Customer Service & Organisational Effectiveness in Tesco

1.

Customer Service on a Retail Business

A brief background/overview on Tesco Kilrush

Tesco Ireland was formed by Tesco PLC in 1997 as a result of the take-over of “Quinnsworth” and “Crazy Prices”.  Tesco operates full-sized supermarkets under the main Tesco Brand, smaller hypermarket known as “Tesco Extra” and a smaller number of convenience stores trade as “Tesco Express”, several petrol stations are also operated by the Company as well as Internet shopping service.

Tesco Kilrush opened in 2008 and presently employs 70 people.  Its competitors in Kilrush are Supervalu and Aldi and they are very competitive with price and product.

2.

Target market (customer type)

Target market is the general public of West Clare.  It has such a wide range of products and facilities that it can be a one stop shop for groceries and non-food.

3

How the organisation presents itself to customers versus the customer experience

Tesco

Customer

(a)

Advertising

Media

(Sunday Independent)

Brochures

TV

Make price comparison to lure customers in to the store also money off vouchers printed on the paper to use against shopping

Make customer aware of available products

Brings advertising into the living room

Leaving you time to compare with other competing stores.

(b)

Premises

Very modern and well maintained. Wheelchair friendly with wide aisles.  Adequate and free parking especially for disabled.  Mother and baby spaces are undercover from inclement weather.

(c)

Products /services

Very good product variation with competitive price.  After sale service depending on product.

(d)

Employees interaction with customer

management

Very helpful. Good relationship between all employees.

Tesco

Customer

(e)

How management present themselves

Uniform and name badges on employees. Easily identifiable. Personal hygiene always good.

4.

The potential positive and the potential negative impact of 3(a) to 3(e) on customers/users and on the business

Positive/Negative Consumers

Positive/Negative Business

(a)

Advertising: easily accessible with good product description and price comparison.

Convenient to distribute information on all their goods and services to a wide range of people.

(b)

New, clean, easily accessible great, parking.

Great space for delivery, storage and display and good parking and facilities for customers

.

(c)

Great product variation with competitive own brand pricing.

Happy being able to deliver a good product at a good price

.

(d)

All staff members very approachable and always more than happy to help.

“No one tries hard for customers than Tesco”  one of Tesco’s logos

(e)

Uniforms, personal hygiene name badge always very neat and tidy on customer assistants

Colleagues cannot go on the floor without having full uniform and name badge.  Personal hygiene is a must.

5.

How the organisation caters for disability and diversity

(a)

• Disabled car parking
• Wheelchair accessible toilet
• Wheelchair available in store
• Customer Assistant help packing
• Customer Assistant take groceries to the car.

(b)

Tesco Ireland is an equal opportunity employer.  They welcome cultural diversity, people with disabilities as well as older and younger people in their workforce. They are committed to providing workplace training and lifelong learning opportunities for all their employees.  Tesco belief is, that the staff are at the heart of everything they do.  One of the core values that drives on the business “Treat people how we like to be treated.”

2.1

A brief background/overview on Kilrush Nursing Home.  Mowlam.

Mowlam Nursing Home Kilrush is a modern purpose build in where a high standard of care is provided 24 hours a day.  It is located within Riverwood Retirement Village on the Killimer Road.  Services offered are Short term respite care/Convalescence/Post-Operative Care to Dementia Care.

Mowlam has a number of competitors in Kilrush alone, it has a private nursing home St Teresa’s in the Kilkee Road and two public nursing homes, Regina house and the Community Hospital both on the Cooraclare Road.

2

Target market (customer type)

Target marketing area is a twenty-mile radius from Kilrush town.  Mowlam is positioned in what is a growing market due to Irelands ageing population. The introduction of State subsidies towards private care of the elderly (Fair Deal) has expanded the market, it is now financially viable for the majority of elderly people to access private residential care.

3

How the organisation presents itself to customers versus the customer experience

Mowlam Nursing Homes

Customer

(a)

Advertising

Media

Clare Champion (Local Paper)

Brochures

(see Appendix A)

Stated location, size, bed availability and an invitation to a coffee morning to have a look around.

Looks bright and interesting with happy well-dressed patient on the front. Inside of brochure is informative of the type of personal and medical care, facilities offered e.g. single en-suite bedroom and activities that take place

(b)

Premises

New build, with spacious rooms and corridors. All modern amenities for lifting patients.  Good parking.

Its bright and clean with a nice day room near reception.  Fresh air going through the building.  Nice outside area near the dining room .There are single bedrooms that can have some of patients own possessions to create a home from home feeling.

Mowlam Nursing Home

Customer

(c)

Services

Most services provided in the Centre.  Extras at customers own expense.

Day to day services are relatively good but any extra service e.g. hairdresser, chiropodist or physiotherapy all cost extra. There isn’t a residential GP. Tea/Coffee facilities available for visitors.  But privacy limited in the day room.

(d)

Employees interaction with customer, management:

In Kilrush atmosphere very good.  The majority of employees are like an extended family member toward the patients.  Always kind and extremely patient. Management  very approachable

(e)

How employer/ management present themselves – personal care/hygiene, personal dress/uniform

Neat and tidy.  Uniforms always clean.  Their attention and level of health and safety is reassuring for patients.

4.

The potential positive and the potential negative impact of 3(a) to 3(e) on customers/users and on the business

Positive/Negative Consumers

Positive/Negative Business

(a)

Advertising: easily accessible with good service description and always welcome to call to Nursing Home.

Convenient to distribute information on all their services to a select range of people.

(b)

New clean easily accessible great

parking Single room which gives great privacy. Able to take some possessions from home.

Great green areas space, good parking facilities for visitors, doctors and ambulance.  New building new amenities.

.

(c)

Good handling of patients with hoist aids. All extra services e.g. hairdressing, physiotherapy, chiropodist and GP have to be paid for as extra on patient’s monthly bill.

Happy to be able to deliver good service to all our patient needs.

.

Positive/Negative Consumers

Positive/Negative Business

(d)

All staff members very approachable and always more than happy to help

Very good staff.  Always go the extra mile for patients and their families.

(e)

Uniforms, personal hygiene always very neat and tidy. Always in good humour.

Uniforms neat and clean. Very good attention to Health and safety for themselves and for the patients.

5.

How the organisation caters for disability and diversity

(a)

• Disabled car parking
• Wheelchair accessible toilet
• Hoists and lifts available in day rooms and in bedrooms
• Bedroom mat alarm if patient steps out of bed during the night.
• One to one feeding of meals.
• Help taking them to bathroom.

(b)

Mowlam is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes cultural diversity, in their workforce. They are committed to providing workplace training and lifelong learning opportunities for all their employees.