For eight days we have been here at this sit-in, which is not only a sign of the open wound in this country, but is also—in its poverty and instability—one of the helplessness and vulnerability that has long stricken citizens who are living in the decay of their institutions and the demonic irrationality of crime. We are here, in these conditions, peremptorily demanding that the authorities find those who are guilty of the crime of tearing us from our sons: Juan Francisco Sicilia Ortega, Luis Antonio Romero Jaime, Julio César Romero Jaime, Gabriel Alejo Escalera, and that has wrung out our souls.
The omissions from the government, of Governor of Morelos Marco Antonio Adame, Jiutepec Mayor Miguel Ángel Rabadán, Temixco Mayor Nereo Bandera Zavaleta, Cuernavaca Mayor Manuel Martínez Garrigós, and the state legislature have been tremendous—I remember only one, clear and convincing thing, not to mention the more than one thousand murders that their governments never resolved: during the curfew that the cartels declared in April 2010 in the state, these authorities not only ignored us, but were obedient and cowardly (these same people closed public institutions early and left the citizens at the mercy of crime).
That simple fact, which is added to the more than one thousand unsolved murders, like those of Juan Francisco, Luis Antonio, Julio César, Gabriel, and the others who have joined them these days, brings me to demand, in the name of the dignified citizenry, that Marco Antonio Adame, Miguel Ángel Rabadán, Nereo Bandera Zavaleta, and many neglectful and corrupt lawmakers—each one of the political parties knows their own and must summon them—must immediately resign from their government positions. We know, unfortunately, that the legal framework to recall an official still doesn’t exist—we hope that soon it is approved and can be exercised. But there is shame and dignity. When you took your positions, you swore before the country, that is to say, before us the citizens, that you would enforce the Constitution or what the people demanded of you. We trusted you. Now you have demonstrated that you have been incapable of honoring that. The people gathered here in the center of the powers of Morelos to demand your resignations. If you don’t do it, you will bring the shame of the citizens of this state down on your heads.
No doubt, however and despite the opprobrium into which our authorities have plunged us, there are good police and good soldiers investigating and risking their lives to find the whereabouts of those who murdered Juan Francisco, Luis, Julio and Gabo.
But these days the murders of kids, civilians, immigrants, and women have continued to multiply, and on our backs carry the weight of close to 40,000 dead with the debt to make their names, their last names, and their stories known, in order to morally revindicate and indemnify their family members, who beyond suffering contempt and criminalization from the authorities, are poor. We, the citizens of Morelos, by holding the sit-in and demanding the resignation of our bad rulers, have left a symbol of the pain on the ground of the government’s plaza, along with the metal plates with the names of Juan Francisco Sicilia Ortega, Luis Antonio Romero Jaime, Julio Romero Jaime, Gabriel Alejo Escalera, María del Socorro Estrada Hernández, Álvaro Jaime Avelar and Jesús Chávez Vázquez.
To these plaques we will add the plaques of the victims that will continue to be recognized and appear due to the ineffectiveness of our institutions. We are making a call to the entire nation to do that same thing, in each town, each municipality, and each state, for those who are murdered there. In each plaza in the country we must have a memory of our dead in this idiotic war, a memory of our Holocaust.
(Reporter’s Note: As Sicilia said these words on Wednesday from a stage in front of the Government Palace, a group of young people attached 96 plaques bearing the names of those people who lost their lives to drug war violence in Morelos since January 1, 2011.)
Faced with these omissions, faced with every kind of violence that has gripped the country, faced with this ill-conceived war that was poorly made and poorly directed, the only thing that it has achieved besides plunging us into the horror of crime, is to expose the rottenness that is in the heart of our institutions. Faced with this madness that has pierced the fabric and the foundation of our country, a question: Where are the rulers and their powers, where is the business class of the nation, where is the Catholic church and thier claims to guard our spiritual life, where is the dignity of the union that claims to protect the nobility of the workers, where are the political parties that claim to have a plan for the nation, where are the citizens that abandoned us to the care for rottenness of the institutions, the ones who haven’t taken into account the Zapatista lessons in organizing constituent assemblies in our neighborhoods, our towns, and our colonias to create governance?
Each and everyone of them and us have serious omissions and criminal complicities that wear the makeup of legality, that have plunged us into chaos, like the poet Mandelstam said to Stalin, to where we don’t feel the ground beneath our feet.
Until now, we were sunk in their interests, mired in their small and petty ideological ambitions, their media and electioneering, their committed idiocies, their unwillingness to end this chaotic violence that is robbing our children of their hopes, their dreams, and mutilating their creativity, their liberty and their peace.
The political parties have very serious omissions when faced with organized crime. These omissions have been the currency exchange to make themselves comfortable here and there, eroding the institutions and seriously wounding the nation.
The rulers—I’m referring to the executive and legislative branches of the country, the states, and the municipalities—have remained unpunished, a big part of the so-called political class because they have not been able to gain independence from the judicial power and politics, have protected criminal interests and complicity. When Colombia managed to take political control of the judicial power, they jailed 40 percent of Congressional lawmakers who had links to crime. We are also neglected because in the name of an absurd war we are assigning billion peso budgets to feed the violence, removing education, employment, culture and the countryside. They are destroying the soil in which survival and public life have a home.
This effort is turning citizens and some honest and committed officials into useless and sterile people, without judges, magistrates and ministers to deliver justice. Today there are more incentives to operate within lawlessness. Suits and complaints are shelved for years, disputes and litigation tailored to their style, protective orders vaporized, sentences are extended and reduced, all of which takes away from the aggrieved the sensation of having received justice and invites them to take justice into their own hands. Much of the feeling that we have today of living in lawlessness is due to an ineffective judiciary, corrupt and dependent on the same political corruption.
Businessmen have been neglectful in looking after their particular interests over the people that make their lives possible. Their selfishness and their timid life have stopped them from denouncing those among them—those who run the banks and have some kind of business—those who launder money, those who have allowed themselves to administer unemployment to exploit honest work for low pay to maximize their profits. They have allowed themselves to destroy forms of trade arising from the citizenry, to expand their goods and their industries and destroy indigenous life forms.
The media monopolies have been neglectful by not allowing the democratization of the media, by manipulating the citizenry to preserve their interests, to expand their capital and negotiate with parties. It’s not possible that this nation produced the richest businessman in the world and that 50 million men, women and children are dispossessed and destitute, plunged into misery. Today we are witnesses to a war between telecom giants, a war just as stupid and absurd as the one between crime and the government, and we don’t know whether their dispute is for the markets, for the airwaves or to know who will be able to exploit the most Mexicans.
The World Bank Report on Development that begin to circulate a few days ago says, as Jorge Montaño, a member of the advisory committee noted, “employment, justice and public safety are the keys to breaking cycles of criminal and political violence… The movements of violence are greater when high levels of stress combined with the lack of legitimacy or the weak capacity of national institutions.” Mexico “is facing an unprecedented wave of violence… Drug and human trafficking, money laundering, illegal exploitation of natural resources… counterfeiting, and violations of intellectual property rights are lucrative criminal activities, which facilitate the penetration by organized crime of the already vulnerable sociopolitical, judicial, and security” of countries like ours.”
The unions have been neglectful because they are not built to defend the workers, but rather for political patronage. They have seen the state and continue seeing it as an udder for extracting corrupt profits. The clearest case of this is the education union, which has become a merchant for votes, for which the parties and officials compromise their agendas and the dignity of the country in advance.
The churches have also been neglectful. Mine, the Catholic church, to which I refer to as mine and that of the majority in this country, has been neglectful in cutting life from spirituality and the tide of love of Christ in exchange for poor sexual morals to care for the image of a very deteriorated institution. They have neglected the love and service for the poor and, similar to the union and business classes in our country, have been looking for power, political patronage, at the risk of humiliating the Word. They have been neglectful by worrying about the life in the womb of a mother—and defending it—while forsaking those who are already here. We are facing evil, and the Church must say, like St. Augustine: If they speak loudly and clearly, if they refuse the shady deals and the privileges that hide the crime, if they are faithful to God and are ready for him in their lives, we can make the number of victims rapidly decrease more.
Each and every one of them have set the supreme value of life in the economy in the most perverted sense: for the consumption of the dollar. In its name, they have destroyed all of the realms of coexistence and with that they have destroyed our land and our mutual relationships of support as we are sinking in horror, violence, and fear. Each one of us has also succumbed to this and we know our betrayals. This is why we say to them and we say to ourselves that all of this violence must end or the country is going to hell.
Among this border, the northern one, the one with helplessness, the one with the decay of institutions and the rule of impunity and crime, and the southern one, the one which resists, as it can, there is a handful of moral dignity, where families in this country are bankrupt but not beaten, they are deeply hurt, but not frightened, they are angry, full of this moral force that the indigenous and the excluded in this nation have been able to communicate.
2011年4月14日 星期四
2011年4月13日 星期三
5 New Banking Trends for 2011
It’s March, but it’s not too late to publish our predictions for 2011. First of all, banks usually go into hibernation for the winter months, and leave interest rates alone until springtime. Second, the 2011 game-changer is the Durbin Amendment, and when and how the Federal Reserve decides to regulate debit merchant exchange fees will have profound implications for the entire industry.
[In Pictures: The Worst States for Millionaires.]
The Fed is still reviewing its proposals, however, so the NerdWallet Ouija board keeps showing, “Try again later.” Still, we’ve put together a list of five banking industry trends that we think will accelerate or deepen in the remaining 10 months of the year.
1. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
Rates on low interest cards have been falling for a while, and we’re seeing an uptick in balance transfer and other promotional offers. Banks are offering juicy rewards for those with good credit, in an effort to get the penalty-dodging-APR crowd spending money. For those who front the cash for annual fees, rewards credit cards are improving too – see, for example, the new deal out of Capital One for 100,000 bonus miles. This kind of deal hasn’t been seen in years.
Vitally, credit card merchant exchange fees are not regulated by the Durbin Amendment, and often bring in higher fees than debit cards. Rewards credit cards command the highest swipe fees of all, so look for banks to push customers to get rewards cards and then to use them often.
On the other hand, interest rates have spiked for those with bad credit. The Credit CARD Act of 2009 prohibited “risk-based pricing,” in which card issuers changed the interest rate of a card if the customer’s risk profile changed. They can also no longer charge overdraft fees unless customers opt-in, and even then can do so in a limited fashion.
Unable to hike interest rates and denied lucrative overdraft penalties, banks now charge a higher rate upfront. Some banks even charge a flat fee for poor credit histories, irrespective of consumer behavior and in addition to the annual fees that come standard with poor credit. No one expects interest rates to be as low as they were in the pre-recession days, but those with bad credit will be hit harder and longer.
2. More fees, less free
This is where financial reform comes in. The Dodd-Frank bill banned overdraft fees unless customers opt in, curtailed rate hikes in credit cards, and per the Durbin Amendment, authorized the Fed to limit debit interchange fees. In years past, “free” checking was paid for by “swipe fees” and by overdraft charges on small segments of the population.
Now, banks cannot earn as much money from the overdrawing crowd. The cost of free checking, which was never truly free to begin with, will be spread over a broader customer base. Rob Windsor, president of First Financial Services Credit Union, says, “Consumers are used to getting all these services for free, including free checking, debit, credit. But none of these things are free. We need revenue to pay for them.”
The revenue will come from charging for services that were previously free. Free checking is already on its way out: many banks now charge a monthly fee, or for services such as paper statements and teller assistance. Others are becoming creative with their fees: Bank of America demands a $59 annual fee for credit card customers with bad credit, while Citibank levies a fee for customers who put less than $2,400 on their cards a year.
Debit interchange fees, interest rate hikes and overdraft charges were extremely lucrative for banks. Now, they are forced to change their revenue models and spread fees over more of their customers.
3. Pruned debit rewards programs
Banks make money off different customers in different ways. Those with poor credit pay in the form of high annual fees and high interest, penalty and cash advance rates; debit cards previously yielded overdraft and swipe fees; and rewards credit cards offered juicy premiums on merchant fees and the occasional annual fee.
[See 10 Smart Ways to Improve Your Budget.]
As we mentioned before, only the last revenue stream is still in place. Therefore, while banks spice up their rewards credit cards to get the cardholders spending and swiping, rewards debit cards are nowhere near as lucrative.
A number of banks now charge annual or monthly fees for debit rewards programs, or have removed them altogether. PNC did away with free rewards checking, and Chase and Wells Fargo have axed their entire debit rewards program for new customers. Other banks are expected to follow. Rewards checking still exists; free checking still exists. Both in the same account, however, is a feature likely to become history.
[In Pictures: The Worst States for Millionaires.]
The Fed is still reviewing its proposals, however, so the NerdWallet Ouija board keeps showing, “Try again later.” Still, we’ve put together a list of five banking industry trends that we think will accelerate or deepen in the remaining 10 months of the year.
1. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
Rates on low interest cards have been falling for a while, and we’re seeing an uptick in balance transfer and other promotional offers. Banks are offering juicy rewards for those with good credit, in an effort to get the penalty-dodging-APR crowd spending money. For those who front the cash for annual fees, rewards credit cards are improving too – see, for example, the new deal out of Capital One for 100,000 bonus miles. This kind of deal hasn’t been seen in years.
Vitally, credit card merchant exchange fees are not regulated by the Durbin Amendment, and often bring in higher fees than debit cards. Rewards credit cards command the highest swipe fees of all, so look for banks to push customers to get rewards cards and then to use them often.
On the other hand, interest rates have spiked for those with bad credit. The Credit CARD Act of 2009 prohibited “risk-based pricing,” in which card issuers changed the interest rate of a card if the customer’s risk profile changed. They can also no longer charge overdraft fees unless customers opt-in, and even then can do so in a limited fashion.
Unable to hike interest rates and denied lucrative overdraft penalties, banks now charge a higher rate upfront. Some banks even charge a flat fee for poor credit histories, irrespective of consumer behavior and in addition to the annual fees that come standard with poor credit. No one expects interest rates to be as low as they were in the pre-recession days, but those with bad credit will be hit harder and longer.
2. More fees, less free
This is where financial reform comes in. The Dodd-Frank bill banned overdraft fees unless customers opt in, curtailed rate hikes in credit cards, and per the Durbin Amendment, authorized the Fed to limit debit interchange fees. In years past, “free” checking was paid for by “swipe fees” and by overdraft charges on small segments of the population.
Now, banks cannot earn as much money from the overdrawing crowd. The cost of free checking, which was never truly free to begin with, will be spread over a broader customer base. Rob Windsor, president of First Financial Services Credit Union, says, “Consumers are used to getting all these services for free, including free checking, debit, credit. But none of these things are free. We need revenue to pay for them.”
The revenue will come from charging for services that were previously free. Free checking is already on its way out: many banks now charge a monthly fee, or for services such as paper statements and teller assistance. Others are becoming creative with their fees: Bank of America demands a $59 annual fee for credit card customers with bad credit, while Citibank levies a fee for customers who put less than $2,400 on their cards a year.
Debit interchange fees, interest rate hikes and overdraft charges were extremely lucrative for banks. Now, they are forced to change their revenue models and spread fees over more of their customers.
3. Pruned debit rewards programs
Banks make money off different customers in different ways. Those with poor credit pay in the form of high annual fees and high interest, penalty and cash advance rates; debit cards previously yielded overdraft and swipe fees; and rewards credit cards offered juicy premiums on merchant fees and the occasional annual fee.
[See 10 Smart Ways to Improve Your Budget.]
As we mentioned before, only the last revenue stream is still in place. Therefore, while banks spice up their rewards credit cards to get the cardholders spending and swiping, rewards debit cards are nowhere near as lucrative.
A number of banks now charge annual or monthly fees for debit rewards programs, or have removed them altogether. PNC did away with free rewards checking, and Chase and Wells Fargo have axed their entire debit rewards program for new customers. Other banks are expected to follow. Rewards checking still exists; free checking still exists. Both in the same account, however, is a feature likely to become history.
2011年4月12日 星期二
Online group buying a 'sustainable' business
In spite of the growing number of online daily deals sites here, the market is far from hitting saturation point and has moved beyond fad to become a sustainable business.
Karl Chong, CEO of Groupon Singapore, told ZDNet Asia that as long as market players continue to have innovative ideas and consistently meet the changing needs and interests of consumers, this space can be "a very sustainable business".
The executive was speaking at a press event here Tuesday to elaborate on the company's business strategy, following Groupon's December acquisition of Beeconomic, a local online daily deals startup he co-founded in May 2010. The company was later renamed Groupon Singapore.
The local site today clocks 150,000 hits a day, according to Chong who declined to disclose the current number of subscribers but said it is "definitely in the hundreds of thousands".
He estimated that there are now at least 20 daily deal sites in Singapore since Beeconomic first started, but said the market will not hit saturation point any time soon.
Using the analogy of an upside-down funnel, he said the industry here has evolved from the first level of early adopters, comprising "deal hunters and geeks", to the middle level which encompasses mostly young professionals and trendsetters and "where there's a huge market to be tapped ".
The final level is the "mass market", and where Groupon Singapore is striving to become a "household name where even moms" use its service, he added.
"People who don't know about Groupon are typically from the older [demographics], but they have online spending needs as well. My mom uses Amazon to buy books and I [now] want mom to use Groupon to find out the next restaurant deal for the weekend.
"I don't believe there will be [market] saturation this early...not until parents and senior managers are using local daily deal sites. Then, we got to start thinking, 'now how do we innovate and further differentiate ourselves'," he said.
Convenience to differentiate from clones
According to Chong, Groupon Singapore has in store "a couple of innovations" this year to differentiate itself from other "Groupon clones". For one, the company later this month will launch a free Apple iPhone app which will allow consumers to buy groupons "on-the-fly and in an instant" via their mobile device.
Users login to their Groupon account to choose the deal they want, select the "buy" button and confirm the quantity they want. A unique barcode and numeric code will be generated, and presented to the participating merchant which has a list of codes of each buyer. The merchant can either scan the barcode or manually cross-check the code number on the mobile coupon, and upon redemption, press the "marked as used" button on the app.
Mobile users can use the app to check for and redeem deals any time that is convenient for them, Chong added. Groupon is also testing the app to run on the Android operating system but the immediate rollout will be for the iPhone, he said.
The company is also looking to localize its deals, which is "something none of our competitors are doing", he noted. Such efforts mean that deals can be made available in Singapore's central locations such as Orchard Road, and Groupon members will also receive more relevant deals based on their locations they frequent including the suburbs, he explained. He added that this feature will be rolled out in all neighborhoods in Singapore by the end of this month.
The company's "Visa Exclusive Deals", launched Mar. 28, is also part of its efforts to provide users more "experience-oriented deals", such as offering complimentary champagne at a restaurant that also has other discount deals on the main Groupon site.
Impact of Groupon branding
Chong acknowledged that Groupon's acquisition "changed the face of Beeconomic", giving the former startup "immediate credibility that other Groupon clones do not have". It also provides the financial support and links to relationships with premium brands previously established overseas, he said.
Because of Groupon's success in the United States, local branches of global businesses approached its Singapore office to emulate the success here, Chong said. "The [global] brand of Groupon made it easier to work out a deal with them," he added.
According to Chong, brands that have a "huge affinity with Singaporeans" such as G2000, Fox, Subway, Quiznos, Tully's Coffee and Breadtalk have inked exclusive partnerships with Groupon's local team.
The company in March worked with the local franchise owner of seven Subway outlets here, selling 41,805 groupons within 48 hours, he said.
Karl Chong, CEO of Groupon Singapore, told ZDNet Asia that as long as market players continue to have innovative ideas and consistently meet the changing needs and interests of consumers, this space can be "a very sustainable business".
The executive was speaking at a press event here Tuesday to elaborate on the company's business strategy, following Groupon's December acquisition of Beeconomic, a local online daily deals startup he co-founded in May 2010. The company was later renamed Groupon Singapore.
The local site today clocks 150,000 hits a day, according to Chong who declined to disclose the current number of subscribers but said it is "definitely in the hundreds of thousands".
He estimated that there are now at least 20 daily deal sites in Singapore since Beeconomic first started, but said the market will not hit saturation point any time soon.
Using the analogy of an upside-down funnel, he said the industry here has evolved from the first level of early adopters, comprising "deal hunters and geeks", to the middle level which encompasses mostly young professionals and trendsetters and "where there's a huge market to be tapped ".
The final level is the "mass market", and where Groupon Singapore is striving to become a "household name where even moms" use its service, he added.
"People who don't know about Groupon are typically from the older [demographics], but they have online spending needs as well. My mom uses Amazon to buy books and I [now] want mom to use Groupon to find out the next restaurant deal for the weekend.
"I don't believe there will be [market] saturation this early...not until parents and senior managers are using local daily deal sites. Then, we got to start thinking, 'now how do we innovate and further differentiate ourselves'," he said.
Convenience to differentiate from clones
According to Chong, Groupon Singapore has in store "a couple of innovations" this year to differentiate itself from other "Groupon clones". For one, the company later this month will launch a free Apple iPhone app which will allow consumers to buy groupons "on-the-fly and in an instant" via their mobile device.
Users login to their Groupon account to choose the deal they want, select the "buy" button and confirm the quantity they want. A unique barcode and numeric code will be generated, and presented to the participating merchant which has a list of codes of each buyer. The merchant can either scan the barcode or manually cross-check the code number on the mobile coupon, and upon redemption, press the "marked as used" button on the app.
Mobile users can use the app to check for and redeem deals any time that is convenient for them, Chong added. Groupon is also testing the app to run on the Android operating system but the immediate rollout will be for the iPhone, he said.
The company is also looking to localize its deals, which is "something none of our competitors are doing", he noted. Such efforts mean that deals can be made available in Singapore's central locations such as Orchard Road, and Groupon members will also receive more relevant deals based on their locations they frequent including the suburbs, he explained. He added that this feature will be rolled out in all neighborhoods in Singapore by the end of this month.
The company's "Visa Exclusive Deals", launched Mar. 28, is also part of its efforts to provide users more "experience-oriented deals", such as offering complimentary champagne at a restaurant that also has other discount deals on the main Groupon site.
Impact of Groupon branding
Chong acknowledged that Groupon's acquisition "changed the face of Beeconomic", giving the former startup "immediate credibility that other Groupon clones do not have". It also provides the financial support and links to relationships with premium brands previously established overseas, he said.
Because of Groupon's success in the United States, local branches of global businesses approached its Singapore office to emulate the success here, Chong said. "The [global] brand of Groupon made it easier to work out a deal with them," he added.
According to Chong, brands that have a "huge affinity with Singaporeans" such as G2000, Fox, Subway, Quiznos, Tully's Coffee and Breadtalk have inked exclusive partnerships with Groupon's local team.
The company in March worked with the local franchise owner of seven Subway outlets here, selling 41,805 groupons within 48 hours, he said.
Banks must fight harder for customer loyalty, says Collinson Latitude
UAE. As the GCC retail banking market becomes increasingly competitive, Collinson Latitude is calling on Middle East financial organisations to act fast or risk losing vital customers.
A global provider of incremental revenue products and services, Collinson Latitude believes Middle East banks, in particular, need to think more innovatively to retain customers who are being presented with a growing choice of financial services products.
Collinson Latitude’s Head of Middle East and Africa planning and business development, George Wilson-Howell, says: “As the economy recovers from the depths of the economic downturn, Middle East customers are demanding a better service from their banks straight away and will change banks without hesitation if disappointed.
A study this year by professional services giant Ernst & Young – ‘Retail Banking in the GCC: Competing for Customers’ – contains the daunting statistic that 25% of GCC retail banking customers plan to switch banks by the end of 2011. Banks need to think fast and act fast. It takes an awful lot of time and money to win back lost customers, but there are rapid, low-cost ways to maintain the loyalty of the customers you already hold. Superior customer service remains key, but you also need to increase your customers’ engagement with – and rewards from – your company in many areas of their lives, not just financial services. A long-term, profitable relationship will follow.
“The GCC financial services sector is a crowded market, which means each company must find ways to stand out from competitors. GCC banks understand the importance of customer loyalty but, until now, have lacked access to the latest products for rewarding customers. Collinson Latitude recognises the immense potential in Middle East financial services, from credit and debit card products through to current and savings accounts and the high-net-worth sector.”
Collinson Latitude’s multi-channel products, which include rewards and subscription-based membership programmes, can be seamlessly integrated into a financial service provider’s existing environment. Capitalising on the proven and growing popularity of online shopping is a particularly strong route to customer retention. ‘RewardAll’, for example, is a merchant-funded online shopping and rewards programme that brings together thousands of diverse online merchants globally, so that each time a customer makes a purchase through the ‘Reward All’ portal, they can earn cashback paid directly into their bank account.
A global provider of incremental revenue products and services, Collinson Latitude believes Middle East banks, in particular, need to think more innovatively to retain customers who are being presented with a growing choice of financial services products.
Collinson Latitude’s Head of Middle East and Africa planning and business development, George Wilson-Howell, says: “As the economy recovers from the depths of the economic downturn, Middle East customers are demanding a better service from their banks straight away and will change banks without hesitation if disappointed.
A study this year by professional services giant Ernst & Young – ‘Retail Banking in the GCC: Competing for Customers’ – contains the daunting statistic that 25% of GCC retail banking customers plan to switch banks by the end of 2011. Banks need to think fast and act fast. It takes an awful lot of time and money to win back lost customers, but there are rapid, low-cost ways to maintain the loyalty of the customers you already hold. Superior customer service remains key, but you also need to increase your customers’ engagement with – and rewards from – your company in many areas of their lives, not just financial services. A long-term, profitable relationship will follow.
“The GCC financial services sector is a crowded market, which means each company must find ways to stand out from competitors. GCC banks understand the importance of customer loyalty but, until now, have lacked access to the latest products for rewarding customers. Collinson Latitude recognises the immense potential in Middle East financial services, from credit and debit card products through to current and savings accounts and the high-net-worth sector.”
Collinson Latitude’s multi-channel products, which include rewards and subscription-based membership programmes, can be seamlessly integrated into a financial service provider’s existing environment. Capitalising on the proven and growing popularity of online shopping is a particularly strong route to customer retention. ‘RewardAll’, for example, is a merchant-funded online shopping and rewards programme that brings together thousands of diverse online merchants globally, so that each time a customer makes a purchase through the ‘Reward All’ portal, they can earn cashback paid directly into their bank account.
2011年4月10日 星期日
A portrait of the founder
In a way that goes deeper than ordinary parental pride, their success is his. For the achievements of Joseph P. Kennedy's three sons, centering on the high drama of the presidency, spring from the father's lifelong drive for money, and for power for his children. He has achieved both ambitions to
a fantastic degree. With the seating of his youngest son in the U.S. Senate this month, Joe Kennedy has seen the climax of a political success story without precedent in American history. The dynastic Adamses never did anything like it; neither did the Roosevelts. Inevitably Joe Kennedy's very success moves his own story into the background, and that, too, is the way he wants it. He deserves a more prominent place.
He made his fortune, as his 1908 yearbook at Boston Latin School forecast, "in a very roundabout way": stockmarket speculation, the movies, corporate reorganization, liquor importing, and real estate. He has protected his wealth in recent years by heavy investments in tax-sheltered oil ventures and municipal securities. Including the celebrated trust funds and the family charitable foundation, the Kennedy fortune stands in the neighborhood of $300 million, although some informed guesses put it as high as $500 million. In Joe's brusque public accounting, there is "enough"-- enough so that he confidently numbers himself among the 20 wealthiest men in the country.
Throughout his business career, Joe Kennedy was a smart, rough competitor who excelled in games without rules. A handsome six-footer exuding vitality and Irish charm, he also had a tight, dry mind that kept a running balance of hazards and advantages. Quick-tempered and mercurial, he could move from warmth to malice in the moment it took his blue eyes to turn the color of an icy lake. Friendships shattered under the sudden impact of brutal words and ruthless deeds, yet those who remained close to him were drawn into a fraternal bond. Restless at a desk, he was an instinctive speculator, moving into situations and moving out quickly when the possibilities were exhausted. He was a capitalist, yet one who stood apart from the system of finance, production, and distribution. He left to others the responsibility for enterprises demanding effort in good season and bad alike. He had no business, in the ordinary sense, and wanted none. As he moved from Boston to Wall Street to the chairmanship of the Securities and Exchange Commission and, on to the crowning ambassadorship to the Court of St. James's, his consuming ambition was the advancement of the Kennedy family.
"From the beginning, Joe knew what he wanted -- money and status for his family," says one who knew him intimately in Washington during the New Deal. "He had the progenitor's sense; to him, his children were an extension of himself. Therefore, what he did, he did with them always in mind. He played the game differently than if he had been after something entirely for himself."
a fantastic degree. With the seating of his youngest son in the U.S. Senate this month, Joe Kennedy has seen the climax of a political success story without precedent in American history. The dynastic Adamses never did anything like it; neither did the Roosevelts. Inevitably Joe Kennedy's very success moves his own story into the background, and that, too, is the way he wants it. He deserves a more prominent place.
He made his fortune, as his 1908 yearbook at Boston Latin School forecast, "in a very roundabout way": stockmarket speculation, the movies, corporate reorganization, liquor importing, and real estate. He has protected his wealth in recent years by heavy investments in tax-sheltered oil ventures and municipal securities. Including the celebrated trust funds and the family charitable foundation, the Kennedy fortune stands in the neighborhood of $300 million, although some informed guesses put it as high as $500 million. In Joe's brusque public accounting, there is "enough"-- enough so that he confidently numbers himself among the 20 wealthiest men in the country.
Throughout his business career, Joe Kennedy was a smart, rough competitor who excelled in games without rules. A handsome six-footer exuding vitality and Irish charm, he also had a tight, dry mind that kept a running balance of hazards and advantages. Quick-tempered and mercurial, he could move from warmth to malice in the moment it took his blue eyes to turn the color of an icy lake. Friendships shattered under the sudden impact of brutal words and ruthless deeds, yet those who remained close to him were drawn into a fraternal bond. Restless at a desk, he was an instinctive speculator, moving into situations and moving out quickly when the possibilities were exhausted. He was a capitalist, yet one who stood apart from the system of finance, production, and distribution. He left to others the responsibility for enterprises demanding effort in good season and bad alike. He had no business, in the ordinary sense, and wanted none. As he moved from Boston to Wall Street to the chairmanship of the Securities and Exchange Commission and, on to the crowning ambassadorship to the Court of St. James's, his consuming ambition was the advancement of the Kennedy family.
"From the beginning, Joe knew what he wanted -- money and status for his family," says one who knew him intimately in Washington during the New Deal. "He had the progenitor's sense; to him, his children were an extension of himself. Therefore, what he did, he did with them always in mind. He played the game differently than if he had been after something entirely for himself."
2011年4月7日 星期四
Grumpy Old Fan | Lincoln's log: lessons from Legacies
There's a weird little sequence in the middle of DC Universe: Legacies #3 when the
narration's timeline goes all hazy and oblique, in order to move the story from
sometime in the Eisenhower/Kennedy years right into the "X years ago" of modern
continuity. Because Legacies tracks some sixty-five years of costumed crimefighting,
this sequence bridges the gap between the Justice Society's retirement and
Superman's debut.
"Hazy and oblique" are also good words for describing DC's approach to long-term
continuity. The history of the DC Universe is well-settled up to the early 1950s,
but past then it becomes elastic. This is something we've come to expect: fudging
the calendar keeps our heroes both as experienced and as youthful as they need to
be. However, each passing year also widens the gap between the end of the Golden Age
(early ‘50s) and the beginning of the Silver (thought to be 12-15 years ago).
Through reader-identification character Paul Lincoln,* DCUL's writer (and longtime
DC favorite) Len Wein aims to put a human face on all those four-color adventures.
That sounds like the premise of 1994′s Marvels and its spiritual descendant Astro
City. Really, though, any halfway-entertaining super-survey needs a narrator with a
recognizable point of view. Even 1986′s History of the DC Universe, which was
basically a series of George Pérez pinups arranged in chronological order, took its
florid prose ostensibly from Harbinger's meditations on the nature of heroism.
Here, then, is our Mr. Lincoln, would-be juvenile delinquent turned Metropolis cop,
whose life is changed after an encounter with the Golden Age Atom and Sandman. Over
the course of ten issues, Paul goes from street kid to nursing home, marrying his
childhood sweetheart and becoming a father along the way, all the while constantly
and steadfastly affirming his faith in DC's costumed crusaders. As a protagonist,
Paul makes a decent narrator; but Paul isn't exactly DCUL's main problem. It's
almost as if Wein isn't confident in Paul's ability to carry the narrative, so Paul
is constantly distracted by various superheroic milestones. Moreover, either Paul is
a classic Unreliable Narrator, or Wein and company are doing some serious rewriting
of established DC continuity.
narration's timeline goes all hazy and oblique, in order to move the story from
sometime in the Eisenhower/Kennedy years right into the "X years ago" of modern
continuity. Because Legacies tracks some sixty-five years of costumed crimefighting,
this sequence bridges the gap between the Justice Society's retirement and
Superman's debut.
"Hazy and oblique" are also good words for describing DC's approach to long-term
continuity. The history of the DC Universe is well-settled up to the early 1950s,
but past then it becomes elastic. This is something we've come to expect: fudging
the calendar keeps our heroes both as experienced and as youthful as they need to
be. However, each passing year also widens the gap between the end of the Golden Age
(early ‘50s) and the beginning of the Silver (thought to be 12-15 years ago).
Through reader-identification character Paul Lincoln,* DCUL's writer (and longtime
DC favorite) Len Wein aims to put a human face on all those four-color adventures.
That sounds like the premise of 1994′s Marvels and its spiritual descendant Astro
City. Really, though, any halfway-entertaining super-survey needs a narrator with a
recognizable point of view. Even 1986′s History of the DC Universe, which was
basically a series of George Pérez pinups arranged in chronological order, took its
florid prose ostensibly from Harbinger's meditations on the nature of heroism.
Here, then, is our Mr. Lincoln, would-be juvenile delinquent turned Metropolis cop,
whose life is changed after an encounter with the Golden Age Atom and Sandman. Over
the course of ten issues, Paul goes from street kid to nursing home, marrying his
childhood sweetheart and becoming a father along the way, all the while constantly
and steadfastly affirming his faith in DC's costumed crusaders. As a protagonist,
Paul makes a decent narrator; but Paul isn't exactly DCUL's main problem. It's
almost as if Wein isn't confident in Paul's ability to carry the narrative, so Paul
is constantly distracted by various superheroic milestones. Moreover, either Paul is
a classic Unreliable Narrator, or Wein and company are doing some serious rewriting
of established DC continuity.
2011年4月6日 星期三
Getting in on the Ground Floor at Groupon and Living Social
The daily deal business has grown rapidly in its relatively short lifespan, with
valuations of startups such as Groupon and Living Social reaching billions. Along
with venture backing has come hiring as companies rush to build revenue through
sales.
Getting a job with a daily deal site, however, is no easy feat. The industry has
attracted many applicants anxious to get in on the ground floor of something new
that could one day make them rich. Successful job seekers need to have a thorough
understanding of an industry with virtually no history as well as the tenacity to
develop long-term relationships with customers.
We talked with hiring managers and executives with a few of the biggest sites in the
daily-deal, preferred-pricing, and private flash-sale spaces to find out what stands
out among the hundreds of job applications they receive every day.
Using a daily coupon site isn't enough to want and get a job at one -- that's a
little like saying you want to be a chef because you like eating out at restaurants.
Instead, you need to understand the business, which is as much about offering
coupons to consumers as it is about enticing vendors to offer discounts.
"The reps that really seem to get it are the ones who have seen a merchant light up
with excitement when [they go] in with that business's coupon," says Patrick Albus,
CEO of KGB Deals USA, "and then come to us with that same passion and excitement,
and say 'How do I go about joining your team?'"
It's also important to understand the business of a particular site. Competition has
led sites to try to distinguish themselves, so assuming all sites are alike is a
quick way to end an interview. Do the legwork that it takes to find out where the
industry itself has been, where it's going, and what has proven to be successful in
terms of establishing -- and strengthening -- a business in the space.
Have Some Experience
A college education is a must-have for most sites as is sales experience. "We're not
hiring a ton of entry-levels," says Dan Jessup, vice president of human resources at
Chicago-based Groupon. "Those that are coming in with relevant experience are
typically doing better."
Valued traits include previous business-to-business sales experience, an ability to
articulate a value proposition, a history of opening new client accounts, and above
all, an understanding of how and why small, local merchants want to advertise.
The same goes for jobs with fashion flash-sale site Ideeli, which also has a daily
deal component. "We're looking for some experience," says Joel Greengrass, vice
president of talent with the New York-based company. "We're probably not going to
hire people right out of school because the risk is too high."
Likewise, risk is a factor when considering candidates with no business experience,
he says. "We value when people are a student of retail or e-commerce," says
Greengrass.
Entry-level applicants can make it at some sites in if they have passion for what
they're selling. "Think of your friends who know all of the places to go on the
weekend," says Claire Noonan, senior manager of recruiting for Gilt City, a
subsidiary of flash-sale site Gilt Groupe. "Those are our curators."
Focus Your Resume and Cover Letter
People with years of sales experience in more mature industries are competing for
these jobs, so make sure your resume is action-and-results-oriented, say hiring
managers. "We like to see proven success in numbers," says Noonan of Gilt City. The
industry also wants people willing to help companies grow over the long term. "We
look for retention, and how someone has grown with the same company over time," says
Noonan.
An absolute must? "The ability to work independently," says Julien Vernet, VP of
sales at VillageVines, which partners with restaurants in cities like New York,
Chicago, and Los Angeles, among others, to offer long-term preferred pricing and
discounts, rather than one-day-only offers. "They need to be self-starters because
they're going to be out in the field," he says.
Also, highlight any startup experience, and be sure your cover letter is short and
sweet. "In the field, you have a limited amount of time, so you have to grab their
attention and get them to listen to you pretty quickly," says Albus of KGB Deals.
Focus on your people skills. "If someone tells us they have cultural or humanitarian
pursuits, a food blog, involvement in a philanthropy," says Noonan, it shows that
they would be a good fit.
The Interview: Go in for the Right Reasons
You will struggle in the interview if you're not passionate about the social-
couponing industry; the hiring manager will sense it if you're there just to have a
buzz-worthy company name on your resume to help you land your next job.
You'll start with a phone-screen, and move on to meetings with sales reps, managers,
and company execs. You may have to act out some mock scenarios where you try to
pitch the site to a business. While specific questions will vary, every company will
probably ask you to justify why you want to work there.
"The most basic question can make or break the interview," says Greengrass: "Why
ideeli?" He suggests you answer with reasons that show your knowledge of and
interest in the company and its mission -- not with the fact that you "like to shop
there."
At Groupon, Jessup notes that it's a common practice to call up applicants before
bringing them in for an interview to gauge the candidate's interest in working for
the company. "The interest has to go both ways," he says.
"We're looking for the person getting into the job for the right reasons," says
Jeremy Thiesen, a regional sales manager with KGB deals, who oversees two city
managers and 16 sales reps in Chicago and New York City, "which means they're not
getting into it because this is a fad job and it's in the news."
valuations of startups such as Groupon and Living Social reaching billions. Along
with venture backing has come hiring as companies rush to build revenue through
sales.
Getting a job with a daily deal site, however, is no easy feat. The industry has
attracted many applicants anxious to get in on the ground floor of something new
that could one day make them rich. Successful job seekers need to have a thorough
understanding of an industry with virtually no history as well as the tenacity to
develop long-term relationships with customers.
We talked with hiring managers and executives with a few of the biggest sites in the
daily-deal, preferred-pricing, and private flash-sale spaces to find out what stands
out among the hundreds of job applications they receive every day.
Using a daily coupon site isn't enough to want and get a job at one -- that's a
little like saying you want to be a chef because you like eating out at restaurants.
Instead, you need to understand the business, which is as much about offering
coupons to consumers as it is about enticing vendors to offer discounts.
"The reps that really seem to get it are the ones who have seen a merchant light up
with excitement when [they go] in with that business's coupon," says Patrick Albus,
CEO of KGB Deals USA, "and then come to us with that same passion and excitement,
and say 'How do I go about joining your team?'"
It's also important to understand the business of a particular site. Competition has
led sites to try to distinguish themselves, so assuming all sites are alike is a
quick way to end an interview. Do the legwork that it takes to find out where the
industry itself has been, where it's going, and what has proven to be successful in
terms of establishing -- and strengthening -- a business in the space.
Have Some Experience
A college education is a must-have for most sites as is sales experience. "We're not
hiring a ton of entry-levels," says Dan Jessup, vice president of human resources at
Chicago-based Groupon. "Those that are coming in with relevant experience are
typically doing better."
Valued traits include previous business-to-business sales experience, an ability to
articulate a value proposition, a history of opening new client accounts, and above
all, an understanding of how and why small, local merchants want to advertise.
The same goes for jobs with fashion flash-sale site Ideeli, which also has a daily
deal component. "We're looking for some experience," says Joel Greengrass, vice
president of talent with the New York-based company. "We're probably not going to
hire people right out of school because the risk is too high."
Likewise, risk is a factor when considering candidates with no business experience,
he says. "We value when people are a student of retail or e-commerce," says
Greengrass.
Entry-level applicants can make it at some sites in if they have passion for what
they're selling. "Think of your friends who know all of the places to go on the
weekend," says Claire Noonan, senior manager of recruiting for Gilt City, a
subsidiary of flash-sale site Gilt Groupe. "Those are our curators."
Focus Your Resume and Cover Letter
People with years of sales experience in more mature industries are competing for
these jobs, so make sure your resume is action-and-results-oriented, say hiring
managers. "We like to see proven success in numbers," says Noonan of Gilt City. The
industry also wants people willing to help companies grow over the long term. "We
look for retention, and how someone has grown with the same company over time," says
Noonan.
An absolute must? "The ability to work independently," says Julien Vernet, VP of
sales at VillageVines, which partners with restaurants in cities like New York,
Chicago, and Los Angeles, among others, to offer long-term preferred pricing and
discounts, rather than one-day-only offers. "They need to be self-starters because
they're going to be out in the field," he says.
Also, highlight any startup experience, and be sure your cover letter is short and
sweet. "In the field, you have a limited amount of time, so you have to grab their
attention and get them to listen to you pretty quickly," says Albus of KGB Deals.
Focus on your people skills. "If someone tells us they have cultural or humanitarian
pursuits, a food blog, involvement in a philanthropy," says Noonan, it shows that
they would be a good fit.
The Interview: Go in for the Right Reasons
You will struggle in the interview if you're not passionate about the social-
couponing industry; the hiring manager will sense it if you're there just to have a
buzz-worthy company name on your resume to help you land your next job.
You'll start with a phone-screen, and move on to meetings with sales reps, managers,
and company execs. You may have to act out some mock scenarios where you try to
pitch the site to a business. While specific questions will vary, every company will
probably ask you to justify why you want to work there.
"The most basic question can make or break the interview," says Greengrass: "Why
ideeli?" He suggests you answer with reasons that show your knowledge of and
interest in the company and its mission -- not with the fact that you "like to shop
there."
At Groupon, Jessup notes that it's a common practice to call up applicants before
bringing them in for an interview to gauge the candidate's interest in working for
the company. "The interest has to go both ways," he says.
"We're looking for the person getting into the job for the right reasons," says
Jeremy Thiesen, a regional sales manager with KGB deals, who oversees two city
managers and 16 sales reps in Chicago and New York City, "which means they're not
getting into it because this is a fad job and it's in the news."
訂閱：
文章 (Atom)