References

Indigo. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/


Kokemuller, N. (n.d.). What is external Customer Service? Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/external-customer-service-6662.html 

MarketingCharts staff (2016, September 12). Who reads books in the Us ? . Retrieved June 28, 2017, from http://www.marketingcharts.com/traditional/who-reads-books-in-the-us-70503/

MSG Experts, Employee Relationship Management. Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/employee-relationship-management.htm

Pew Research Center, September 2016, “Book Reading 2016”. Retrieved June, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2016/08/PI_2016.09.01_Book-Reading_FINAL.pdf

Yelp Rewiews. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.yelp.ca/biz/macleods-books-vancouver

Techniques Learned throughout SEB

I am not a good student. My lack of motivation played with me a few times already. Laziness is a bad friend if you want to succeed in life. This is the first point that SEB had a effect on. First because of the environment it put me trough. Vancouver is a city open to entrepreneurship like I have never seen before. And the people, not only the one I met in SEB, know what their goals are and they are ready to work to achieve it. This environment gave birth to skills that I’ll need and use  for the success of my company but not only, they are helpful in everyday life. The first one of those are the clear improvement of my english communicating ability. I Now know how to be assertive and not aggressive. The importance of listening the customer to be able to see trough his length with the objective of improving his experience beyond expectations. The importance of not said things to : the importance of tailoring every contact a customer has with me or my company, from the image on social media to the cash register. Every Moment of truths counts.I could list a few of other thought related to this topics but I want to get to a more important point for me : I am now responsible. Or at least i am trying to be. Witch I assure you is a big step knowing me. A clarification is needed. It’s not only the fact that I can sincerely apologise for a mistake that I could have made, but also a willingness of taking care of my business and make it flourish like a little banzai that ì could cherish. I remember a 1951 theory of Ludwig Von Bertalanffy comparing the general system of the body to project management. This theory say that every organs has to work for the overall system’s survival. This is another topics I would like to discuss. SEB helped me understand that a project isn't including me anymore, I have to take count of every stakeholders every laws and legislation of BC state, of every ethnicity and culture a city like Vancouver can host. Therefore the importance of creating simultaneously risks plans. Always avoid uncertainty, prefer written contract to parole evidence, not taking my project for what it isn’t, take preventive measures to forecast disastrous event and being able to answer to it when the time come. That’s also all life lessons from SEB. 

Tools Used

For advertising, marketing and communication with external customers I will use Social media such as Facebook and twitter because they are the most popular one. For communication with internal customer I will use Push Scheduler because it allow me to check their hour, planning and give them notification on one application only.  

Customer loyalty program

Building a customer loyalty takes time, but it worth it. Customer loyalty is a way to insure the good health of a company by insuring the likelihood of continuing business with my company. It is also a way for insuring basic revenue and a good word of mouth.

 Our customer loyalty program will include a card containing the precedent items the clients bought or sell to us and will also be used as a pass for the events. Witch I will be developing later. The all customer loyalty program will be controlled by an app where the history will be visible for members linked to recommendations tailored on the precedent items. A system of pre-order will also be created directly linked t your online bookshelves and bar. This will also include free invitation to our events of any type and will insure to the customer a seat and discount for every guest he could bring. 

The long term customer loyalty program will be free articles once the customer will reach a certain amount of transaction with the company. 

A twinning project with a sponsorship program will be installed with 50% discount on the next purchase for both the sponsor and the sponsored. 

The reason the customer loyalty program have been designed this way is that I believe that I can offer a better tailoring. I want the customer to enter in RC’s bookstore like it’s their own boudoir. With the certainty of finding a book and a drink that they will love without the struggle of having to do by themselves. It’s also a way to make them profit my suppliers for both drink and books. The personalisation of the experience is, therefore, crucial in my customer loyalty program. 

Revenue Projection

Operations blueprint

To visualise better how RF’s Bookstore will achieve the goal of sustainability I’ll a word representation my operation blueprint. Operations blueprint is a way to forecast the workflow in a organisation. Starting from 8am to 12:30pm and from 1: 30pm to 10pm the morning team will be asked to arrive at 7h30 to leave them the time to put the system on and preparing their workplace and the room. Only two of them will be requested for the opening and a waiter will arrive one hour after to start his morning shift. A barista (with serving it right) and a book clerk both owning a cash handling post. Before the afternoon shift they will be in charge of closing their stations noticing every lack of products or information the afternoon team will have to use. The afternoon team, one barista, one bartender (with serving it right), one book clerk and a waiter. Each of them also given with cash handling posts. for the closing only the bartender and the book clerk will be requested. They will be in charge of the cleaning and the last inventory. A manager will be in charge of the stock, the relationships with the suppliers, the training of new employee and the overall customer service experience.  

Customer Service and Challenges

RF’s Bookstore being a retail project, delivering effective customer service is a priority. Handling related challenges will be crucial for the sustainability of the project because it is directly linked to the quality that I need to deliver in order to create a good reputation and loyalty. those challenges can be about internal and external customer. 

In terms of customer service challenges for internal customer service there is one question that is crucial if I want the employee to be satisfied with their position : How do I keep them passionated? 

First they are the ones directly in contact with the customer and the store facilities. I need to give them the tools to do their job with the idea of exceeding expectations. With that objective in mind I will use first a good communication. Not only with the employer or manager but also between them. « Every employee should be accessible to each other » (MSG Experts). The idea here is that as a team we should work together in order to create something that the employee will also be proud of. This theory will also be useful in terms of empowerment :  an employee will feel respected if he can talk to someone about a situation and that I make everything in my power to resolve or improve the system in place. 

Another internal customer service challenge will be to keep the employee passionated. RF’s bookstore proposing three area (books, warm drinks, alcoholic beverage) there is a lot to be passionated about. In order to do that I plan to create with them goals to achieve, encourage them to propose new products or to invite new speakers. 

In terms of external customer service the main challenges can be problems related to products, response time and quality of the services. To overcome those problems first and more important of all, I will keep my employee trained so they can answer or by the policies or by their own judgement to the customer concern. It will insure service quality. In terms of concern directly related to the quality of the product I will as Neil Kokemuller recommends, « back every one of my services with guaranteed satisfaction or equal commitment. »  This theory means for RF’s Bookstore return policy for the books, discount for the drinks or invitation to events.  And of course the creation of a customer loyalty program. 

References: 

MSG Experts, Employee Relationship Management. Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/employee-relationship-management.htm

Kokemuller, N. (n.d.). What is external Customer Service? Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/external-customer-service-6662.html