Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Creative memoir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Creative memoir - Essay Example My nanny saw me and took me in her arms and tried explaining that my beloved grandmother had passed away and the people were mourning for her. My grandmother laid on a makeshift wooden bed in the living room. Soon people started moving from the house to go prepare the burial ground where she would be buried and I could not understand the burial process. I had a lot of questions about it and I approached my father who was accompanied by other men. He explained that they were burying her in the ground in a hole and close up the hole with dirt. Even though I did not understand the ritual, I knew that underground was full of insects and they would surely eat my grandmother and harm her. There was also a lot of mud on the ground and I was adamant right then that I would not go underground amidst all the mud and insects but this statement only raised laughter all around my uncles. I realize now after reflecting on that moment that all of us have to die someday and according to my culture be buried underground in a grave. Further reflection makes me understand that they were laughing at my innocence and lack of knowledge of our culture and the world in general like I do now. Meanwhile inside the house, my mother who was stricken with grief sat done on my grandmother’s bed crying her eyes out. Since no one was providing me with answers about death, I assumed my grandmother would hear me and explain it herself. All my efforts to talk to her were futile as she could obviously not hear or understand. Throughout my childhood, I did not understand the issue but years later I came to understand the issue of death. My mother fainted soon afterwards and was taken to my grandmother’s bedroom to be attended. I accompanied her out of curiosity as to what had happened to her as well as out of concern mixed with fear. The room was filled with nine other people all talking animatedly about the life of my grandmother and her good selfless deeds all around the neighborhood and
Monday, October 28, 2019
The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner Essay Example for Free
The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner Essay The appearance of the â€Å"cyborg†in science-fiction cinema began with the emergence of the dystopian science-fiction film both events started with Fritz Lang’s silent film â€Å"Metropolis,†released in 1927 in Weimar Republic Germany, just before the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Lang’s film, made as political allegory, shocked audiences with its complex plot, special effects, and political and religious themes. â€Å"Lang described Metropolis as a battle between modern science and the occult a kind of romantic fatalism that became the directors trademark in later works–[] scene after scene depicting a mechanized world gone madwhich influenced countless other filmmakers. †(Roberts 33)             Among these filmmakers was Ridley Scott, whose 1982 film Blade Runner (based on Philip K. Dick’s novel â€Å"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) stands as an accomplished descendent of Lang’s pioneering work. While neither film features traditional cyborgs (which are beings created from a synthesis of biological and robotic components) each film features the concept of technologically engineered, sentient life, which closely resembles human life, as a central symbol for the exploration of spiritual and moral themes.            Central to Lang’s dystopian vision is a â€Å"mechanized world gone mad,†personified by the creation of a robotic double for the film’s heroine, a Christian leader named Maria, who is opposed by an evil scientist, Rotwang. The opposition of science and religion indicated by the character’s conflict demonstrates Lang’s intention to use themes which inject modern concerns (robotics and science) into the ages-old debates that had historically been associated with religion and philosophy. Lang’s vision is of a robotic construction of artificial life, whereas Ridley Scott, in Blade Runner used genetically engineered â€Å"replicants†as an example of artificially created life. The image of the â€Å"cyborg†is, for Lang, part-human and part-The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner                         Page -2- mechanized, a mechanical recreation of human form; for Ridley Scott, â€Å"replicants†are the image of the cyborg, being genetically altered, genetically specified humans designed by a corporation. For both film-makers, the image of the â€Å"cyborg†resulted in an image of evil and danger for humanity.             The very inclusion of modern technologies, or technologies which are closely extrapolated from existing technologies, presents a deviation from the hitherto prevailing â€Å"classical†visions of the Church. â€Å"Dystopia is very much part of the late twentieth-and early twenty-first-century mindset. We see it in films and adverts that dwell on dank futuristic images from a world where the last vestiges of individualism are slowly being expunged and machinery is our enemy.†(Mourby)            The enemy in â€Å"Metropolis,†as personified by Rotwang’s â€Å"evil†robotic doppleganger, presents a new hazard in the modern landscape: if human beings can create sentient life, what are the repercussions of this god-like power and for what purposes will this power be unleashed? The mission of Rotwang’s creation is to vilify and destroy the saintly Maria and in doing so, obfuscate her vision and her message of self-liberation to the oppressed laborers of Metropolis. Rotang aims to â€Å"ruin Maria by creating a robot in her imagea mechanical evil twinto deliver false testimony.†(Roberts 33)            Lang’s use of the robot as a symbol of oppression and of deception marks his prosecution of the film’s religious allegory: the robot facsimile of Maria is intended as an ironic variation of the Creation myth, the Biblical notion of the creation of Adam and Eve. Rotwang functions as an inversion of God the Creator, and as Man the Creator â€Å"his main evil act is creating a false robot copy of a Christian leader, Maria. In other words, he gets his minion to pass as a Christian. He The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner  -creates the robot to foment riots which will lead to the dictatorship of the master of Metropolis†(Tratner). In â€Å"Metropolis†the robot looks and appears as human, though it is actually a mechanical construction; in Ridley Scott’s later film â€Å"Blade Runner†the replicants are indistinguishable from human beings without a sophisticated series of psychological and neurological tests.            The concept of robotics functions, for Lang, as a direct inquiry into the moral bearing of humanity and what significance human ethics play as the role of technology expands in society. If robots can be constructed so cleverly, so efficiently that they can â€Å"pass†for humans in society, then what societal consequences arise from this technology? In â€Å"Metropolis†the robot is envisioned as a minion of perverse human will; its likeness to humanity presents a special problem of evil int hat the robot, programed with foul intentions, can walk among humanity undetected for what it really is as in the (particularly Hebrew) legends of the golem. However, the robot in â€Å"Metropolis,†while being similar to the golem myth, is a distinctly modern conception and one which carried the ancient Biblical connotations of Creation Myth and the human will to power, which in both traditional Christian terms and in the context of the film â€Å"Metropolis†is portrayed as â€Å"sinful.†           Lang’s strategy, as revealed in â€Å"Metropolis,†is to contrast the human will-to-power as illustrated by the mad scientist, Rotwang’s, efforts to gain the power of Creation, with the human will-to-individuality and liberty, which is portrayed via the workers’ struggle and Maria’s spiritual vision. In the end, Joh and Rotwang’s scheme â€Å" backfires as the socialites debauch and the workers revolt, unleashing a flood that nearly drowns a horde of innocent children. In the end, Freder and Maria prevail, reconciling Joh with the workers with the slogan, The mediator The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner between brain and hands must be the heart. (Roberts 33)            Lang’s ground-breaking film influenced untold subsequent film-makers and artists in all mediums; among them, Ridley Scott, whose dystopian science-fiction film â€Å"Blade Runner†incurs much debt to Lang for not only the visual and thematic ideas of â€Å"Blade Runner,†but for- the film’s central theme of genetically engineered human life-forms, which, like Lang’s treatment of robotics in â€Å"Metropolis,†comprises a symbol for ethical and religious themes.            Scott’s genetically engineered life-forms are called â€Å"replicants†and, as such, they are dissimilar from Lang’s robot in that replicants are biological, rather than mechanical, beings with physical, emotional, and mental characteristics selected and engineered by human scientists. The central premise of the story is that a number of the replicants, having discovered that they were engineered to have only 3 year life spans, escape from their assignments in the off-world colonies and become renegades on earth in search of their creators, in search of life-extension.            While Lang’s film asked â€Å"What would happen if man could create a perfect robotic likeness of man and program it to do malevolent things?†Scott’s film asks â€Å"What moral decisions would artificially engineered beings make once they realized they were alive?†The resulting narrative, with its dystopian overtones, presents a variation on the Biblical Satan-as-God’s-Enemy. Satan, being the most glorious of God’s angels, rebels against his Creator, God, because of his great pride. In â€Å"Blade Runner†the replicant, Roy, is received by his creator Tyrell as the â€Å"prodigal son;†he then proceeds to murder his creator, Tyrell, because of his existential angst, being a mortal creature with merely his subjective experience in three years as â€Å"eternity.†           Scott’s take on the â€Å"man against machines†paradigm is a near-future vison for humanity, severed from superstition or magic (where there are traces of occultism in â€Å"Metropolis†) and The Image of the Cyborg as it Appears in Metropolis and Blade Runner lodged firmly within the capitalistic, technology-driven society that is our modern experience. The idea of hostile machines seems all-too-familiar and in fact plays a central thematic role in mid-to-late twentieth century American medai: this innovation might result in  the creation of machines that would one day prove intelligent enough to attack us, an idea that lies behind such classic dystopian films as Metropolis, Bladerunner and the Terminator trilogy. (Mourby)            â€Å"Blade Runner’s†replicants evolve the notion of apocalypse as being human engineered, rather than as the will of God. Humanity will bring about its own apocalypse, and part of this apocalypse are the replicants themselves, a symbol, not of man (or Satan’s) vanity, but of his greed. For Scott capitalism and greed take the place of â€Å"evil†and â€Å"sin†in Biblical reference. Where previously men had imagined: â€Å"The end would occur when the Divine Being had finally had enough of us and it would all be pretty nasty for all except those who had managed to get on the right side of him†man must now manage (by Scott’s reckoning) to throw â€Å"off its glum medieval certainties†and dare, like Lang, to speculate â€Å" about what life might hold in store for us long term.†(Mourby)            For both film-makers, the image of the cyborg, robot, or replicant offered a glimpse into the negative capacities of technology and scientific knowledge. Because in each case, the â€Å"cyborgs†closely resemble human beings, the image of the artificially created life-form is viewed as both negative and dangerous to humanity. The lesson of the images seems to be that the act of the Creation of life, though possible for humanity, is better left to God or Nature than to mankind. Works Cited Mourby, Adrian. Dystopia: Who Needs It? Adrian Mourby Shows That the Nightmare Scenario Can Be Both Dire Warning and Escapist Fantasy. History Today Dec. 2003: 16+. Roberts, Rex. Auld Lang Syne: A Restored Print of the Silent Classic Metropolis Includes Footage Not Seen since 1927. Insight on the News 5 Aug. 2002: 33. Tratner, Michael. Lovers, Filmmakers, and Nazis: Fritz Langs Last Two Movies as Autobiography. Biography 29.1 (2006): 86+.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
heroarms Frederick as a Code Hero in Ernest Hemingways A Farewell to Arms :: Hemingway A Farewell to Arms
Frederick as a Code Hero in Farewell to Arms It is the nature of the beast within that fuels our inclination towards conflict and destruction. During the surreal powers of war, life hangs in the balance setting the stage for an elite group of individuals who triumphantly rise above the rest amidst the chaos. As Ernest Hemingway illustrates in his book, Farewell to Arms, the character of Frederick Henry; an ambulance driver, is put to the ultimate test during the madness and atrocity of WWI. His experiences at the front pose a challenge only a Hemingway hero can affront successfully. As the epitome of a code hero, Frederick is a man of action, self-discipline, and one who maintains grace under pressure. Whenever the situation requires, Henry rises to the occasion taking control of potentially dangerous incidents with quick decision leaving no room for second thought. After Frederick is captured by the battle police, he foresees his inevitable death if no action was taken and instinctively escaped detainment. "I looked at the carabineri, they were looking at the newcomers. The others were looking a the colchel. I ducked down, pushed between two men, and ran for the river, my head down. I tripped at the edge and went in with a splash" (Hemingway, 214). Henry witnessed the gruesome executions of the officers before him and knew he was not going to die without a fight to preserve his precious existence. Being a man of action rather than words, was the determining factor which helped him survive this unfortunate confrontation with death. Regardless of the circumstances, Henry used his authoritative position to make sure others did not engage in any threatening positions that could jeopar dize their safety and the safety of others. When one of his ambulances got suck in the mud during a retreat, two sergeants simply tried to abandon the situation but Frederick stopped them in their tracks. "Halt, I said. They kept on down the muddy road, the hedge on either side. I order you to halt. I called. They went a little faster. I opened up my holster, took the pistol, aimed at the one who talked the most, and fired" (Hemingway, 195). The men were given an ample opportunity to obey Henry's commands and by ignoring them, it suggested that they were challenging their superior's authority. Such actions are not tolerated by Frederick as he was once again forced to take the initiative as his character is always compelled to do.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Warning in The Beast in the Jungle :: Beast in the Jungle Essays
The Warning in The Beast in the Jungle "In the case of Henry James there should not be much dispute about the exactness and completeness of the representation; no man ever strove more studiously or on the whole more successfully to reproduce the shape and color and movement of his æsthetic experience." These are the remarks of Stuart P. Sherman from his article entitled "The Aesthetic Idealism of Henry James," from The Nation, p. 397, April 5, 1917. Now, some seventy-two years later critical readers are still coming to terms with James' aesthetic vision. As we have discussed in class, James aestheticizes everything. Sexual intercourse, carnal knowledge, painful self-discovery, human mortality, etc., are often figuratively and metaphorically veiled so as not to disturb or repulse the reader. Taking a closer look at this, one might say that James did this so that he himself would not be repulsed. Perhaps James wasn't thinking so much of the reader as he was thinking of himself. In "The Beast in the Jungle" James has aesthetically hidden the reality of Marcher's destiny by treating it as a symbolic crouching beast waiting to spring. The reader will ask why James has done this? Wouldn't it be more effective to speak plainly of Marcher's and Bartram's relationship? The author could tell us exactly why John Marcher does not marry May Bartram. The narrator tells us that Marcher's situation "was not a condition he could invite a woman to share" and "that a man of feeling didn't cause himself to be accompanied by a lady on a tiger hunt" (p. 417). This is nonsense. Marcher won't marry May because he doesn't want to inconvenience her with his condition or endanger her life on a tiger hunt? First of all, he inconveniences her right up to the day of her death with his condition, and as for the metaphorical tiger hunt, what exactly does that refer to? What is it here that James will not speak of in plain language? Simply what is the meaning of this; what is the author's intent? One might speculate that this story is somewhat autobiographical in that James himself never married and often carried on close personal relationships with a very select few. The various biographers of his life
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
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.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Drugs and Behaviour essays
Drugs and Behaviour essays 1. a) The use of all natural products has become a new revolution in our society. More and more people are looking for alternative treatments and even preventative therapy to keep themselves healthy. Unlike traditional drugs and medication that face rigorous testing by the FDA (in the U.S.A), all natural products do not. This is because the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education said that products that were labeled as dietary supplements could enter the consumer market untested. This lack of testing on these supplements makes them even that much more dangerous because no one knows what the effects of them are in terms of interactions with other supplements, overdosing and mixing with other pharmaceutical drugs. When consumers see the term all-natural, our eyes light up because we think that were getting something that is safer. The truth of the matter is that just because something is all-natural, doesnt make it safer. b.) A lot of supplements contain somewhat of the same active ingredients as drugs. Evidence also suggests that one or more ingredients in St. Johns Wart contain pharmacologically properties similar to that of drugs. From a legal standpoint however, these all-natural dietary supplements are not considered drugs. This is because of legal issues and legislation that was discussed in question 1 (a). The FDA in the U.S cannot regulate dietary supplements as drugs, and the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) cannot enforce any pertinent laws toward these dietary supplements. So therefore these all-natural dietary supplements are not drugs. c.) There is a big difference between drugs and medicine. First let me start off by saying that the practice of medicine is the science of diagnosing, treating, or preventing disease and other damage to the body or mind. Medication or medicine as its routinely called is an agent, such as a drug, used to treat disease or injury. Medicine is usual ...
Monday, October 21, 2019
game theroy essays
game theroy essays Microwave Oven Interference on Wireless LANs Abstract - Commercial microwave ovens as applied in restaurants have two magnetron tubes and compared to domestic kitchen counterparts they spread the higher RF power and radiated heating energy more evenly. The domestic kitchen or residential microwave ovens have only one magnetron tube. The interference from the commercial type of microwave ovens is more difficult to characterise than the interference from the residential ones. The commercial type of microwave ovens radiate a CW-like interference that sweeps over tens of MHz during the two bursts per mains power cycle. The residential ones give a CW-like interference that has a more or less stable frequency near 2.45 GHz occurring once per mains power cycle. The impact of the interference from the commercial type of microwave ovens on wireless LANs conforming the IEEE 802.11 standard for both DSSS (direct sequence spread spectrum) and FHSS (frequency hopping spread spectrum) has been evaluated. The release of the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band (2400 -2483.5 MHz) for ISM (industrial, scientific, medical applications) prompted a significant interest in the design of wireless LAN products. Interference from extraneous sources (unintentional radiators) impacts the reliability of communication in this 2.4 GHz ISM band. Sources of such interference are the millions of residential microwave ovens radiating at frequencies close to 2.45 GHz, and they have been described largely in the literature. Commercial microwave ovens, based on two magnetron tubes as used in restaurants, have been hardly described in the literature. Since commercial ovens are expected more often in the vicinity of office buildings with a high population density of office equipment and PCs, this type has been evaluated with respect to the nature of the interference signal and the impact on wireless LANs operating ...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Contextual Analysis
Advertisement Description Critical/Contextual Analysis In the competitive world, communication is conveyed in several ways. The response of the target audience to a given message will depend on how best the message has been displayed to be analyzed by the said audience. The most common means of communication is through signs and images.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advertisement Description: Critical/Contextual Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Business organizations and various stakeholders apply images in conveying their message to the target audience. In order for the said image to be effective, the advertiser must be able to make a detailed evaluation of what these images connote, how and when they are used and their importance to the society (Chandler Daniel 2004, p.54). This means that the images should be carrying some connotative meanings, other than the denotative ones that can be easily interpreted. They may be carrying some myths or something the c ommunity cherishes. Some signs are polygenic in nature since they carry more than one meaning. Therefore, care should be taken when they are used so that the intended meaning comes out. This paper attempts to make an analysis of an advertisement image. There are three modes of advertisements: Presenter, Demonstration and slice of life. The focus of the analysis will be on presenter advertisement. A presenter advertisement exhibits how a product works by demonstrating the unique product attributes and effectively explaining the product or service to the viewers. This form of advertisement can equally help a business to highlight how the specific needs of another third party business can be met. Presenter advertisements are best suited for internet flash and television. The signifier is the picture depicted in the advertisement. It is through interpreting the image that we create meaning from the advertisement. The text on the other hand is the signified; it highlights the meaning tha t the signifier indicates. When making an advertisement, several factors are considered. Some of these factors include gender, age, and class of the targeted group (Chiazzari Suzy 1998, p. 256). Cost of advertisement is a major challenge when choosing the kind of advertisement to make.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Advertisements have a lot of impact to the public and therefore the corporate world has developed common trend especially when introducing new products into the market. The image used in this advertisement is that of Thierry Henry. Thierry Henry is an international footballer, an icon, and a renowned person who has worked hard in the field of football to make sure his team prospers. The said advertisement describes a football icon that is not afraid to fail in all his endeavors but hates to lose. This means that the advert urges the subject of the target grou p to undertake all their activities and focus on winning despite the challenges (Chiazzari Suzy 1998, p.255). The iconic figure of Thierry Henry as used in the advert shows a person who has put his fear behind and thereby shows his willingness to try new ideas to become successful. The use of image also describes a person who is hopeful without having doubts. However, the introduction of the dormant Reebok sign at the bottom of the advertisement heightens the tone of the advert and as such, urges the subjects of the target group to put doubts behind them and move on with new ideas. Reebok is an international company dealing with sportswear materials and produces accessories, athletic shoes, and apparel. The company has struggled through several barriers to achieve an international recognition (Talbot 1998, p.144). The advertisement image is portrayed in this picture is on the billboard. The billboard is large enough such that people can see it from a far distance. It can be noted t hat such a large size is also visible to people who are inside a moving vehicle. Thierry looks regretting as shown by his face signifying someone who lost in the past because he was afraid to fail. The tone of the message, that is, the use of bold and light colored writings signifies courage and not hesitating. Therefore, the target group should never lose hope when exploring new ideas.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advertisement Description: Critical/Contextual Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Based on the picture and the message portrayed, Thierry Henry represents the middle-aged population of young men and women (youth) who are afraid of exploring new opportunities that come on their way. When one glance at the advert, what is seen first is bright picture of football icon Thierry Henry, followed by some bold and light written words, â€Å"I am not afraid to fail but I hate to lose†. The first in tention of the advertiser was to attract the onlookers because the bright color of Thierry is very conspicuous and strikes the eyesight very fast and therefore everyone brings his or her attention to the advert. The information written on the advert has a lot to tell the target audience. The way the information has been written can be interpreted in two ways. First, the advertiser is targeting someone who knows how to identify and interpret images and second, the advertiser is targeting someone who does not know how to interpret images but can read and analyze the information (Saussure 2011, p.59). The information is very polite and suggestive. The advertiser tells the audience (who can read but not interpret the image) that indeed he looks like someone who is afraid to explore new ideas and is deemed to lose (Tolston 1996, p.73). The same message is passed to someone with ability to read and interpret the image, which adds some emphasize to his understanding. This image implies tha t if one comes across good opportunities in life its good to explore on them without fear otherwise he will stand lose and regret. In addition, the image is very advising in that both the image and the written words are advising the target group they should never be afraid to fail but never give a chance for loss. The youthful generation is also advised to try to maneuver through several opportunities as they make critical decisions in life. The notion of symbolism technique is used in the advert. The sign of Reebok and the image of Thierry Henry are symbolic and as such, it has proved effective as the main idea behind the advert is passed (Lewis 2007, p.108).Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The subject of the targeted group should never regret anytime in their entire life instead, they should avoid any fear associated to their failure and develop a positive attitude towards winning just like Reebok Company and Thierry Henry does. This is because despite several challenges that Thierry Henry has gone through in the football arena he always strived to excel and the same for Reebok Company, it has passed through major struggle to become an international company in sportswear materials (White 2000, p. 52). In terms of challenges, both Thierry and Reebok Company share similar characteristics regarding their struggle for success. The image also symbolizes two different kinds of life; a hopeful and successful life of a youthful guy who has achieved and anticipate to face the future after succeeding in the past and a regretful life of a failure who is always afraid to fail and ends up losing.Further, the image also signifies a great deal of contrast. As such, the mood of Thier ry Henry contrasts with the tone and the message being conveyed. Topography also features in the advertisement whereby some words have been bolded to emphasize the importance of the advert to the targeted group. Behind the bright image of Thierry Henry is another black image with a different size and appearance: symbolizing two different kinds of lives, the two personalities are living. Thierry Henry image is bright, big and very visible symbolizing courage, hope, and lack of fear in facing the future (Tolston 1996, p. 75). The image behind him is black and not clearly visible symbolizing darkness and lack of vision for a person who has lost hope in life. The choice of color also plays an important role in the advert. The bright color branded to the football icon depicts success and achievement for someone who made a positive choice in life and never lost therefore life has been success to him. With this color, it is easy to capture the attention of the target group and therefore th e message is conveniently conveyed. The image behind him is dark in color and invisible symbolizing lack of vision for a person who has been in darkness and has no focus to achieve. Color tone is also brought clearly by use of bold colored words such as â€Å"lose†and â€Å"not†. Boldness brings about emphasizes of the message to the reader. To a person who can read and not interpret his eye vision will be attracted to the bolded words that are negative in nature and link them to the image of Thierry Henry; he will therefore understand better the negative repercussions of ignorance. In terms of gender, the advert uses an image of young football icon meaning that the young generation of youthful men and women are being represented in the product or service being advertised. These groups are in the process of making life decisions and so the image makes them aware that the choice of decision they make today will determine their success for tomorrow; therefore they shoul d never regret the kind of decisions they make in life (Tolston 1996, p. 73). This is because most important decisions in life are made during youthful stage and choice of decision is an important determinant in future. The two images informs the target group the importance of making informed choices in life by capturing both positive and negative sides of future and displays them in the same advert so its upon the reader to read, see, and make judgment. Though the advert uses a man’s image, it does not mean that men are the target. The writing on it is clear evidence that the advertiser targeted the young generation from all races ranging from men to women (Saussure 2011, p. 58). There is no any limiting attributes to say a certain class is targeted, the advertiser generalized to pass a clear message to everyone. The use of image is very effective when making advertisements. According to, a researcher, picture brings personal reflection to a real life situation. Picture also carries a very strong message for those who cannot read and write. In addition, personal image brings a sense of human being and it is easy for one to understand the message because people are interested in what they see around them. It is therefore very important when designing an advertisement to take into account the target group and their area of interest, which enhances the effectiveness of the advertisement. Advertisements are different depending on age factor, race, gender, and class. The use of brand logo and an arrow is a distinctive feature in this advertisement because it creates curiosity and visibity of the advertisement (Talbot 1998, p. 144). The use of different colors in brand logo makes it look conspicuous from the rest of the image. The advertiser uses an international sportswear company and a renowned football icon as an advertisement strategy. Both the football player and Reebok Company have international recognition and therefore everyone is curious to know the message behind the two. The image attracts the reader and once he sees the image he will read. The background also presents both the past and the future that is unknown to the target group (Barthes 2003, p. 212). Both future aspects as presented in the advert (the invisible dark image) show a right decision that was made in the past yields to successful opportunity in future (bright image of Thierry Henry). It is clear from the analysis that images play an important role in making an advertisement. An advertisement is most effective when an image of an international icon is used or common thing that is known to everyone because people want to be associated with an international and successful person in their lifetime (Lewis 2007, p. 108). Colors also carry different meaning to different people and therefore the choice of color is very important. Bright colors are the best because they strike the eye very strongly and one can see them from far even in a moving car. It is also import ant to use more than one language, toplogy and color technique when making such advertisements because the intended message very effectively conveyed to the intended group as compared to other types of advertisements (Chiazzari Suzy 1998, p. 275). Overall, the advertiser has applied necessary ingredients in bringing out the message in the advert. There are no controversial images or violation of media ethics. The colors have been applied in their context without suggesting otherwise to the reader. With such kind of advert, the advertiser is likely to achieve its target. This application by Reebok Company implies that images play a great role in advertisement List of References Barthes, 2003, Mythologies, John Wiley and Sons, London. Chandler, R Daniel, F 2004, Semiotics: the basics, Routledge, New York. Chiazzari, A Suzy, D 1998, The complete book of color, Barnes and Noble Books, New York. Lewis, J 2007, Typography: design and practice, Jeremy Mills Publishing, Huddersfield. Sau ssure, F 2011, Course in general linguistics, Columbia University Press, New York. Talbot, M 1998, Multiple voices in magazines, in Language and gender: an introduction, Polity Press, London. Taltson, A 1996, Mediations: text and discourses in media studies, Arnold, New York. White, R 2000, Advertising, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Personal statement for pharmacy school Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
For pharmacy school - Personal Statement Example When I attended my first pharmacy workshop at UCI, I realized that pharmacy is the only profession that I wanted to adopt because it brings the best of me. Ever since, I conducted intensive research into the area, I was able to gain knowledge that helped me to identify the key areas for specialization in the field. Then, I attended pharmacy technician school because of which I received my technician license. This brought in-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical products and their formulas for me. By acquiring the license, I was able to apply for a job in a pharmacy. While working at the pharmacy, I came to realize that patients are not handled correctly at pharmacies, and they are being provided with pharmaceutical products, about which they do not have any information. Additionally, the work experience I gained at the pharmacy job helped me to determine that people lack basic knowledge of medicine that can be harmful for them (Veatch and Haddad 94). Since then, I decided to focus on hel ping the society by providing them quality and harmless pharmaceutical products. I realized that being a pharmacist brings a lot of responsibilities of people’s lives on a pharmacist. And that it is the duty of pharmacists to assist less fortunate patients who cannot afford to buy medicines. In addition, I also received a graduation degree from UCLA in biochemistry and attended workshops on cancer and its treatment in order to gain knowledge about pharmaceutical products and their formulas. The study of these areas further enabled me to strengthen my grip of the pharmaceutical industry and the formulas used to manufacture medicinal products. I have planned to open up a pharmacy where patients would be educated correctly about the medicines they are purchasing. I want to merge my mother’s herbal product business with my pharmaceutical business so that her dreams are fulfilled. Moreover, I want to reduce the cost that patients bear for each
Friday, October 18, 2019
Recycline in Partnering with Stonyfield Farm Assignment - 7
Recycline in Partnering with Stonyfield Farm - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that many people are nowadays very conscious of environmental conservation, and they are likely to buy anything they think will help in conserving the environment (Atkins, 67). Recycline could take advantage of this situation by marketing its toothbrushes as eco-friendly products through word of mouth. Hudson should not only target moviegoers as his main customers. There are many people out there who will buy stylish eco-friendly toothbrushes willingly. The internet is one way of reaching as many people as possible. Online marketing is not only cheap; it is also convenient (Atkins, 45). As the company grows larger, it will have to increase its customer base. This means that it will have to be very innovative in its marketing strategies so as to reach as many people as possible. The company will also have to find partners who can help in marketing its toothbrushes. This means that there will be a need for more distributors in different areas ( Atkins, 133). Such distributors may be supermarkets and other retail stores that deal with personal care products.
Bioinspired liquid repellent surfaces Literature review
Bioinspired liquid repellent surfaces - Literature review Example Such cases are not only seen on daily basis, like car windshields fogging, bathroom taps calcification and utensils and cooking pans non sticky properties, but also are experienced in industrial applications, infrastructures damage such as metallic machines corrosion and sewer blockage and fouling by fats (Martin et al.2003). In order for such problems to be resolved, there is need of super hydrophobic surfaces creation and it has been studied extensively for the past few decades (Martin et al.2003). For the super-hydrophobicity properties to be achieved there is need of the introduction of roughness to the surface and most of the solid –water surfaces is never oriented parallel to the substrate (Martin et al.2003). Scientists have been inspired by nature in solving sophisticated challenges in the field of biom imetics. Nature is considered to be based on designs that are effective. In this case, the application of previous resources is optimized and it is something that has been considered to inspire engineers worldwide (Bhushan etal.2006). A deeper understanding of nature could result to bio-inspired products which could save money, lives and time. There are various examples which include Shark skin inspired the boat hulls (low drag); low adhesion and super hydrophobic lotus leaf inspired the antifouling medical devices and self cleaning windows (Bhushan etal.2006). There has been resolution to several engineering challenges in nature that include antifouling and fluid drag reduction which are obstacles to several industries. Nature has a clue to these challenges and it includes the butterfly wings and rice leaves unique surfaces characteristics. These combine the lotus leaf effect as well as the shark skin effect to generate what is referred to as rice butterfly wing effect. Several fauna and flora has been majorly focused on by researchers with a lot of emphasis on the structures of the nature, surfaces as well
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Values, Principles and social work Ethics Term Paper
Values, Principles and social work Ethics - Term Paper Example She is also very sensitive being that she was repeatedly assaulted by not just those in the prison system, whether it being the guards or the other prisoners, but also taken advantage of by the gentleman whose task it was to leave Iran and get to Canada. With this, along with her later living in a male dorm being classified as male but still wearing makeup, an assumption to be made here would be that from the traumatic experiences of Ms. P. throughout the course of her earlier life, she has been so victimized to the extent that she wishes to hide her sexuality to the outside world as a means of protecting herself from further hurt and anguish. A safety mechanism of sorts. Faced with the declaration that she may be gay, Ms. P. sought refuge with an Aunt who appears to have not only let Ms. P. wear her clothes, but also use her makeup, which also would be relevant towards the larger choice of having makeup application be her education goal. The notion of her maintaining a happy memory from her past, this being the kindness of her Aunt and wishing to take that experience and use it for her future. Response: First and foremost, the story of Ms. P. brings about a strong sense of sadness and heartbreak for the situations that she was forced to face throughout her life. Complete bewilderment as to how someone could go through as much as Ms. P. would have, but still find the means of grasping that one happy moment in time, in her case what surely had to have been the time with her Aunt and taking that by having her studies be centered upon the makeup in television and videos. A reaction of anger towards those who would have sought to inflict such harm and danger upon such a young person. Anger at such a travesty being inflicted upon someone who had little, if not none at all, recourse for sticking up for herself. The idea that only her Aunt would provide the safe
Revise the paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Revise the paper - Essay Example This paper focuses on Bird’s article â€Å"College is a Waste of Time and Money†, the paper analyses and critiques the arguments that Bird offers in support of her view that college education is a sheer waste of time and money for the majority of people. The paper concludes with a recommendation on what need to be done so as to improve college education. The main theses of Bird in her critical view of college education is that college education is not good for many young people, and many young people go to college not because they want to learn or they see any value in college education, but, they go to school for some other reasons. Bird claims that many young people go to college because of reasons that are not relevant to the actual meaning of education. For instance, Bird claims that many young people go to college simply because going to college has become the conventional thing to do after completing high school; Bird also claims that some other young people go to college because they do not want to work, so that they can get the financial support of their parents or taxpayers. Caroline Bird goes on to argue that since many students do not go to school willingly and they do not see any sense of college education, many of college students are sad and sullen throughout their college lives; the students feel unwanted and they fee l that they have been damped in college to stay there temporarily because the world had no place for them. Consequently, Bird concludes that college education is a sheer waste of time and many. A critical review of Bird’s argument on this issue, however, reveals some logical fallacies that Bird committed in supporting her theses. Before we expose the two logical fallacies in Bird’s argument in support of her theses, let us explain the main strength of Bird’s argument. The main strength of Bird’s argument
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