Report on Beverly Hills Cab Company Venture Plan in Singapore - Essay Example

Report on Beverly Hills Cab Company venture plan in Singapore Table of Contents 1Introduction 3 2Plans to venture into the cab industry in Singapore 3 3Job design formulation for Customer Care Agents and Drivers 4 1 Drivers 4 2Specifications 4 3Customer Care Agents 6 4Recruitment strategy 6 5Selection Strategy 7 6 Implementation and detailed plan of the job design, recruitment and selection strategies 7 7Conclusion 9 References 10 Report on Beverly Hills Cab Company venture plan in Singapore 1 Introduction Beverly Hills Cab Company is a taxi operator organization serving Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Los Angeles in the USA for over twenty years. Beverly Hills Cabs provide premier taxi services to clients ranging from airport pick-up and drop-off, errands, medical visits, hotel transport, day and night trips around town, sight-seeing to senior services. The company has professional drivers and reasonable charges for the best quality service provision for the clients. Beverly Hills Cab Company understands that all clients deserve top-notch cab services and this has highly contributed to the company’s growth today. 2 Plans to venture into the cab industry in Singapore As Beverly Hills Cab Company has continued to grow from strength to strength, plans to enter a new market are underway. The chosen market is Singapore after thorough evaluation that has shown a need in the taxi business market. Transport is a need that is indispensible especially with the densely populated market such as Singapore, (Saeed et al, 2013). Beverly Hills Cab Company understands the importance of maintaining a positive attitude since this is a service based operation where one meets all kinds of people with different personalities. With over 1000 cabs set to be released in to the Singapore market, Beverly Hills cabs expect nothing less than making profits and keeping clients happy. All the set standards by the government will be given top priority to ensure our company meets and respects the welfare of the customers, employees and society at large. The first step to the launching of our company will include sufficient advertising through the mainstream media and promotions targeted towards potential clients. Word of mouth as well as recommendations from a tour agent company specializing in hotel bookings for international tourists. 3 Job design formulation for Customer Care Agents and Drivers This is the process of how work is arranged with the aim of minimizing job dissatisfaction and employee isolation that arises from repetition and mechanistic tasks (Moser, 2006).It is an effort organizations use to improve productivity through availing of non-monetary rewards such as offering a sense of individual achievement, job rotation, enrichment and satisfaction. A human resource manager designs the contents of the job, methods used to carry out the job and the relationship of the worker and the organization (Wilson, 2006). 1 Drivers The cab drivers will ferry passengers from their places of work, homes, airport or any other place the client wishes to be picked to their intended destination. The drivers will also be required to pick and drop passengers who are not familiar with the locality such as international tourists. Every driver will be assigned a vehicle and will be required to report to the cab service centre each morning or at the beginning of the shift. The driver will fill out a trip sheet that includes the driver’s particulars, car identification number and the date. The drivers will also perform an inspection of the vehicles fuel levels, lights and breaks, windshield wipers and the mirrors before dispatch to any location. The company mechanic will be informed in the event of any faulty parts. This is common practice in the taxi business (Cha & Lien, 2013). 2 Specifications The drivers are expected to cater for three categories of passengers. Those who waive down cabs, clients who make prior arrangements by booking through the customer care department. This is common in non-urban areas and the message is passed to the driver via two way communication radio about the client’s location and their pick up time. The message can also be passed through an on board computer or cell phone, finally those who wait in high demand areas (Wilson, 2006). This is common in urban areas near hotels, railway stations and airports. Some drivers will also be expected to provide services to special needs clients such as the physically challenged and senior citizens. The drivers will be equipped with special equipments designed to cater for such functions. These drivers will also undergo training to be able to handle such clients. They should be familiar with their operation route. They should be familiar with the streets as well as alternative routes to a destination, including being familiar with high demand areas such as restaurants that are popular and hotels. Drivers should also know where to find the police station, fire station and hospitals in case of an emergency. The drivers will also calculate the trips fare and pass the information to the passenger on reaching their destination. The drivers will operate in shifts with varying hours to ensure they get enough rest for the next day’s work. They will follow a less structured work schedule where they can take breaks when they do not have passengers. This kind of own supervision will maintain high productivity according to Marketing Institute of Singapore, (2007). Our cabs are of good design including the interior to ensure drivers comfort during work. This reduces stress levels due to fatigue; the cars also have a tracking system as well as dispatch equipment to ensure smooth communication between the dispatch office and the drivers. They are also equipped with trouble lights meant to alert the authorities of any emergency the car may be undergoing. The drivers will at all times be patient with slow or rude clients. As a cab driver, humility is of top most importance. 3 Customer Care Agents The customer care department will be required to offer assistant to clients who require the company cab services. The care agents are in charge of picking calls and making bookings for passengers. They will then dispatch this information to the drivers who proceed to pick and drop the passengers. They are also expected to relay any information necessary to the driver and be in liaison with the client and the top management and also the drivers. The customer care agents will work in shifts, approximately eight hours a day with alternating breaks for tea and lunch. They will undergo training to enhance their communication and interpersonal skills. The remuneration will also be reasonable to ensure they are highly productive. All of the company’s employees will enjoy a medical cover plan as well as other welfare benefits to enhance their production level and feel valued and part and parcel of Beverly Hills Cab Company. 4 Recruitment strategy This is highly essential since without proper human resources the company is doomed to fail. Employees should have the relevant skills required to properly execute their mandate. Singapore offers a multi-cultural and diverse population with 2.5% unemployment level (Cole et al, 2001). Certain skills are rare and in high demand in this market- it is a candidate driven market. It is employer’s duty to attract highly competent people and have the ability to maintain them. Unlike in the western countries, an employer can make an offer right away to the suitable candidate without being restricted to rules and procedures common in the west. The company will use online advertising which is common practice in Singapore to source for potential employees. An advertisement for new jobs will also be put up in the dailies with the specifications needed for potential employees encouraging people to apply for the listed positions. 5 Selection Strategy This company will target the local people willing to work in the transport service industry. Only the most qualified people who have worked in the transport service with a minimum of three years experience will be picked as it is with all organizations (Williams, 2006). They will also undergo relevant training to ensure the company remains competitive with high profit margins. The customer care agents will be required to have relevant training in customer relationship, communication and interpersonal skills. The top management will be people with equal experience in similar positions. The drivers will have all the necessary documents and licenses to operate in the Singapore market. The selection process will entail going through the applications from interested candidates and those who are found suitable will be contacted to avail themselves for a face-to-face interview to determine their suitability. The recruitment will be done by a recruiting agent in Singapore. 6 Implementation and detailed plan of the job design, recruitment and selection strategies Adopting the right mind set- the company plans to retain its competitiveness in the market by offering the best customer service for the clients. Every ride in our cabs will be a pleasant and memorable experience. Our cars are maintained with the highest standards for customer satisfaction. The taxi business is as good as the car one is driving; therefore, cars will be kept in a good condition ensuring they are non-stuffy with enough room. Attractive Cars- our company has invested in all new cars to be released into this new market. Attractive cars that are clean help attract customers and those that have enough space for luggage. Insurance coverage- Beverly Hills Cab Company plan is to get a comprehensive insurance cover for all the clients. We have done the necessary research for all taxi operations requirements in Singapore. We intend to comply with all the rules and regulations to ensure both our workers safety and that of our customers. Installation of meters- this is necessary for transparency since it will ensure clients are not overcharged or undercharged. No cash transaction will take place also ensuring that all money is secure. Licenses and fees- Beverly Hills Cab Company has ensured that we have the right licenses and paid fees to ensure smooth operation in Singapore. Headquarters- we are at a prime location where our clients can reach us easily and contact us through a toll-free line for any enquiries or booking. Easy access is convenient and ensures that we offer services to our clients avoiding delays that can be caused by time wasted reaching our offices. We will offer the best client support through our quality customer care accessible at any time of day and night. Employing drivers- we will ensure that we get the best professional drivers preferably locals with experience in the driving and tourism industry. All regulations standards set for drivers in Singapore will be observed to ensure that only the most qualified are employed therefore minimizing the risk of road accidents or other road mishaps experienced due to under qualified people operating on the roads. 7 Conclusion It is necessary to always train workers and expose them to knowledge and skills platforms such as educative seminars. Always motivate employees by involving them in some of the decision making processes as this will instill the feeling of belonging hence making them more enthusiastic about the job (Wan et al, 1989) Pay employees on time as well as well as rewarding good work is an effective measure to ensure cohesion in the work place. References Saeed, R., Lodhi, R. N., Iqbal, A., Sandhu, M. A., Munir, M., & Yaseen, S. (2013). The effect of human resource management practices on organizations performance. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research, 16, 11, 1548-1556. Moser, R. (2006). Strategic purchasing and supply management: A strategy-based selection of suppliers. Wiesbaden: Dt. Univ.-Verl. Coles, E., Smith, D., & Tombs, S. (2001). Risk management and society. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Williams, C. C. (2006). The Hidden Enterprise Culture: Entrepreneurship in the Underground Economy. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub. Marketing Institute of Singapore. & National University of Singapore. (2007). Asian journal of marketing. Faisalabad: ANSInet. Cha, V., & Lien, J. (2013). Asias entrepreneurs: Dilemmas, risks, and opportunities. New York: Routledge. Wilson, J. P. (2006). Human resource development: Learning & training for individuals & organizations. London: Kogan Page. Wan, D. T. W., Wyatt, T. A., Tseng, A. T., & Chia, H. B. (May 01, 1989). Human Resource Management in Singapore: An Overview. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 27, 2, 71-86. Read More