Assess_the_Impact_of_Different_Sales_Techniques_and_Customer_Service_Within_Tesco._Btec_Business_Level_3_D2

Assess the impact of different sales techniques and customer service within Tesco. Tesco – Who are they' Tesco is a company founded in 1919 by a man called Jack Cohen; he started the business on a market stall in the East End of London, UK. The business has since grown, and we now see a Tesco store in the majority of every town in the UK and around the world. The company as a whole deal with approximately tens of millions of customers every day, therefore their skills in regards to sales techniques and customer service must be of a high standard and continually evolving with the changing times. The company’s current performance and future plans. Currently Tesco offer may features to enhance customer service and sales techniques, such as; self-service checkouts, dot.com shopping along with many other initiatives to enhance performance and provide the best service for customers. At present the company conduct research steadily on customers via online shopping habits, customer viewpoints every 4-5 weeks and a new initiative called ‘my family’ this is to bring in up to ten families that are currently customers of the chain, to monitor their shopping behavior and to gain feedback. The company assess their customer base on a regular basis, to provide a better service and a better level of staff training. In the future, they hope to continue to excel in their level of customer service, techniques used for sales, to ensure the company continue to prosper, and the customer remains loyal. One of the initiatives they are looking to use within the future is improving the overall shopping trip for customers, Tesco believe this has not been improving at a fast enough rate and the moment and this needs addressed. The plan for the future has been developed with a customer and company dual focus; they hope to improve on the services they provide such as recruitment, training and staffing along with the equipment used, to show customers their dedication and their willingness to change. They will also be looking to improve their stores and layouts, making them a more refreshing and relaxing experience for all that enter the buildings. Amongst these improvements, they will also be looking at improving the range of goods they stock along with the quality, price and value, with the hope of better discounts, loyalty schemes and rewards for continual loyalty. The last improvement Tesco believes is crucial to the overall enhancement of the company and its relationship with the customer is that of marketing, they want to regain the voice of the customer with better communications and feedback systems, to make the company aware of exactly what the customer want’s in terms of the company. As from the future plans, we can see that customer service is the company’s key factor for improvements; any benefits towards the company are a bonus. Tesco has come a long way since 1919 and they have not got to where they are now without understanding the customers’ needs are more important than that of business needs alone. Are they achieving the goals set out in the wheel' The wheel is divided into 5 categories under the headings: * Community * Customer * Finance * People * Operations In examining the wheel and the local stores in my area, it has become known that even though some of these targets are met, not all are. However, this would depend on the store, the staff and the management and by no means is a reflection on the entire company. Considering for a moment the customer category we can see 6 sub headings • Earn lifetime loyalty • The aisles are clear • I can get what I want • The prices are good • I don’t queue • The staff are great. On a personal visit to a local store, I noted that not one of these had been achieved over several visits; this could be for numerous reason. However, the aisles were not clear, I had to maneuver a child and a trolley around cages for restocking, which of course is a necessity when supplies have diminished, however it made it extremely difficult for many of the customers. I could not get what I wanted in terms of three different items, from both food and non- food items. In terms of the staff, they were respectful and friendly, but they didn’t know, if an item was in stock, whether they actually stocked it or were an item was place, this too could be down to continued reshuffling of the store for seasonal goods, or other reasons. Queues are a nightmare for customers everywhere, not just in a store like Tesco, however Tesco made a promise to the customer, with the ‘one in front motto’. Which in many of the stores is not practiced, over Northern Ireland I have been a customer in about 10 different Tesco branches, with approximately 10 checkouts empty and with maybe 2 staff members on full checkouts, and 1 watching the self service. This could be excused in the 24 hour stores in the middle of the night, but this was the after school shopping rush, when the store is at the busiest. There were staff members on the floor, however I cannot speculate as to whether these members, are meant to be on the checkouts. Although I would feel that this would be the fault of the checkout team leader in the store I visited. The wheel is a good concept to allow improvements and provide the customer with the areas in which they wish to improve. However, this may be an issue for the store management, rather than the business itself. How inviting is the physical environment of the store' The stores are all the same excluding layout, the consensus is that the store is confusing, with the constant changes, but it is designed in a modern way to suit the ever changing environment. The Tesco branches all tend to have the extra-large windows, obviously to let in daylight, but these do tend to blind the customers on a sunny day. They also have super bright lighting, although this is good to allow customers to see the items, it is not good for those with sensory issues *visual or those with an aversion to bright lights. This said, the stores are quite inviting, they are fresh in colour, and spacious. The stores have goods at a reachable level and have the grab and go aisle near the door, for those needing snacks on the go. The website' The website is amazing; it is laid out for functionality and ease of use. When you first arrive at the website for Tesco you are presented with five categories along the header, these links will take you to the following areas. * Fresh food and groceries * Tesco direct * Clothing * Clubcard * Tesco bank You will also see other links to information pertaining to the company along with a store locator and a contact us section. They also have information on lifestyle and community such as real food or diet clubs amongst others. There homepage has been laid out in a manner that the customer can see everything they may need on one screen without the need to search. If you have an account, you can access personal information, recommendations and loyalty information just as easily. The sales techniques and customer service used on the website is second to none and benefits all those involved. How are they selling to the customer' Tesco offer various channels of sale to the customer such as: * In store * Online * Click and collect * In store ordering (available in some stores) The have different techniques for each of these methods, in store the employees are trained to be customer facing, to offer alternatives, suggestions and help. They have a customer service center in store, which not only deal with complaints; they also serve customers, search for items not in store, and provide information and guidance to the customer. Online they offer all goods and service that the company offer including local uniforms, in this they have a customer service representative on hand for web chat, telephone communication and email. They will, show images of goods, detailed information pertaining to goods and the price of the item. Whilst adding goods to your basket, their system will calculate the cost over all for customers. The click and collect works via the online ordering system or mobile device, where the customer can choose to have their goods delivered free of charge to a local store. This allows customers to forgo the shopping trip or the delivery cost in return for collection. In store, ordering is a relatively new method, used by Tesco to entice customers in store to see other goods and discuss their purchase with those trained to offer the support. Why is this suitable' These methods are suitable to target all potential and existing customers and offer them the best choice of service, with the same benefits to each. This allows, the elderly to continue to shop in store, in the environment they are used to and those not online. It will also allow those with busy lifestyles to order their goods from one website and have them delivered if they choose to, with the benefit of click and collect, for those that despise receiving tracking cards to collect from a postal depot. Tesco has thought of the customer here, as well as the business and they have maximized their selling potential and kept the company moving with the times. How do they seek to build a relationship with the customer' Tesco builds relationships with its customer base through schemes such as the club card scheme; this then gives Tesco the advantage over its competitors in different areas: 1. Targeted communications to customers 2. An understanding of customer loyalty 3. Trends with consumers 4. Different lifestyles 5. Services customers want 6. Basket building 7. Negotiation power 8. Defenses against competitors The company will also listen to customer feedback both negative and positive, they will then take on board suggestions to improve their service and expand their customer base. The will also provide offers and surveys too their loyal customers to gain a better understanding and communication channel with their customers. Are they effective at doing this' Tesco are renowned for being the conductors of ‘Marketing of the Future’ The method Tesco has used in releasing the Clubcard schemes is not by any means a new concept and has been around for roughly a decade, but they developed this to further their relationship with their customers. This Clubcard is the vital key to Tesco being the largest supermarket chain within the UK at least. The Clubcard allows Tesco too: * Retain customers * Increase their market share * Further increase sales, with personalized offers * Gain a better insight into customers preferences and shopping behaviors’ * Continually make a profit. Do they offer good customer service' Tesco as a company offer a high standard of customer service with their insights into the customer and their overall commitment to business, however this cannot be said for all the stores across the UK at least, with many customers feeling let down at some point. However, if you manage to visit the correct store you will be faced with staff that take their job with the customer seriously. Many of the staff are approachable, with adequate product knowledge and even if they lack the knowledge on a product, they will direct you to someone that does know. (On a recent visit to a store, this is what I witnessed firsthand: Me: Excuse me; could you tell me if you have any limes, I cannot seem to find them Man: Oh am, I’m sorry where are they normally kept' Me: Around the corner, beside the oranges. Man: Is there none there' Me: No, that why I am asking if there is some, possible out the back. Man: oh am, I don’t think we stock limes any more Me: Is there a substitute, for example lime juice' Man: I don’t think so, would lemon juice do' Me: No, its ok I will go elsewhere. ) This is of course one example, but this staff member, brushed off my question without checking the stock room, or directing me to another item. However, I have found that Tesco are extremely good at closing the sale with many of their customers, unless the customer feels they are being told just what the sales person wants to tell them. My opinion is not the highest for Tesco customer service, but their customer service is somewhat better than most supermarkets. This said it is dependent solely on the store you visit at the time, and some staff members may have had a horrible day and unwittingly are taking it out on you. Some of the Tesco stores have service that is outstanding; the staff are nothing but positive and helpful and will assist you in many aspects of your shopping. One of the most positive customer service skills I seen in play was an elderly woman with shopping in her trolley and a young man came over from stocking a shelf and offered to help her out to her vehicle. Therefore, in regards to the question I would be on the fence, and could not say they do or they do not, each visit and each store have a varying work, customer service ethic. Do they offer any after sales support' Tesco offer sales support on many different areas, such as: * * Euro-tunnel bookings * Technical support * Mobile phone support * Returns * Refunds * Banking * Replacements * Flowers and wine ordering support * 24 hour support * Replacement parts * Advice * Insurances How effective is this' This is extremely effective, many customers prefer to have a choice in methods of assistance, they can go in store for many of the after sales support and for the support that is not available in store they can, email, telephone or web chat for others. After sales is important for the customer, as well as the company reputation, it will offer the customer faith in the company to correct any errors or faults and provide guidance on issues pertaining to products. After sales will also leave the customer with a positive impression of the organisation if dealt with correctly, it encourages repeat business and improves profitability and customer satisfaction. Tesco, provide a very good after care service, even on food products and they will never question the customer in a negative manner. Their after care service is one of the main reasons many customers continue to shop with the company and have an expanding business. To summarise the impact different sales techniques and customer service have on Tesco, is a positive one. As we have documented, Tesco may fall short in certain aspects of customer service, but they listen to the customer and they try to repair the relationship and any issues that may have been present. The company themselves have a high regard for the customer and value their opinion. In turn, they provide the best customer service they can to retain their customer base and their reputation whether this is before the sale, during the sale or after the sale.