Analysis of Welcome Visit Executives of Bharti Airtel Ltd. & Recommendations to Improve their Performance At BHARTI AIRTEL LTD., MOHALI By Neha Gupta WBUT Regn No.: 081360710061 of 2008-2009 WBUT Roll No. : 08136009036
Army Institute of Management Kolkata
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Topics Page no. Certificate from Guides.3 Acknowledgements...4 Executive Summary...5 Chapter I: The Company Company Profile.7-24 Chapter II: The Project Objective of the project.26 Brief Description of the Project........26 Terminologies Used...26-27 Methodology of the Project...28 Chapter III: Collection & Analysis of Data Data Collection.....30 Data Analysis ...31-43 Analysis Through Bar Graphs31-40 Fish Bone Analysis.41-43 Chapter IV: Findings & Recommendations Conclusions & Findings................................................45-48 Limitations49 Recommendations.50-55 Appendices & Annexure...57-61 Bibliography62
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GUIDANCE-cum-COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Ms. Neha Gupta , WBUT Registration No. 081360710061 of 2008-2009 , WBUT Roll No. 08136009036 , has undertaken the project titled Analysis of Welcome Visit Executives of Bharti Airtel Ltd. and recommendations to improve their performance under our guidance from 15 th J une 2009 to 24 th J uly 2009 at Bharti Airtel Ltd., Mohali and has completed the said project successfully.
External Guides Full Signature Designation
Internal Guides Full Signature
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Acknowledgements
The preparation of this project report has been a great learning experience for me. It has given me an opportunity to interact with some of the excellent human beings.My work could not have been done without the guidance, help and support of a lot of people. First and foremost I offer my sincerest gratitude to my Company Guide, Ms. Parul Khullar who has supported me throughout my project with her patience and knowledge whilst allowing me the room to work in my own way. One simply could not wish for a better or friendlier guide. If I call Ms. Parul Khullar, the facilitator, then I must mention my mentor and esteemed teacher, Mr. Robin Sen Gupta, who kept me motivated throughout the course of my study. I would like to thank him for his invaluable support, encouragement, supervision and useful suggestions throughout this study. His moral support and continuous guidance enabled me to complete my work successfully. I would also like to thank all the other members of the HR Department who provided me with the necessary information required for the completion of my project. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge all of the respondents who took out their valuable time and responded to the survey. They are the ones who deserve the real credit for this study since they gave the real input which helped me in achieving the objectives of this study.
Neha Gupta
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Executive Summary
With low Welcome Visit CSMM scores becoming an increasing concern for Airtel, the researcher is provoked to conduct a research to find out the reasons behind the poor performance of the Welcome Visit Executives and the methods to improve it.
Welcome Visit Executives are those who make an official visit to the new postpaid customers of Airtel. The purpose is to carry out the credit and address verification of the customer. Besides, the Executive also provides requisite information to the customer regarding the bill payment modes, bill plan details, etc. Here, the problem at Airtel is low CSMM (Customer Satisfaction Management and Measurement) scores which indicate that the customers are not satisfied with Welcome Visits made by the Executives. A study has been conducted to find the reasons behind it and hence recommendations have been suggested for its improvement. For this a survey has been undertaken on the post paid customers of Bharti Airtel across 5 zones of Punjab namely Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bathinda, Ludhiana and J alandhar by the HR Department. The responses of the survey was provided to me so as to find out the areas in which the Executives were lacking and how their performance can be enhanced.
On the data collected two different analysis have been applied:- Analysis based on frequency. And Fish Bone Analysis.
The basic findings of the analysis were as follows:- Current Recruitment process of the Executives needs improvement. No structured Training and Induction programmes for the Executives currently. Poor J ob Knowledge of Executives. Poor soft skills of Executives. No audit of performance of such Executives.
The following recommendation have been given:- New Recruitment Process suggested. A 3 day Training/ Induction Module recommended. Good performers should be rewarded. Field audit should be conducted to measure performance.
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CHAPTER I: THE COMPANY COMPANY PROFILE
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Bharti Enterprises
Type Public, Listed on BSE BSE: 532454 Founded 1985 Headquarters New Delhi, India Key people Sunil Mittal (Chairman and CEO) Industry
Telecommunication, Retail, Insurance, Digital TV Products
Airtel Mobile and Fixed-Line Telecommunication operator, Bharti AXA insurance, Bharti Wal Mart retails and Airtel Digital TV dth service Revenue $6 Billion
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Bharti Enterprises
Bharti Enterprises is a large Indian business conglomerate based in New Delhi, India, operating primarily across India and in some other Countries like Sri Lanka, J ersey, Seychelles. It was established by Sunil Mittal , one of the young and dynamic businessmen of India. It is one of the few companies in India (Like Reliance and Tata) that have changed the way of life of Indians by bringing mobile phones to every household in India at an affordable price. The company offers mobile services all over India as well as in some foreign countries. The Airtel brand is the flagship brand of Bharti. History The company was founded by Sunil Bharti Mittal (Chairman & Managing Director of the Bharti group) along with two siblings in early 1990s. The company was not so famous in India by its own name, rather its Brand Names Like Airtel and Beetel (PSTN Phone Sets) were household names in India. The company underwent a brand reformation process and changed its logo and corporate Image. Companies Bharti's primary industry is in the field of telecommunications via its subsidiary companies Bharti Airtel (mobile telecommunications) and Bharti Teletech (wired telecommunication services and PSTN telephone handsets).
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Bharti Organisation Structure
s
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Bharti Organisation structure (Contd.)
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Bharti Airtel
Type Public, BSE: 532454 Founded 1985 Headquarters New Delhi, India Key people Sunil Mittal (Chairman and CEO) Industry Telecommunication Products Mobile and Fixed-Line Telecommunication operator Revenue $6 Billion
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Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel, formerly known as Bharti Tele-Ventures LTD (BTVL) is India's largest and world's third largest cellular service provider with more than 82 million subscribers as of December 2008.It also offers fixed line services and broadband services. It offers its TELECOM services under the Airtel brand and is headed by Sunil Mittal. The company also provides telephone services and Internet access over DSL in 14 circles. The company complements its mobile, broadband & telephone services with national and international long distance services. The company also has a submarine cable landing station at Chennai, which connects the submarine cable connecting Chennai and Singapore. The company provides end-to-end data and enterprise services to the corporate customers through its nationwide fiber optic backbone, last mile connectivity in fixed-line and mobile circles, VSATs, ISP and international bandwidth access through the gateways and landing station. SingTel owns over 30% of the Bharti Telecom. Vodafone is also a shareholder of Airtel with 4% of the shares. Thus making it a sister company of the brand.
About Airtel
Airtel comes to us from Bharti Airtel Limited, Indias largest integrated and the first private telecom services provider with a footprint in all the 23 telecom circles. Airtel was born free, a force unleashed into the market with a relentless and unwavering determination to succeed. Airtel, in just ten years of operations, rose to the pinnacle to achievement and continues to lead. As India's leading telecommunications company Airtel brand has played the role as a major catalyst in India's reforms, contributing to its economic resurgence. Today it touches peoples lives with their Mobile services, Telemedia services, to connecting India's leading 1000+corporates. The businesses at Bharti Airtel have been structured into three individual strategic business units (SBUs) - Mobile Services, Airtel Telemedia Services & Enterprise Services.
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The mobile business provides mobile & fixed wireless services using GSM technology across 23 telecom circles while the Airtel Telemedia Services business offers broadband & telephone services in 94 cities. The Enterprise services provide end-to-end telecom solutions to corporate customers and national & international long distance services to carriers. All these services are provided under the Airtel brand.
Business Divisions
Mobile Services:- Bharti Airtel offers GSM mobile services in all the 23-telecom circles of India and is the largest mobile service provider in the country, based on the number of customers. Airtel Telemedia Services:- The group offers high speed broadband internet with a best in class network. With Landline services in 94 cities Airtel has helped broaden the horizons. Enterprise Services (Corporate):-The group focuses on delivering telecommunications services as an integrated offering including mobile, broadband & telephone, national and international long distance and data connectivity services to corporate, small and medium scale enterprises. Enterprise Services (Carrier Services):- The Company compliments its mobile and broadband & telephone services with national and international long distance services. It has over 35,016 route kilometers of optic fibre on its national long distance network. For international connectivity to the west, the Company is a member of the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 (SEA-ME-WE-4) consortium along with 15 other global telecom operators.
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Company Profile Airtel is one of India's leading providers of telecommunication services with a nationwide presence in all the 23 licensed jurisdictions (also known as Telecom Circles). They served an aggregate of 88,270,194 customers as of December 31, 2008; of whom 85,650,733 subscribe to their GSM services and 2,619,461 used their Telemedia Services either for voice and/or broadband access delivered through DSL. Airtel is the largest wireless service provider in the country, based on the number of subscribers as of December 31, 2008. Airtel also offers an integrated suite of telecom solutions to their enterprise customers, in addition to providing long distance connectivity both nationally and internationally. The company has recently forayed into media by launching their DTH and IPTV Services. All these services are rendered under a unified brand "Airtel".
The company also deploys, owns and manages passive infrastructure pertaining to telecom operations under its subsidiary Bharti Infratel Limited. Bharti Infratel owns 42% of Indus Towers Limited.
Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers are the two top providers of passive infrastructure services in India
Company shares are listed on The Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) and The National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE)
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Corporate Governance
Bharti Airtel Limited firmly believes in the principles of Corporate Governance and is committed to conduct its business in a manner, which will ensure sustainable, capital-efficient and long-term growth thereby maximizing value for its shareholders, customers, employees and society at large. Companys policies are in line with Corporate Governance guidelines prescribed under Listing Agreement/s with Stock Exchanges and the Company ensures that various disclosures requirements are complied in letter and spirit for effective Corporate Governance.
During the financial year 2003-04, the Company was assigned highest Governance and Value Creation (GVC) rating viz. Level 1 rating by CRISIL, which indicates that the companys capability with respect to creating wealth for all its stakeholders is the highest, while adopting sound Corporate Governance practices. This rating was re-affirmed by CRISIL on April 20,2006.
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Corporate Responsibility at Bharti Airtel
Overview
At Bharti, CSR is a way of life. Each department and employee strives to be sensitive to the stakeholders and environment within their work context. Bharti encourages employees to take decisions and design business-linked processes that are sensitive to communities and environment.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Bharti encompasses much more than only social outreach programs. It is an integral part of the way Bharti conducts its business. The essence of Bhartis commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility is embedded in the Corporate Values, which stem from its deepest held beliefs. These Values are: To be responsive to the needs of their customers. To trust and respect their employees. To continuously improve their services innovatively and expeditiously. To be transparent and sensitive in their dealings with all stakeholders.
They encourage their employees to take decisions and design business processes, keeping in mind the following: Ethics, fairness and being correct. Meeting and going beyond compliances and legal requirements. Showing respect and sensitivity towards stakeholders and communities. Nurturing the environment. They practice their CSR beliefs and commitments through a three-pronged approach: Engaging with stakeholders. Ensuring stakeholder sensitive policies and practices.
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Undertaking programs for their employees, community and environment.
Bharti Airtel sensitizes its employees towards CSR issues at various forums. They feel that it is important that each employee should understand the importance of environmental, social and economical aspects while taking business decisions. At Bharti, each employee is sensitized towards CSR issues and thus operations at the ground level are influenced. Such sensitization exercises have resulted in many socially and environmentally sensitive decisions on the ground. For example, Confidence Plan for hearing impaired people, covers noise-making DG sets at extra cost, investing in consumer awareness campaigns to ensure safe use of mobile are some examples of the above.
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Employees At Airtel
Bharti Airtel believes that one of the most important drivers of growth and success for any organization is its people. At Bharti Airtel, the Mantra for employee delight focuses on 5 Ps People, Pride, Passion, Processes and Performance.
Bharti Airtel has been recognized among the Best Employers in the Country for two successive years being 14th in 2003 & jumping ahead of several other large conglomerates to an enviable position of the 2nd Best Employer in the Country in 2004. This is a clear demonstration & acknowledgement of the robust, progressive, people as well as business aligned Human Resource practices, which the organization has developed and implemented remarkably in a very short span of time.
Bharti Airtel follows an open door policy to approach the management, which helps resolve issues with mutual agreements. They encourage people to stand up against any unfair treatment for which they have the Office of the Ombudsman, where employees can raise any issues regarding business and workplace conduct. Bharti ensures transparency through the various communication policies, strategies and plans. Regular Employee Communication Forums provides a platform for the employees to raise issues that require resolution.
Bharti Airtels leaders strongly believe in facilitating and initiating activities that help employees manage their health and well-being. Their focus always remains to redefine leadership; develop leaders who enable performance and inspire their people to unleash their potential. Their people orientation reflects in their vision of being targeted by top talent, and a key aspect of our business focus building a best-in-class leadership team that nurtures talent at every level.
Employee friendly HR policies have been put in place, which amply reflect the organizations concern for its people. Some typical examples of these policies and practices include a family- day at office, half day leave for birthdays, gifts for anniversaries, compulsory 10 days off, festival celebration with family, no official meetings on weekends, five day weeks, concierge services, call center engagement programs etc. These care policies and practices are applied across the organizational levels without any discrimination.
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From self-management workshops to aerobics sessions, yoga classes to provision of relaxation/meditation rooms, they ensure that every employee keeps a check on his/her fitness. Tie-ups with leading health service organizations enable their employees to undertake periodical health check-ups depending upon their age. This facility is also extended to employee family members at discounted rates. The company provides Flexible Group Mediclaim insurance to all employees, covering all kinds of illnesses, accidents and hospital coverage for serious ailments. Apart from these specific engagements, they regularly organize health check up camps, eye check-up camps and stress management sessions. Some of their offices have opened gymnasiums/fitness facilities to ensure that the fitness fanatics do not have to worry about time constraints to remain fit. At many of their locations, they have hired psychologists who undertake personal counseling sessions for employees.
Bharti Airtel offers a flexible compensation structure to its employees wherein the employees have the flexibility to structure their fixed component of their compensation according to their requirements within the ambit of legislation. Even a sweeper in the corporate office must understand that, if he does not keep the office clean, the visiting shareholders could question the companys ability to manage a business if they cannot manage their premises well Mr. Akhil Gupta
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Environment, Health and Safety
Overview At Bharti, there is a belief in the philosophy to refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle. The company has taken many initiatives in this regard, both within the offices for the benefit of their employees; and for outside world for the convenience of the people
Few examples of the initiatives taken are mentioned below: (a) Most of the new Airtel buildings recycle waste water for sanitary and cooling of equipment purposes e.g. DG sets and AC systems. These buildings also have rain water harvesting systems for ground water replenishment where appropriate.
(b) All Airtel offices have energy efficient light fittings and DG sets. They also ensure automation that enables energy savings in their buildings. Building Management System (BMS) Intelligent Building concept is being followed in all the new Airtel building and campuses that are coming up. The BMS controls The Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning (HVAC) system,, electricity load management, water management, parking management, security and safety systems to ensure an efficiently run building on optimal resources.
(c) New buildings also incorporate the concept of and Energy Wheel which optimises energy efficiency in buildings. The AC system in their buildings adds a certain amount of fresh air periodically; In the process of adding this fresh air the cool air within the building vents out which may result into higher usage of energy to bring the cooling/ temperature back. The Energy Wheel concept ensures that as we bring the fresh air in it is pre-cooled thereby optimizing energy efficiency.
(d) Air quality is checked periodically in all Bharti Airtel offices, and based on the results, duct cleaning, carpet cleaning, chair and sofa shampooing is undertaken. Water quality is also monitored in cooling towers for DG sets and Air Conditioner systems so that water born diseases such as legionella, etc. are avoided.
(e) Use of air curtains on major office exits and double glazing also results in significant energy saving.
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(f)At the time of oil change in DG sets etc, the discarded oil for disposal is only sent to companies/ vendors approved by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for proper disposal as per CPCB approved processes. All Bharti Airtel offices follow the basic requirements specified by the Pollution Control Board) and ensure statutory compliance.
(g) All Bharti Airtel offices have fire alarm systems. Periodic fire drills are carried out in Bharti Airtel offices as a practice. All Airtel offices are provided with First Aid boxes and have identified people as First Aid specialists..
Bharti Airtel takes all its equipment from its key vendors, namely Nokia and Ericsson, who comply with all the required health and safety norms. There is an induction manual for sub-contractors to ensure that they follow all the safety and statutory compliances as well as Bharti Standard Operating Procedures.
Bharti Airtel is in the process of finalizing its Environment/ Health & Safety Policy (EHS) and will apply for ISO 14001 compliance within the next 3 years for each of its facilities.
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Community Initiatives
Overview Corporate Social Responsibility is embedded in, and built upon, the stated values of Bharti the institution. These values guide all their activities and each employee is encouraged to take decisions and design business-linked processes that are sensitive to communities and environment.
We have an obligation to fulfill to society and the communities in which we operate, and help improve the quality of life for everyone, today and in the future. Based on the basic guidelines and direction provided in the Code of Conduct, Bharti has undertaken many community programs.
Bhartis contribution to society is structured through two channels, namely, (a) Bhartis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives, including initiatives undertaken by way of employee mobilization as well as running environment related programs; and (b) Bharti Foundation, a separate vehicle established in 2000 to lead the CSR agenda of Bharti Group of Companies
(a) CSR Initiatives @ Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel has a nation-wide presence that has grown at an exponential rate in the recent years. Each local office undertakes special programs for the local community, thereby reaching out to people. Many projects like material collection drive and blood donation camps are organized for the welfare of the underprivileged community. Bharti constantly searches for new, innovative ways of reducing the consumption of resources, with the aim of leaving a better and greener earth for future generations.
Response to Disaster :-
- Bharti Airtels response to Tsunami Disaster: Bharti Airtel undertook the following initiatives for immediate relief and rehabilitation to Tsunami victims: - Built a mobile network in Andaman & Nicobar islands in less than 3 months to aid rapid rehabilitation of the island.
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- Donated Rs. 1 Crore to the Prime Ministers Relief Fund, in addition to contributions from employees. - Created 29 Airtel Crisis Communications centres in Tamil Nadu. - Raised resources for Tsunami victims by initiatives such as a Benefit Cricket Match.
Employees of Bharti Airtel also contributed through a Donation Collection Drive, with a difference. All employees were not only given the freedom to choose the amount they wished to donate, but also the agency they wished to donate to. One of the most memorable actions was the heroic way in which a Bharti employee re- established connections after Tsunami hit Tamil Nadu. After being washed away by the wave, this employee went back to work on restoring connectivity for the struck region. Word of his dedication spread within Bharti and he received tremendous response from his fellow Bhartians. Over 80 emails were addressed to him and presented to him in recognition.
Bharti Airtels response to Assam, Bihar and West Bengal floods: Bharti Airtel also partnered with an NGO to provide relief to the flood victims in the flood hit areas of Assam, Bihar and West Bengal. A Material Collection Drive was undertaken across Bharti offices, for collection of material such as clothes, utensils, footwear, blankets, dry ration and monetary donations. 55 cartons of clothes and 65 kilos of ration were dispatched, in addition to monetary contributions.
Bharti Airtel during Mumbai Floods: Bharti Airtel employees climbed up the towers to restore the networks so that their customers could conveniently reach its employees.
Bharti Airtels response to Kashmir earthquake: Bharti Airtels Rapid Response Team responded to the Kashmir earthquake by bringing more than 2000 food packets and water bottles to the affected area. Money, clothes, woolens and blankets were also collected from employees to distribute among earthquake victims.
Other initiatives of Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel employees have undertaken varied initiatives to reach out to the local community. Some of such initiatives are listed below:-
Airtel Ashiana for underprivileged children at the Mohali office of Airtel.
BIL North tied up with an NGO to distribute daily surplus food to needy children. Airtel Experience Centre by Access MP for the benefit of the benefit of visually impaired
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people as well as people from deprived section of society.
Mobile Services J ammu & Kashmir donated free medicines, stationery, clothes and other utility items at the Missionaries of Charity Home for Destitutes.
Mobile Services MP & CG supported the WalkaThon to create awareness about diabetes on World Diabetes Day, organized by the Indian Medical Association.
Airtel Maharashtra & Goa team visited the Thalassemia Ward of Sassoor Hospital to interact with children as well as the families affected.
Airtel Kerala team visited an old age home and shared a day full of fun with the members of the home.
A tree plantation drive was carried out by Access-NCR, Access-North and Access-UP West Circles, where in free tree saplings were planted. Airtel Madhya Pradesh & Chhatisgarh planted trees on its fourth Circle Inception Day
In Tamil Nadu, Airtel has adopted a corporation park in Chennai city.
Mobile Services Rajasthan supported the Red Ribbon Caravan initiative of the Rajasthan State AIDS Control Society, to spread awareness about HIV/ AIDS. During the month-long campaign a caravan of five vans covered 32 districts of Rajasthan, to spread the awareness of HIV/ AIDS.
Airtel Delhi organized a Blood Donation Camp in association with Indian Red Cross Society (b) Bharti Foundation
Although CSR is executed at all levels in the organization, the Promoters of Bharti Enterprises established Bharti Foundation in 2000 with a vision, To help underprivileged children and youth of our country realize their potential. Bharti Foundations mission is to create and support programs that bring about sustainable changes through education, use of technology and information and best practice sharing. Bharti Foundation has established itself the goals of improving accessibility and quality of education at the school level for underprivileged children, and to provide education and training opportunities to youth.
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CHAPTER II: THE PROJECT OBJECTIVE OF STUDY BRIEF DESCRIPTION TRMINOLOLOGIES USED METHODOLOGY OF STUDY
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Project Proposal I. Objective of the Project : Analysis of the Welcome Visit Executives of Airtel and recommendations to improve their performance. The project is basically to identify the lags in welcome visits and thereby to improve welcome visit scores by improving the performance of Welcome Visit executives through requisite training and development and manpower planning.
II. Description of the Project in brief: Welcome Process consists of Welcome visits, Welcome calls, and Welcome letters. Welcome Visit Executives are responsible to perform this process so that the customers of the Airtel post paid connection are well aware of the bill plan details, modes of payment and various other services provided by the company. Therefore, it is very necessary to work on this to make the process customer friendly. This project is basically to study the reasons behind the low performance of the Executives which is pulling the CSMM scores down and then offering solutions in terms of the type of training required and also the necessary improvisations to be done in the manpower planning.
III. Terminologies used in the Project:
WELCOME PROCESS
Welcome Visits:- Welcome Visits are made to the new postpaid customers of Airtel to carry out the credit and address verification along with other allied activities carried out by the Welcome Visit Executives for the customer. Welcome Visit is made within 48 hours of the activation of the connection.
Welcome Visits:- Made to all customers. Welcome Calls:- Based on the need. Welcome Letters:- Sent to all Customers
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Following are the allied activities carried out by the Welcome Visit Executive: Bill Plan Details:- He has to explain all the chargeable services in the customers monthly bill like the Rate plan, Advance Rental, and Value Plus Services. The outgoing call charges, Recurring Charges, Non-Recurring Charges, Usage, Discounts & Adjustments, Service Tax , Late Fees ,etc. are to be told.
Bill Cycle, due Date and LPC:- Bill cycle is to be explained. Late Payment Charges are also told about.
Short Code Education:- Short codes (Codes sent to 121 as an SMS) , For e.g. OT for Outstanding Amount, MBILL for Mini Bill Statement, UNB for Unbilled Amount, etc. So, Short Code Education is also given by the Welcome Visit Executive to the customer.
Payment Options:- Various Payment modes are also to be told :-
o Cash: There are various cash points at which the payment can be made. o Cheque Payment: Payment can also be made through cheques. o Credit card: Credit cards can also be used to make make payment at various Airtel retail centres. o Drop Box: There are XXX Cheque Drop Boxes across the state to enable the customers to make the payments before due date. o Mobile cheque / M chek: It is a provision whereby bills can be paid through mobile. o E-billing: Secure payment can also be made online at www.airtel.in by using credit card by customers.
Welcome Calls:- Welcome calls are made within 48 hours of the Welcome Visit and is done to supplement the welcome visit. The purpose of the call may be to:
Validate Customers name and address. Obtain the missing information in the Customer Information Form. Provide critical information to the customer. Clarify issues raised during the welcome visit.
Welcome Letters:- Welcome Letters are sent to all customers to provide them with details of payment methods, details regarding the customers plan, etc. Welcome letters are sent within 1 week of activation of the connection.
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IV. Methodology: Research Methodology includes not only the research methods but also consists the logic behind the methods used in context of the study and explains why only a particular method of technique had been used so that the search lend themselves to proper evaluation. Thus in a way it is a written game plan for conducting research. It consists of the following steps: 1. Formulating the Research Problem- This means defining the research objectives ina a specific way so that they shoul be clear and specific. In this project the problem has been defined as the poor performance of the Welcome Visit Executives due to which the customer satisfaction is low. 2. Sources of Data Collection- Both primary and secondary data would be used for the study. In case of primary data, Questionnaires have been used to gather the desired information from the postpaid customers. Since , the customers were based in five different cities of Punjab, responses were obtained through telephonic interviews by the HR Department of Bharti Airtel. This data was provided to me by the Department for the analysis. Secondary Data is collected from the website of Airtel and books, the list of which is given in the bibliography. 3. Sample Unit- This defines the target population for surveys i.e. all existing postpaid customers of Airtel spread across all 5 zones in Punjab i.e. Amritsar, Ludhiana, J alandhar , Chandigarh, Bhatinda. 4. Sample Size- It indicates the number of people to be surveyed. In this project , the sample size was limited to 100 respondents, 20 from each of the five zones of Punjab. 5. Analysis of Data- The data after collection has to be processed and analyzed in a way that has been laid out for the purpose of the study. Here attempt will be made to identify lags in the performance of the Welcome Visit Executives due to which there is a low level of satisfaction among the customers. There are 2 types of analysis used on the data: Analysis through Bar Graphs Fish Bone Analysis With the help of these , parameters are recognized which require improvement.
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CHAPTER III: COLLECTION & ANALYSIS OF DATA DATA COLLECTION DATA ANALYSIS
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DATA COLLECTION For the collection of data, Questionnaires have been used to gather the desired information from the customers. Since these postpaid customers are located in five different zones of Punjab, namely Amritsar , Chandigarh , Bathinda , Ludhiana and J alandhar ;the responses have been obtained through telephonic interviews by the HR Department of the company. This information was given to me to find out the effectiveness of the Welcome Visits in these five zones and analyze the key improvement areas in terms of the performance of the Welcome Visit Executives. Secondary data is collected from the internet and some books which provided me with other relevant information regarding the project.
DATA ANALYSIS For this project , 2 different types of analysis have been done on the provided data:- Analysis through Bar Graphs Fish Bone Analysis
Note:- Questionnaires have been attached in the annexure.
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Analysis through Bar Graphs
On the basis of the various questions asked to the postpaid customers to measure their satisfaction with the Welcome Visits, I have got the following figures.
Job Knowledge:- The following is the region wise percentage of customers who were given the information on bill plan, credit limit, first bill explanation, short code education, etc. by the Welcome Visit Executive.
Chandigarh and Ludhiana Are the Top 2 scorers. Amritsar is the lowest with only 60% customers who were told about the Bill Plan Details.
60% 80% 65% 80% 75% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Yes (%age) Zone Bill Plan Details
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Only 55 % of the Customers of Amritsar and Bathinda were given the knowledge about the Credit Limit. More %age of customers in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and J alandhar had the knowledge about the Credit Limit.
Chandigarh is the Top scorer in terms of providing Short SMS codes education to the customers while Bathinda and is the lowest with just 40% of the customers having knowledge about it.
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Chandigarh is the Top scorer in terms of providing first bill Explanation to the customers while Amritsar is the lowest with just 40% of the customers having knowledge about it.
50% 80% 60% 75% 80% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Yes (%age) Zone First Bill Explanation
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The following percentage of customers were told about the respective payment methods by the Welcome Visit Executive .
Customers of each Zone had the knowledge about this payment method which is very common.
Ludhiana customers had the maximum awareness about this payment method. Bathinda had the lowest with 60% customers aware about this mode of payment.
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85 % Customers of J alandhar are aware of the payment mode i.e. Credit card. Ludhiana and Chandigarh also have high scores. Amritsar is the least scoring with only 60% customers aware about it.
All zones have low scores with Bathinda the least scoring i.e. 35%. Chandigarh and Ludhiana have comparatively high scores i.e. 65%.
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Bathinda is the least scoring with just 40% customers aware of this payment mode and Chandigarh is the highest scoring with 65% customers aware about this payment mode.
Bathinda and J alandhar are the lowest scoring zone with 50% customers being aware about this payment mode. Chandigarh is again the highest scoring zone with 80% customers having awareness about this payment mode.
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Rating of emoloyees on attributes such as politeness, courteousness, knowledge and presentability :- Customers were asked to rate the executives on a scale of 1 to 5 on each of the above attributes, 5 being the maximum and 1 being the minimum score. For our analysis the Top 2 and Bottom 2 scores are considered, 3 being a neutral rating has been ignored.
Chandigarh and Ludhiana are top scorers(75%) & Amritsar & Bathinda score least (60%) in top 2 scores. In Bottom 2 Amritsar & Bathinda are top scorers with 35%.
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Ludhiana & Chandigarh are top scorers- 80% & 75% and Amritsar & Bathinda score least - 55% & 60% in top 2. In bottom 2 Amritsar & Bhatinda are the top scorers with 30%.
Chandigarh and Ludhiana are top scorers(80% & 75 %) and in Amritsar, Bathinda score least in top 2. In bottom 2 Amritsar & Bathinda are top scorers with 30%.
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Chandigarh, Ludhiana and J alandhar are top scorers with 85% , 80% and 80% while Amritsar and Bathinda score least in top 2 i.e. 70%. In bottom 2 Amritsar and Bathinda are top scorers with 25% & 30%.
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Overall Satisfaction With the Welcome Visit
Chandigarh is top scoring(80%) and Amritsar and bathinda score least in the Top 2 In the Bottom 2 Amritsar & Bhatinda are again on the negative trend being the Top Scorer with 20%.
0 20 40 60 80 60% 80% 55% 75% 75% 20% 15% 20% 20% 20% TOP 2 and Bottom 2 (%age) Zone Overall Satisfaction with the Welcome Visit TOP 2 BOTTOM 2
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Fishbone Analysis A Problem-Analysis Tool
The above analysis using the Bar graphs is a practical analysis. But to basically know the lags in the Welcome Visits, we need to go into the intricacies of the various processes in the Human Resources which are lagging because of which the customer satisfaction from the Welcome Visits is low. What is a Fishbone diagram? Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa, a J apanese quality control statistician, invented the fishbone diagram in the 1960s. Therefore, it may be referred to as the Ishikawa diagram. Ishikawa in the process became one of the founding fathers of modern management. The fishbone diagram is an analysis tool that provides a systematic way of looking at effects and the causes that create or contribute to those effects. Because of the function of the fishbone diagram, it may be referred to as a cause-and-effect diagram. The design of the diagram looks much like the skeleton of a fish. Therefore, it is often referred to as the fishbone diagram. When should a fishbone diagram be used? Need to study a problem/issue to determine the root cause? Want to study all the possible reasons why a process is beginning to have difficulties, problems, or breakdowns? Want to study why a process is not performing properly or producing the desired results? How is a fishbone diagram constructed? Basic Steps: 1. Draw the fishbone diagram.... 2. Label each ""bone" of the "fish". The major categories typically utilized are: The 4 Ms: Methods, Machines, Materials, Manpower The 4 Ps: Place, Procedure, People, Policies The 4 Ss: Surroundings, Suppliers, Systems, Skills The four categories can be combined in any fashion, they are to help organize ones ideas.
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3. Using an idea-generating technique (e.g., brainstorming) to identify the factors within each category that may be affecting the problem/issue and/or effect being studied. The team should ask... "What are the machine issues affecting/causing..." 4. Repeating this procedure with each factor under the category to produce sub-factors. Continue asking, "Why is this happening?" and putting additional segments to each factor and subsequently under each sub-factor. 5. Continue until you no longer get useful information as you ask, "Why is that happening?" 6. Analyzing the results of the fishbone after team members agree that an adequate amount of detail has been provided under each major category. Items that appear in more than one category become the most likely causes. 7. For those items identified as the "most likely causes", the team should reach consensus on listing those items in priority order with the first item being the most probable" cause.
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Fishbone Analysis
No Structured Induction Training Program available Material Measurement Methods Manpower No Induction for new joinees No Refresher Training Since Last 6 months No structured Training Programme Executives Poor job knowledge High attrition No Audit been conducted Lack Basic Skills Faulty Recruitment process Poor Executives Scenario
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CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSIONS LIMITATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS
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Findings & Conclusions from the Fish Bone Analysis Material:- No Structured InductionTraining Programme for new joinees :- Induction Training Programme is an important process for bringing staff into an organisation. It provides an introduction to the working environment and the set-up of the employee within the organisation. The process covers the employer and employee rights and the terms and conditions of employment. An induction programme is part of an organisations knowledge management process and is intended to enable the new starter to become a useful, integrated member of the team, rather than being "thrown in at the deep end" without understanding how to do their job, or how their role fits in with the rest of the company. A good induction programmes can increase productivity and reduce short-term turnover of staff. Welcome Visits is such an important task of the company, and in order to make the Welcome Visit Executives comfortable with the job an induction programme is a must for them which currently is not there.
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Methods:- The following methods or processes relating to the Welcome Visits are faulty and needs modification:- Faulty Recruitment Process:- No proper recruitment process is currently followed. Following is the current Recruitment process:-
There is no involvement of the Welcome Visit team in the recruitment process which is really essential to select a right job fit candidate. No Refresher Training:- Refresher Training is a short term course aimed at recalling and reinforcement of previously acquired knowledge and skills and also updating knowledge according to the current scenario. Since the Welcome Visit Executives have a direct contact with the customers, there is a constant need for them to get updated with the latest plans and all connection related information. No such refresher course has been conducted in the company from the past 6 months. So, it is one of the important reasons behind the low customer satisfaction.
Minimum Qualifications :- Senior Secondary Interviewees come through Reference An interview is conducted by the HR Department Suitable candidate is selected
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No Structured Training Programme:- Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and job skills of the employees. No proper Training Programme has taken place in the company in the last 6 months. Infact it is the most likely cause of Low Performance of Executives because of its recurrence in the Fish Bone Analysis under more than one head. Manpower:- Poor Executives Scenario :- Following is the information relating to their age on the job, work experience, educational background, etc.
Age on Job 59% 25% 16% 0-6 Months 6-12 Months >12 months Work Experience 66% 34% 1st J ob 2nd & 3rd J ob Eduactional Qualification 12% 33% 55% Post Graduates Graduates Senior Secondary
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Executives do not have a prior Work Experience and therefore are not able to satisfy the customers well. 66% of the Executives are into their first job. Only 15% of the Executives are working with Airtel for a period more than one year. It shows high attrition rate among the Executives. The reasons could be many ; low job satisfaction , less scope of growth, etc. 55% of the Executives are Senior Secondary and thus are not exposed to the vagaries of the market and thus are not able to yield a high rate of customer satisfaction. Executives Poor Job Knowledge:- The Job Knowledge of Executives is lacking in each Zone. However if we check out the rating of the Knowledge attribute, Amritsar & Bathinda are extremely low with 30% customers rating them 1 & 2 scores and barely 60% and 65% customers respectively giving them high scores. So, poor job knowledge is another reason for low CSMM Scores and low performance. Lack Basic Skills:- The executives lack basic soft skills in some of the Zones.
Measurement:- No Audit been conducted:- The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, project or product. So, audit is really important to review and regulate the performance of any individual or process. However, there is no system of Audit for the Welcome Visit Executives at Airtel. There is an urgent need for the same because of the fact that customers are not fully satisfied with the Welcome Visits and so Executives who are not good at their performance should be realised of the fact so that they can improve their performance accordingly.
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Limitations of the study
Inability to conduct exhaustive analysis due to short time period of study. Lack of authentic information from the respondents of questionnaires and telephone attendants. Since the area of study covers 5 zones in Punjab, physical reach was not possible due to which telephonic interviews were conducted. The analysis or suggestions to the company will not be applicable uniformly throughout India due to study of limited market/zones of operation.
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Recommendations New Recruitment Process :-
Currently the interview is conducted just by the HR department, however it is recommended that the Welcome Visit team should also be a part of the recruitment process because they are in a better position to recruit an Executive as they know the job needs of an Executive better. So, all this would help the organization to select a right job fit Welcome Visit Executive.
3 days Training Programme/ Induction Training programme:-
1 st Day: J ob Knowledge should be given to the executives on the first day. A detailed explanation of the various bill plans, schemes, modes of payment etc. should be given to them. Airtel product-Help Book should be explained to them. The Airtel executives should fill the Job Knowledge Questionnaire towards the start and end of the program which would reflect the level of knowledge gained and it will also give an overview of the effectiveness of the program.It is explained further in detail.
Minimum Qualifications:- Senior Secondary Interviews come through Reference Interview conducted by a panel of HR departmant and the Welcome Visit Team as well Right job fit candidate is selected
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Note:- While imparting training to the executives on job knowledge following lacking areas of each zone should be kept in mind by the trainer :- Amritsar:- Welcome Visit Executives have less job knowledge as compared to other zones in terms of the results of the analysis. So they need to be given an Exhaustive training session in the job knowledge. Chandigarh:- Chandigarh is highest scoring with good scores but still discriminant analysis shows a scope for improvement. Bathinda:- Even Welcome Visit Executives of Bathinda have less job knowledge as compared to other zones in terms of the results of the analysis. So they need to be given an Exhaustive training session in the job knowledge. Ludhiana:-Ludhiana has average scores and hence a fairly good amount of improvement is needed as regards information delivery to the customers is concerned. J alandhar:- Even J alandhar just like Ludhiana has average scores and hence a fairly good amount of improvement is needed as regards information delivery to the customers is concerned.
So, training programmes can be so moduled as to suit the specific needs of each Zone.
A special point can be highlighted here that as regards payment methods are concerned, M- cheque is a payment mode which maximum of the customers across all the zones are not aware of. So, this payment mode should specially be highlighted in all the training programmes.
2 nd Day: First Half - Soft skills Training should be given to the Executives to improve the behavior & outlook of executives, Communication, etc. They should be given tips on Grooming, Personal hygiene, Dressing, Body Language, Greeting the customer, etc, Business Etiquettes - Dos & Donts. Second Half - In the second half a Senior executive should take over the program who should enlighten the executives with his experiences of Welcome Visit and case studies can also be taken up. Role Plays should also be conducted based on learnings from the field & case study.
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Note:- While imparting training to the executives on soft skills following lacking areas of each zone should be kept in mind by the trainer :- Amritsar:- Customers here are having a discomfort due to calling and visits at odd times along with the Verification which they carry out from neighbours, etc. So, this basic thing should be told to the Executive that they should not cause discomfort to the customer in any way. Amritsar Zone executives also need a training in soft skills as it is a zone which is having low scores in politeness, courteousness and presentability. Chandigarh:- Discomfort due to the Executives calling or visiting at odd hours is not an issue in this zone. Otherwise also its top scoring in the attributes such as politeness, courteousness and presentability. Bathinda:- Customers are not as much discomfortable but they are to some extent mainly from two reasons only i.e. calling and visiting at odd hours. So, some sort of cautiousness should be recommended to such Executives. Even Bathinda zone Executives like that of the Amritsar Zone need a training in soft skills as these are the zone which are having low scores in politeness, courteousness and presentability. Ludhiana:- Customers are not as much discomfortable but they are to some extent mainly from two reasons only i.e. calling and visiting at odd hours. So, some sort of cautiousness should be recommended to such Executives. Otherwise, its top scoring in the attributes such as politeness, courteousness and presentability. J alandhar:- Customers are not as much discomfortable but they are to some extent mainly from two reasons only i.e. calling and visiting at odd hours. So, some sort of cautiousness should be recommended to such Executives. J alandhar executives lack a bit of courtesy and politeness, so they need to be specially taught to be polite and courteous with customers.
3 rd Day: Field visits in the respective zones can be observed by a senior on the last day of the induction training programme. Along with that their doubts can be clarified while on field visits.
The training module should be conducted separately for all the zones or some zones can be combined due to the reason that there are separate J ob knowledge, Information needs, and a different level of Soft skills which are reflected from the frequencies shown by the Bar Graphs. Training can be conducted in the following ways:- Amritsar and Bathinda are almost lacking similar attributes. So, a combined training programme can be conducted for them.
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Ludhiana and J alandhar are almost lacking similar attributes. So, a combined training programme can be conducted for them. Chandigarh executives are the top scorers in each attribute and hence there can be a separate training programme for them which would help them excel.
This training module can be used as an independent training module/ as an induction module as well. If it is used as an Induction Module, then along with the Job knowledge given on the first day, the executive will also be given a brief about the Bharti Culture and Values.
Welcome Visit Induction Module Bharti Airtel - Culture And Values Job Knowledge Payment Methods Bill Plan Details, Short Codes Education, Credit Limits, etc. Process Knowledge How to carry out Address and Credit Verification
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Conducting Refresher Training Programmes:- Refresher training should be conducted at least once in 6 months to update the Executive with the changes taking place in say, bill plans, etc. A session to recall their already acquired knowledge should also be a part of such refresher training.
Job Knowledge Questionnaire:- A J ob Knowledge Questionnaire can be used as a tool to assess the knowledge of the Executive in his job before taking the training programme and after he has took the Training Programme. A job knowledge Questionnaire basically consists of a set of Multiple choice questions which need to be answered by the Executive and would help the organization in many ways Firstly, the comparative scores of the Questionnaire would help the organization to know whether the training module was effective in providing the desired knowledge to the Executive. If not improvisations in the module can be made. For instance:-If the score of the J KQ was 5/10 on an average before the training i.e. out of a set of 10 questions were asked, 5 on an average were correct and after the training programme the score has improved to say 8/10, we can say the training programme module was effective and if the scores are reduced, accordingly the module can be modified. By having a look at the filled questionnaires, the trainer will know what kind of knowledge needs to be extended during the course of the training. Post training results also helps us analyse the areas in which the knowledge needs to be enhanced. This will make the executives confident about their knowledge. J KQ as a basis of recognition:- The candidates with good J KQ results can be rewarded. This will give them a motivation to learn. So effectiveness of Trainings can be analyzed in a very inexpensive manner. Note:- A copy of the J KQ has been attached in the Annexure.
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Conducting Field Audits:- Field Audits can be conducted to evaluate the performance of the Welcome Visit Executives. For this a Field Audit form has been devised which can be made filled by the supervisor of the customer from some of the selected customers he has visited. Its a kind of a check list which would enable the supervisor to know about the performance of the Executive and accordingly he can motivate him to work better.
Rewards and Recognition:- Some system of rewards should be there for such Executives. They are a cadre of low level employees who will be highly motivated with such an initiative of the HR department. A reward of whatsoever amount according to the company budget would bring a sense of recognition for the Executives. Scores of the J ob knowledge Questionnaire can become the basis of the reward.
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APPENDICES & ANNEXURE
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Dear Sir/ Maam, This is a survey being conducted by Airtel to know the effectiveness of the Welcome Visits which were made at your house after you took a new postpaid Airtel connection. Welcome visit, as you all might know is a visit paid by the Welcome Visit Executive of Airtel to the new postpaid customer of Airtel within 48 hours of activation of the connection. It is an activity carried out by the Welcome Visit Executive for the following purposes:- Address Verification and Credit Verification:- Here the Welcome visit executive verifies your documents.
Bill Plan Details:- He has to explain all the chargeable services in the customers monthly bill like the Rate plan, Advance Rental, and Value Plus Services. The outgoing call charges, Recurring Charges, Non-Recurring Charges, Usage, Discounts& Adjustments, Service Tax, Late Fees, etc. are also to be told.
Bill Cycle, due Date and LPC:- Bill cycle is to be explained. Late Payment Charges are also to be told.
Short Code Education:- Short codes (Codes sent to 121 as an SMS) , For e.g.
OT for Outstanding Amount. MBILL for Mini Bill Statement. UNB for Unbilled Amount. Such Short Code Education is also required to be given by the Welcome Visit Executive to the customer.
Payment Options:- Various Payment modes are also to be told. By filling this questionnaire, please give us a chance to know where such Welcome Visit Executives are lacking so that we can improve and serve you better tomorrow.
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Customers Satisfaction Measurement Questionnaire
Personal Information:
a) Customer Name:
b) Age Group: 18-25 25-30 30-40 above 40
c) Sex: Male Female
d) Occupation:
1. From how much time have you been using mobile services? _________________ 2. Is this the first time that you have used Airtel services? Yes No 3. Are you satisfied with your current connection? If not why? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. Were you satisfied with the address verification and credit verification process carried out by our Welcome Visit Executive ? Yes No
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5. Do you feel any kind of discomfort due to any of the following? Calling at odd times Visiting at odd hours Asking of any uncomfortable questions Verification from neighbours/servant, etc. 6. Which of the following payment methods were told to you by the Welcome Visit Executive? Cash Cheque Credit card Drop box Mobile cheque e-billing
7. Which of the following information was provided to you during the Welcome Visit? Bill Plan Details Credit Limit First Bill Explanation Short SMS Codes
8. On a scale of 1-5 how would you rate the executive on the following attributes? Polite ___ Courteous ___ Knowledgable ___ Presentable ___
9. How would you rate the overall satisfaction with the Welcome Visit? Outstanding Very Good Good Average Below Average
Thank You for your Response!!!
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JOB KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONNAIRE Please tick mark the option which you find is the correct one.
1. Airtel is present in how many circles all over India? 22 circles 21circles 24 circles 23 circles
2. What is the name of the booklet which is given to the customer while welcoming him on the airtel network? Welcome kit My Welcome Help book Airtel Welcome Help book Our welcome Help copy
3. On which day is the customer charged late fee? 16th day 21st day 18th day 19th day
4. What is the website for airtel? www.airtel.in www.airtelbill.com www.airtel.co www.airtelhelpbook.com
5. On which of the numbers is the customer required to call in order to activate Hello tunes? 55055 12345 543211 54321
6. Which of the following numbers would the customer type on his mobile screen in order to receive his unbilled statement? *121*14# *121*16#
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*121*13# *121*12#
7. What is the name of the document which you are required to fill after you have met the customer? SEF CIF CEF PEF
8. What is a new customers initial credit limit?
500 800 300 400
9. Which of the following sms is to be typed in order to register for m-cheque? M-chq to 121 M-ch to 121 Pay airtel to121 airtel to 543219
10. Which of the following codes will you write in the CIF if the customer refuses to give information? HLD SNR SND IDD
Thank You!!
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Bibliography Following sites have been referred to:- www.airtel.in www.bharti.com www.bhartiairtel.in www.allbusiness.com www.workforce.com www.impactfactory.com http://workplaceculture.suite101.com/article.cfm/induction_training www.google.com
Following books have been referred to:-
Human Resource Management ICMR Human Resource Management Ashwathappa The Management of Human Resources Robbins, Stephens Business Research Methods Cooper, Schindler