Office Management report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Office Management report - Essay Example Communication Every person who wants to become a professional must have good communication skills. These skills include writing and oral communication that has a large influence on how one conveys ideas about products or services. For example, we learned how to take down notes of a meeting as well as prepare an agenda for meeting. Even beforehand, we had to inform attendees about a certain meeting, and this calls for writing skills. Some format must be followed and writing must clearly convey the purpose of the said meeting. Likewise, the minutes of the meeting would be disseminated later, which must not only be free from typographical errors but factual as well. When it comes to oral communication, this is very useful when making presentation to a group. Besides, we also learned how to facilitate a meeting so the group would not be sidetracked to other topics that may be irrelevant. There were many instances wherein we had the chance to improve our communication skills; thus, everyt hing we learned can be useful one day. Telephone Techniques The telephone has been the medium for dealing or transacting with customers for almost fifty years before computers came into the scene. Good salespeople always used the telephone to make sales calls and close contracts. No matter how advanced technology may be using online transactions ( chat support) ,nothing comes close to the assuring human voice at the other end of the line. The lessons about telephone techniques were helpful but each company has their own way of using the telephone for business means. The lesson about telephone technique was rather basic, but it covered enough details so new employees can transact over the phone politely. Customer Service In this lesson, I learned that the success of a business largely depends on the type of customer service that it renders. Why? Simply, because competition among companies is very intense nowadays; hence, buyers are not only after a good price. They also value after s ales support and this where the value of customer service comes in. Some of the things that I learned included good customer service behavior, handling customer complaints and determining customer/client satisfaction. I realized that from the very moment that employees start greeting customers, a relationship is established that can lead to satisfaction or dissatisfaction. In real life, I have witnessed bad examples of sales people making the wrong choice of words that can turn away customers. When customers feel that their needs are given due attention, they feel valued and get interested about a certain product. During the sessions, I practiced the steps of good customer behavior by looking myself in the mirror. I tried to analyze how I project warmth or if my expression were sincere enough. Indeed, I realized that successful sales people have charisma because they can easily persuade a person by just using their charm. Lastly, I also gained a lot by understanding the LEAF Theory regarding handling customer complaints. This is a very touchy subject since dissatisfied or angry customers can bring bad business by telling other people about a company. This lesson made me interested in jobs that handle complaints on services because it is challenging to appease customers. Nevertheless, the more you experience such situations, the better your customer service skills become. Time Management Even as a student, time management skills are crucial because

Interview with a Record Store Owner Essay Example for Free

Interview with a Record Store Owner Essay On a less then pleasant day the weather was cold and rainy so before I left the safety of my car I turned my collar up to face the cold and made a bee line to the store so fast it would put Usain Bolt to shame. When I walked in the store I was greeted by the smell of coffee and sound of The Rolling Stones song Monkey Man playing over the store speakers with the owner of the store john singing along to the song and throwing his arms up like a monkey. As soon as you walk into the store your face to face with a giant rack of used DVDs ranging from Driving Miss Daisy to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre the store itself is not very big on the left side of the store is a shelf contain records from Abba to Rob Zombie on the right side is a shelf holding the cds. I was immediately welcomed by john who sitting down in behind his cash register with a sign on it that read â€Å"No Personal Check† behind him was a giant poster of Frank Zappa which seemed like one of his most prized positions john had. John had on a tie dyed rolling stones shirt john had looked tried and he seemed to be discomfort later I found out he looked that way due to having MS. Before john and I stared talking I asked if we could take a walk around the store john told me that he is not able to â€Å"move very well because I have Multiple sclerosis† so he called for his employee Jack to walk with me and directed Jack to answer questions I have. Jack was tall and in his early 20s ,jack and I walked around the store looking at vinyl they had they had seemed to have every record you could ask for and if they didn’t have it they could order it for you . I asked jack to explain the process of how they value the used records that come in the shop jack pulled a random of the shelf and proceeded to go over the check list â€Å"first we look at the condition of the album sleeve any bends or damage to it second we look for the labeling mono, monophonic, monaural, stereo or stereophonic on the sleeve and record label, which identifies the recording process and helps us determine the value and finally we Evaluate the condition of the record by looking for any obvious damage to the vinyl. Jack holds the record up to the light on a slight tilt Look for scratches, record edge nicks or damage to the paper label† we have music here for everyone’s price range after that I thanked jack and retuned to talk to john. When I came back to talk to john he had offered me a cup of coffee I accepted and went on to ask john how long has the store been open john told me that â€Å"I am the fifth owner of Rainbow Records; it first started out in Park Ridge in the mid-1970s. Then the store was moved to Palatine in 1993 by the fourth owner, who offered me the opportunity to buy the store from him in 1997 I then eventually moved the store to here†. I asked john what was the first record he had ever purchased john though for a minute and said â€Å"Surfin Safari by The Beach Boys when I was 9-years-old† I ask john why do you think vinyl sales are going up while CD sales are falling â€Å"There is nothing like vinyl It has a totally different sound than CDs or that MP3 stuff. I’m sorry, but you don’t listen to music on a phone and really get to appreciate it.† I said to john it looks like your store buys all types of records and CDs is there any type of music you won’t buy? â€Å"Classical no one asks for it so I don’t want it besides this is a rock and roll store† John what do you think about kids that have never heard a record on vinyl? They are really missing out Vinyl has a great in-depth sound to it,† he says. â€Å"There is an art to what I call albums and what everybody called albums back in the day. From the cover, which is a piece of art in itself, to listening to, and appreciating the way songs are arranged from side to side, you don’t get that with any other music format.† Looking around the store and seeing I was the only person in there besides jack maybe because of the weather but maybe because the store isn’t doing so well I asked john what got him into the record business â€Å"If you think about how much money you’re going to make, that’s a mistake. You’re not going to get rich doing this. What you’re doing is sharing your love of music with other people,† after john told me that a smile came across both of are faces. Before I had left the shop I walked around the store and picked up three records I think john would approve of the first one I got was The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed, Second album I grabbed was Surfin Safari by The Beach Boys and the third one was Frank Zappa Over-Nite Sensation. When I went up to john for the last time he could not help but to laugh as he rang them up as he handed me the bright yellow bag he said â€Å"enjoy† when I had made it home the first thing I did was put on my new rolling stones record put the needle on Monkey Man and turned my record player up to eleven.

Top Ten Reasons For Legalizing Euthanasia :: Argument in Favor of Euthanasia

Euthanasia has always been a taboo subject in some cultures. People all over the world so openly engage in conversation in matters of life. But when it comes to the other half of life, death, no one likes discussing it. Only terrorists claim how glorious death will be. These are some of the reasons that many people in society feel that euthanasia is morally wrong. Who is to say when it is time for someone to die or how much a person should suffer before they are allowed to end their life? How does someone know what the right age is that people should die? Should people be allowed to end their life when they feel their health is degenerating? Just keep in mind the word euthanasia comes from the Greek words eu â€Å"good† and thanatos â€Å"death.† Literal translation is â€Å"good death.† There are a variety of meanings and ways to be euthanized. The meaning of euthanasia is the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is â€Å"intentional†. If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia.) Euthanasia by action is intentionally causing a person’s death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. Euthanasia by omission is intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water. What euthanasia is not: there is no euthanasia unless the death is intentionally caused by what was done or not done. Thus, some medical actions that are often labeled "passive euthanasia" are no form of euthanasia, since the intention to take life is lacking. These acts include not commencing treatment that would not provide a benefit to the patient, withdrawing treatment that has been shown to be ineffective, too burdenso me or is unwanted, and the giving of high doses of pain-killers that may endanger life, when they have been shown to be necessary. All those are part of good medical practice, endorsed by law, when they are properly carried out. (Euthanasia definitions) Euthanasia also includes assisted suicide. If a doctor is involved with the death of a patient or person it is called physician assisted. Until recent times the word euthanasia was thought of as dying from old age or a natural death. In the nineteenth century is when physicians and politicians started using it as a life shortening death, taking years away from someone that could live a long life if cared for properly.

Elizabeth I :: essays research papers fc

Elizabeth I King Henry VIII changed history in order to marry Anne Boleyn, hoping she could give him a son to be his heir. He already had a daughter, Mary, by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, a princess of Spain, whom he divorced. The Pope would not allow the divorce, so Henry declared himself the Head of the Church of England, and disallowed any power the Pope might hold on English religion. On September 7, 1533 in Greenwich Palace, Anne had a daughter, who was named Elizabeth. A few years later, Henry accused Anne of incest, which historians agree was probably untrue - but Anne was beheaded in May 1536, and Elizabeth, not even three years old, was sent to live with relatives so she wouldn't remind Henry of Anne. Henry had remarried Jane Seymour, who gave birth to Henry's son, Edward, later to be Edward VI, but died soon afterwards. Catherine Parr, Henry's sixth and final wife, brought Elizabeth and Mary back to court. As the Dowager Queen, she moved away from court and left the ruling of the country to Edward VI, who was still a young boy. Edward Seymour (young Edward's uncle) became Lord Protector of England. Elizabeth went with Catherine, but left after an incident with Catherine's new husband, Thomas Seymour, and rumors of the time suggested that Catherine caught them kissing, or perhaps even in bed together. Catherine died soon after Elizabeth's departure. Young King Edward was always sickly, and came down with consumption, or tuberculosis. It seemed that he would die too young to have a child to be his heir, and it became a dangerous time for Princess Elizabeth. She was Henry's daughter, she was in Henry's will as an heir, she was in line for the throne and so was a target of many marriage proposals. Thomas Seymour asked Elizabeth to marry him, but she refused. However, both were suspected of plotting against Edward. Elizabeth was not questioned, but Seymour was arrested and eventually executed for treason after an attempt to kidnap the young king. Elizabeth, upon hearing of the Lord Admiral's death, was marked as saying "Today died a man of much wit, and very little judgment." Edward's declining health began a movement of Protestants who did not want Mary, a Catholic, to gain the throne. Lady Jane Grey, a descendant of Henry's sister Mary, was also considered a possible heir. When Edward died in 1553, Jane was proclaimed Queen by her father and father-in-law, but more people supported Mary.

Two Successful Business People Who Inspire Me

Two Successful Business People Who Inspire Me Success is something that we all aspire to. We cannot feel genuinely happy for long if we felt like a failure within. The most encouraging reality about success is that it is attainable to all irrespective of who we are what we are or where we are. Success also has a different meaning for each one of us. Success being a personal realization should logically be achievable by all, but we know that this is not really so. Most of us are unable to accomplish what we really want to do or what we really work for.When we struggle for success and do not achieve it. We become frustrated and this leads us further from our goal. This is what has inspired me to study and write about this complex subject. Achieving success is right and can realize it with the ease it provides you to go about the right way, you just have to know the rules and apply them in your life. Bill Gates was born on Oct 28th, 1955 and he is an American business magnate, philanthr opist and chairman of Microsoft. The software company he founded with Paul Allen. He is consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people.During his career at Microsoft. Gates held the position of CEO and chief software architect and remains the largest individual shareholder. He has also authored or co- authored several books. Gates is one of the best- know entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. In the later stages of his career. Gates has pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. At Harvard, he met Paul Allen, who became Gates’ close friend.They got obsessed with the computers that they were late for some of their classes. They even skipper some classes to be in the computer lab. Unfortunately, their computer time finishes after spring. However, they did not graduate in the Harvard. Allen and Gates had to leave to devote their energy full-time and thriving company. They had a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop in every home. Gates and Allen began developing software for personal computers. They collaborated together to make the language BASIC in the first Microcomputer, and in 1975, they started the Microsoft Company.Warren Buffet is the world’s most successful investor and self-made billionaire. He is consistently ranked among the world’s Top 3 wealthiest people. Buffet runs and owns about 31% of Berkshire Hathway, a 136 billion investment company that has substantial stakes in Coca Cola, Wells Fargo and American Express. A 1 dollar investment in Berkshire in 1965 would bring about 5000 dollars in 2005. Since 1951, Buffet has generated an average annual return of about 31%. The average annual return of the Standard Poor’s 500 stock over that period is 11%.Warren Buffet was once asked what is the most i mportant thing he looks for when evaluating a company to invest in, without hesitation he replied â€Å"sustainable competitive advantage. † Indeed, while business valuation matters. â€Å"it is the future growth and prosperity of the company underlying a stock, not it is a current price, that is most important. A company’s prosperity in turn is driven by how powerful and enduring it is competitive advantage are. Sustainable competitive advantage and marked category leadership give a company the edge that keeps competitors at bay and reap extraordinary growth and profits.Warren Buffet seeks to identify rare companies with strong competitive advantage that has a potential to grow even stronger over time, when a company is able to achieve this, it is investors can be rewarded to decades. Obviously, we can draw the conclusion that both of buffet and Gates influence to me is far from my imagination. Beside stocks, ideas, and investment, I learn many aspects from them, the ir team spirit and their friendship with partner. I hope there will be more and more people like them, who are not only successful, but also influencing other people.

The 7 Most Important Eminent Domain Cases

The 7 Most Important Eminent Domain Cases Eminent domain is the act of taking private property for public use. Enumerated in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, it gives states and the federal government the right to seize property for public use in exchange for just compensation (based on fair market value for a piece of land). The concept of eminent domain is connected to the functionality of the government, because the government needs to acquire property for infrastructure and services like public schools, public utilities, parks, and transit operations. Seven key court cases throughout the 19th and 20th centuries allowed the judiciary to define eminent domain. Most eminent domain challenges focus on whether the lands were taken for a purpose that qualifies as â€Å"public use† and whether the compensation provided was â€Å"just. Kohl v. United States Kohl v. United States (1875) was the first Supreme Court case to assess the federal government’s eminent domain powers. The federal government seized a portion of the petitioner’s lands without compensation for the purpose of building a post office, customs office, and other government facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio. The petitioners alleged that the court did not have jurisdiction, the government could not acquire the land without proper legislation, and that the government should accept an independent assessment of the value of the land before compensating. In a decision delivered by Justice Strong, the court ruled in favor of the government. According to the majority opinion, eminent domain is a core and essential power afforded to the government through the Constitution. The government may develop legislation to further define eminent domain, but the legislation is not required in order to the use of the power. In the majority opinion, Justice Strong wrote: â€Å"If the right of eminent domain exists in the federal government, it is a right which may be exercised within the states, so far as is necessary to the enjoyment of the powers conferred upon it by the Constitution.† United States v. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company In United States v. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company (1896), Congress used eminent domain to condemn the Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania. The Gettysburg Railroad Company, who owned land in the condemned area, sued the government, alleging that the condemnation violated their Fifth Amendment right. The majority ruled that as long as the railroad company was paid fair market value for the land, the condemnation was lawful. In terms of public use, Justice Peckham, on behalf of the majority wrote, â€Å"No narrow view of the character of this proposed use should be taken. Its national character and importance, we think, are plain.† Furthermore, the court held that the amount of land needed in any eminent domain seizure is for the legislature to determine, not the court. Chicago, Burlington Quincy Railroad Co. v. City of Chicago Chicago, Burlington Quincy Railroad Co. v. City of Chicago (1897) incorporated the Fifth Amendment takings clause using the Fourteenth Amendment. Prior to this case, states had used eminent domain powers un-regulated by the Fifth Amendment. This means that states may have seized property for public use without just compensation. In the 1890s, the city of Chicago aimed to connect a stretch of road, even though it meant cutting through private property. The city condemned the land through a court petition and paid just compensation to the property owners. Quincy Railroad Corporation owned part of the condemned land and was awarded one dollar for the taking. The railroad appealed the judgment. In a 7-1 decision delivered by Justice Harlan, the court ruled that the state could take land under eminent domain if the original owners were awarded just compensation. The taking of the Railroad Company’s land had not deprived the company of its use. The street only bisected the railroad tracts and did not cause the tracts to be removed. Therefore, one dollar was just compensation for the taking. Berman v. Parker In 1945, Congress established the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency to authorize the seizure of â€Å"blighted† housing districts for rebuilding. Berman owned a department store in the area slated for redevelopment and did not want his property to be seized along with the â€Å"blighted† area. In Berman v. Parker (1954), Berman sued on the basis that the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act  and its seizure of his land violated his right to due process. In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Douglas, the court found that the seizure of Berman’s property was not a violation of his Fifth Amendment right. The Fifth Amendment does not specify what the land must be used for outside of â€Å"public use. Congress has the power to decide what this use might be and the goal of turning the land into housing, specifically low-income housing, fit the general definition of the takings clause. The majority opinion by Justice Douglas read: â€Å"Once the question of the public purpose has been decided, the amount and character of land to be taken for the project and the need for a particular tract to complete the integrated plan rests in the discretion of the legislative branch.† Penn Central Transportation v. New York City Penn Central Transportation v. New York City (1978) asked the court to decide whether a Landmark Preservation Law, which restricted Penn Station from building a 50-story building above it, was constitutional. Penn Station argued that preventing the construction of the building amounted to an illegal taking of the airspace by the City of New York, violating the Fifth Amendment. The court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the Landmarks Law was not a violation of the Fifth Amendment because restricting the construction of a 50-story building did not constitute a taking of the airspace. The Landmarks Law was more closely related to a zoning ordinance than eminent domain, and New York had a right to restrict construction in the public interest of protecting the â€Å"general welfare† of the surrounding area. Penn Central Transportation could not prove that New York had meaningfully â€Å"taken† the property simply because they had lowered the economic capacity and interfered with the property rights. Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff Hawaii’s Land Reform Act of 1967 sought to tackle the issue of unequal land ownership on the island. Only 72 private landowners possessed 47 percent of the land. Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff (1984) asked the court to determine whether the state of Hawaii could enact a law that would use eminent domain to take lands from lessors (property owners) and redistribute them to lessees (property renters). In a 7-1 decision, the court ruled that the Land Reform Act was constitutional. Hawaii sought to use eminent domain to prevent a concentration of private ownership, a purpose generally associated with good democratic governance. Additionally, the state legislature has just as much power to make this determination as Congress. The fact that the property was transferred from one private party to another did not defeat the public nature of the exchange. Kelo v. City of New London In Kelo v. City of New London (2005), the plaintiff, Kelo, sued the city of New London, Connecticut for seizing her property under eminent domain and transferring it to New London Development Corporation. Susette Kelo, along with other property owners in the area, had refused to sell their private property, and the city had condemned it to force the owners to accept just compensation. Kelo alleged that the seizure of her property was a violation of the â€Å"public use† element of the Fifth Amendment takings clause because the land would be used for economic development which is not solely public. Kelo’s property was not â€Å"blighted† and it would be transferred to a private firm for economic development. In a 5-4 decision delivered by Justice Stevens, the Court upheld aspects of its ruling in Berman v. Parker and Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff. Redistributing the land was part of a detailed economic plan. The court ruled that this plan constituted a public use. Even though the transfer of land was from one private party to another, the goal of that transfer – economic development – served a definitive public purpose. In this case, the court further defined â€Å"public use† by explaining that it was not confined to literal usage by the public. Public use could mean public benefit or general welfare. Sources Kohl v. United States, 91 U.S. 367 (1875).Kelo v. New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005).United States v. Gettysburg Elec. Ry. Co., 160 U.S. 668 (1896).Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City, 438 U.S. 104 (1978).Hawaii Housing Auth. v. Midkiff, 467 U.S. 229 (1984).Berman v. Parker, 348 U.S. 26 (1954).Chicago, B. Q. R. Co. v. Chicago, 166 U.S. 226 (1897).Somin, Ilya. â€Å"The Story behind Kelo v. City of New London.†Ã‚  The Washington Post, The Washington Post, 29 May 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/05/29/the-story-behind-the-kelo-case-how-an-obscure-takings-case-came-to-shock-the-conscience-of-the-nation/?utm_term.c6ecd7fb2fce.â€Å"History of the Federal Use of Eminent Domain.†Ã‚  The United States Department of Justice, 15 May 2015, www.justice.gov/enrd/history-federal-use-eminent-domain.â€Å"Constitutional Law. Federal Power of Eminent Domain.†Ã‚  The University of Chicago Law Review, vol. 7, no. 1, 1939, pp. 166–169.  JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1596535.â€Å"Annotation 14 - Fifth Amendment.†Ã‚  Findlaw, constitution.findlaw.com/amendment5/annotation14.html#f170.

Stiff Pen Shell (Atrina rigida)

Stiff Pen Shell (Atrina rigida) The stiff pen shell, or rigid pen shell, is one of the several species of pen shells. These mollusks have a long, triangular, or wedge-shaped shell and attach to rocks or shells in sandy, shallow ocean bottoms. Description Stiff pen shells can be up to 12 long and 6.5 wide. They are a brown or purplish-brown color and have 15 or more radiating ribs that fan out across the shell. They may also have erect, tubular spines. Pen shells may produce black pearls. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: MolluscaClass: BivalviaOrder: PterioidaFamily: PinnidaeGenus: AtrinaSpecies: rigida Habitat and Distribution Stiff pen shells live in warmer water from North Carolina to Florida, and also in the Bahamas and West Indies. They are found on sandy bottoms in shallow water. They attach with their byssal threads, pointed end down. Feeding Pen shells are filter feeders and eat small particles passing through the water. Conservation and Human Uses Pen shells have a scallop-like adductor muscle (the muscle that opens and closes the shells) and are edible. They also produce black pearls which may be used in jewelry. Pen shells in the Mediterranean (Mediterranean pen shells) were harvested for their byssal threads, which were woven into an expensive cloth. Sources Gofas, S. 2011. Pinnidae. World Register of Marine Species (Online) Accessed on May 24, 2011Meinkoth, N.A. 1981. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashore Creatures. Alfred A. Knopf, New YorkScott, S. 2011. Pen Shells Provided Ancients Byssal Threads for Fine Sea Silk (Online) Accessed May 24, 2011