Brief of the Project
Comcast is one of the companies reviewed by Harris Interactive’s 14th Annual Reputation Quotient Survey with bad reputation. The Reputation Quotient Survey was based on the key characteristics such as trust, product quality, employee’s treatment, and social responsibility. The reputation score of 60.99 in 2013 and 59.10 in 2012, respectively. Its stock performance is 47.7 percent and the 12-month sale is 61.68 billion US dollars. In addition, the latest American Customer Service Satisfaction Index survey, the company raked as the second worst television-service providers and at the bottom of the Internet service providers. In the last three years, Comcast Corporation ranked as one of the least reputable companies conducted by the Harris Interactive.
Customer service is the major issue of the company. About 20 percent rated the company with poor customer service as one of the three companies with much customer dissatisfaction. As reported by ACSI in 2012 that Comcast fixed telephone lines and offered television subscription business was ranked the lowest by sectors for the consumer satisfaction. However, the poor rating from the customer sentiments did not affect the entire company. Its share in the market is up over 47 percent in 2012. In addition, recently, the company purchase the remainder of NBC Universal about 16.7 billion US dollars.
The CSR project would help the company enhance the customer service for the consumers of their products and provide effective services to ensure the future as one of the good CSR rating and more competitive on television-service provider and Internet service provider in the market.
Description or Identification of the Situation or Problem
The Comcast Corporation is inspired by its rich heritage, experience, leadership, and creativity with its objective to shape the future of media and technology. Despite these well created company and inspirations, the focal problem of the Comcast Corporation according to the survey that the focal issue faced by the company is poor customer service. As per statement of David VanAmburg of the consumer complaints that, “It is a combination of price and reliabilitythat is sapping customer satisfaction across the board” .
Brian Roberts, the Comcast chairperson and CEO argued the Comcast with its Xfinity products, the fastest broadband, fastest in-home Wi-Fi, most on-demand offerings, and suite of capabilities on Smartphones and tablets allowing the consumers access anywhere and everywhere. In the contrary, Kagan, an Industry Analyst said that, the company faced many complaints from subscribers, and the service requires the consumers to use a cable box on a television unit. In addition, the latest American Customer Service Satisfaction Index survey shows that Comcast received the second worst ranking among the subscription television-service providers and at the bottom of the Internet service providers.
Mission of the Project
CSR entailed companies that behave in a responsible manner socially and deal with the other companies to perform similarly. The growing awareness of the public and its demand for responsible companies socially, it is expected that today’s companies consider corporate social responsibility in planning responsible business operations in the market. In addition, the awareness of the consumers about the global social issues that continually grow, the consumers give importance on CSR when and where to purchase products and services.
The major mission of the CSR project is to guide the company to Do Right as its core value in the customer service. Mark DeYoung, President, and CEO said that, “people are at the center of the company’s values. Without people, companies would not be successful” .
This mission involves ethics and compliance for the consumers as the center of the service; being satisfied and happy. Among the other objectives: First, improve the organizational structure; this is to provide leadership for more sustained ethical conduct to the customers and the company. Second is the communications and training; it is to summarize the standards that govern the approach and to conduct proper service. All employees are encouraged to speak matters that concerned on how to resolve issues quickly and to prevent serious harm. Third, the protection against retaliation; this is to protect employees from retaliation, and this aspect should not hinder employees to ask questions, report some concerns, and participate in any activities of the company. Fourth, the compliance risk assessment; to conduct this risks assessment helps all areas in the business to function effectively in accordance to the rules and regulations implemented. Its result promotes trust and credibility to the employees, managements, stakeholders, investors, and the consumers or public.
Project Activities
Project activities are integrity in corporate activities, community engagement, support education, holiday giving, and harmony in the environment.
Integrity in Corporate Activities
This includes quality management (continue the efforts to maintain and to improve the quality managements and focus to become more competitive in order to provide the consumers continually with high value products and services) and customer satisfaction activities (to implement improvements and reforms to create value for consumers.) In addition, the creation of user-friendly products (to offer designs that take into consideration the customers’ feelings and ease of use, to increase customers’ satisfaction levels that retains market competitiveness,) and information security (to establish a sense of information security within the group and receive high evaluation.) Along with the activity are the risk management and internal control (creating an effective mechanism to prevent acts of dishonesty) and expansion of CSR to other partner companies (to understand the concepts and the voluntary developments of the related activities by other major partner.)
Community Engagement
Service to the community promotes good integrity. One of the best things to do is to support with corporate donations. It would be better to let every employee pledge any amount through payroll deduction. For example, in 2013, the financial support of ATK to the United Way totaled about 1.2 million US dollars and about 40 percent of their employees helped in the donation .
Support Education
It is of great influence to foster students’ interest and achievements in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Since the Comcast is on technology, this is a good activity to perform. This activity promotes readiness to students in the future as leaders and workforce.
Holiday Giving
It is one of the most exciting moments year round on different special occasions. This includes sharing of clothing, foods, and toys to adults and children. Sharing happiness would bring happiness in every heart in the company.
Harmony in the Environment
This activity involved efficient use of resources (to reduce the total environmental impact due to the effective use of resources,) implementation of advanced environmental technology development (the CO2 emission volumes fall and reduce environmental impacts that cause climate change.) In addition, other activities are to create environmentally safe products (to reduce risks of contaminations through strengthening the control system by creating highly environmentally safe products) and biodiversity conservation (to promote activities that conserve the ecosystem.)
Expected Results of the Project
Considering the missions and all activities, the issue would be resolve in no time. What is needed is the cooperation of every employee and the top managements of the Comcast Corporation. The issue on customer service would surely be replaced with an excellent customer service. The rank would be placed on its top position, and no longer at the bottom position. Great improvements would be visible in the company and public. There would be more patrons of all the products and services in the market. Technically, the company would enhance continuously and to be more competitive in local and global market, as well. Economically, the company would increase their sales, profit, and stock performances.
Measurement of the Project Success
Proper planning, monitoring, and evaluation initiatives in every product and service are very necessary as its measurement of success. The programs and systems designs help identify the performance and implementation of policies.
Description of Actor, Partner, and Stakeholder Role in Delivering the Activities or Results
The ones who will implement the project start from the top managements, employees, and other departments as part of the company. As a common saying that goes, “A good leader is a good follower.” If everyone in the company knows how to follow proper rules and regulations, by no means the success of the company is at hand.
Time Plan of the Project or Project Cycle Time Plan
Preparation
A thorough preparation should cover from the top to bottom aspects of the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Determination is the key to prepare efficient and effective preparation. The target should focus on the issue faced by the company to obtain positive result after its implementation.
Implementation
This level is the crucial matter in terms of application of the rules and feedbacks from the internal and external sources and the consumers in particular.
Results
This level represents the success or failure of the products and services. However, it would be expected that CSR bring often-positive results.
If in case, the first attempt is not very successful, it is always possible to create new strategies for better results.
Budget of the Project
Using the lifecycle costing, it includes costs over the full life span or specified period of products, services, structure, and system. Specifically, purchase price, installation costs, operating costs, maintenance, upgrade costs, and miscellaneous.
Works Cited
ATK. Corporate Social REsponsibility Report. 2014. Retrieved from http://www.atk.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/05/CSR-2014-FINAL.pdf.
Bilson, Jo. Effects of Bad Corporate Social Responsibility. 20 March 2010. Retrieved from
https://suite.io/jo-bilson/38h92qa.
Fallon, Nicole. What is Corporate Social Responsibility? 27 February 2014. Retrieved from
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4679-corporate-social-responsibility.html.
Rothacker, Rick. Customer service challenge ahead in Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal. 13
February 2014. Retrieved from http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/13/3619829/customer-service-challenge-in.html.
The Wall Street Journal. Companies with the Best (and Worst) Reputations. 13 February 2013.
Retrieved from http://www.marketwatch.com/story/companies-with-the-best-and-worst-reputations-2013-02-15?pagenumber=2.
