Reference no: EM131328316 , Length: word count:6000

I - Customer Services Operations and Excellence Assessment:  Case Study Report (3000 words)

Assessment task/questions

"Mobile network EE fined £1m for 'serious' customer service failings"

Mobile Phone Company EE has been hit with a £1m fine from Ofcom for "serious failings" in handling customer complaints.

The company was found not to have adequately informed customers that they were entitled to take complaints to an independent body for free if they remained unresolved for eight weeks - or before if they felt they'd reached a deadlock.

Alternative dispute resolution schemes allow customers to refer complaints elsewhere, for an impartial judgment, Ofcom said.

Ofcom spokesperson Claudio Pollack said: "Ofcom imposes strict rules on how providers must handle complaints and treats any breach of these rules very seriously.

"The fine imposed against EE takes account of the serious failings that occurred in the company's complaints handling, and the extended period over which these took place."

Ofcom said EE has since amended its Customer Complaints Code to include correct references about steps customers can take to resolve a complaint.

The £1 million penalty is payable to Ofcom within 20 days and then passed on to the Treasury, Ofcom said.

Source ITV 3 July 2015

Critically evaluate the customer service standards and strategies adopted by EE. Please make the necessary recommendations that will enhance the customer service levels. You are required to use a wide range of relevant literature to support the argument, and balance the discussion. A list of references and a full bibliography are required.

The above report will be based on the following service models:

1. Service Design and Strategy

2. Competitive Environment of Services

3. Service Quality Gaps and Dimensions

4. Supporting Facility

5. Supply Chain Management

II - Human Resources Management (HRM) Summative Assessment: Essay (3000 words)

Essay question:

According to Armstrong (2009), "the practice of human resource management (HRM) is concerned with all aspects of how people are employed and managed in organisations. It covers activities such as strategic HRM, human capital management, corporate social responsibility, knowledge management, organisation development, resourcing (human resource planning, recruitment and selection, and talent management), performance management, learning and development, reward management, employee relations, employee well-being and health and safety and the provision of employee services".

German retailer LIDL has recently announced plans to open 20 new stores in the UK. The £220million expansion is expected to create 2500 more jobs. Analyse the activities identified by Armstrong using relevant HRM theories, and suggest ways in which relevant HRM concepts and theories can be applied by LIDL to ensure the success of the proposed expansion.

Guidance on answering assessment questions:

Your assignment should conform to an essay writing style NOT a report. You must start with an introduction and aim to address all aspects of the question by developing an argument in the body of your text, which will then enables you to arrive at a conclusion in which you will provide a evaluative response to the questions posed.  You may use examples and case studies to support your argument, but this is not required.  Your essay must not exceed 3,000 words.

Attachment:- Assignment.rar