Customer Services at Tesco Essay

I am doing a project based on node operate for Tesco. I am doing research into the company and with my take placeings I am fade turn up to provide recommendations to improve Customer Services at Tesco. The argonas that I am going to be covering ar* What Customer Services does in that location company provide.* How do they measure Customer mirth.* How do you realize that their customers argon happy.* What regulation affects their customers at Tesco.* How do they segment their target grocery store.And* What is their Customer profile.From the above I go forth provide recommendations for improvements.Theory Of Customer Services.Customer Services is the over each activity of identifying and satisfying customer regards.Most people entering a take a crap or contacting a firm by letter or teleph unriv each(prenominal)ed, waste suggested that by this action they have a need1I think that this suggestion is true beca use up people go to the computer memory and need somewhere t o third estate and what kind of parking they need, if they need to use the toilet facilities, also salutary going into the shop buying the products. The customer essential be treated and advised accordingly, and the advice that they are given over must be accurate.After sales military dish out is an essential element of customer service in any type of organisation, it may cover faulty goods, refunds, exchange of goods, complaints active goods, service or hygiene.2Many customers go back to the store in which they have received something and have a ask about the service or product in which they have received. Some prison terms it may be feed things but other times its not. A lot of good will be refunded or goods exchange will take place. It requires a salesperson to be aware of the consumers charter and the relevant laws on the sale of goods trade descriptions. Many shops/stores have a customer service department to deal with queries which genuine people exponent have.Meas uring Customer Satisfaction.It is important for Tesco to measure how satisfied their customers are so that if they need to they idler make improvements to products or the service in which they provide. The ways in which Tesco measure Customer Satisfaction is by* Sending out questionnaires to customers through post or email. This shows if Tesco need to make any improvements to their service or any of their products.* The Tesco Loyalty card- This is provided by Tesco and it has the customers details. Tesco can use this to devour how a great deal the customer shops there and to see if there are any product/products in particular that they buy. If they see that that customer has not shopped in Tesco for a few months they might post them some product vouchers (e.g. bills off coupons) to bring that customer back to the store. If Tesco do this it makes the customer see that Tescos are impulsive to foster the customer in all sorts of ways to bring there custom back. This helps Tesco m easure the enjoyment of individual customers.* They record some of their calls that are made by customers for training purposes.* On the spot questions from rung.* placard (e.g. mystery shoppers.)* Customer panels or interviews.* Customer comments on the web site or in store.From this they can analyse the sales performance e.g. sales levels, number of customers, records of products brought and from the loyalty card records. in all of this is part of market research and they get the feed back from their customers.What Customer Services Tesco ProvidesFrom my findings at Tesco I have institute out the hobbyProductsMost of the products that are sold at Tesco are of good superior (apart from the nutriment that looks untidy on the shelves, and that it looks like it has been thrown in.) I think that most of the products are reasonably priced. No complaints have been made from customers and from myself asking a few customers their thoughts on the prices. The products are fail-safe to use, on the package they give detail about what the product contains and on some products they suggest how to use/cook the sustenance product. Most of the goods are packaged safely but some of the goods may have fallen on the beautify and may have been spilt open, which some people/some rung accordingly except break apart up and put it back on the shelf. This does not good for Tesco as a whole. Some of the prices on the shelves are covered up by other product prices. The sale shortens cover up the authoritative prices so you cannot actually see if it is an actual sale. This is like it for some of the products in the store.These are some of my findings as an example to what I have wrote above* The meat that was displayed looked like it had been thrown in.* All the reduced things looked like they had been hidden away in the Bacon, Fresh pasta and ready meals subdivision.* Salad in meat section (moved.) rungI think that the people that I saw that where working in the Tes co in Hertford where correctly dressed-up and it was suitable. You could clearly see whole was higher than others (meaning the managers compared to the till module.) I think that most of the staff are helpful but some of them may talk rudely to you if you ask where something is. On my visit I had this happen to me.The staffs that have been working in the store for quite a while know where authorized products are in the shop so if you were to ask they would be able to point you in the right-hand(a) direction or even take you there their self. They also know about the deals etc that are going on in the store at that moment in time which is also good because if you go to the till and there is a deal on a precise product you have brought they will say did you know its by one get 2nd half price (made up example) expositSome of the store is not safee.g.* Trolley in way.* Theres a mainstay in the middle of the islett (obstruction to customers) what did not help the matter was the fact that Tesco food trolleys (that they stacked the shelves with) was in the way too.* Slippery floor with no sign to say so.On the jacket crown they have posters break off to show where each section of the store is (e.g. fruit and veg.) From my visit I saw dry cleaners cleaning whilst people where shopping, so they do keep clean but then again the floors are left wet and maybe slippery and the cleaners may get in the way of the customers. In the Tesco store they did have disable parking and a toilet for disabled people and also trolleys for disabled people. The layout of the premises was good and easy. I think that they keep it easy and simple so that the customers can find the products that they want without fail. The facilities that I saw that where provided for the customers where the toilets/baby and changing rooms, the photo-boof and the pay phone.DeliveryThere was no knowledge that I could see in the store about delivery but I did find the following information on the Tesco website (http//www.tesco.com/help/page.asp?choiceA=groc&choiceB=9&page=/termsandconditions/termsconditionsgroc.htm)Delivery will be made to the send for specified by you on the completed order form.We will deliver your order to the main mesmerise of the delivery address. At your request, our driver may carry your order into the delivery address, for example, to a particular floor in an apartment block or into your kitchen but only if a. the driver has your permission and b. our driver believes that it is safe and practical to do as you request. We always reserve the right to deliver only to the main opening of the delivery address.Please note that we deliver goods only to specified regions within the United Kingdom. To check that the online mart service delivers to your area, please enter your postcode at http//www.tesco.com/register/signup.asp.Delivery times will be agreed with you at the time of placing your order.PaymentThe different ways of paying at Tesco are1. notes2. Cr edit/debit card.3. ChequeField Research Findings.Notes Based On Tesco In HertfordI carried out some field research at a Tesco near me. Here are my findings-* Bigish car park but not big enough. Plenty of disabled parking but people not disabled parking in them spots. Same with parents and child parking.* Vegetables nicely put out.* Prices cover up over prices.* Isles designate* Trolley in way.* Lots of leaflets.* Salad in meat section (moved.)* The meat that was displayed looked like it had been thrown in.* All the reduced things looked like they had been hidden away in the Bacon, Fresh pasta and ready meals section.* Theres a hot deli selling hot chicken of different sorts.* Certain isles crowded more than others. Some isles empty.* Theres a pillar in the middle of the isle (obstruction to customers) what did not help the matter was the fact that Tesco food trolleys (that they stacked the shelves with) was in the way too.* Slippery floor with no sign to say so.* Car equipment at the end of food isle.* Empty cardboard boxes on the shelves.* Posters not really explaining whats on each isle.* About 1045 am on Tuesday morning just the old people doing shopping and a few moms with toddlers or babies.* Christmas things already displayed on shelves.* Fresh mean, naked meat, diary products in separate counters but with the diary products they are all bundled into one counter.* Ticket service for meat and diary products.* Tesco brands on arse shelves.* Labels over CDs covering up the name calling of the CDs (e.g. Security protected)* The books on the shelves in a mess (the ones on bottom shelf) but the ones nearer the top look in order.* Cat and dog food etc clearly laid out.* Cleaning things all nicely laid out.* Tablets, shampoo, deodorant etc all down one isle.* Baby things all down one side of the isle.* With the frozen food all the weight watchers items in one compartment.* crackpot cream section is pretty empty.* Vegetarian food all in one section.* Hallow een things all in one section.* Buy one get one free posters hung from the ceiling.* Loads of Christmas things displayed more than the Halloween things.* Community news posters.* scene vision right in the corner of the shop near the tills.* Batteries all displayed together.* Champagne And Sparkling drinks are all together.* Spirits, Liqueurs, Malts etc all separated into different sections but with the name of what consists in that section.* There is a time limit in which to buy alcohol (which it 8am until 1055 pm)* Promotional things displayed on every section of the shop (meaning top of every isle)* I saw 3 fire exits.* Not many put at the end of the till for the customers.* There was one customer pay phone.* There was a pickup section and a section for the different newspapers.* There where toilets for the men, disabled, baby changing and for the girls.* Theres a small customer operate desk.* 1 Cash machine* Parking clearly labelled commandment Acts for Tesco.The Consumer Pro tection Act is a consolidation of consumer protection legislation. Parts III and IV of the Act are the former Consumer Products Warranties Act and Unsolicited Goods and Credit Cards Act. Part II of the Act offers protection to Saskatchewan consumers from raw and unscrupulous marketplace practices.The Act also sets out consumer responsibilities, such as attempting to resolve a contention with a supplier before taking further action.* Unfair practices* Remedies* Warranties* Unsolicited goods and credit cards* integration of The Consumer Protection Act* Consumer Protection BranchFood synthetic rubber ActUnder the Food Safety Act 1990, you* Must not sell (or keep for sale) food that is unfit for people to eat.* must not sell food that isnt what the customer is entitled to expect, in terms of content or quality* must not cause food to be dangerous to health* must not happen upon or present food in a way that is false or misleadingIts important to be able to demonstrate the positive s teps interpreted by your business to look good food hygiene. If you were prosecuted under the Food Safety Act 1990, you would need to convince the court that you had taken all reasonable steps to avoid the offence you had been accused of .Health and safety regulations of 1974 ActIt states that all employers have a responsibility to ensure health and safety requirements of their employees. All companies regardless of their size must have a written safety policy ensuring implementation of Health and Safety Act and blow themselves in carrying out the risk assessment on all their activities.Risk Assessment included* affray Assessments under Noise at Work Regulations.* Control of Substances harmful to health and safety regulations.* Display veil Equipment Regulations.* Workplace Welfare and health safety requirements.* Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.* Manual Handling Regulations. deal out Description Act.This Act has offered protection to consumers and legitima te traders for over three decades. It is an extremely versatile piece of legislation which has been used to tackle all manner of different forms of unfair trading eg.* car clocking* misdescribed holidays* dissemination of counterfeit goodsThe Act makes it an offence to* Apply a false or misleading description to goods (e.g. by writing it down, making a verbal statement or by turning back a cars odometer) or* Supply or offer to supply goods to which a false or misleading trade description is applied. A person exposing goods for supply (e.g. in a shop) or having them in his possession for supply (e.g. in a storeroom) is deemed to offer to supply them for the purposes of the Act.These offences are strict liability offences i.e. it is realistic for a trader to commit an offence without intending to do so.RecommendationsFrom studying my company Tesco I have got to know the business quite well. From this I have provided the following recommendationsDisabled PeopleDisabled people are not able to reach the high shelves which makes things difficult for them, because the majority of the products are high on the shelves. I would recommend that there should be a sign for disabled people to go to get staff help. Also with disabled people there are not many trolleys and the trolleys could be hard to use for them, I think that maybe they should lower the trolleys so that life would be made easier for the disabled people. staffI think that there should be more staff to give a helping hand to there customers. Most of the staff are on tills, packing shelves or on the go to do something else and it seems that some of the staff have no time to actually help the customers with there queries. The customer services help desk is meant to be there to help but there was one case where my dad had a complaint and one of the staff members was trying to tell my dad that he was actually in the slander but actually he was in the right. This was soon resolved when I higher member of staff came to help sort out the situation. Also with the staff I think that they should check that the food is in the right place and not on the floor or damaged etc.SignsThe signs that are hung from the ceiling dont really explain what are on each isle. On one isle it says pasta but in that same isle it has biscuits etc. I would recommend that the signs should be a lot clearer to help customers find there way around the shop then maybe staff would not have customers coming up to them asking where things are.IslesA suggestion that I would make about the isle is that they do get really crowded, so if Tesco know that that certain isle is popular then maybe they should widen the isle. Also they should not put a pillar in the middle of an isle because it is an obstruction to customers and even more so little kids who may be running around and might run into it because there might be a slippery floor etc. This would make Tesco a more safer environment.1 Taken from Advanced Business Osborne Boo ks.2 Taken from Advanced Business Osborne Books