organising meetings, keeping minutes. Ensuring that internal communications (within the department) operate smoothing. Ensuring the department staffs arrive on time, have the facilities they need and have been paid. Each department will operate in a slightly different way, so it is highly that different departments will have some administrative tasks that are unique to that department, e.g. The human resources department will have to ensure that it has a complete and accurate database of all employees, with contact addresses and telephone numbers. 9. Providing an efficient service This is done when keeping appointments, Replying to enquiries within the shortest time possible, Fast, efficient and friendly service, helping and assisting the customer, answering all telephone calls within five seconds and following the basic principles when communicating with customers on the telephone. Sometimes all this is not done by the employees. They become rude to the customers and act like they have been forced to do their work. They do this by being very slow when serving on the checkouts and not speaking loudly and clearly on the phone. 10. Ensuring that replies to requests for information are with the customer within a reasonable period of time e.g. three days. Documentation is always up to date and accurate. Letters are addressed personally, well typed and without spelling errors. 11. Dealing with customer complaints Sometimes customers’ complaints are ignored or forgotten about because the member of staff has too much work to do which makes the customers loose interest in Halifax. This can be improved by setting up a Procedure for dealing with customer complaints and problems and since sometimes the procedure is not followed, they should improve this more by establishing a customer service department in each store, appointing a member of staff to be in charge of customer services, Communicating effectively with customers and ensuring that customer complaints are dealt with to the satisfaction of the customer. 12. Reliable systems, facilities and procedures Sometimes when customers come into a Halifax branch to open up an account, they find that the phone or computer does not work. This annoys them and either walk out or complain to the staff, which will disorganise the other services. That is if the customer makes a scene. This is improved up setting up quick and efficient technology with good backup, making sure that customer facilities are kept in good working order, by understanding of procedures by all employees The financial sector is a fast moving and rapidly changing environment. Many of these organisations rely on call centres to handle the huge numbers of enquiries received. Unfortunately high staff turnover is a major problem within many branches, so recruitment of the right candidates as quickly as possible is essential. Recognising the need to make quick recruitment decisions, that are valid, objective and more cost effective, Halifax Plc developed a new recruitment process, which met their criteria. Some years ago the Halifax implemented a competency-based application form, using job relevant competencies that are scored through a standardised procedure, and found they could make initial selection decisions quickly, confidently and objectively. For this project the Halifax saw the need to review their competencies in the light of organisational changes. They reviewed their initial selection process, to ensure that the competencies to be used were still appropriate given organisational changes, and the increased organisational emphasis was on business related competencies. The first stage involved reviewing a number of job roles to identify the key job tasks. The results from this early stage were used to develop a telephone checklist. The checklist is used as an initial sifting mechanism, aimed at ensuring that applicants are aware of job demands before they are sent the application form, thus reducing the administrative burden. Before the final structured application form was written a concurrent validation was conducted on a trial group of current job incumbents to identify the key competencies. It was found that specific competencies from the application form correlated highly with manager’s ratings of performance, additionally these competencies also correlated highly with the Customer Contact ability test scores of job incumbents. This suggested that people with higher scores on the competency based questionnaire and the ability tests are far more likely to perform better in the job than those applicants who perform poorly on the competency based application form. The Halifax is just one example of where Structured Application Forms have been used successfully. 12. Employee feedback system An employee feedback system is a structured approach to recording employees’ views and suggestions about the service provided and ways in which to improve that service. In Halifax, employees deal with the customers’ daily and therefore are able to provide useful advice and information to the employer about the views of customers and whether the service provided meets the needs of the customers. Very often, the employees can make valuable suggestions about how to improve the quality of service offered. 14. Quality review system This is a structured system in Halifax that enables an employer to determine the quality of service being offered to customers and the response of customers to that service. A check sheet or rating form can be used to identify the key areas to be audited. The manager will use the form to review at regular intervals the standard of service provided and customers’ responses against the criteria. An employer quality review system involves the manager being out where the customers are and seeing the activities taking place. The system involves the manager observing, examining and evaluating the quality of service offered by different employees in different sections or departments. The manager also listens carefully to customers’ questions, because the issues raised forms part of the evaluation of customer service. A description of any legal constraints affecting the customer service situation There are five main Acts of parliament Halifax knows and they understand the rights they should give to buyers. Most of these Acts are joined towards firms that sell products rather than service products. The sale of goods Act 1979 and 1995 One of the most important Acts today is the sale of goods Act 1979. It covers the fundamental requirements of purchasers, i.e. that goods must be: * As described which means that they should conform their description for example water proof must mean that the items do not leak. * Of satisfactory quality in relation to the price paid, the description, age of the item. * Fit for the purpose for which they are intended which means that goods must carry out the purpose they are made for, i.e. a pen must make a clear legible mark. * The goods must be for a specific purpose the buyer has made clear to the seller at the time of the sale. The supply of goods and services Act 1982 The service standards are affected by this Act. It states that all services should be carried out: * For a reasonable charge * Within a reasonable time * With reasonable care and skill * Using satisfactory materials The consumer protection Act 1987 This Act relates to price and safety. The consumer protection Act is enforced by Trading Standards Officers. It is also an offence not to cooperate with Trading Standards Officers during any investigation. Under the Act it is an offence: * To mislead consumers as to the price of goods, services, accommodation or facilities (e.g. by missing out the VAT when quoting the price) * To mislead consumers over sale prices and claim exaggerated price reductions * To supply goods which are not reasonably safe. The trade description Act 1968 This Act is designed to prevent the false or misleading description of goods, e.g.: * Selling goods, which are wrongly described by the manufacturer. * Implied descriptions, e.g. a picture on a box, which gives a false impression. * Other aspects of the goods, including quantity, size, composition, method of manufacture etc. Usually the spoken word of the seller overrides the written description of the goods as the buyer can rely on the expertise of the salesperson. However, this is obviously harder to prove if there is dispute. The consumer credit Act 1974 This is more applicable to Halifax and requires all businesses, which offer credit to have a specific licence otherwise they will be committing an offence. The Act provides for: * Customers who sign credit agreement in their own home to be allowed a cooling off period of five days. During this period the customer can change her mind or cancel the agreement without any penalties. * Customers to demand within 28 days that retailers provide details of the name and address of any credit reference agencies, which have been used to ascertain their credit worthiness. It is an offence for a retailer not to do this. * The credit reference agency to provide full details to the customer if the request is made in writing, and small administration fee is paid. Any incorrect information must be corrected if further information is provided by the customer. * Advertisements offering credit must include the title charge for credit and the APR (annual percentage rate of charge). The Act also restricts the way in which advertisements are worded and the prominence of financial information relating to charges. * Sellers must provide written details of credit terms if requested by the customer in writing or orally, either in person or on the telephone, unless such a quotation has already been provided. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1978 Not only do employees have a right to expect employers to provide a safe, working environment, they also have a responsibility to ensure the Health and Safety for existing and potential customers. The Health and Safety at Work Act requires employees to: * Take reasonable care for the Health and Safety of themselves and others who may be affected by what they do and what they fail to do. * Cooperate with employers in fulfilling their duties for Health and Safety. Employees who fail to comply with health and safety regulations may be prosecuted. The requirements basically mean that employees must not act recklessly at work. They must follow safety procedures. They must take reasonable care in carrying out their duties and employers should fulfil their obligation as prescribed in the Health and Safety at Work Act. The sex discrimination Act 1975 This Act makes it illegal for anyone to be discriminated against on grounds of gender either directly or indirectly. Even if this is done unintentionally, the organisation is still guilty. So Halifax has to comply with the provisions of this Act. Race relations Act The race relation Act is very similar to the sex discrimination Act. It makes it illegal to discriminate in the work place on the grounds of race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin. Disability discrimination Act Under this Act it is illegal to discriminate against a disabled person in the recruitment and selection process, the contract of employment and the conditions of pay, provisions of training and promotion opportunities, treatment with the workplace. Halifax is expected by law to comply with the provisions of the various Acts. The Health and safety Act 1978 affects both the internal and external customers. Implications of not complying with the provisions of the consumer laws or legal requirement are: * Costs: legal costs of going to court and compensation. * Bad reputation: Negative / Bad publicity hence loss of customers leading to the company collapsing. The roles of the employees in providing good customer service Internal customers Halifax has so many different branches throughout the UK. All of these are internal customers’ to the regional or ‘head office’. Staff working for Halifax are the internal customers. Managers in Halifax want to get the most out of your employees. Generally, the better their employees perform the better their department or company will do. Recruiting the right people Recruiting the right staff is a crucial component of creating the workforce profile Halifax needs to achieve its organisational objectives and they take careful planning and consideration to recruit successfully. While Halifax wants staff who can do the job they’re offering and who are interested in it, the crucial factor in choosing the right team is personality. The managers can teach them the job, but they can’t teach them how to be the right person! Because managers are responsible for recruitment and selection decisions in Halifax, they are aware that hiring or losing staff can be costly, especially if they get it wrong. Smart appearance of all staff Customers will often assess the quality of Halifax by the appearance of the staff. This has been improved by providing them with uniforms which all of them have to wear and this helps the customers to recognise the members of staff easily. Politeness When employees understand and feel a part of the larger picture they provide better customer service because they feel better about their roles and understand the critical nature of their jobs to the overall success of Halifax. A positive and helpful attitude goes a long way toward having satisfied customers, and is important for a positive environment with co-workers. Employees in Halifax know that they should always be polite to customers and be very helpful. Arriving at work on time Employees make sure that they arrive at work on time because they know that if this is not done, they will lose customers hence loosing profits for they company. When they arrive on time, the branch is also opened on time. Teamwork Teamwork is an important part of building a quality Halifax. Having Halifax work like a team involves getting all of the team members to work together towards one common goal. Teamwork through employee training programs can help Halifax team achieve that goal. Teamwork helps the staff first identify the goal it is working towards, whether that’s increasing sales or improving customer service. Once the goals are identified, then they can work on whatever issues may be currently preventing them from achieving those goals. After those issues are addressed, the employees can more effectively work together as a team. Team works can build communication skills and employee motivation. Both of these items contribute to a more successful team and organisation. A successful organisation means more profits, happier employees, and fewer turnovers. The results from a team building exercise can actually help Halifax perform better as a whole. Halifax can benefit by taking time and resources to help their employees achieve their goals by putting them in training program and giving them skills they didn’t know they needed. Teamwork is part of an employee development program that can really benefit Halifax. Health and Safety Health and Safety policies are integral in Halifax business operation. They ensure that the law making employers responsible for the health, safety and welfare of all employees at work is followed. They also help employees to understand and accept their responsibility for their personal behaviour at work as it affects their own, and others’ health and safety. Good Health and Safety procedures ultimately save money and prevent lost time through injury and illness. Because Halifax has more than five employees, they have a written Health and Safety Policy and bring a published Statement to all employees’ attention. Employees are informed that behaviour against the Health and Safety policy is a disciplinary offence. Part of the Health and Safety procedure is to notify the appropriate enforcing authority for registration, at least one month before servicing starts. Authorities are: * Health and Safety Executive This body, besides providing information for businesses, ensure that Halifax meets the regulated standards for: * Escape routes * Storage of materials * Ventilation * Lighting * Hygiene Carrying out their duties All employees make sure that they carry out their specific duties. Managers should be able to carry out their duties by making sure that employees are happy. They can do this by: Motivation Halifax cannot succeed if their employees are motivated to do a good job. You can motivate employees in any type of work environment. Employee motivation is one of the many keys to Halifax’s success. Employee motivation can be achieved through a variety of ways. Employee training programs can be administered on a regular basis. Making an employee feel like they are an important part of Halifax also increases motivation. Appraisals In Halifax, members of staff are interviewed on a regular basis by their line manager and assessed on their performance. It is also an opportunity to discuss any problems and to determine any training and/ or training needs. Performance may be related to pay or bonuses. Care should be taken not present staff appraisal as a hostile or intimidating ordeal. Praise Managers make sure that they praise their staff when they have done well. This makes them happy and also do their job better because they know that their bosses appreciate. Training Managers in Halifax want to get the most out of your employees. Generally, the better their employees perform the better their department or company will do. In Halifax, it is not always possible to find someone who is perfectly suited to a job, with all the necessary skills and experience. They are likely to need some training. This is made even more likely by the fact that as working conditions change, due to new technology, reorganisation, expansion and so on, staff will need training to be able to meet the new challenges. Managers may also provide staff development to enable them to broaden their existing abilities and experiences and to help them achieve their potential for Halifax building society. Finally, motivated staff, teamwork, etc, ensures that employees are committed to their work. Commitment from and carrying out duties and responsibilities by all employees are the prerequisite for good customer service. Good customer service requires input from all employees, and not to be the duty of frontline staff alone.