A Year's Experience in Six to Eight Retail Companies

I am excited about the opportunity to develop a career in Leveret Freight Company, a well-known company with a good reputation. I believe that my organizational skills and attention to detail will help me adapt quickly to the management internship position. I have experience in administration, having dealt with contracts, invoices, and general administrative tasks.

Student ID: 312556
Module Name: Business Skills
Task A
Balan
Address: Dollis Road, London, U.K.
Contact: Mobile phone:
E-mail:@yahoo.com
Personal statement:
Currently studying at Anglia Ruskin University, BSc(Hons) Business and Healthcare
Management course started in September 2016. Conscientious and with excellent
communication skills, now seeking an opportunity to develop a career in a large company
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Student ID: 312556
and to learn and develop new skills.Experienced as a customer service officer in bank
enviromment for 7 years and as a sale assistant for about 1 year. Enjoying to gain new
knowledges, having experience as a massage therapist for more then 5 years.
Education: “Radu Vladescu” High School 1992-1996
Certificates: Romanian Banking Institute – Banking Management and Marketing,
Promotion 2004
O.R.C.O- Massage and Reflexology 2011
Trainings: ACHIEVE GLOBAL – Certificate of Accomplishment Professional
Selling Skills 2006
Professional experience:
Massage Therapist, Self Employed June 2014-July 2015
➢ Specialised in swedish massage, deep tissue massage and reflexology;
Sales assistant at Italian Interior Design& Architecture December 2013-
March 2014:
➢ Counseling the customers in choosing the right product, performing an
efficient completion of the sale process, preparing daily sales reports,
completing invoices;
Sales assistant at S.C. FIG TRADE ROMANIA SRL September 2013-
December 2013:
➢ Presenting the products to the potential customers, selling the products
available on the shop, preparing daily sales reports, completing invoices when
requested;
Massage Therapist, Self Employed June 2012-September 2013
➢ Performig swedish massage, deep tissue massage and reflexology upon
request;
Cashier at OTP Bank April 2012-June 2012
➢ Performing operations as cash deposits and cash withdrawals, foreign
exchange;
➢ Verifying the accuracy of all documents received from clients;
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Student ID: 312556
Sales Assistant at Raiffeisen Bank August 2008 – January 2011
➢ Informing the clients about the banking products and services;
➢ Advising the clients in choosing the right product;
➢ Verifying all the documents received from clients;
➢ Retail lending
Customer Service Officer at Piraeus Bank April 2005 – August 2008
➢ Performing transactions for both individual and legal entities: account opening
and administration, domestic and foreign currency transactions, F/X deals,
term deposits contracts and overnight deposits;
➢ Verifying the documents received from clients and helping them in filling in the
forms
Account Officer at Raiffeisen Bank March 2003 - April 2005
➢ Providing complete information to customers about banking services,
transactions and conditions;
➢ Opening accounts for both individual and legal entities, opening term deposits
contracts and overnight deposits;
➢ Retail lending
Achievements: Continually exceeded monthly personal sales targets, helping the
team to perform over target as a sale assistant at Raiffeisen Bank
during the work time period from August 2008 until January 2011.
Skills: Advanced MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Driving license: B category
Hobbies: Literature, Travelling, Swimming
References: Available upon request
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Student ID: 312556
Task B
Elena Georgiana Balan
29B Dollis Road,
London, N3 1RB
23rd of October 2016
Dear Mrs. Sandy Destreza,
I am writing you to express my interest regarding the management internship role
within Leveret Freight Company. I am very enthusiastic about having the opportunity
to work in a national freight company as I feel that my skills will perfectly suit your
requirements.
I am currently studying at Anglia Ruskin University BSc(hons) Business and
Healthcare Management.
I had different previous jobs as sales assistant and customer service officer in
different banks for more than 7 years, sales assistant in different private retail
companies for about 1 year. This experience gave me the ability to be a quick
learner and to understand new policies and procedures.
I heard about this opportunity from a friend of mine who is working within Leveret
Freight Company for more than 10 years and I am very excited about having the
chance to develop a career in a large company which has a very good reputation.
I am positive that I will adapt myself very quickly in the management internship
position as I am a very good organizer and having a strong attention to detail. I have
excellent administration skills as I have dealt with organizing contracts, preparing
invoices and quotations and doing general administration work.
I would appreciate for an opportunity to have an interview with you.
Thank you for your consideration and attention.
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Student ID: 312556
Your sincerely,
Task C
Dear Sir,
The feedback considering the complaints that appear on the review website “Trip
Adviser” in relation to the Lewisham branch is this:
● The majority of the complaints are about the manager attitude towards
customer’s feedback regarding the poor quality service. It appears that the
manager is showing a rude attitude when there is a complaint. Most of the
times inappropriate answers are given to the complaining clients, their issues
remaining unresolved. The manager seems to be inefficient in resolving the
problems, organising the restaurant and the team. The reputation of the
restaurant is affected by the poor organisation and the low standards of food
and servicing.
● There are some complaints regarding the unprofessional behaviour of the
staff towards the clients like: the employees are making the clients to expect
too much time until the food is delivered and they are not representing a
professional costumer faced behaviour, being rude, chatting between
themselves and not paying attention to the received orders; the atmosphere of
the restaurant is not representing a relaxing environment, the music being too
loud
● Other complaints have been raised about the poor quality of the pizza and the
customers are considering that the price is not reflecting the standard of the
product. The clients are also complaining about the hygienic practices and
sanitation procedures of the restaurant stating that the pizza was rancid and
some of them finding hair in the food. The restaurant is using chipped cups.
● Several complaints are about the misleading of customers concerning the
vouchers which cannot be used on event nights. This is restraining the use of
the vouchers as most of the nights are event nights. Some clients are stating
that are receiving a rude welcome when they are coming with a voucher.
● The costumers are feeling that the restaurant is too crowded, they have to
wait more than 15 minutes for their order to be taken and more than 40
minutes to be served.
In conclusion it seems that the main problem is with the management of the
restaurant who is not able to organize the restaurant for providing a proper costumer
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Student ID: 312556
faced service. The restaurant is not respecting the food and hygiene standards and
the staff, including the manager, is not acting in a professional manner.
It is suggested that the manager to be replaced and the staff should be trained
appropriate in order to provide a high service standard. As well the quality of food
must be improved by respecting the food and safety regulations. It is recommended
that the new manager should answer in a professional manner to the possible
complaints, to conduct an appropriate investigation and resolve immediately the
conflict by offering discounts or new dishes to the complaining clients. The manager
has to talk with the staff to find out where is the problem. The atmosphere of the
restaurant can be improved by reducing the level of the music and by replacing the
chipped cups, also by offering a clean, hygienic environment. The staff should not be
allowed to talk between themselves about other problems which are not concerning
the work environment. Regular training should be made by the manager and the staff
and a good compensation should be provided in order to stimulate them. Regular
inspections are also indicated to identify and resolve possible problems. More staff
should be hired in order to be able to quickly servicing the clients and to reduce the
expecting time increasing the efficiency of the customer service.
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Student ID: 312556
Task D
1.
The culture is defined as the “set of priorities that it gives to different things” (Hindle,
2002, p.55), these priorities are sometimes explicit in a company’s mission statement
or in its structure; sometimes implicit what the Financial Times once said “the way
we do things around here”.
Hindle (2002) says that a several things are influencing a company’s culture:
-The behaviour of the employees, this include the dress code, the respect for the
technology and for the standard working hours, the way that the managers are
addressed, the stories and the myths about the company
-The selection of new employees: which type of person is recruited by the
company
-The nature of the business for example movies or banking business are having a
particular culture, IT business are having a different culture
-The external environment: the companies need to adapt and integrate I the culture
of the societies in which they are operating.
2.
Every country has different cultures. “Every culture has its own system of norms and
values” (Browaeys and Price, 2011, p.10), together forming the characteristic of a
culture.
Norms are simply what we are calling the rules of the society determine what is good
or bad regarding the society behaviour, people having the freedom of choice. “Norms
are written and unwritten rules of a society” (Browaeys and Price, 2011, p.10).
Values are what people are considering important or unimportant, right or wrong and
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Student ID: 312556
it is something experienced inside so the preference or aversion it contains is
normally taken for granted. (Browaeys and Price, 2011).
In the book Understanding cross-cultural management, Browaeys and Price (2011)
have stated that the system of norms and values varies from culture to culture and
also from a part of a society to another because every individual is operating
different as well as every subculture within a society.
3.
Organisational culture is “the acceptance- in a tacit or formal way- of norms of
specific behaviour by the members of an organisation” (Browaeys and Price, 2011,
p.15).
The organisational culture within Raiffeisen Bank is including the internal regulation
and the external environment, which is all comprise in The RZB Group Code of
Conduct. This Code of conduct explain the dress code, the standard work hours, the
expected employee behaviour within the bank, the basic values, the regulation
regarding storing information, the respect towards the technology equipment
provided, regulation regarding dealing with customers and business partners, gift
and invitations, confidentiality this rules are applicable to all group in all countries.
The external regulations are also explained in the Code of Conduct by explaining
that every branch must respect the laws, regulations and rules of the countries
where the Group is operating. (The RZB Group of Conduct, 2015).
The politics of a country has a strong influence in the culture of a bank regarding the
education level, the dress code, manners and other aspect of daily life. Religious
believes can also influence the person’s view of the world and the religious holidays
are affecting the activity of the bank. (Browaeys and Price, 2011).
The RZB Group Code of Conduct is an example of priorities that are made explicit in
a formal mission statement, in the structure of the group, and the power given to
different departments and functions. (Hindle, 2002)
Raiffeisen wants to imprint an image of security and stability. This is also symbolised
by it trademark. “The gable cross was originally a symbol for a protected house and
used to be added to the roof gable to protect the occupants against all dangers.
Today, the gable cross is one of Austria's best-known brands and the leasing brand
amongst Austrian financial service providers.” (RZB, 2016).
Bibliography:
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Student ID: 312556
Browaeys, M, and Price, R,2011. Understanding cross-cultural management.
Harlow: Financial Times
Hindle, T,.2002. Guide to Management Ideas. London: Bloomberg
RZB, 2016.Historical Timeline. [online] Available at:
<https://www.rbinternational.com/eBusiness/01_template1/829189266947841370-
829188968716049154_829601505693631049-829601505693631049-NA-2-
EN.html> [ Accessed 06 November 2016]
RZB, 2015. The RZB Group of Conduct. [online] Available at:
<https://www.rbinternational.com/eBusiness/services/resources/media/
829189266947841370-829188968716049154_866477530159365956-
829819009011584386-1-2-EN.pdf> [ Accessed 06 November 2016 ]
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