MKT By Connie D

Goodbye & Farewell

This is my last blog post for my marketing class. With this last post I have completed the marketing cycle for my minor at Northwood University.  I have now been blogging for six months, when I first started this was so intimidating to me.  I didn't have anything to say or at least, I didn’t think I did.  The day I learned that I had to blog for part of my participation grade in my marketing class.  I came home saying all kinds of cuss words. For examples, what is a @#$% blog anyway, and why do I have to write two of them every week. I can’t $@#%believe this $%#@ and I even have to pay @#%* $4.95 a month for the privilege.  That was three terms ago, I am over that now and, then two terms later, when my daughter started classes at Norwood University and found out that she was going to have to blog for a participation grade.  She came home, saying the exact same cuss words in the exact same order as I had.  But I believe she and I have both overcome the fear that this new media represented to us.  As Ms. Vargas says, we have found our voices. I feel that I have learned so much from Ms. Vargas.  She is a brilliant teacher, a wonderful communicator.  Even though I was extremely stubborn and didn't want to learn this new form of communication she tolerating me and encouraged me to over come my fear, and yes even taught this old gal some new tricks with this said I want to thank you Ms. Vargas for all your help and understanding. This concludes my final blog post and I will be canceling my account on or about July 21,2007.

Goodbye and farewell,

Connie D.

http://12commanonymous.typepad.com/marcom_colloquy/

http://www.northwood.edu/

Survey part two

Today, we're going to continue with part two of this survey I find this survey very interesting.  By going through this survey I am learning more about myself and what I want to find when I go looking for a new job.  So on with the survey we are starting with question number five.

5. My organization hires and promotes with a disproportionately large amount of “A Player” input.  This would also be a number seven, because I think it is important to get the “A Player” input when hiring and promoting because after all.  You want the best people on your team.

6.  My organization measures and rewards well with the delivery of results to important constituencies.  This ranks as six no a five.  No maybe a seven because it is important to reward the employees well.  When the results will help the company in a major way.

7.  Every effort is made to reduce unplanned management defections.  This ranks as the number seven, because if every effort is being made to reduce unplanned management defections than more than likely every effort is being made to reduce other employees defections.

8.  When it has been necessary, we have been able to move fast in reengineering the organization generally resulting in fewer reporting relationships and bigger jobs.  A six it is very important to me that a company be able to move quickly and reorganize itself this to me shows the ability to be flexible and stay competitive in the global market.

9.  The organization dismisses unneeded or unwanted employees in ways that produce useful feedback and encourage the continued loyalty of both those leaving and those staying.  A ten if an organization cares enough to end relationships with employees in a carrying and productive manner than I believe they will treat the employees that are staying very well.

I believe that working for a company that treats their employees like customers would be an awesome place to work.  In December, when I begin my job hunt, after completing my degree, I will carry with me this survey.  Not that I'll have the potential employer fill out this survey, but I'm sure in the interview when I'm asked do you have any questions. I am sure a few of these questions off the survey will be asked.

http://www.iproceed.com/blog/2004/07/treat-your-employees-and-customers.html

http://predictivehiring.com/TREATYOUREMPLOYEESLIKEYOUTREATYOURDOG.pdf

Survey Part One

Today, I want to focus on part D of the survey in the back our textbook.  This section of the survey is entitled treating employees like customers.  There are nine statements that have a one through seven rating seven is of the highest importance and one is disagree completely.  I am going to complete the survey so that I can see, what is important to me while I am looking for a new job. This will be a two part series.  Part one will be survey questions, one through four.

1.  My organization facilitates the “self-selection” process by communicating clearly focused values to both current and potential employees.  I would rate this a seven because I believe that it is very important for an organization to clearly state what they believe is important.

2.  As many as 20% of our new employees are recommended by existing (committed) employees.  I rate this statement as a five because even though it's not the most important thing to me.  I want to work for a company that other employees would recommend.

3.  Employees needs are regularly assessed in my organization.  This statement is a number seven in my book, because I feel that in organization that regularly assesses the employees needs is one that realizes how important the employee is.

4.  Whether or not, it has resulted from an assessment of employees needs my organization:

            A.  Take special steps to emphasize among managers the importance of hiring and recognizing promoting and dismissing the right employees.  This is definitely a seven in my book it should be common sense for a company to hirer, recognize and promote the right employees and to dismiss the ones that are not right for the company.

            B. Regularly rewards those managers who are most effective in recognizing accomplishments of those who report to them.  I do believe that this would rank a least a six because knowing that my manager is going to be rewarded for making sure that he recognizes the accomplishments that I am making is awesome to me.

            C. Has established a substantial employee development program offering both job-related and non-job-related training.  This I would actually have to break up into two parts.  The first part being the job-related training is a seven.  The second part, non-job-related training would be a two because I don't feel that it's important for my company to train me on things that are not related to my job.

            D. Has increased the latitude among customer facing employees to deliver results for valued customers.  This statement ranks right up there among the top with a number six.  The reason being, I feel that it is very very important for employees that have the most contact with customers be able to talk to the managers in charge to help facilitate changes that make the customers feel more valued.

            E. Makes every effort to ensure that “winners” are working with “winners”.  This one is about a three because I believe if you are working for a “winner” then you will work at your most competent level.

            F. Has, over the past few years, created fewer, higher-paying, more important jobs for its employees.  This would be a number one, because I believe that it is important to reward those that are doing a good job with promotions to higher-paying more important jobs.

This is all for today, installment two tomorrow.  Please don't forget to read the blog again tomorrow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survey

http://ezinearticles.com/?Treat-Your-Employees-like-You-Treat-Your-Customers---With-Corporate-Awards&id=325002

Omnicom U

In our book we read about Tom Watson, who according to our authors occupies several roles in Omnicom.  It seems that one of his favorite roles is dean of Omnicom University, which is a six day “undergrad” program for the first year and a four day “grad” program for the second year for roughly 100 of the most senior Omnicom executives.  The curriculum for both programs is based largely on case studies.  Most of which are developed from the experience of the participants.  You are required to propose and carry out initiatives between the first and second year of their classroom studies.  According to our authors the initiatives typically involve the application of ideas brought to the university through cases for outside and inside Omnicom as well as participants interchange of best practices.  Tom Watson's first-hand knowledge of the best and brightest managers Omnicom, He now has the ability to put together the right people with the right ideas.  It is said that he gives credit where credit is due and does not automatically take the credit.  With this type of company atmosphere I can see why employees at Omnicom are willing to share their wealth of knowledge with each other.  According to the authors participants in the Omnicom University have half the defection rate as nonparticipants and this fact alone has saved Omnicom an estimated $13 million.  There is a strong belief at Omnicom that its brain contribution significantly to a sevenfold increase in net income between 1992 and 2000.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B00E3DB1630F937A25751C1A9629C8B63

http://www.omnicomgroup.com/

Yes it is ok to fire a Customer

Last week in class we discussed firing a customer. This seems so logical to me if the customer is not living up to his part of the bargain why not firer them. The company that I used to work for had several customers they should have fired.   I know some of you out there are saying to yourselves there is no good reason to fire a paying customer, but I say to you there are and here are just a few. Abuse of staff members, if you as a customer are not cost effective to my business, and if I have done all I can to satisfy you and you still are not satisfied. These are all very valid reasons to fire a customer. Now for the second part of last weeks discussion we where asked if we thought it was right to write about the customer you fired on your blog. In my opinion it is not a wise move because other potential customers could decide to take their business to someone else that did not badmouth ex-customers. Once again that is just my opinion.

http://ceounplugged.homestead.com/2006/11/maybe_you_shoul.html

http://www.customerthink.com/article/when_you_should_fire_customer

Time off for good behaveor

I found a little something that I would like to blog about in Chapter 7 in the textbook.  Rewarding employees for results is an excellent way to keep the employees motivated.  Incentives do matter.  The rewards do not always have to be monetary.  Often in fact it should not be pay increases or bonuses.  An employee of the month program could for example allow the employee to park in a special parking space or that employee might be rewarded with an extra payed time off from work.  It’s important to remember not just to reward these employees but to also recognize them in front of their peers.  There are many employees that would be driven to higher levels of performance by something as simple as a mass e-mail thanking and recognizing them for their accomplishments that were above and beyond the norm.  This would even work if an employee was thanked in a company newsletter and maybe compensated with a gift certificate to a local restaurant or for a spa treatment.  Sometimes just something small can go a long way to increasing employee satisfaction and overall productivity.  These type of incentives create competition among employees.

http://www.hinda.com/

http://www.cashort.com/

"Reengineering"

There are a couple of things I would like to write about this week that I found in chapter 6.  It all falls under the heading of “Reengineering” – Organizations, Leaders, and Managers.  First, I’ll begin by stating that I feel that managing change is one of the most difficult things that top managers are tasked with.  There are two approaches to organizational change.  First, it could be fast and sweeping change.  Usually it is a more gradual change or evolution to what the company is heading to.  A couple of the things that struck me as being especially interesting and relevant in this section of the textbook, are creating fewer, more significant jobs thereby extending span of control and paying more in order to pay less.

Having fewer more significant jobs by combining job duties usually leads to a reduction in the necessary workforce.  This changes the shape of an organization and challenges the way management thinks.

The textbook gives a good example of paying more in order to pay less that was implemented at Taco Bell.  Taco Bell eliminated two layers of management occupied by district and regional managers which in turn enabled them  to hire more highly paid MBAs and eliminate the middle management jobs.  Paying more to pay less in the long run seems to be a good idea as long as it is not taken too far.  I think that it would be counter productive if the higher paid managers were given more of a span of control than they could effectively and efficiently handle.

http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/wresch/case1a.htm

http://www.progressivepractices.com/articles/reengineering.pdf

Customer Relations

Our book states according to Baruch Lev, a professor at Stern School of Business at New York University says that the assets listed on the balance sheet of public companies in the US are falling because intangibles are fast becoming substitutes for physical assets.  Wow so the intangibles such at is brand, information, technology, customer relationships, the quality of employees, and the quality of an organization's leadership and administration have become more valuable than the actual physical assets of the company.  You know a found that to be true today.  When I went to my favorite clothing store to pay off my credit card for that store.  The store clerks that assisted me, was a very young girl, she was wearing a tank top and some cutoff shorts with flip-flops and absolutely did not look professional.  When I first walked into the store she was standing there talking on the telephone very loudly, as I walked to the cash register, She came over and asked how she could help me when I told her that a wanted to pay off my credit card.  She asked me how much do you want to pay I said the whole amount.  She said there are two amounts on here which one do you want to pay.  So I explained to her that one amount was the full amount and the other amount was the minimum amount due.  So once we got that straight I made my payment, while she was popping her bubblegum and talking to another staff person and not to me the customer.  When I said, pardon me because I didn't understand that she was not speaking to me.  She said oh no not you.  I was speaking to my coworker in a very snotty little tone.  As I walked out of the store today, I thought to myself.  How much I used to really enjoy shopping in that particular store, and part of the reason why I liked shopping there was because of the convenience.  It didn't have to go to the mall, but I think I will go to the one at Ridgmar Mall for now on.  Not that I think this will do anything about that particular employee.  I do happen to have the name the manager at that store, and she will be getting a phone call from me tomorrow.

http://www.brillianceweb.com/betterwebdesign/tips_49.aspx

http://www.avenue.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home?storeId=326&langId=-1&ovchn=OVR&ovcpn=Plus_Size&ovcrn=Plus+Size+Fashions&ovtac=PPC&s_kwcid=TC-1359-11208902021-S-1287383521&OVRAW=Plus%20size%20Women's%20clothes&OVKEY=plus%20size%20womens%20clothes&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=1287383521&OVKWID=11208902021&ysmwa=VZ7cfRLo7Bc6TQN1-FG_ZfXE7qYREhnZOWROA-OZrItVKq6PtRLke1ond2uS1ACS

Can we be friends

In Chapter 5 on page 98 of our textbook there is a section that is subtitled.  The “downside of success” in a scenario our authors write about, Texaco Inc. a proud vertically integrated petroleum refiner and retailer founded in 1902 that by 1960 Texaco stalk was second only to IBM's among stocks held by mutual funds.  The company strategy required highly centralized management led by Augustus C.(Gus) Long Texaco was referred to as the “loner”.  Gus would allow only three executives from Texaco to belong to the Houston's famed Petroleum Club.  The reason that one senior executive gave for this is.  There was no need to glom Texaco.  People keep their own counsel.  There was a Texaco way and a wrong way of doing things.  The authors fast-forward to the late 1970s and state the strategy for Texaco had become undone.  According to the authors of the biggest problem Texaco have was that they didn't look to see what their competitors were doing.  They only looked entirely, so they couldn't see the writing on the wall.  In my textbook for Management 479 I read an article entitled.  Let's be friends in the article.  It was stated that when CEOs of competing companies become friendly.  They have a tendency to talk shop, and since most CEOs that compete with each other are working on the same set of data that they can to make the same decisions, because on in the article does say that my not keep you from getting your butt wooped.  But at least, if that happens, you can call your friend and find out what you're doing wrong and what they're doing right.  And maybe be able to catch up to continue to compete with them.

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20050301/strategies.html

http://www.texaco.com/portal_default.asp

How much is a Duck worth?

In Chapter 3 of our textbook that is entitled measuring and communicating customer lifetime value.  The authors begin this chapter with a discussion about Carl Sewell in the honor of car dealerships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  Mr. Sewell estimates that the lifetime value of one of his luxury car customers is $332,000.  This amount includes both purchases of new automobiles as well as services, and parts associated with maintenance.  That makes me wonder how much I'm worth to Don Davis.  My family and I have bought probably nine cars from them in the last eight years.  In December of 2001 we bought two cars at one time. This includes new as well as used cars.  No wonder we get birthday cards from Don Davis as well as Christmas cards.  It's not so much Don Davis that were buying a car from its the one particular salesman that has worked for there for years that we have come to trust his name is Andre.  He always seems to find the car that we want at the price we want to pay.  You know now that I think about it.  My husband and I bought a new beetle from Metro Volkswagen on December 31, 2001.  All the maintenance that we've had done to their car has all been done at Metro Volkswagen.  Because of the diesel engine we’re kind of leery of having anybody else work on the beetle, even though there are Volkswagen dealerships closer to us we drive to Irving to have the work done at Metro.  So once again, I wonder how much are we worth to this dealership?

http://www.dondavisautogroup.com/

http://www.metrovwtx.com/