How to Write a High-Quality Marketing Term Paper a Complete Guide

How to Write a High-Quality Marketing Term Paper a Complete Guide A term paper is a written assignment you have to complete over a period of one term – it serves as a representation of your academic achievement over this time and accounts for a significant portion of your grade. In other words, it is certainly a kind of academic work you should learn how to do if you want to successfully graduate. The size of a term paper may vary depending on the task and the topic. Normally, a 10-page paper is considered appropriate, but there are no strict limitations (unless they are clearly imposed by the college). If you can write 15 pages, good for you – as long as these 15 pages are full of content and not filler. Likewise, if you are dealing with a narrow topic and manage to tell everything you wanted to tell in 5 pages, don’t try to bloat it up to a certain word count – conciseness is always preferable to wordiness, even if it makes your paper look rather short. Marketing papers are somewhat different from the rest because they are more concerned with the practical side of things and more often deal with case studies, examples from real marketing campaigns, analysis of existing marketing practices and their application in different situations and so on. How to Choose a Topic for Your Marketing Term Paper As you are going to spend an entire term writing this paper, it pays to be prepared and put some thought into what topic you choose. Even if the topic is simply assigned to you by your tutor, it may be a good idea to do a bit of reading on it and, if you find a way to alter it to your advantage, discuss this possibility with your supervisor. Don’t approach the choice of a topic lightly – it is better to spend some time reading up on it than to suddenly realize half a term later that you don’t have enough material to work on. Here are some general principles that will help you choose a better topic: Read the syllabus. Supervisors always prepare detailed guidelines for word count, format, topic selection and other aspects of term paper writing – or at least they should. If you find that some instructions are missing, ask. 9 times out of 10 missing instructions are an oversight rather than an attempt to make you figure something out by yourself. Don’t take things for granted – if you’ve done a term paper before, read the syllabus just as attentively as the first time around. Requirements differ dramatically from class to class and from term to term; Make sure the topic is relevant. It is especially important in case of marketing, because what is considered best practices changes quickly, and a topic or idea may lose its relevance over the course of a few months. However, it doesn’t mean that old case studies won’t do – some of the older promotion campaigns can still give us valuable lessons; Marketing stories surround us at all sides, and promising topics can be found everywhere – you just have to make an effort to look. Newspaper articles and news websites, online marketing resources (Inc. and Forbes often publish high-quality relevant content), your syllabus, relevant journals and magazines – spend some time to skim through recent texts. If all else fails, ask your supervisor for help – you may end up with a less interesting topic this way, but there will certainly be enough sources for it; Generalize or narrow down your topic. Many good term paper ideas are wasted either because students try to encompass too broad topics and end up telling a little about a lot, or because they try to concentrate on too narrow topics and end up not having enough to say. A good rule of a thumb is to say what you must in your first draft and then either trim the fat or generalize to similar or related subjects. Here are some examples of what may constitute a good marketing term paper topic: The Importance of Brand Positioning Exemplified by Nike’s â€Å"Just Do It† Campaign; Cartoon Network 2007 Guerilla Marketing Campaign and the Importance of Due Diligence; The Use of Corporate Social Responsibility to Improve Company’s Equity; Target Corporation’s Statistical Marketing Strategy: Efficiency vs. Ethical Concerns; Incorporation of Standardization by Global Marketing. Pre-Writing Tips Some students rush to start writing immediately after they select a topic, believing that the faster they get something done, the faster they will complete the paper. This is a misconception most of the time you spend working on a marketing term paper should be spent gathering sources and doing research. Writing signifies the end of your work rather than its beginning – you should make notes as you read the sources and interview people, but you should already have a definite picture of the entire paper before you start your first draft. Otherwise, you will most likely have to make extensive corrections many times over. Gathering Sources No academic work exists in isolation, and it is true for marketing as well. You cannot simply take a case study, analyze it and write down your conclusions. Even if your analysis is impeccable and conclusions are innovative, without the support from existing body of literature your paper won’t be accepted by the academic community. So how should you approach hunting for sources? Use both primary (first-hand knowledge, documents, statistics, interviews, experiments, books, articles etc.) and secondary sources (other researchers’ interpretations and explanations of primary sources). You should understand that not all sources are equal – primary ones are more valuable, and you should use them whenever possible, resorting to secondary ones only where it is necessary. When you’ve finished gathering the sources, go over them and see if there are too many secondary ones – if they are too numerous you may want to remove a few or add a few primary sources so that it doesn’t look as if you rely on non-original sources too much; As a rule of a thumb, you should have 1 to 3 sources per page. So, for a 10-page paper you should have at least 10 sources, but closer to 20 for good measure. The more the better, just make sure your paper doesn’t turn into a list of quotations; Diversify your sources. Use a variety of resource types: articles from serious academic publications, mass media, Internet resources, case studies, statistical research, books, essays; Ask for your professor’s help. He has been dealing with this topic for years and knows literature that is worth reading; Look in online indexing and abstract databases like Business Source Complete, Emerald Insight or Factiva. They contain information on an enormous amount of top-notch business and marketing content – just by browsing the titles and abstracts of papers you will be able to understand if this or that topic has a lot of material to explore. Some of these databases require subscriptions but also offer free trial access, so make use of it. Besides, most universities and colleges provide subscriptions to a number of academic databases to their students – find out which ones you can use and don’t hesitate to do so. Market Research In marketing, it is not enough to quote other people’s work. You have to go out and do your own market research. The most common way to do so is to carry out a market survey – i.e., collect information from a sample group of consumers that may be selected either at random or following certain prerequisites. These surveys may be product-, customer- and company-oriented, each concentrating on different aspects of research. Sometimes it may be worth posing a survey as one type but in fact carry out another – this can help you achieve interesting results unobtainable in any other way. Marketing Term Paper Writing Tips from Our Experts Just like any other academic assignment, a marketing term paper has a relatively fixed structure. It can vary from college to college, but usually you will have to deal with the same set of sections: Outline; Introduction; Thesis statement; Body paragraphs (sometimes further subdivided into explanatory and analysis/argument paragraphs); Conclusion. Let’s elaborate on them. Outline Outline is a detailed plan of your paper. Here you specify what you should write in each part of the paper. Pay special attention to introduction and thesis statement – they are short but extremely important as a part of a bigger picture. Body paragraphs can do with simple enumeration of main points to mention lest you forget them and logical connections between paragraphs. Some students omit writing the outline, but it is a mistake – if you have it, you won’t forget a single point and will be able to immediately see if some parts of the paper seem illogical or disconnected. Introduction Marketing is not different from any other academic discipline in this respect – an introduction should catch the reader’s attention and lead him up to your thesis statement. However, you shouldn’t forget that a term paper is a piece of scientific work first and foremost, which means that funny, whimsical and/or quirky introductions are out of the question. However, using a line like â€Å"My term paper is about the importance of logos in creation of brand identity† is also a bad idea. A good middle ground is to refer to an interesting fact related to the topic of your paper that suggests the direction in which you are going to take your argument, e.g., â€Å"In 2010 Gap launched a new logo, trying to follow the trend and look more modern. It lasted for two days before they had to revert to the old one following a massive public backlash†. Thesis Statement Contrary to popular misunderstanding, a thesis statement doesn’t simply repeat the topic of your paper. It is an idea you’ve come to, an assertion you make after doing the research on the topic, a statement of the truth which you try to prove in your paper. It should follow a few basic rules: It must be a statement, not a question (â€Å"Brands are an important part of corporate identity†, not â€Å"Are brands important†?); It should be able to serve as a very short outline of your paper. By reading the outline your reader should be able to get the point you are trying to make – the rest of the paper is just its proof; It should be specific. Be as precise as possible and avoid words like â€Å"certain†, â€Å"some† etc.; It should be written in your own words. Don’t use quotes. Body Paragraphs The most widespread way of writing body paragraphs is as follows: Introduce a new point relevant to the overall topic; Add factual evidence in support of this point; Address potential counter-arguments and explain what may look like inconsistencies in your reasoning; Go over the point one more time in relation to your thesis; Provide a logical connection with the following paragraph. As you may see, normally you should clearly delineate paragraphs so that each deals with an individual point. It makes it easier to both write and read your paper. When writing, follow these principles: Be laconic. The fewer words you use to express an idea, the better. However, don’t try to cut the unnecessary words now – you will have a chance to do it during revision. Simply keep it in mind when you arrange your thoughts; Avoid passive voice. (Write â€Å"Masterson proved this point in his work† rather than â€Å"This point was proved by Masterson†); Don’t use emotional language. Although marketing deals with emotions, you as a specialist should maintain perfect objectivity; Don’t overuse quotations. Although you are supposed to support your writing with existing body of research, your job is to do your own work, not recap what other people have written. Conclusion Usually conclusion is more or less a recap of the introduction: you return to your original point, refer to the evidence you’ve found and discussed in the course of a paper, decide if you’ve managed to prove your point and point out any outstanding issues that may remain. Post-Writing Tips You Can’t Ignore Revision is no less important than writing; probably more so. Unfortunately, many students don’t understand this and get worse grades than they potentially can with proper proofreading and revision. If you want to increase the chances of success for your marketing term paper, follow these suggestions: Finish early. You have an entire term to write, so try to plan your work so that you finish it some time before the deadline (e.g., a week earlier). This will give you plenty of time to correct your mistakes and rewrite passages that are particularly bad; Let it rest. Put your paper aside for a few days before starting to revise it; Don’t try to correct all types of mistakes in one go. It’s better to revise it several times, each time concentrating on a different type of problems; Check the paper for consistency. One of the most common mistakes marketing students make is inconsistency – in terms, in spelling, etc. Usually it concerns abbreviations and acronyms, inconsistent use of hyphens (-), en dashes (–), and em dashes (- ) and spellings of individual words (labor vs. labour, labelling vs. labeling); Change the appearance of your paper. Either print it or temporarily change the font or its size. This will help you notice mistakes that you could have got too used to seeing by now; Check formatting. Consult your supervisor about the format used by your college and carefully study its requirements. If going through an entire style guide is too much for you, try an online guide like Purdue Owl – they present a shorter variant of the same. You can learn to write high-quality marketing term paper through lots and lots of practice – but with the help of this marketing term paper writing guide, you can start out better off than most of your peers.

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Reflection paper - Essay Example Some simple issues or reactions in our bodies may be because of mental disease hence we ought to be very keen on some abrupt changes that may take place in our lives. For instance, suppose an individual who has been known to be active and noisy suddenly keeps quiet and calm while in the same company. Yes, one of the reasons is said to be mental disorder. Several remedies have been prescribed for mental disorders (Busfield 2-4). I have come to realize that my behavioral pattern is very important and worth noting. Although I may not be in a position to realize some behavioral changes in my life, I am determined to pay irrepressible attention to my life pattern and behaviors. I will settle on issues that do not, to the highest degree have an effect on my moods. My attitude towards mental illness is that it is with so many people of different classes. In fact, everyone is mentally ill and what matters is the degree of mental illness (Busfield 12-14). This chapter largely has made me evaluate and analyze how individuals behave around me. I tend to give more than enough time to people I chart and interact with as I am swayed that all of us are a bunch of ill populace. I am intensely sure that not all the remedies available to the mentally ill people are perfect but just a matter of tryout and boo-boo. Furthermore, I think different doctors may diagnose a mentally sick person and come up with different causes yet they attended the same medical class. No, that may not be the medical practitioner’s fault since the patient may behave differently to different people or situations. A doctor can also be depressed while diagnosing the mentally ill patient. Can he go on with treating the patient? Will he know that he is down in the dumps at that very point? I think the whole issue of psychological ill health is a very unfortunate situation. In future, I choose to concentrate on my anxiety, mood and promise to be watchful on drugs I take. I will train myself to change my

Burger King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Burger King - Essay Example In 2010, 3G Capital of Brazil had a majority stake in BK in a deal consisted of $3.26  billion (USD). New owners reconstructed that company for its prosperity. According to the report in 2011, Burger King spread it 12,400 franchises in 73 countries, in which, 66 percents are in United States and 90 percents are privately owned and operated. In 1954, menu of Burger King consisted of French fries, sodas and milk shakes. In 1957 Whopper was also added in Burger King Menu and after that it has become a signature product of Burger King. From 2002 to 2010, Burger King targeted 18-34 males and for this purpose they had used products having unhealthy fats for attracting customers. This tactic of attracting customer through unhealthy food was unsuccessful and had a negative effect on its earning. In 2011, company moved on from the male oriented food products in the new healthy products. In 1970, it was the golden age of advertising of Burger King but in 1980 company had lost its focus on advertising, a chain of less successful ads and campaigns were created by various agencies but there was very less advantage of this campaign. Due to this, burger king hired Crispin Porter + Bogusky  (CP+B) agency for making ads and campaigns for Burger King. (CP+B) made a great name of Burger king through its revolutionary

Democratization of Islamic Countries

Democratization of Islamic Countries Revolutionary events that engulfed a number of Arab countries in 2010 2011 (in the media, they were called the event Arab Spring), have introduced a wide range of radical changes in the political situation in the Middle East and for the whole region had far-reaching consequences. As a result of these events, instead of the authoritarian regimes in a number of countries came to power moderate Islamist forces (Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, An-Nahda in Tunisia), who set themselves the task of development in these countries regimes Islamic democracy , mainly due to the Turkish model. Moderate Islamists (the party Justice and Development) won the parliamentary elections in Morocco, the country that has remained a monarchy, but went to a certain democratization of their political institutions. In another country, the Arab Spring Libya as a result of the general democratic elections came to power liberal Alliance of National Forces. All of the above events led many experts to conclude tha t new prospects for democratization in the region, which eventually should lead to a homogenization of the Middle East into a single policy area, where the main role will be played by pro-Islamic democratic regimes. However, in other Arab countries such as Syria and Yemen, the event Arab Spring has not been so successful, because here they have exacerbated the internal contradictions and resulted in civil war. In 2013, the prospects for the development of Islamic democracy were at issue in Egypt, where on July 3 was a military revolt, which resulted in the management of Muslim Brotherhood was behind bars. Meanwhile, in late May, internal political situation deteriorated and in a relatively stable until now Turkey. All these events have reopened the debate on an issue that worries experts in recent years: whether moderate Islamic regimes to stay in power and to bring democracy and stability in the political process in the Middle East?Or region again waiting for the dominance of authoritarian rule and civil war?Unfortunately, experts forecasts are not as optimistic as it was a few years ago, because it is clear that the risk of political instability poses a serious threat to many countries in the region. Over 2011-2012, it was possible to observe how the democratic reforms in the countries of the Arab Spring began to gradually become a reality. In particular, in the elections to the Peoples Assembly, the lower house of parliament in Egypt, which lasted more than 2 months, won a landslide victory moderate Islamic Freedom and Justice Party, which is the political wing of the Islamist movement Muslim Brotherhood. For this political force voted about 47% of voters. In the upper house of the Egyptian Parliament, the Advisory Council, it took another 105 members of this party. It is not surprising that the presidential elections held in Egypt in May-June 2012 he was elected leader of the country the candidate of freedom and justice S. Mursi, collected in the second round, more than half of all votes. Fortunately events developed for the Islamists in Tunisia. Here in the parliamentary elections, which took place in October 2011, won a landslide victory moderate Islamic party Ennahda, for which voted 41% of voters. According to the results of the election, the Prime Minister was elected General Secretary of the party H. Dzhebali. Overall, as a result of the impact of the Arab Spring, the democratic process and intensified in a number of other Arab countries of the Greater Middle East. In particular, parliamentary elections were held in February 2012 in Kuwait, where Islamists have received 34 of the 50 parliamentary seats. In Algeria, the countrys parliamentary elections took place in May 2012. They moderate Islamists (Green Algeria Alliance), although a small number of votes received (48 of 426 seats in parliament), but they have been admitted to the election authority and thus were included in the political process. Party moderate Islamic orientation are also a number of other Islamic countries, in particular: The movement of the Islamic Action in Jordan, AK Party building in Libya, Hamas in Palestine, the party Justice and Development in Morocco and others. Unfortunately, all of the successes of new Islamic democracy were thwarted further developments. Since the revolutions of the Arab Spring has passed about two years, but the situation in these countries is still unstable. In particular, in Libya armed fighting between militants of various revolutionary brigades, carried out the attacks and armed attacks on government offices. In Egypt, mass demonstrations by the secular opposition led by the National Salvation Front led to bloody clashes with supporters of Islamist and began to threaten to escalate into civil war, resulting in power in the country again into their own hands took the military. In Syria still ongoing civil war which resulted in the already killed more than 100,000 people. But the main thing that became restless and exemplary country of Islamic democracy Turkey. May 28 at Taksim Square in Istanbul began a peaceful demonstration, which later resulted in the massive anti-government riots that swept a number of Turkish ci ties. On the streets of Turkish cities came mainly supporters of the Turkish secular parties and opponents of gradual Islamization of the country, who demanded the resignation of the leader of the Islamist Erdogan and Islamic forces removal from power. It is clear that all the events are not some spontaneous actions, they have deep historical roots. In general, the main difficulties faced by Islamic democracy, are as follows: The first problem is related to the existence of a deep split in most Islamic societies through secularism / Sharia. This split has developed historically: the processes of modernization, which covered most Muslim societies in the twentieth century, contributed to the formation of a new elite focused on the Western model of development. The latter, which is concentrated mainly in the cities, took an active part in the updated state institutions andbecome their mainstay. At the same time, another hourPart of society remained a supporter of traditional Islamic values. As a consequence, there was a split society through peripherals (province, traditional) and the center (urban, modern). Dissatisfied with existing secular regime organized in the Islamic movement and the beginning of democratization in the Islamic parties. 1980-1990 were the years of revival and the triumph of political Islam in Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria. However, in defense of secular regimes in these countries have beco me military, led to some curtailment of democratic processes. Now another round of such aggravation we see in Turkey, where the secular circles opposed the policy of the ruling Islamic party Justice and Development aimed at the Islamization of the country as well as in Egypt, where the secular parties and the military opposed the president S. Mursi. The second problem is related to the existence of a difficult socio-economic situation, which is observed in most of the Arab Spring. Experts believe that one of the most important factors in the success of democracy is to ensure an adequate level of economic development, which, unfortunately, is not present at a number of Islamic revolutionary countries. The emergence of civil society and democracy can not be there where people need to think about their vital necessities of life. In this context, the economic problems of Egypt, which in no way failed to weaken the government S. Mursi proved to be a factor that contributed to the exit of people on the street. The third problem is characterized by the existence in Muslim societies of the whole complex of inter-clan, inter-faith and inter-ethnic conflicts. Society of the Middle East have a pretty motley composition, because they consist of various religious groups (such as Syria, Iraq and Lebanon), the various ethnic and tribal groups (such as Libya and Yemen), patrimonial clans, etc. As part of an authoritarian regime, all these groups are under government control. But in the case of destabilization of the political situation, they actively intervene in the political struggle for power and tend to inflame tribal and religious struggle, which could result in civil war. In particular, in Syria faced the interests of a number of different groups: Shiite Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Kurds, Christians. Fourth obstacle to the development of democracy in Islamic countries stands stratum military circles that actively interfere in the internal political processes in their countries. The armys role in politics in the Middle East has always been significant. Military circles mainly act on the side of the secular community in their struggle against political Islam. In Egypt, the secular army positions were greatly strengthened by General G. Naserom that from 1952 to 1970 led the country. The armed forces in Turkey and have always played an important role in the political life of the country. Prospects for democratization of Islamic countries Arab Spring There are historical experience shows that any significant shocks and abrupt changes in the policies of individual countries are becoming a significant catalyst for peoples activity, pushing it to the protest. Free elections bring to the surface of the political forces that are most consistent with the interests of the masses. It is not surprising that such forces in the countries of the Arab Spring in the first place were the Islamists. But the imposition of its policies mainly towards realization of the Sharia inevitably leads to the emergence of opposition from secular circles and has the effect of further destabilization of the situation in a particular country. The level of this risk is not the same for all countries. It depends on many factors: the duration and nature of the tensions in society, especially the political groups that came to power, the state of the economy, etc But in any case it must be assumed that the current realities in countries emerging from popular uprisings and armed insurgencies characterized by imbalance and threaten to destabilize the political regimes in violation of inner balance. And this can happen in case of problems in the economy and the exacerbation of social problems. In Egypt, there was just such a situation. The revolutionary events and changes in the political regime drew deeper roots of general economic frustration, which was due to too straightforward strategy for market development in the context of significant lack of resources and numerous imbalances in the economy. The revolution led to a further decline in living standards and an increase in the number of unemployed. S. Mursi government failed to stabilize the situation, not of an economic success of the policy of Islamization of the country has caused discontent among a significant number of Egyptians and forced the military to take over power in their hands. Given recent events, the democratization of Egypt in the future looks pretty controversial. Most likely, military forces will continue to try to control the situation in the country. Tunisia, which all States Arab Spring looks most promising in terms of the development of democracy, is now also going through difficult times. Killing one of the leaders of the opposition Sh. Belaida caused outrage among many people. And after the military mutiny July 3, 2013 in neighboring Egypt guide Tunisia announced the introduction in the country for 3 months of emergency. Still among the Muslim countries in the region, the most successful looks Turkey. But much depends on the leadership of the ruling Islamic party Justice and Development. If its leaders will provide a balanced internal policies, taking into account the interests of minorities, including secular circles, the forecast further development of democracy in the country is positive. If the countrys leaders will ignore the interests of the minority, the country may also threaten political destabilization. Considering the broader context of the prospects for democratization of Islamic countries, it should be noted that some of the Arab world as a whole immune to political change. Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly the most striking example, when an authoritarian regime operates without any obstacles. Similarly, in other Gulf countries authoritarian regimes seem strong enough and immutable. Despite the existence of substantial domestic opposition, the events of the Arab Spring almost no impact on Iran. Local authoritarian regime seems to be safe, at least in the medium term. With regard to Iraq, after the withdrawal of US troops, the situation looks increasingly fragile and weak in the face of the fragmentation of the state. Undoubtedly, the war of 2003 and continued US military presence in Iraq has not led to the desired Americans democratic change, but on the contrary, caused a further aggravation of internal problems.

Internal Management Essay

1.0 Introduction I am a second year student of Applied Languages and Information Technology. I have been assigned an Internal Management Report on the recruitment, selection and induction training methods of a company. I have chosen Hertz International Reservations Call Centre in Swords, Co. Dublin as I recently completed a week on work placement there. While on work placement there, I learnt about how the call centre operates and the selection and training procedures. In my assignment I will give a report on my findings. 2.0 Recruitment Methods in Hertz The main part of recruitment in Hertz is done through recruitment agencies. The agency in which Hertz use is ‘Richmond Recruitment’. The other means of recruitment is by accessing applications on file. These present application forms may be postal CV’s, emailed CV’s or Internet applications. Applications can be made directly to Hertz on their website at www.hertz.com or www.hertz.co.uk. From time to time newspapers are also used as a way to recruit staff. Internal recruitment, i.e. positions for Team Leaders/Market managers is also popular within Hertz call centre. 3.0 Selection Methods 3.1 Curriculum Vitaes All CV’s which are received by Hertz are screened by the recruitment team and/or Team Leaders. The qualities and competencies in which they look for in a CV are: * Customer service skills and experience, including an ability to work well with the public and an ability to adopt a customer perspective. * Technical skills, including proficiency with computers, systems and keyboarding skills. * Strong verbal communication skills, including good voice quality, diction and articulation. 3.2 Interviews After the process of the selection and elimination of CV’s, the unsuccessful applicants are sent a letter within weeks. The agencies are also notified. The accepted candidates are notified with a date and time of interview. There are usually two interviews given. The recruitment team does the first interview although depending on the position and CV. The second is performed by a Team leader/Manager with a recruitment panel. The same questions are asked of all candidates (so that valid comparisons can be made). The interviewer emphasises the demands of the job e.g. shift hours, weekend work etc. It is then up to the candidate to decide whether they can commit to the job or not. Education, why Hertz appeals, greatest achievements are just some of the questions which are asked in the interview. If the candidate is good, the interviewer asks about notice period, holidays booked, if a work permit is required and salary expectations. The candidate is then asked if they have any questions, the contract conditions are explained and they are thanked for attending the interview. Notes are taken by the interviewer to help asses candidates more effectively after the interview. They also help to communicate to human resources department and other managers. They clearly state the outcome of the interview and an offer/rejection is then made. 3.3 The interview assessment At the end of a panel interview, each member of the panel compares the attributes of the candidate against the criteria laid down in the job description. This type of analysis helps ensure objectivity and enables the reason for selection/non-selection to be identified. After the 2nd interview, references are carried out prior to offer. The recruitment team then offers the position, and a contract is sent to the successful candidate. When the contract is returned, an employee file is set up. 4.0 Induction 4.1 Customer Service Training On the issue and acknowledgement of a position offered, Hertz Swords, notifies the employee of the commencement of their position. All new employees must complete a four to six week intensive training course. (Depending on hours of training per day). This begins from day one. A timetable is issued to each employee to show the programme of Induction training. On the first day photographs are taken for access cards which are needed to enter and exit the building and to eat lunch. The new employees are then introduced to trainers and each other. A presentation on the history of Hertz and overview of the company is then given. Health and safety, HR and payroll are explained followed by a tour of the building, customer services and fire safety. Coffee breaks and lunch are timetabled in between. Staff handbooks are given out which includes many important issues on being an employee at Hertz. It provides the employee on important information such as canteen facilities, computers, discipline procedures, drug policy, security, absence, equal opportunities, bullying & sexual harassment and more. During week one of training the employee is given the opportunity to become familiar and relaxed within Hertz. Week two of training consists of shadowing calls. This is done by sitting with a Team leader or customer service agent and listening in on their incoming and outbound calls. This is taken place in the market language of the position of the trainee. The purpose of this is to give the employee an insight into what their job initials. The trainees see how the agent enters the information into the computer. In week three and four the trainee is then thought how the system is used which is Escalibre. Country, city and airport codes are learned. There are also codes for the car type. Each car has four codes. Each position in the four-character vehicle code represents a definable characteristic of the vehicle. They are given a list on the imput codes and must learn them off. The trainee is also trained in sales, i.e. how to sell a car reservation and how to take a call. Here are some guidelines in which they are trained to follow: * Try to answer the telephone promptly * Greet the caller with a clear, cheerful voice * Identify yourself * Listen closely and offer assistance. * Act with speed and courtesy * Offer our customer a satisfactory conclusion to his/her call. * Create a good image of Hertz They are trained as to how to deal with an angry caller: * Firstly, don’t take the problem personally * Stay calm and listen! * Be patient. * Avoid interrupting until the caller has let off steam. * Avoid being rude yourself * Use careful questioning to sort out the problem * Offer positive assistance where possible. * If you are unable to deal effectively with the problem, make sure you pass the call on to someone who can. * Never make false promises to get rid of the problem Further training in week four consists of make mock calls i.e. practising with other trainees, reversing roles as the customer service agent and customer. Customer’s name is always Mr. Test! Additional training is given on the special offers, Hertz # 1 club gold card, Le swap magique and other packages. The trainee is thought about the benefits and terms and conditions, which must be explained to the customers. After the four weeks of training the new employee is ready to start their new position. Further on the job training is given during the duration of their new employment. 4.2 Prevention of strain/injury Training must follow legal compliance. Without training agents are exposed to significantly increased risk of aches, pains, stress and debilitating injury. Information alone is very rarely effective as staff tend to dismiss it. Staff need to understand how to make the most of their workstation (chair, desk and equipment), how to take responsibility for their own comfort and safety and what to do if problems arise. Managers and IT personnel need to be familiar with policy of workplace and equipment and safety to ensure planning and maintenance are correct. 5.0 Conclusions/Recommendations I feel Hertz International Call Centre in Swords has a very up to date and efficient Recruitment, Selection and Training procedure. The interviews are intense by non-discriminatory. The selection procedure is justly as it is essential for the company to choose the right candidate suitable for the position. The internal recruitment is also very successful as it gives the current staff of Hertz to progress within the company. Their training is very skilful and intense. The on-going training within the company is very successful and professional. I feel Hertz benefits from the procedures in which they have in place for the recruitment, selection and training of staff. 6.0 Bibliography I would like to thank all the staff working in Hertz. Without them this report would not be possible. I received most of my knowledge and information on the company from them. I would also like to thank my auntie Ann for sitting down to talk to me about her work in Hertz.

Edward Albee’s “The Sandbox” Essay

The inability of people to communicate and loss of personal values can lead to dramatic effects. Edward Albee’s play â€Å"The Sandbox† is an example of modern American drama in which he demonstrates cruel relations in a middle class family, criticizing modern society’s decay. Within the story we see the dialogue between family members, a husband and his wife, who are awaiting the death of her mother. As the names of characters suggest (Mommy, Daddy, Grandma), the action takes place within the family unit. Notice that the names of characters are generic. In doing this, the author is trying to show that it can be any family members. The story shows their cold relations with and disrespect for their old grandmother. We see the money over the family values, so much in common with American society today. The story reflects the reality of the contemporary American family. This is often a common situation today: the children bring their old mother from her country farm to their big beautiful house in the city. They do it not for her pleasure, but for their own convenience. They care neither for what she thinks, nor her interests or values. Money is the most important thing to them. They think she does not understand things very well anymore because she is old, and old-fashioned. In reality she understands more than anyone can imagine. Finally, when the children tire of her, they take her to a nursing home, where she can wait for the end alone. In the story â€Å"The Sandbox†, the author makes a judgment about the younger generation’s attitude towards the older generation. The main theme of the story is the inability of people to communicate with each other, the emptiness of contemporary family life, and the meaninglessness of modern existence. The main characters play an important role in supporting the theme. As we see throughout the story, Mommy and Daddy are ignorant people. Mommy is domineering and cruel, while Daddy is passive and emasculated. He does what she says, followed by â€Å"Whatever you say, Mommy.† She shows no respect towards anyone, including her mother and husband. We notice when Mommy and Daddy speak to one another, that there is no warm and sincere relationship between them; she only married him for the money. They treat Grandma with politeness, yet at the same time with merciless detachment. They talk about her, but hardly to her. Mommy reveals no emotional  attachment to her own mother. Daddy at least worries that Grandma is uncomfortable, but Mommy shuts him up. The emotion of concern they display is more hypocritical than sincere. On the other hand, Grandma is sincere and even child-like, making her character admirable. All the same she is sharp-tongued and shrewd. This only adds to the complexity of her personality. From the beginning of the play, we see that the plot of the story is evident, due to the way Mommy and Daddy talk about Grandma, and how they treat her. However there is no clear climax or resolution to the story. Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma are symbols of poor relationships in the contemporary family unit. Mommy, Daddy and symbolize the future generation, while Grandma is an icon of the past. She tries to fit into and relate to the fashion of the new generation but at her age, she no longer commands the social weight. The new generation (Mommy and Daddy) do not want to accept her values and do not want her to be involved in their lives. The Young Man is presented in the story as the Angel of Death. He symbolizes today’s personal values, emptiness and lack of culture of the new generation. When he kisses Grandma, it symbolizes that the end is near. When she dies, she is going to take her values and traditions to the grave. The bareness of the stage suggests the society in which we live today. When Grandma buries herself using the pail and shovel, she represent one of the millions of people with values and traditions, who is tired of living in a society that is so empty of emotions. When she dies, it represents the passing of an age, one in which value and hard work were important. Mommy and Daddy represent the decadent way of life that replaces it. In this play, Albee tries to show the reality of today’s society, with its lack of compassion for individuals, regardless of age and the decline of culture and traditions that support it.

Essay on Half.Com Customer Service - 932 Words

Ha Half.com Customer Service Ramona Russell Davenport University HRMG433 Professor Rhonda Bunce Introduction One of the customer – service agents for Half.com, Bill Ryan, is â€Å"one of 30 customer - service agents at Half.com, an online market-place owned by eBay Inc., the Internet auction company† (Milkovich, Newman, amp; Gerhart, 2011). Half.com lists all the products from sellers for the public, on their website and acts more like an intermediate between the buyers and the sellers. Half.com receives all inquires about the products sold on the website from customers, then the customer service agents contact the sellers with the questions and lastly, once the information is received, Half.com contacts the customer back to pass†¦show more content†¦He is well trained to answer any inquires but some of the questions have to be referred to supervisors or sellers. Useful Information The most useful information to me is the information provided about the way Mr. Ryan handled disgruntled customers, especially the ones over the phone: â€Å"Mr. Ryan remains calm, calling on skills he learned in a one-day seminar called â€Å"Dealing With Difficult People.† In the class, which he took before coming to Half.com, he learned to paraphrase what the customer is saying to make sure he understands the complaint. Mr. Ryan also takes care to speak clearly with strong sense of empathy†¦ An observer listening to Mr. Ryan gets the sense that he is not acting† (Milkovich, Newman, amp; Gerhart, 2011). I find this information valuable as I am also working in a customer service area, and dealing with unhappy customers is a must. Mr. Ryan’s behavior shows his dedication and illustrates the way one should be treated when upset. Mr. Ryan first, remains calm, secondly listens to the customer, and then repeats to make sure he understands the complaint. It is imperative that the representative truly understands the problem so he or she can fix it, thus making wrong things right. Additional Information I would have liked to read more about other ways Mr. Ryan deals with unhappy customers, over the phone, or online. There is a bigShow MoreRelatedJob Description For Customer Service Agents1372 Words   |  6 Pages Abstract The importance of customer service agents has been underscored in a number of studies. Customer service agents are the front lines of every company being the first people with whom the clients interact with. It is in this regard that customer service agents must be able to possess certain qualities and skills to help them perform efficiently and effectively. To do so, they must be able to adhere to job descriptions prepared by the company. 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