Within cultures there are different patterns of behaviour,ways of living.A person coming from another country will likely come from a diffferent culture.In that culture there are patterns of behaviour that are normal and healthy,however in this country some aspects of their behaviour may be seen and perceived as not healthy, not within our normal behaviour.A good example is the distance people stand from others while talking,this can vary and make people uncomfortable when someone is standing half the distance they are used to,that person is in their space.
This is basically a misunderstanding and can also happen in this country between sub cultures that live here.Each sub culture has different ways on new sets of behaviour or ways of living that can beseen as wrong.Cultural issues happen when groups of people believe another group is wrong in their behaviour and may not be aware of what is healthy behaviour for their culture.
A need for personal space-we have a need for this and are taught not to be too close to one another.It can be difficult to understand the different ways that people behave,or to take in all the information about other people in the world.So instead we accept stereotypes of cultures,ethnic groups,individuals.These give us an overview of people,so we know what to expect and how to act and this eliminates the understanding of people who are different from us.Unfortunately they are often inaccurate,used as scapegoating and to sparate their behaviour from ours.
Because we do not agree with or like another cultures behaviour we see it as different and wrong and we develop negative attitudes.If we have a problem with someone from a different group we tend to identify the problem as having to do with the group instead of ourselves or the specific person.This makes us judgemental and gets in the way of how we thinkWe believe that someone did something to us when the real problem is our closed thinking and at times confusion.There can be stress between new culture influence and existing,when people do not understand each other they become suspicious.
Its a fact that different cultures develop,people are individuals and unique.Even if we were all the same it is doubtful that we would feel more comfortable.It takes more work to know people who are different from us.No culture has all the best ways to behave, but we can learn from other cultures.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Courtesy Service
The measure of a service is how the customers expectations match the service provided.Basically a comparison of expectations with performance.A customer requests a service at the service interface and this is provided or delivered/consumed by the customer.
Satisfying customer needs is very important for a business to survive.So there is a focus on quality to meet customer needs while being economically competitive.Word of mouth,personal needs and past experience create an expected service(expectation of the service).
The perceived service will be compared with the expected service by the customer.Between the expected and the perceived there can be a gap if perceived service does not match with the expected service.
Factors which influence the gap-what determines service quality are:
Competence-possess the skills and knowledge to perform the service.
Courtesy-respect,politeness,consideration and friendliness of contact personnel,consideration for the customers property,clean and neat appearance of public contact personnel.
Credibility-Having the customers best interests at heart,trustworthiness,believability and honesty.
Security-freedom from danger risk or doubt,confidentially,financial security,physical safety.
Access-Ease of contact and approachability,the service is easily accessible,waiting time to receive service is not excessive,convenient hours of operation and location.
Communication-inform the customers in a language they can understand and listen to them.Adjust your language for different customers,explaining the service,how much it will cost,trade offs between service and cost,assuring the customer the problem will be handled and telling the truth on the phone as calls are recorded.
Understanding-recognize the customer and make an effort to know their needs.
Tangibles-appearance of personnel,physical evidence of the service-facilities,tools and equipment.
Reliability-the service is performed accurately and dependably,right first time,keep promises in accuracy in billing.
Responsiveness-readiness and willingness of employees to help customers and to provide prompt service,timeliness of the service,appointments set up quickly.
Empathy-give customers caring individual attention,speak and inform in a language they can understand.
Assurance-employees convey trust and confidence through their courtesy and knowledge.
The customer needs to stay happy as they may have experienced other bad services.Some customers need several good service encounters to make up for one bad one.
Satisfying customer needs is very important for a business to survive.So there is a focus on quality to meet customer needs while being economically competitive.Word of mouth,personal needs and past experience create an expected service(expectation of the service).
The perceived service will be compared with the expected service by the customer.Between the expected and the perceived there can be a gap if perceived service does not match with the expected service.
Factors which influence the gap-what determines service quality are:
Competence-possess the skills and knowledge to perform the service.
Courtesy-respect,politeness,consideration and friendliness of contact personnel,consideration for the customers property,clean and neat appearance of public contact personnel.
Credibility-Having the customers best interests at heart,trustworthiness,believability and honesty.
Security-freedom from danger risk or doubt,confidentially,financial security,physical safety.
Access-Ease of contact and approachability,the service is easily accessible,waiting time to receive service is not excessive,convenient hours of operation and location.
Communication-inform the customers in a language they can understand and listen to them.Adjust your language for different customers,explaining the service,how much it will cost,trade offs between service and cost,assuring the customer the problem will be handled and telling the truth on the phone as calls are recorded.
Understanding-recognize the customer and make an effort to know their needs.
Tangibles-appearance of personnel,physical evidence of the service-facilities,tools and equipment.
Reliability-the service is performed accurately and dependably,right first time,keep promises in accuracy in billing.
Responsiveness-readiness and willingness of employees to help customers and to provide prompt service,timeliness of the service,appointments set up quickly.
Empathy-give customers caring individual attention,speak and inform in a language they can understand.
Assurance-employees convey trust and confidence through their courtesy and knowledge.
The customer needs to stay happy as they may have experienced other bad services.Some customers need several good service encounters to make up for one bad one.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Warranties and guarantees
A warranty is a guarantee given by the trader or manufacturer that their goods or services will last as long as the warranty says they will.The manufacturer decides the conditions and terms of the warranty so does the trader,and these may cover more or less than the consumer guarantees act offers.
A trader is not allowed to tell anyone that a warranty replaces their rights under the consumer guarantees act because it does not.
Extended warranty-before buying this you may check and see if it is better than the rights you already have.These can be expensive and traders may try to sell them to you.So think about how long you expect the product to last,if similar to the warranty then it should be covered under the consumers guarantee act.Also if you intend to buy something new before the warranty ends its not really worth it.
If you buy something every two years with the latest technology you wont need a five year warranty.
It is wise to read the fine print on a warranty as it may cover only certain parts and faults.If you get a replacement often the warranty doesnt cover the replacement goods.
The consumers guarantee act doesnt cover goods that are used for business.So anything you buy at auction or at tender will not be covered and a warranty may be useful.Again read the fine print to see if you are covered.
Warranties and your rights
A trader may ask for a fee to check the goods and this should be refunded if the problem is the fault of the goods and under the consumer guarantees act the trader should give you a remedy.Unless the trader has advised you about his policy when you bought the goods, do not pay it.
Consumer guarantees act
Under this act your consumer rights say that goods must:
be acceptable in look and finish
be safe
be durable
have no minor defects
be fit for the purpose they are made for
Under the consumer guarantees act you can get a remedy if your goods do not last for a reasonable time.
A new computer with a one year warranty would be expected to last longer than one year.It would be reasonable to expect five years.
Reasonable use
Read instructions for the products and follow them because you are responsible for looking after them.If your electronic equipment/devices get wet,left in the rain by accident,it is not the fault of the trader if they stop working.
A trader is not allowed to tell anyone that a warranty replaces their rights under the consumer guarantees act because it does not.
Extended warranty-before buying this you may check and see if it is better than the rights you already have.These can be expensive and traders may try to sell them to you.So think about how long you expect the product to last,if similar to the warranty then it should be covered under the consumers guarantee act.Also if you intend to buy something new before the warranty ends its not really worth it.
If you buy something every two years with the latest technology you wont need a five year warranty.
It is wise to read the fine print on a warranty as it may cover only certain parts and faults.If you get a replacement often the warranty doesnt cover the replacement goods.
The consumers guarantee act doesnt cover goods that are used for business.So anything you buy at auction or at tender will not be covered and a warranty may be useful.Again read the fine print to see if you are covered.
Warranties and your rights
A trader may ask for a fee to check the goods and this should be refunded if the problem is the fault of the goods and under the consumer guarantees act the trader should give you a remedy.Unless the trader has advised you about his policy when you bought the goods, do not pay it.
Consumer guarantees act
Under this act your consumer rights say that goods must:
be acceptable in look and finish
be safe
be durable
have no minor defects
be fit for the purpose they are made for
Under the consumer guarantees act you can get a remedy if your goods do not last for a reasonable time.
A new computer with a one year warranty would be expected to last longer than one year.It would be reasonable to expect five years.
Reasonable use
Read instructions for the products and follow them because you are responsible for looking after them.If your electronic equipment/devices get wet,left in the rain by accident,it is not the fault of the trader if they stop working.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Quotations and Estimates
Quotations and Estimates
Before getting a quote or estimate there are basic things to think about.
Find out how much a job will cost before you agree to it by asking for a estimate or quote.In case of problems later on get all your information in writing.How much the seller thinks the job will cost is the estimate.The price to actually do the job may be more or less and should not be too much more.
An exact price for doing a job is a quote its like an offer to do the job.Once accepted the seller cannot charge any more than the agreed price.It is wise to get the quote in writing in case of any problems later on.
Get an estimate or quote before you buy
Decide what you want done and by when you need it done and get a written estimate or quote.
To find out roughly how much you will need to pay an estimate is good.Expect the seller to use their experience and skill when doing the cost estimate.
A quote should show/include:
hourly rate
cost of material
start and finish dates
what work is to be done
if GST is included
The quote may have a decide by day because the cost of materials and hourly rates change over time.Also the seller may want to include a small fee for preparing the quote.
To get a quote
Decide exactly what is to be done and by when.
Contact three sellers with the information asking for a written quote.
Consider the price,quality of materials,length of job and decide which quote to accept.Tell the successful seller and avoid paying deposits,total payment before completion.Keep all paperwork quotes,receipts etc.
For an estimate use the same process and remember the price may vary so have a written agreement for the seller to contact you if the final price will be higher so you can choose to stop the work.
A quote is a contract between you and the seller so both must do what they have agreed to in the contract-always best to have it in writing.
Under the consumers guarantees act the seller should use their experience and skill when estimating the cost,so the actual cost should not be too much more than the estimated cost.
If extra work is needed the seller must get your permission before completing the additional work so you can choose to accept or decline.
Before getting a quote or estimate there are basic things to think about.
Find out how much a job will cost before you agree to it by asking for a estimate or quote.In case of problems later on get all your information in writing.How much the seller thinks the job will cost is the estimate.The price to actually do the job may be more or less and should not be too much more.
An exact price for doing a job is a quote its like an offer to do the job.Once accepted the seller cannot charge any more than the agreed price.It is wise to get the quote in writing in case of any problems later on.
Get an estimate or quote before you buy
Decide what you want done and by when you need it done and get a written estimate or quote.
To find out roughly how much you will need to pay an estimate is good.Expect the seller to use their experience and skill when doing the cost estimate.
A quote should show/include:
hourly rate
cost of material
start and finish dates
what work is to be done
if GST is included
The quote may have a decide by day because the cost of materials and hourly rates change over time.Also the seller may want to include a small fee for preparing the quote.
To get a quote
Decide exactly what is to be done and by when.
Contact three sellers with the information asking for a written quote.
Consider the price,quality of materials,length of job and decide which quote to accept.Tell the successful seller and avoid paying deposits,total payment before completion.Keep all paperwork quotes,receipts etc.
For an estimate use the same process and remember the price may vary so have a written agreement for the seller to contact you if the final price will be higher so you can choose to stop the work.
A quote is a contract between you and the seller so both must do what they have agreed to in the contract-always best to have it in writing.
Under the consumers guarantees act the seller should use their experience and skill when estimating the cost,so the actual cost should not be too much more than the estimated cost.
If extra work is needed the seller must get your permission before completing the additional work so you can choose to accept or decline.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Reflections-calculating a charge out rate.
Service businesses need to etablish a fair and profitable rate.To work this out there are six steps.
1.Decide what income you want.
A before tax income of at least $36,000 .Relate this to a salary,standard of living,investments and a margin for risk.
2.How many hours you can realistically charge out.
Be realistic about the amount of time you can actually charge out in one year.We are unlikely to work 40 times 52 = 2080 hours.Take away holidays and stat days,sick days that gives 46 weeks times 40 hours= 1840 hours.Take away other activities that are non chargeable,tendering,banking,breaks,admin etc.A lot of time can be taken up in this non productive work, as much as 25% of your time.
Take away 25% from 1840 and we have 1380 hours.
3.Work out a chargeable rate to achieve your income.
To earn $36000 divide by chargeable hours 1380 = $26.09
Add the correct ACC levy, say 4% = $27.13
This is the labour component,we also need the office overheads because these costs need to be recovered.
4.Work out your overhead costs.
From cashflow,business plan assume costs like this:
Accounting,advertising,cleaning,depreciation,power,rent,telephone,insurance etc.
Let us assume $20,000 a year and divide by our hours 1380 so that gives us another $14.49 added to our hourly charge out rate.
5.Additional hourly rate to cover overhead costs = $27.13 + $14.49 giving a total of $41.62.
6.Adding a profit margin.
An extra factor to add on top of your salary to be made,in the event of repairs to and replacement of plant and machinery.Without a profit margin these costs will come from our salary.
Be aware how competitive the rate is by comparison to others in the industry.If lower than the industry average we can adjust higher to get closer and can earn a better income.However for higher than average this could mean others have an unrealistic rates and are not aware of the true costs and overheads and may face problems later on.
After a year of business we may be able to calculate more accurately the number of billable hours that we can achieve.Also charging too little for your time and skills can undermine the confidence that people have in you, and can be as bad as charging too much.This is because people may wonder why there is a difference in charge out rates.
1.Decide what income you want.
A before tax income of at least $36,000 .Relate this to a salary,standard of living,investments and a margin for risk.
2.How many hours you can realistically charge out.
Be realistic about the amount of time you can actually charge out in one year.We are unlikely to work 40 times 52 = 2080 hours.Take away holidays and stat days,sick days that gives 46 weeks times 40 hours= 1840 hours.Take away other activities that are non chargeable,tendering,banking,breaks,admin etc.A lot of time can be taken up in this non productive work, as much as 25% of your time.
Take away 25% from 1840 and we have 1380 hours.
3.Work out a chargeable rate to achieve your income.
To earn $36000 divide by chargeable hours 1380 = $26.09
Add the correct ACC levy, say 4% = $27.13
This is the labour component,we also need the office overheads because these costs need to be recovered.
4.Work out your overhead costs.
From cashflow,business plan assume costs like this:
Accounting,advertising,cleaning,depreciation,power,rent,telephone,insurance etc.
Let us assume $20,000 a year and divide by our hours 1380 so that gives us another $14.49 added to our hourly charge out rate.
5.Additional hourly rate to cover overhead costs = $27.13 + $14.49 giving a total of $41.62.
6.Adding a profit margin.
An extra factor to add on top of your salary to be made,in the event of repairs to and replacement of plant and machinery.Without a profit margin these costs will come from our salary.
Be aware how competitive the rate is by comparison to others in the industry.If lower than the industry average we can adjust higher to get closer and can earn a better income.However for higher than average this could mean others have an unrealistic rates and are not aware of the true costs and overheads and may face problems later on.
After a year of business we may be able to calculate more accurately the number of billable hours that we can achieve.Also charging too little for your time and skills can undermine the confidence that people have in you, and can be as bad as charging too much.This is because people may wonder why there is a difference in charge out rates.
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