HIV Infections in African American Males Essay - 1436 Words

HIV infections in African American Males have been a national growing problem since the early 1990’s. According to CDC, in the United States, there are more than 1 million people living with HIV. 48 percent are afro American males between the ages 13-44(CDC, 2007). It is estimated that around 1 million people in the United States will be diagnose with HIV in the up coming year with the lifetime risk of becoming infected is 1 in 16 for black males (CDC,2007). However, there is growing concern about the disproportionate increase of HIV among adolescent African American males ages 13-19. These adolescent males count for 37 percent of the cases, which double their representation in their general population. Although, Poverty is a major†¦show more content†¦Since the Trans-theoretical model framework is one of the leading intervention for behavior change (Hayden, 2009, p65). To better motivate behavior change towards condom use, a school wide Condom Education Program can be useful when tailoring a group’s intervention that will meet the target population stage of readiness to change regardless of the behavior of focus. The North Carolina Healthy Living Standard Course of study has objectives for growth and development, puberty education, sex education and prevention. Any African American male attending these schools has been educated about HIV causes and prevention. Since, they know the benefits of using condom as a protection and even considering changing. To better approach their behavior change toward condom use, the four most useful constructs are contemplation, preparation, action and self-efficacy. Although, (NIH, 2007) reports that condoms have reduce HIV Transmission by 87-95 percent. To get these African American male students from seeing it to exploring condom use as an option or a benefit is contemplation. However, a Condom Education Program is placed an inner city high school, whose population is 65 percent Afro-American male. NIH reported data is the goal of the program. The objective is by the end of the year, 45% of Afro American sexual active males areShow MoreRelatedHiv and Aids in the Black Community1140 Words   |  5 PagesRunning head: HIV/AIDS in African Americans ​​1 HIV/AIDS in November 15, 2012  Research, Definition, and Statement of HIV/AIDS ​African-Americans are the ethnic group most affected by HIV/AIDS. Ironically african-americans represent 14% of the population of the United States , but represent 44% across the gender line. African-american men represent 70% of HIV infections among the ethnic group, however african-american women are also highly at risk of HIV infection. 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Produce a Report to Demonstrate Your Knowledge and...

B2 Produce a report to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of different theorist of development. This report should identify how these theorists have influenced current practice. Cognitive Piaget developed the theory of stage development; he had based his theories on his children by carrying out detailed observations where he came up with four stages in each process. But he believed a child had to be at a certain age to learn something or they simply couldn’t learn it or know it. I believe he underestimated children’s abilities and knowledge. The first stage was called sensorimotor stage- in this stage children learnt through using their 5 senses, touch, taste, smell, seeing and hearing. He believe they understood that the†¦show more content†¦Even though Freud had been discredited for his work because theorists believe his work unrealistic, I understand his way of thinking and believe he was correct about the way the brain is sectioned in to 3 different parts. 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Queen Mab Speech Essay Example For Students

Queen Mab Speech Essay Wenesday November 6, 1996Queen Mab Speech Revised DraftI see that Queen Mab has been with you. She is the faries midwife, and her body is no bigger than agate stone that is on index finger of a alderman. She is drawn from a team of small atomies over mens noses as they sleep. Her spokes are made of long spider legs, the cover is made from the wing of a grasshopper and her traces is the smallest of spider webs. Her collar is made of watery moonbeams, her whip is a cricket bone and her lash is made of a light film. Her driver is a small grey coated gnat, not half as big as a little round worm. That has been picked off the fingers of a virgin. Her Chariot is a empty hazel nut, made by the joiner squirell, they have been the coach makers for the faries. She goes through lovers brains, making them dream of love. Galloping over courtier knees, that they may dream proper curtsies and over lawyers fingers, who dream of money. She gallops over ladies lips, who dream of kissing their lovers. This angers Queen Mab, plaguing thier lips because they are tainted with sweetmeats. Sometimes she comes over a courtiers nose. Who dream of the desire to gain office with the king, and sometimes she may come with a pigs tail, tickling parsons noses as he/she sleep. Then he dreams of another lucrative church appointment. Sometimes she gallops over a soliders neck, he then dreams of cutting foreigh thoats, give farthoms deep. Then she drums in his ear, at when he wakes up frightened and says a prayer or two. Then falls back asleep. This is the same Queen Mab that knots the horses mane at night. That mats and cakes the tangles in your hair, said to be put their by elves, once untangled, misfortune will occur. This is the burden of all virgins, when ladies lie on their backs she makes them learn how to bear children. This she is .Category: English

Educational Technology and Other Learning Resources free essay sample

One of the biggest concerns that have been aroused in academic sittings is the presentation of appropriate educational resources. Perhaps so, this paper will discuss my understanding of educational resources I have learned reading chapter 11 of Jeremy Harmer 2010. One of the things that I learned from this chapter is that not academies use the same resources to present suitable ideas, facts, and skills that are to develop students’ knowledge of the world or to enhance the inborn abilities of students in field of education. In addition, different means such as projectors, laptop computers, Audio players, electronic whiteboards and overhead screens, textbooks, are used to display arranged teaching information in classrooms all around the world; moreover, I also learned about some other classes that are designed without all these resources. Thus, in this kind of classrooms the instructors simply approach the class, for example, with a picture or He/She can take on students through their own thoughts and experiences that bring from outside the class. We will write a custom essay sample on Educational Technology and Other Learning Resources or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In classrooms where instructors design lesson plans based on using simple objects like picture, posters and flash cards, it is critical to consider whether or not students respond effectively. I realized that some students do not respond when they are provided with simple means as teaching materials, because they think that they are being treated childishly. So, it is important to stimulate students’ interest according to what they like to deal with. After reading this chapter, I learned that there is always a better way to project a successful classroom lesson. I was always thinking about the textbooks with large tittles and confusing activities at the end of each chapter. It was not easy for me to think of how I can present or teach this kind of textbooks if I will become a teacher. Now, I learned that a teacher would simply change the activities and ignore confusing large tittles and even He/She would replace the textbook with another textbook. I also learned different ways of finding information from dictionaries, encyclopedias and online. Dictionaries usually present information about particular items in clear and concise forms, and encyclopedias present classified information about every possible topic. The information that is taken from a side online is not alwayscredible, so I learned first to find out if the side is credible and then decide if I can use it as a source of information for my student. In conclusion, I learned that there are many sources of information that can be used in classrooms; however, teachers should be careful about students’ reaction about the information they want to present as teaching materials. If the procedure that is not suitable with students’ interest would not result in an effective lesson in academic campus.

Gay Marriages Essay Research Paper When you free essay sample

Tiil Death Do You Part Essay, Research Paper ? Till Death do You Separate? ? When you are born in America or legalized as a citizen, you are granted certain inalienable rights under the fundamental law and the declaration of independency. We are granted the freedom of address, freedom of imperativeness, freedom of faith, the right to vote, right to bear weaponries and the right to the chase of felicity. But is this truly the instance? Are the citizens of the United States truly every bit free as they believe? I say no! Today I am here to expose a great unfairness in Americas judicial system. First I will explicate the inside informations of this unfairness, secondly I will take you through what its like to be a victim of this unfairness and in conclusion I will state you how YOU can be portion of the solution. So, are you REALLY every bit free as you believe? ? Do you REALLY hold all this freedom guaranteed by the authorities of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? ? For most of us, yes but for a turning figure this alleged? freedom? is going more and more of an semblance everyday. We will write a custom essay sample on Gay Marriages Essay Research Paper When you or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I # 8217 ; m speaking about the freedom to marry whom EVER you chose. Right now in the US you have the right to take when you marry, how many times you marry, where you marry and who you are married by, but still TODAY in our state you can non take the sex of your partner. Still in the U.S. same sex matrimonies are illegal and non recognized by the province. It is illegal for this con seek # 8217 ; s citizens to know apart on the footing of sex, race, faith, ethic background or SEXUAL PREFERENCE so why is it that our authorities feels that THEY hold hat right? I believe that same sex matrimonies should be recognized as? sanctum marriage? in all 50 provinces. Take Meagan Murphy and Laura Carson for illustration. This immature homosexual twosome dated for many old ages and went though a batch before they decided that they wanted to pass the remainder of their lives together. But how were they to travel about making so? The province of Michigan certain wasn # 8217 ; t about to allow them, that # 8217 ; s for certain. In Michigan like all but 1 other province ( Hawaii ) same sex matrimonies aren # 8217 ; t matrimonies at all! When put into a legal position homosexual matrimonies do non acquire any of the rights that straight 1s are granted. If 1/2 or a homosexual or sapphic twosome is in a infirmary state of affairs where merely household members can see, his or her spouse does non hold the right to travel see them, and if brought into a tribunal of jurisprudence for some condemnable act one spouse can be required by the jurisprudence to attest against the other where as legal twosomes are non. Another major is Sue is insurance benefits. If a spouse in a homosexual relationship dies the other individual does non have a penny as would the partner in a heterosexual matrimony, even though the staying spouse in the homosexual relationship still has to get by with the loss of 1/2 of the rewards of that family. As for Meagan and Carson they were forced to make what many homosexual or sapphic twosome do when the demand for a finalisation of the relationship arises. They had what is called a # 8220 ; committedness ceremonial? . Its precisely like a traditional nuptials with one minor difference, there was no priest to legalise the? brotherhood of these two psyches? . Is this just? Who can state that these two people aren # 8217 ; T in love sufficiency to be lawfully wed? How can we be granted so many freedoms but yet be denied this one? Under the we are granted? the freedom to the chase of felicity # 8221 ; and harmonizing to the supreme tribunal # 8220 ; The freedom to get married has long been recognized as one of the critical personal rights indispensable to the orderly chase of felicity by free men. # 8221 ; So if we have the # 8220 ; legal # 8221 ; right to the chase of felicity and if, harmonizing to the supreme tribunal, matrimony is so critical in that chase how can they candidly say that it is illegal in the eyes of the provinces to get married person of the same gender! I feel that the authorities demand to cast their hypocritical base on this subject. Marriage is no new subject of treatment up on capital hill either. Throughout the history of the United States our authorities hasn # 8217 ; t had the best of judgement when it comes to the? legal? sanctutity of matrimony. Prior to the civil war, Afro-Americans were non allowed to get married in 39 provinces, Prior to 1967 inter-racial twosomes were non allowed to get married in 40 provinces. Presently, in 49 provinces, homophiles are non allowed to get married. Now that I have brought to your understanding that this is a Problem in this state I will convey to your attending the solution. DON # 8217 ; T ACCEPT IT. Don # 8217 ; t turn and look the other manner stating # 8220 ; that # 8217 ; s awful, its to bad that our authorities feels that manner about homosexual matrimony? . Get up and make something about it! You can make so many things from composing letters to your local legislative assembly or go toing mass meetings and presentations to even merely subscribing a request. When the polls are unfastened for the presidential election of 2000 return into consideration the campaigners stand on this issue. Its said that? matrimony is the binding of two so in love they are willing to subject their psyches to one another. ? Now who is anyone to stand in the manner of that?

A Lesson Plan for Teaching Three-Digit Place Value

A Lesson Plan for Teaching Three-Digit Place Value In this lesson plan, second-grade students further develop their understanding of place value by identifying what each numeral of a three-digit number stands for. The lesson takes one 45-minute class period. Supplies include: Regular notebook paper or a math journalBase 10 blocks or base 10 block stampsNotecards with the numerals 0 through 9 written on them Objective The object of this lesson is for students to understand what the three digits of a number mean in terms of ones, tens and hundreds and to be able to explain how they came up with answers to questions about larger and smaller numbers.   Performance Standard Met: Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent quantities of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Introduction Write 706, 670, 760 and 607 on the board. Ask the students to write about these four numbers on a sheet of paper. Ask Which of these numbers is largest? Which number is the smallest? Step-by-Step Procedure Give students a few minutes to discuss their answers with a partner or a tablemate. Then, have students read aloud what they wrote on their papers and explain to the class how they figured out the larger or smaller numbers. Ask them to decide what two numbers are in the middle. After they have had a chance to discuss this question with a partner or with their table members, solicit answers from the class again.Discuss what the digits mean in each of these numbers and how their placement is vitally important to the number. The 6 in 607 is very different from the 6 in 706. You can highlight this to students by asking them if they would rather have the 6 quantity in money from the 607 or the 706.Model 706 on the board or on an overhead projector, and then have students draw 706 and other numbers with base 10 blocks or base 10 stamps. If neither of these materials is available, you can represent hundreds by using large squares, tens by drawing lines and ones by drawing small squares.Afte r you do model 706 together, write the following numbers on the board and have students model them in order: 135, 318, 420, 864 and 900. As the students write, draw or stamp these on their papers, walk around the classroom to see how students are doing. If some finish all five numbers correctly, feel free to provide them with an alternate activity or send them to finish up another project while you focus on the students who are having trouble with the concept.To close out the lesson, give every child a notecard with one numeral on it. Call three students to the front of the class. For example, 7, 3 and 2 come to the front of the class. Have the students stand next to each other, and have a volunteer read the threesome. Students should say Seven hundred thirty-two. Then ask students to tell you who is in the tens place, who is in the ones place, and who is in the hundreds place. Repeat until the class period is over. Homework Ask students to draw five three-digit numbers of their choice using squares for hundreds, lines for tens, and small squares for ones. Evaluation As you are walking around the class, take anecdotal notes on the students who are struggling with this concept. Make some time later in the week to meet with them in small groups or- if there are several of them- reteach the lesson at a later date.

Advance Nurse Practitioner Roles Research Paper

Advance Nurse Practitioner Roles - Research Paper Example al areas the access to health care is very limited because many physicians are less likely to practice in the rural areas where APRN’S can readily venture into (Cross & Rimmer, 2002). APRN’s are divided into four main categories having different roles although their educational backgrounds may be the same. These four categories of APRN’S include: the certified registered nurse anesthetist, the certified nurse-midwife, the clinical nurse specialist and the certified nurse practitioner. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). The role of a certified registered nurse anesthetist is to provide a full range of clinical services especially the role of administering anesthesia during surgery but these people usually work hand in hand with an anesthesiologist and they are found mostly in operating rooms. In the case of an operation, a CRNA should be aware of the extent of the operation so that they can determine the type of sedation that will be used on the patient. These people also have the responsibility of following up on the patient in order to ensure that these patients recover completely from the effects of sedation. Certified nurse midwives have the role of helping mothers through the process of giving birth as well as giving advice to mothers on how to take good care of the new born babies. They have advanced knowledge that enables them to deal with various complications that occur during pregnancy although their scope of work is only limited to normal deliveries (Chism, 2013). Clinical nurse specialists are the types of nurses who provide services in their area of specialization and due to their strong knowledge base they can be consulted by other registered nurses according to their area of specialization. The varieties of field these nurses can specialize in vary from operating room nurses, oncology nurses or intensive care unit nurses. Nurse practitioner provide generalized health care and do tasks like diagnosis as well as giving

Applied Safety Engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Applied Safety Engineering - Assignment Example a) Each employee must be provided fall protection by the employer on a scaffold that is greater than 10 feet elevation from the lower level. A qualified individual has to determine the possibility and safety giving fall protection for the workforce that is erecting or taking to pieces the supported scaffold. b) The toprail must be in between 38 and 45 inches (0.9- 1.2 meters). Midrail should be close enough to the halfway point between toprail and platform surface. Whenever a crosspoint of crossbracing is utilized as midrail, it has to be region of 20-30 inches (0.5-0.8 meters) on top of the work platform. d) Scaffold and its components should at least withstand a load that is 4 times the load that it was actually designed for. Suspension rigging of the scaffold should be at minimum 6 times the designed load. e) Prior to each and every work shift and following any situation that has the ability of compromising the structural integrity, a qualified individual has to examine the scaffold and the elements of the scaffold so as to check for any noticeable defects. h) An engineer is required to design scaffold that are not stationary at the time the workforce is working on them and the design of brackets on frames that are fabricated on the scaffold to be used to give support to the cantilever loads plus the workers. i) Access must be provided whenever the platform is greater than 2 feet above or lower than the point of access. Access that is direct is allowed in a situation that the scaffold is less than 14 inches horizontally and lesser than 24

EADs-BAe merger case analysis (Corporate Finance) Assignment

EADs-BAe merger case analysis (Corporate Finance) - Assignment Example Even though the companies had not revealed benefits and a detailed business structure for the merger it is believed that negotiations with the respective states had not reached that level. The two firms were optimistic that the merger would have built a strong case to pass to the owners of the business. This discussion will address the valuation of the two firms using various models, the motivation and strategy evaluation, the response in the security market and corporate governance analysis to seek ways of making such moves successful and establish the reasons behind the failure. Strategy and Motivation Analysis The motivation of the proposed merger were based on global rivalry, share in the market by the firms, the level of complimentarity, variation in the industrial structure like offsetting of the monopoly. BAE was also believed to be the springboard that would enable EADS to have its biggest jump it craved for in the Northern American continent (Jane's Defense Industry, 1900; p . 75). BAE has a chief role in the manufacture of military equipment as it was noted that 95% of the BAE systems total sales were related to military sales. BAE also plays a vital role in the production of military aircraft such as the Typhoon fighter and the Tornado fighter bomber. The terms of the negotiations were that EADs was to offer 35 billion Euros which was 12% bid premium even though the new ownership was to be divided on a ratio of 3:2 in favor of the shareholders of EADS. In case the term was favorable to BAE it would shape the likelihood of the merger’s success. The US state would also call for disposal of asset upon the merger strategy which was set for security review. There are no current plans to divest any of the company’s operations in the United States as a section of merger with EADS according to the spokesman of BAE (Spulber, 2007; p. 3). EADS and BAE had a deal to have cost savings without necessarily giving details in regard to the scale and the manner in which they might be generated. Amongst the potential opportunities was the potential to accumulate more sales as the network by BAE in the export markets was immense such as ties with India, Australia and Saudi Arabia which would open doors for the EADS. The benefits from the merger were meant to extend over widening markets and that the firms were to target industrial benefits and operational synergy in all joint business. The likely synergy from the merger comprised of a minimum synergy which could be derived as the value of the pre-merger of both companies + the synergy = pre-merger security value + the number of shares for the post-merger. Taking S = Synergy and taking data on 11th September where the EADS share price was 29.30Euros while the number of outstanding shares as at 31st December 2012 being 8.21 billion shares, it then stipulates that the pre-merger value for EADS was 26 billion Euros. Conversely, taking the share value for BAE on 11th September, 2012 as 4. 75Euros and the number of outstanding shares on 31st December, 2012 as 3.59 billion, it applies that the premerger value for BAE is 17.05 billion Euros found as 3.59X4.75 Euros (Financial times, 2013; p. 1-7). Now; by taking the pre-merger security price = the average price of the stock prior to the merger to be EADS + BAE It concurs that

Impact of Inflation on Chinas Economy

Impact of Inflation on Chinas Economy Chinese inflation is rising too fast But its had another major side effect. The Chinese economy is fast overheating. All that extra liquidity is driving up prices and wages, while property values have soared. In October, the official figures showed Chinas cost of living climbing by 4.4% year-on-year. That was the fastest increase in more than two years. And the situation may be rather worse than this. Two weeks ago a pundit at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, one of the governments top think tanks, said that by its own calculations the countrys consumer price index had been understated by more than 7% over the past five years. And last week the original Dr Doom, Marc Faber, said he reckons the real Chinese inflation rate is nearer 10% a year. Whatever the exact figures, theres no doubt inflation is rising far too fast for comfort for the authorities. The Chinese central bank has been trying to cool things down gently. Five times this year its raised bank reserve requirements, which reduces the amount that lenders can lend. Yet the credit brakes are being tapped, not slammed, says the FT. The government could be more aggressive. In other words, so far the tightening hasnt had much of an impact. The workforce is getting far stroppier than it once was. Between 2007 and 2008 the latest available data labour disputes more than doubled. Food prices are already rising at 10% year-on-year. The Xinhua news agency reported last week that a basket of 18 staple vegetables cost 62% more during the first ten days of November than in the same period last year. So higher wage demands are likely to become more frequent as most of the population lives close to the edge, says the FT. In fact, its starting to look like Chinas inflation problem has now got rather out of hand. This article is talking about the inflation occurring in China and the costs that it has brought to China. This inflation has caused severe consequences to China and we will be discussing the possible solutions inflation  is a rise in the general  level of prices  of goods and services in an  economy  over a period of time. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the  purchasing power  of money a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy. A chief measure of price inflation is the  inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general  price index  (normally the  Consumer Price Index) over time. Costs of inflation in China: When inflation rates are high, groups such as pensioners, households, dependent on social security benefits, stand lose to a great deal since they are often on fixed incomes. These Chinese will now be able to purchase less than before (less purchasing power), and will start to demand for higher wages. Only those with strong bargaining positions will be able to bid up for higher wages. In addition, people will be able to buy less food items than before which is a major issue because food is one of the basic necessities in human life, as in the article it has shown the the prices of food increase 10% year-to-year. Inflation causes an increase in interest rates and will therefore have a negative effect on investment and output, both of which will adversely affect employment, as in the article we can see that labour disputes have been doubled Higher inflation means that the businesses in China will have to change their prices to keep up to date on the price level. Inflation affects the foreign trade and the exchange rate. Experiencing high rates of inflation, Chinas domestic products will be less competitive internationally. As the domestic products prices increase the demand for these products will fall and therefore the demand for Chinas currency will also fall, thus affecting the exchange rate. The cause of inflation in China: The cause of inflation in Chinas economy was expansionary monetary policies and rising wages. The inflation in China was caused by cost-push inflation. It means that the cost of firms increase, in this case it is higher wages, and the firms are forced to raise prices inorder to cover the costs. Cost-push inflation If the economy demands higher wages, the higher costs of labour will shift the SRAS curve to the left from SRAS1 to SRAS2. The price level rises from P1 to P2. Higher wages increase consumption and therefore increases aggregate demand from AD0 to AD1. The increased spending (and possible expansionary policies) move the economy towards equilibrium at Yfe but at a higher price level. We have now a round of cost-push inflation. Solution: In the article, it has shown that Chinas government is trying its best to avoid this issue but it has been said that it hasnt had much of an impact. One of the possible ways of reducing inflation is by subsidizing businesses. The government can give out subsidies to business so that the businesses can reduce their costs of production. This will then encourage the businesses to lower their prices and thus avoiding inflation. The problem here is that the government will suffer a huge loss if there are many businesses to subsidize. Another possible solution is by appreciating its currency. This is because if it appreciates its currency then firms will be able to buy cheaper raw materials and therefore will have lower costs of production. Thus reducing prices of goods. It can appreciate its currency by using its foreign currency reserves to buy its own currency and this will increase the demand for its currency. Even though this method will help businesses to reduce their prices, there are also negative consequences.

Lacanian Psychoanalytic Criticism in Harry Potter Essay -- Lacan Child

Lacanian Psychoanalytic Criticism in Harry Potter The inhabitants of a faraway country known for its ivory towers and for its export of literary monographs were forever quarreling over who might best represent them. One day two tiny factions decided to join forces: the adherents of the Princess Childlit and the followers of Prince Psychian, the great-great-grandson of Empress Psyche. Both groups had for a long time felt themselves unduly spurned†¦ by the powerful Board of Canonizers who had ruled Arkedemia for over a century. Might not a wedding between the two claimants strengthen their status?... just as the engagement was about to be announced, the whole affair was abruptly called off. What had happened?†¦Their cohorts had begun to quarrel most bitterly with each other†¦ The wedding did not take place†¦Soon the board of Canonizers issued an edict pronouncing both groups to be out of the system. Hereafter, their passports would be stamped with the word â€Å"marginal† in red gothic print. (Knoepfl macher, 131-132) [1] U.C. Knoepflmacher’s wonderful parody of the current situation of children’s literary criticism and the psychoanalytic approach to literature perfectly sums up what will be the major obstacle of this critical paper. It would seem that modern literary criticism has an unfortunate tendency to overlook children’s literature extensively; to relegate it to a position of only secondary importance in the critic’s glossary of â€Å"good literature.† On top of that, psychoanalytic criticism, as it is applied to children’s literature, seems to have taken on a startlingly simplistic, static approach to the analysis of the text, that does very little justice to the diversity and complexity that the field possesses. (132-133) ... ...nnual of the Modern Language Association Division on Children’s Literature and the Children’s Literature Association.18 (1990): 131-134. Lesnik-Oberstein, Karin. Children’s Literature: Criticism and the Fictional Child. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. McGillis, Roderick. â€Å"Another Kick at La/can: ‘I Am a Picture.’† Children’s Literature Association Quarterly.20.1 (1995): 42-46. Murfin, Ross, Ed. â€Å"What is Psychoanalytic Criticism?† The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 1999. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1998. Trites, Roberta Seelinger. â€Å"Psychoanalytic Approaches to Children’s Literature: Landmarks, Signposts, Maps.† Children’s Literature Association Quarterly. 25.2 (2000): 66-67.

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.