Understanding And Managing Customers 1st Edition Isabel Doole, Peter Lancaster, Robin Lowe - Solutions

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The Vancouver International Airport Authority manages and operates the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Its focus on safety, security, and customer service has contributed to YVR’s ranking among the top 10 airports in the world. To maintain its excellent customer service standards and in
minutes to take down the order and to assign the work to the kitchen, sommelier, and waiter.It takes the kitchen 18 minutes to prepare the typicala. Draw a process map for the room-service process:from receipt of order to delivery of foodb. What is the flow time of the process?c. What is the effect
The Evanstonian is an upscale independent hotel that caters to both business and leisure travelers. When a guest calls room service at The Evanstonian, the roomservice manager takes down the order. The service manager then submits an order ticket to the kitchen tobegin preparing the food. She also
Wonder Shed Inc. (Example 3) produces, in addition to the standard model, a deluxe version for the discriminating customer. The production process for the two models is identical and is depicted in Figure 1.The activity times for deluxe models is listed in Table 8. All the times mentioned represent
The Traffic Court of King James County operates between the hours of 9 A.M. and 1 P.M. Each morning, roughly at 9 p.m., 200 defendants show up for trial involving traffic violations, such as speeding, illegal parking, and ignoring a stop sign. On Monday, June 10, 2003, a sample of 10 defendants was
Decreasing the activity time of an activity always improves the flow time. Comment.
How long does it take your company to process a customer complaint? Draw a process map of the process utilized, and discuss how some of the levers used in this chapter can be used to speed up this process.
How long does it take your company to process a business expense form? What is your estimate of the theoretical time required for this process? What is the flow-time efficiency?
The speed at which pit crews replace flat tires at car races such as the Indy 500 is amazing. Discuss the effects of “moving work to the outer loop” in this context.
A group of MBA students is preparing a business case for submission as a final project for their operations management course. Describe the process used by the group from the perspective of working in parallel versus working sequentially.
Describe the process used by your bank for approving a home mortgage. In particular, highlight the activities that are done or could be done in parallel. What are the pros and cons of doing these activities in parallel?
Provide an example from your work environment of how flow time could be improved using the following levers:a. “Work smarter”b. “Do it right the first time”c. “Work faster”
Examine a service encounter such as a visit to a restaurant. Give a rough estimate of the average flow time, the theoretical flow time, and the flow-time efficiency.
ABC Corporation’s consolidated income statement and balance sheet for the years 2011 and 2012 is shown in Table 9 (in thousands of dollars).How do you think cash flow performance in 2011 compares with that of 2012 in the factory as well as accounts receivable? Do you think 2012 is an improvement
Cheapest Car Rental rents cars at the Chicago airport.The car rental market consists of two segments: the short-term segment, which rents for an average of 0.5 week, and the medium-term segment, which rents for an average of 2 weeks. Cheapest currently rents an average of 200 cars a week to the
Refer to Exercise 5. Once the triage system is put in place, it performs quite close to expectations. All data conform to planners’ expectations except for one set—the classifications made by the nurse practitioner. Assume that the triage nurse has been sending 91 percent of all patients to the
A triage system has been proposed for the ER described in Exercise 4. Under the proposed triage plan, entering patients will be registered as before.They will then be quickly examined by a nurse practitioner who will classify them as Simple Prescriptions or Potential Admits. While Simple
Why is it preferable to have a short cost-to-cash cycle, and how can that be achieved?
As a product moves through its life cycle from introduction to maturity to decline, how do the attributes that customers consider important change? What are the implications in terms of the process competencies that need to be developed? What process type is appropriate in the introductory phase?
Compare McDonald’s and a fine dining restaurant in terms of the product attributes that customers expect.What process competencies should each organization aim to develop? Would you expect each process to be more like a job shop or a flow shop? Why?
Compare Walmart and a convenience store like 7-Eleven in terms of the product attributes that customers expect. What process competencies does each organization aim to develop?
Several examples of organizations are listed here. For each, identify underlying business processes in terms of inputs, outputs, and resources employed. What financial, external, and internal performance measures should each organization use? Who are their customers, and what product attributes do
Give two main benefits of focus. Provide at least two reasons all organizations do not employ focused operations. (Note: Claiming a firm is ignorant of focus is not an option.)
There are a surprising number of styles of baby strollers and carriages available in the marketplace.One style is the jogging stroller, which features oversize wheels that make the stroller easy to push on rough surfaces as the parent jogs. One maker of jogging strollers is Baby Trend. Baby Trend
MDVIP is a group of primary care physicians in Florida that offers a unique pricing structure. They charge patients a fixed fee of $1,500 per year on top of fees per visit over the year. That is, patients pay $1,500 even if they do not see a doctor during the year and still pay per consultation
Briefly give an argument supporting the claim that“the essence of strategy is choosing what to do and what not to do.”
Compare the differences in patient needs at an emergency room in a hospital with that of a department doing knee replacements in terms of price, quality, time, and variety. Which of these departments should follow the approach taken by Shouldice? Why?
A small printed-circuit-board manufacturer has established itself on the ability to supply a large variety of small orders in a timely manner. A firm approaches the manufacturer to place a large order (equal to the current volume from all other orders) but asks for a 30 percent discount. Do you
Consider the life cycle of a product from introduction to maturity to decline. What kind of process (job shop, batch process, or line flow) would be appropriate at each stage, and why?
Compare and contrast the strategies and supporting business processes of Southwest Airlines and Singapore Airlines. That is, do some research (e.g., read their corporate Web sites) and compare their business strategy in terms of the four product dimensions, targeted market segments, and their
How do the strategies of your neighborhood supermarket differ from those of Walmart? How do their business processes support those strategies?
The characteristics of the new consumer and, in particular, their much higher levels of technological awareness and technological literacy have provided enormous opportunities – and enormous threats – for large numbers of organisations. In the case of the retail sector, many of the traditional
. Relationship marketing has been an area upon which many marketing planners have focused in recent years. Identify three examples of organisations where relationship strategies have been pursued either successfully or unsuccessfully.What lessons might be learned from these?
. The three nations society (see Table 12.4) highlights a series of differences that supposedly exist between different parts of society. To what extent do you agree with this concept and where do you see evidence of organisations adopting different strategies to appeal to each of the three groups?
. We refer in section 12.3 (page 31) to the ideas of the youthful elderly, ageing children (the under 14s), ageing children (the teens) and kidults. What examples can you identify of organisations that have deliberately targeted each of these groups? How have they done this?
Next time you pick up your mobile phone, try to imagine how futuristic it would look to someone from ten years ago. Back then, mobile phones were far less sophisticated devices – expensive and owned by few. Brick-like, they had tiny monochrome screens and ungainly protruding aerials, and they
Describe an organisation that you feel you have an effective relationship with.Why is it effective? How do you benefit from this relationship?
What are the properties of effective relationships?
Describe the five steps of permission marketing.
What is one-to-one marketing?
Describe a situation when you have defected as a customer. What caused you to defect? What could the organisation have done to keep your custom?
For a company of your choice describe what they could do to move customers up the loyalty ladder.
What is customer relationship management (CRM)?
What is perceived value?
Why are customer relationships important?
Metro, the first urban national newspaper is a free, colour, 20-minute read targeted at 6.30am–9.30pm commuters travelling to and from work. The London edition was launched in March 1999 by Associated Newspapers and heralded what has become a publishing phenomenon. Subsequently rolled out to
What messages might an organisation's different internal and external stakeholder publics want to hear?
How can communications achieve brand focus?
Why are integrated communications campaigns to be desired?
What constitutes effective commercial communication?
With the spread of technological change and the inevitable improvements in personal computers, there comes a time when your existing PC can no longer be upgraded. So, in order to use the latest software you have to invest in a new machine. Consider this tale of someone who faced this very situation
Penny is a very experienced saleswoman. With 15 years sales experience, she has been with her current employer for almost ten years and is now their most senior salesperson, responsible for staff in three countries. She currently deals with senior, international clients and has just returned from
What actions can an organisation take in order to ensure that a service culture can be effectively integrated into its operation?
Discuss the key elements of developing a customer relationship. Why are these important?
In trying to meet customer expectations, what are the major barriers faced by any organisation?
What are the main differences between the various ‘chains’ associated with a business and in what way are they mutually dependent?
When Marks & Spencer were going through a bad patch a few years ago with falling profits, they still maintained they were offering ‘attractive prices and unbeatable quality’. But the word ‘quality’ is one of the most overused and most abused words in business today. Our grandparents would
. In what ways does the unethical behaviour of organisations affect the customers’perceptions of the quality of the products and services they offer?
. How does the assessment of quality differ when it is a business buying from another business compared with a consumer buying from a business?
. Identify five situations in which the majority of customers do not have the expertise or knowledge to decide whether a service or product being offered is of satisfactory quality. In each case identify the methods that are in place that are designed to assist customers assess quality. How
. ‘Customers take quality and good service for granted – an organisation has to offer something extra to get them to buy.’ Explain whether or not you agree with this statement and justify your view point.
. Explain the different customer perceptions of quality, using examples to illustrate your view.
Morgan cars are renowned for their traditional build and appearance – the quintessential English sports car. See one on the road and you might think it was an old classic, lovingly restored from an earlier age of motoring, but you’d be wrong.Morgan cars are still being built in the small
How would you describe the difference between product/service development which is: (a) new to the market; (b) a major innovation and (c) a continuous innovation? Can you think of three retailers which would fall into each category?
Thinking of individual product categories (e.g. soaps/shampoos, breakfast cereals, clothes, drinks, perfumes/after-shaves, etc.) draw up a list of brands that you buy or use on a regular basis. Try to think why you buy these particular brands and not others. Now draw up a list for your friends,
Imagine you are visiting a large theme park. How might the concepts of tangibility, inseparability, perishability and variability affect the way the park presents itself to you?
The Managing Director of a large manufacturing company was overheard at a conference to say ‘our products are our life blood. I’m proud to run a productfocused organisation!’ Discuss the possible risks that such an approach might lead to. Taking the opposite view, should a customer-focused
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. The news that Levi Strauss is planning to sell cheap jeans through supermarkets suggests that brand manufacturers want a slice of the mass market.It was not that long ago that Levi’s was hauling Tesco before the courts to stop Britain’s biggest retailer
Spotlight 6.6 showed that many small business exports come from ‘web surfers’:(a) Should small businesses trust to ‘luck’ when setting up a website?(b) How can small businesses use their existing customer base to identify potential new customers?
Spotlight 6.5 showed Thorntons as an example of how marketers can use a purchase situation, such as Easter, Christmas, St Valentine’s Day, to commercial advantage. Is this an example of increased commercialisation or are we being miserable Scrooges for even suggesting it?
Taking into consideration the techniques and methods of looking at customers in earlier chapters, what new customer types are likely to arise when we consider lifestyle segmentation?
Spotlight 6.3 showed Sony Walkman as an example of product-led innovation.Would such a product developed with no prior consumer research be as successful today?
The two biggest electric guitar markets in Europe are the UK and Germany; however, the UK market is the biggest single market in Europe with an estimated market size of £60 million per annum. The UK market has seen significant growth over the last 12 months with electric guitar sales reaching an
Suggest ways in which organisations can use an understanding of customer behaviour to better satisfy their customers.
Describe and discuss the last time you were affected by some form of classical conditioning in your shopping behaviour.
Can motivation be achieved through advertising? Present a balanced argument.
Why is it important for manufacturers to achieve favourable attitudes towards the company and its products?
Can a case be made for the argument that all high involvement products are expensive? Fully argue the case.
Will customer decision making follow the same process for all purchase decisions?Why or why not?
Growing use by men of skin care products, fragrances and other toiletries and a return to colour cosmetics by women have contributed to the biggest growth in sales for the European cosmetics industry since the beginning of the 1990s. Sales of cosmetics and toiletries reached €43.7 billion ($45
Describe the different types of research problem.
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative information?
What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of secondary and primary information?
Why are reliability and validity so important when considering information?
Suggest four uses of information.
Started in 1998, The Day Chocolate Company launched a new mass-market chocolate bar into the UK confectionary market. Organisations involved in the start-up of The Day Chocolate Company, along with Kuapa KoKoo (the farmers’ co-operative), were Twin, The Body Shop, Christian Aid and Comic Relief.
What would you suggest are(a) a new entrant?(b) a substitute product for the mobile telephone?
How might regional differences in the European Union affect the production and distribution of a children’s story book?
What effect would the change in taxation on steel production have on the price of washing machines?
Consider the political category of the PEST analysis. What new elements can you identify that could affect the car industry?
What do you understand by the term ‘environmental scanning’?
Stadium Ltd is a high-quality precision forger supplying precision forgings to aerospace engine manufacturers. Their clients are mainly major multinational companies with whom Stadium deal direct – there are no distributors or other intermediaries.Many of their clients operate on a global basis
How do the needs of the Internet shopper differ from someone purchasing through more traditional channels? What impact do these needs have on the decision-making process?
A decision-making unit consists of various roles. Using specific examples, examine how these roles vary between an organisational customer making a purchase and a B2C customer.
For a product or service purchase you have recently made, explain how you completed the different stages of the decision-making process.
What are the main differences between a consumer, a client and a customer?How do their needs and desires differ?
What are the different types of organisational customer and how do they differ from each other?
In the exchange that takes place between suppliers and customers it is important to recognise that customers evaluate not only the main elements of the supplier’s product and service offer but all the elements in the total product and service offer.Moreover, when making their choice between
In what ways are customers under the age of 25 likely to assess value when considering the purchase of a two-week package holiday in Ibiza? How might this differ from customers aged 65–75 also buying a two-week holiday in Ibiza?What assumptions have you made?
Explain with examples the difference between quality as consistency and quality as level.

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Understanding And Managing Customers 1st Edition Isabel Doole, Peter Lancaster, Robin Lowe - Solutions

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