So You Want to be a Game Programmer? :: Computer Science

So You Want to be a Game Programmer? So, you're interested in becoming a computer game programmer? Congratulations! Game programming is one of the most difficult, challenging, and cool forms of programming. If you have a genuine talent for it, you have excellent career prospects. Imagine getting paid an entry-level salary of $40,000 for something you actually enjoy doing. When you were a kid did your parents tell you that you'll never amount to anything if you waste your time on computer games? Well, here's your chance to show them that you were right and they were wrong. There is currently only one way of getting a job as a games programmer, and that is to write a game - or more properly, write what is known in the industry as a game demo. These days, a typical commercial game might take 100,000 lines of C++ code written by a team of 3 programmers over a period of 18 months with a budget of a million dollars. As a novice game programmer, you are obviously not going to be able to compete in that arena. But you can and should write a fully functional game of about 10,000 lines of C++ code that shows off what you do best. Game companies are less interested in your resume than in what you have done. So write a game, burn it on a CD, and send it to the game companies that you would like to work for. If they like it, you may strike it lucky. So where are you going to get the knowledge to write your game demo? One way is to get a college degree in Computer Science. Do you have to have a college degree to get a job programming games? Not necessarily, but things are changing as the industry matures. You can get a job by programming a drop-dead game demo, but many companies are looking for employees who have produced great games and have college degrees. This makes sense because college is a place where you can get the background knowledge that you need to be a competitive game programmer. If you are fortunate, it can also be a place to meet creative people who can join and support you in your quest. Choosing a College A degree in Computer Science will help you on your way to becoming a game programmer, but you must choose your college very carefully. Go visit the Computer Science Department. You want one that is vigorous, active, exciting, and provides a comprehensive education. Look for a department with at least 15 full-time tenure-track faculty, and

Eli Whitney: The Inventor That Shook The Nation :: essays research papers

Eli Whitney, one of the first great American inventors, who had a very interesting inventing period. It pretty much didn't happen. But I'll explain that later. I chose Eli for a very good reason: I knew absolutely nothing about him. Well, other than the given, he invented the cotton gin. I've always enjoyed researching inventors, so it was either Mr. Whitney, or Robert Fulton. Happily I chose Eli. From studying Eli I hoped to learn about some of his other inventions, what inspired him to invent, in what conditions did he grow up and live in, and also what did his inventions lead to (as in other inventions or discoveries). Since I knew nothing about the E-ster when I began, I was eagerly soaking up information. So I knew nothing to be true or false when beginning. He proved to be a very interesting and almost tragic inventor. Now I'll get into the information part of it. Well, I may as well begin in the beginning . . . you know what I mean. Mr. Whitney was born on December 8, 1769 in Westborough, Massachusetts. He was one of the first great American inventors. It probably began early on because he always enjoyed toying with objects. He loved to build and take apart items. When he was twelve, he made a violin. Shortly after, when he was in his teens, he established a prominent nail making business. Later on, 1783-1789 to be exact, he taught grammar school in Westborough. When he'd had enough of that, he entered Yale in 1789, then graduated in 1792. After Yale, he journeyed to Savannah, Georgia to teach and study law. There he met Catherine Littlefield Greene. She invited him as a guest to stay in her home while he studied law. Eli believed he should start fixing things to earn his keep around the house. After many of the visitors to Mrs. Greene's house, a certain couple began to discuss the south and their needs. Eventually, the talk fell upon cotton, and how useless the cotton that grew there was. It took ten hours of hand work to separate the cotton from the seeds. That was when Mrs. Greene suggested they ask Mr. Whitney. She said: quote "Gentlemen, apply to my young friend, Mr. Whitney. He can make anything." Unquote. He watched how people would go about doing this and in ten days, he had created a prototype of the

Research paradigm Essay

The research paradigm considered by the researcher in regard to this work included the consideration of packaging in special occasions and which factors companies should focus during the period of social occasion in order to make their packaging their selling point. During the festival seasons market is flooded with various gift options. Due to the competition various organizations offer attractive schemes and offers to allure the consumers. Consumers due to various kind of motives of buying gift which can be personal, individual, altruism, cultural, reciprocal and other reason wants to buy attractive gifts for the people within his circle from family to the friends and relatives. The competitions companies face to attract these customers comes from various sectors of the industry or outside the industry. Now a days even service organization have become very competitive and services can also be offered as a gift. In such case company faces all kind of product, generic, industry specific and other kind of competitions. The packaging decisions are one of the important aspects of the marketing mix which can not be ignored in such a competitive environment where everything needs to be perfect. This paradigm has been utilized many times in the study of packaging in special occasions for all the group of respondents. I. i. a. Sample selection The data sampling was randomly managed utilizing stratified means with sixty five questionnaires completed by both male and female retail consumers. The percentages of female respondents were higher than that of male. The choice to use retail consumers alone in this research was made for three reasons. †¢ First, it was far simpler to have access to consumers from retail organization in regard to the researcher’s availability. †¢ Second, the focus itself is on understanding attitudes and perceptions for the packaging of gifts in special occasions and retail organization is a place attracting major customers to buy gifts. †¢ Third, the quantification of such information allows the researcher to gain a broader perspective on how respondents observe and realize the meanings of different components of packaging during special occasions and how it impacts their buying behaviour. I.i. b. Reliability and viability Reliability for the researcher was achieved in the assurance that only a specified group of men and women were utilized in regard to the research. The focus of the research has been on the consumers from retail organization. These consumers from retail organization were approachable. Data was collected in the presence of researcher. This gave the research a more focused view of the research goal. The validity was managed as a result of this focus and emphasised in the considerations involved in the data collection, variables and sampling methods. Privacy and confidentiality methods included assigning numeric and alphabetic coding to each responding questionnaire. This ensured anonymity in regard to the researcher and the subjects of the research process. I. i. c. Sample size Approximately 100 questionnaires have been distributed to collect the information. However in 35 questionnaires the information was not completed and due to that these has been withdrawn from the studies. 65 fully filled questionnaires have been utilized for the purpose of study. I. i. d. Questionnaire design The questionnaire design was simple. The questions included in the paper are related to the attributes of the packaging. The time taken to complete the questionnaire was less due to its simple nature. Most of the questions are simple circle question where respondent has to make a circle around the most appropriate and applicable option. I. i. e. Data analysis and findings Analysis of information in regard to research managed by the researcher must include complete and full understanding of the questionnaire. This understanding focuses in the use of the questionnaire created specifically for this process. It is the considerations realized within the questionnaires, no matter their simplicity, that will focus considerations in later chapters of this work. Within this section of Analysis and Findings there will be measurement of all responses in regard to the questionnaire. †¢ Analysis strategy Analysis strategy included a full series of statistical diagrams of all information collected including positive and negative responses, gender variations and marital status. This strategy provided the researcher with a wider spread for the conclusions that became evident in regard to the researcher’s focus. This information was broken down into specific charts for the benefit of visual context. The visual context provided insight in regard to perceptions of packaging and considerations by consumers from retail organization in regard to the impact of components on them. These perceptions and considerations provide the researcher with evidence to support the hypothesis made in that effective packaging decisions during the special occasions will support organizations to delight the consumer. †¢ Awareness The researcher held awareness of the potential for study in regard to packaging during special occasion through many methods. Those methods include observation, interaction and extensive research. The awareness of the media discussions of packaging amongst collegiate level men and women and the similar studies within this idea would in fact have influenced the choice made. The choice of analyzing how consumers from retail organization amongst this particular population would in fact consider their packaging options and knowledge allows for a singular perspective isolated from the more broadly painted view. The focus itself was on the consumers from retail organization and how they absorbed information available before deciding on packaging decisions. Overall, the respondents to the questionnaires provided insight in regard to how many individuals are learning more and more about packaging decisions. From the literature review it is evident that usually colour of the packaging which makes impact on sender or receiver of any gift. The questionnaire aims to measure the frequency to which people buy gifts for others and what are the factors they consider for the packaging. †¢ Understanding The understanding of this information gathered is proven in the statistics within the questionnaires that were completed and submitted. Each respondent have been explained the objective of study. Researcher has helped the respondents if s/he faces any difficulty in understanding any question. The research found that all respondents understood the material being requested and filled the questionnaires accordingly in timely fashion. The responses of questionnaires were filled in the database as the completed questionnaires had been received from the respondents. This information was then examined thoroughly for consistency and validity. The researcher now understands that there is a great deal of diversity in gift buying and packaging behaviour among the consumers from retail organization. Respondents can learn about better packaging options through their own personal research, their parents, friends or other family members. †¢ Findings The questionnaire included demographic details like of the respondents Demographic Profile †¢ Age Large section of the respondents (41. 5%) fall under the age group of 22-30 years old, followed by people within the age group of 41-50 years who are 20% of the total respondents. Approximately 15% of the total respondents fall under the age group of 18-21. Figure III. 1 Age of Respondents Ethnic background: 43% of the total respondents were from White community while 34% were Asian. Black other and Black African were 14% and 6% respectively of the total respondents. None of the respondent was from Hispanic or African background. Figure III. 2 Ethnic Origin of the Respondents Gender Majority of respondents are female with percentage of 66 while remaining 34% of the respondents are male. Figure III. 3 Gender Consumer behaviour. When respondents were asked the question â€Å"How frequently do you buy gift items? † twenty five out of sixty five responded that they buy gifts once in a month. Twenty two out of sixty five responded that they buy three to six times in a year. Nine respondents told that they buy less often gifts for anyone while the same number of respondents told that they buy gifts once in a week. No respondent told that s/he never buys any gift items. Figure III. 4 Frequency of buying Gift Items Components of Packaging on Special Occasion Colour:When consumers were asked what they feel about the statement â€Å"It feels good to receive a present in Colourful packaging on special occasions† approximately 48% of the respondent strongly agreed to the statement while 35% agreed to the statement. Remaining respondents felt they were neutral to the Colour of packaging. Figure III. 5 Colourful Packaging Respondents when asked to respond on the statement â€Å"On special occasions (like Christmas), packaging is more Colourful than normal. † Majority of them agreed to the statement. 37% of the total respondents strongly agreed to the statement while approximately 50% agreed to the statement. 10-% of the total respondents felt neutral about the statement while approximately 1% disagreed to the same. Figure III. 6 Packaging on Special Occasions Respondents were asked to respond on the shape and Colour attribute of a product. They were asked to respond on the statement â€Å"People are mostly attracted by different shapes and sizes in gift items. † 58% of the total respondents agreed to the statement while approximately 16% strongly agreed. 18% respondents were neutral to this statement while 4% disagreed. 1. 5% of respondents strongly disagreed to the statement. Figure III. 7: Colours and Shapes of Product. When respondents were asked whether or not they agree to the statement â€Å"Packaging styles vary for different occasions† 44% agreed to the statement while 30% strongly agreed. 18% were neutral to the statement and 4% strongly disagreed. Figure III. 8 Packaging Style in Different Occasions When consumers were asked about their own perception regarding shapes and Colours of the product by the statement â€Å"I am attracted to a product because of different Colours and shapes in packaging when I buy for a special occasion† approximately 40% of the total respondents agreed to the statement while 26% strongly agree to the same. 18% respondents were neutral to the same, 17% disagreed and 1. 5% strongly disagreed to the statement. Figure III. 9 Impact of Shape and Size of packaging in special occasions To the statement â€Å"Colourful and attractive packaging makes a good impression about the sender to the receiver. † Approximately 50% strongly agreed to the statement while 43% agreed to the same. 6% of the total respondents were neutral while 1. 5% strongly disagreed to it. Figure III. 10: Colourful and attractive packaging and impression about sender.

Pride, Prejudice, and Vanity Essay

For two hundred years Jane Austen’s novels have been read, reread, dog-eared and bookmarked. They have been opened with smiles and closed with reluctant sighs, picked up and not put down again until every word has been read, cherished, and safely secreted away within the reader. Austen’s novels are each a rich bouquet of themes, motifs, and imagery. Perhaps most prominent of these themes is Austen’s depiction of love in the face of potential lovers’ pride, prejudice, and vanity. In Pride and Prejudice, one of the most significant illustrations of these themes can be found in the romances between the Bennet girls and their suitors, as courtships are wrought with snap judgments, uncompromising ideals, and extreme concern with frivolity such as appearance and social standing; no relationship in the novel exemplifies this more than that of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. In Pride and Prejudice, love and propriety harmonized with humor and irony, as Austen displayed her special talent for creating interesting people, places, and things; through ironic humor, cynicism, and rapier-like puns, the techniques employed by Austen to name items in her novels provide significant insight into the characters, serve as a subtle means for social criticism, and prove a successful comedic device, creating humor out of the mundane and displaying love in the most unlikely places. Her title for Pride and Prejudice initially appears that she abandoned much of the similar wit for a straightforward description of her text, though upon reading, one is forced to question the appropriateness of the novel’s â€Å"prejudice. † While it can said to be in Darcy’s general contempt for the lower social classes, it is really more his own vanity that makes him crave status so. Similarly, the Bennets are also rife with pride and predetermined â€Å"facts† of life, as Elizabeth has tends to judge upon first impressions and is often highly critical of others. However, the title speaks to something greater than the words themselves, and really speaks of the flaws of most humans: â€Å"The meanings that ‘pride’ and ‘prejudice’ acquire are related to the central theme of all of Jane Austen’s novels—the limitations of human vision† (Zimmerman 65). This limitation of human vision, the inability to see moral and actual existence clearly, not only leads to pride, prejudice, but also vanity. Through the less-than-clever Mary Bennet, Austen gives her delineation of vanity and pride: â€Å"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us† (Austen). The romance between Lizzy and Darcy is not unlike Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley’s in that the lovers share similar personalities and ultimately find great joy in being together, although it does differ in the course it takes, hindered by the pride and vanity of each. While Jane and Bingley were immediately enamored with each other, Lizzy and Darcy begin the novel as ultimately, Lizzy and Darcy’s love epitomizes ardor and devotion in spite of pride and vanity of each, however prejudice may be a misnomer. Lizzy actually has ample reasons to dislike Darcy after she meets him: â€Å"1) his snobbish and insulting remarks about her at the ball; 2) his attempt to break up the romance between Jane and Bingley; and 3) his alleged injustice to Wickham† (Fox 186). However, her disposition exemplifies her vanity, not prejudice, and her vanity is apparent throughout the novel. When Lizzy writes to Mrs. Gardiner to inform her of the engagement she writes, â€Å"I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh† (250). Though Lizzy is happy, her vanity lies at the root of what she says, and: â€Å"It is clear that vanity here applies, not to the impression Elizabeth wants to make on others, but to her own opinion of herself† (Dooley 188). She is happy, after abandoning her initial judgments of Darcy, however she still compares her happiness to that of her sister. Through the two romances of Jane and Lizzy, Austen has painted a portrait of the good and of the great and how vanity often leads to greater significance in relationships. While the love between Jane and Bingley is sweet and honest, the love between Lizzy and Darcy is real, visceral, and passionate; one produces a smile, the other a rapturous laughter that only fills the void where words prove lacking. This is due greatly to the pride and the vanity of both Lizzy and Darcy, who each create higher ideals for them to live by, and the only real prejudice that exists in the novel is that which exists in every human.

Voucher Hippo Creek Bar & Grill Three-Course Dinner for Two People

Voucher Hippo Creek Bar & Grill Three-Course Dinner for Two People with a Glass of Wine or Middy Each Voucher value: $164. 00 Voucher code: 0050027N3Q Valid from 11. 02. 2013 to 31. 01. 2014 The merchant: Hippo Creek Bar & Grill Shop 55 Waterford Plaza, Cnr Manning Road & Kent Street, 6152, Karawara Fine print Security Code: 0D4CBE3659 REF: 716711451Limit of 1 voucher per person, Max 1 voucher per couple per visit, Purchase 1 additional voucher as a gift, Subject to availability, Blackout period: 1st to 31st December 2013, No refunds if your preferred date is unavailable, Please expect a high demand for weekend bookings, It is recommended to book well in advance, 24-hour cancellation policy or voucher is forfeited, Hippo Creek Bar & Grill abides by the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) regulations and has the right to enforce them, Ages 18+ for alcohol consumption, Failure to bring voucher and email confirmation will see ‘voucher discounts’ forfeited and regular prici ng will be charged, Not valid on public holidays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, Menu is set and cannot be switched or substituted, Not valid with any other discounts, specials or entertainment card, Strictly no telephone bookings, Dine in only, Rules that apply to all deals, How to Redeem, Valid from: 11 Feb 2013, Valid to: 31 Jan 2014, Must book by: 1 Nov 2013, Bookings must be made at least 7 days in advance, Email to book: [email  protected] com. au, State Voucher Code, State Security Code, Present printed voucher and email confirmation on arrival, Valid hours: , – Two-course lunch Thu-Sun 12pm-2pm – Three-course dinner Mon-Thu with a choice of two sittings; 6pm-7. 5pm (must leave by 8:00pm) or 8:30pm-late This is how it works Print voucher Bring along your voucher Arrange an appointment with the deal offerer Redeem and enjoy Any questions? : Email us: http://contact. groupon. com. au, User-ID: 719293573 Right to cancel Once w e send you the voucher, you may cancel the transaction at any time within seven working days from the day after the day that you receive the voucher (where a working day is any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or Australian public holiday). If you do want to cancel, you must do so by informing us you are cancelling through: contact. groupon. com. au always provided of course that you have not yet redeemed the voucher. .

Communication Sources of Education Essay

The objective of education should be to encourage the search for answers, since it is the only way to advance. Within the aim of advancement in knowledge, various facets incorporated within the teaching portfolio ensure the success of professional educators. To achieve success, educators have to lean on certain ideals to enable them better perform their duties as required. One of the main inclinations that would be crucial to the success of an educator would be showing concern about students. Apart from just teaching them, educators must show interest on aspects such as social, physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being (Capuzzi, 2012). Being alert to these facets not only help the educator teach effectively, but also enables the learning process to be smooth for students. In addition, students can better their current knowledge in given subjects, especially with support from their individual educators. Moreover, the practice accords the educators the opportunity to look in to, in an explorative manner, and challenge the existing educational policies. Literature Review A number of learning theories offer information, which can be quite instrumental in understanding the ability of students to learn within a classroom setting. Social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura was developed purposely with the aim of comprehending how students learn (Murphy, 2010). He felt that initial belief of rewards and behaviorism could not provide an understanding of the full process of human comprehension. His feelings were that people could learn through observation of actions of the others in certain situations. It was realized that his beliefs affect the modern classroom. The modern classroom is full of many factors, which affects students learning. The social cognitive learning theory by Bandura states that a student’s personality is modeled by the environment, thought and behavior. Educators should attempt to identify themes that emerge from teaching and make a decision on whether these themes a coherent pattern. Evidently, at the outset, that by way of example than percept, educators impart more (Capuzzi, 2012). Students are extremely perceptive in recognizing when the instructor does not put into practice what he preaches. Both in actions and in words, educators should always teach several values students. These include; importance of preparation, organization, and homework; respect for people’s view; and the value of effective and clear exchange of information both in written and  oral  form. To cater for more than just teaching the students, educators should come up with strategies to incorporate other aspects of life into the class. Students may become defensive if they feel that the teacher is prying on their privacy. In this, an educator should approach this subject with care, otherwise he or she may risk losing the trust altogether. The theme of inclusiveness ensures diversity is taken into account in all teaching. According to (Gould, 2010), educators should attempt to create a positive atmosphere. When students are called upon to answer questions, mistakes should be treated as opportunities in exploring misconceptions, rather than a reflection of the abilities of the students. Educators should create a fair playing field to teach students that, in their current world, there is no easy way out. With a class of almost many students, it is hardly easy to know each student by their names, let alone know about their emotional, physical, or cognitive experiences. To coun ter this, Capuzzi (2012) suggests that educators work with the policy of an openness, where they are available for consultation and assistance at working hours. There exists a gap between students and educators needs to be bridged if the educators are to effectively teach and guide their students. Koshy & Koshy (2010) realized that a modified approach that teachers use in teaching from question-answer to answer-question approach provides a bridge between teachers and learners, and fosters self-evaluation and self-efficacy. Self-evaluation and self-efficacy provide the perfect opportunity for the educator to get to know his or her student on a personal note. In this, the educator is now able to evaluate the student’s emotional, physical, and cognitive aspects of life. Bandura, a renowned theorist, attained fame after his social-cognitive learning theory. The theory is based on individual self-efficacy and modeling. Despite having a number of ideas on learning, Bandura chose social cognitive learning theory. Through the process of modeling, students were required to account for diverse forms of learning. It was Bandura’s belief that through modeling, students are capable of making significant gains in self-motivation, action, and thought. Psychologists, until that time, had exclusively focused on learning through the consequences of actions. Bandura demonstrated that through the hazardous and tedious process of trial and error learning could be a short cut through modeling of competencies and knowledge exhibited by a variety of model (Murphy, 2010). Bandura’s belief was that students’ learn through experiences of watching others, which lead to self-efficacy or self-motivation. The theorist is credited for developing the social cognitive learning theory. While applying this theory, educators should guide their students by being role models, and by observing their behavior as Bandura suggest. Murphy (2010) observes that at that point in time, educators are able to mentor, advice and teach their students more effectively. Knowing the students’ is emotional, cognitive, and physical situation can be very instrumental in understanding the problems facing them or better still, the methods one can use as an educator to teach them effectively. The important part of advising, mentoring, and teaching student, is caring. Being attached to students begins by caring for them and what they are to become in the future. They have strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, wants and needs, hopes and dreams. Educators should be party to these dreams and hopes, since they facilitate the learning process that they have factored into their futures (Zunker & Osborn, 2012). What becomes on them and the leap-of-faith on their part should increase interest regarding their futures. Conclusion In conclusion, having better and more knowledge of students than just their classroom performance make educators better mentors, better teachers, and better persons. Educators should share reality with students to ensure they feel they are relating to a genuine person, who is willing expose his/her values, feelings, and distinctive perception about the world and the society. It is imperative to increase skills and knowledge in the application of instructional techniques to teaching philosophy by aiming at professional development in the subject matter. Additionally, educators should enhance their knowledge on how problem-solving strategies are related to student assessment. They should voluntarily sit in on their school training meetings to compare results with those of other educators. Educators should target increasing the abilities of students in all aspects of life, since it is an important part of the national, local, and state dialogue on educational achievement. References Capuzzi, D. (2012). Career counseling foundations, perspectives, and applications (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge. Gould, J. (2010). Learning Theory and Classroom Practice in the Lifelong Learning Sector. Exeter: Learning Matters. Koshy, V., & Koshy, V. (2010). Action research for improving educational practice: A step-by-step guide (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. Murphy, M. (2010). Habermas, critical theory and education. New York: Routledge. Zunker, V., & Osborn, D. (2012). Using assessment results for career development: Career counseling: A holistic approach (8th ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Source document

Starbucks Delivering Customer Service

Lifetime Value For Unsatisfied, Satisfied And Highly Satisfied Customers The story of Starbucks transformation from a small independent coffee shop tucked away in a corner of Seattle’s Pike Place Market to a cultural phenomenon spanning the globe is legendary. A number of factors have been attributed to the success – one being a keen understanding of its patrons. There are multiple methods used to obtain customer information and the value derived therein. Customer lifetime value is one. Customers are assets, and their values grow and decline.Segmenting customers based on their lifetime value is a powerful way to target them because marketing mix activities can then aim at enhancing customer value. (Ho, 2006) Roughly translated, customer lifetime value is the projected profits that a customer will generate during their lifetime. We used the case data to segment Starbucks customers into three distinct categories of unsatisfied, satisfied and highly satisfied. Fortunately, the case provided some useful data to make our initial assumptions about the stream of expected revenues from each category.Exhibit 9 UnsatisfiedSatisfiedHighly Satisfied Number of Starbucks Visits/Month3. 904. 307. 20 Average Ticket Size/Visit$3. 88$4. 06$4. 42 Average Customer Life (Years)1. 104. 408. 30 The data allowed us to calculate the annual expected revenues by taking 12, the number of months in a year, times the product of each component given in Exhibit 9 for each category of customer. UnsatisfiedSatisfiedHighly Satisfied Expected Lifetime Future Revenue$ 199. 74$ 921. 78$ 3,169. 67To derive the CLV it is necessary to determine the profits. This requires taking costs against the expected future revenues. The expected costs are typically any amount incurred from attracting, selling and servicing customers. The best representative cost of servicing the customer from the given data was the gross margin from Starbucks financial statements. After all, this number reflects the true costs incurred in servicing each customer, while leaving out extraneous expenses such as depreciation and other corporate overhead that have little relation.FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000 FY 2001 FY 2002 Average Net Revenue1,308,700,0001,686,800,0002,177,600,0002,649,000,0003,288,900,0002,222,200,000 Gross Profit730,200,000939,200,0001,215,700,0001,536,200,0001,938,900,0001,272,040,000 Operating Profit109,200,000156,700,000212,300,000281,100,000310,000,000213,860,000 Net Income68,400,000101,700,00094,500,000181,200,000215,100,000132,180,000 Gross Profit Margin55. 80%55. 68%55. 83%57. 99%58. 95%56. 85% Operating Profit Margin8. 34%9. 29%9. 75%10. 61%9. 43%9. 48% Net Profit Margin5. 23%6. 03%4. 34%6. 84%6. 54%5. 0% The average of the five years of financial statement data was used for the margin to take against revenue. The figures below represent the CLV for each category using a discount rate of 12% to give the present value. A discount rate between 10% – 20% is typically used in these applications. Starbucks is a mature company at this stage of development and the cost of capital is likely to be toward the lower end of the spectrum. Unsatisfied Satisfied Highly Satisfied Expected Lifetime Future Revenue $ 199. 74 $ 921. 78 $ 3,169. 7 Gross Margin56. 85%56. 85%56. 85% Discount Rate 12% CLV Undiscounted $ 113. 55 $ 524. 03 $ 1,801. 94 CLV Discounted$105. 88 $405. 59 $1,137. 64 Finally, we calculated the annual CLV for each category to provide information for our upcoming problem facing Starbucks about investing in increasing staffing levels. The annual amounts were derived by annualizing the products of visits/month and average ticket size/visit. Unsatisfied Satisfied Highly Satisfied Number of Starbucks Visits/Month 3. 90 4. 0 7. 20 Average Ticket Size/Visit$3. 88 $4. 06 $4. 42 Customer Annual Value $ 103. 23 $ 119. 10 $ 217. 10 Traditional Customer Annual Value (textbook version)$209$241$440 For comparison, our group also decided to calculate the textbo ok version of CLV by taking the average retention rate of 75% derived from Exhibit 8 and inputting it into the formula used in the text. We used the same discount rate, 12%, and took that rate times the product of the number of Starbucks visits/month and average ticket size annualized.CLV = m * r/(1 + I – r) Exhibit 8 % of Starbucks’ customers who first started visiting Starbucks . . . In the past year27% 1–2 years ago 20% 2–5 years ago 30% 5 or more years ago 23% Average25% $40 Million Investment In Improving Its Customer Service Using the data provided from Exhibit 3 in the case in regards to sales data broken down for each company operated store in North America we derived the figures in the table below. DailyWeeklyMonthlyYearly Average Store Sales$2,194$15,400$66,733$800,800 Average ticket/visit$3. 85$3. 85$3. 85$3. 5 Average Customer Count5703,99017,338208,050 One assumption made was the investment in improving customer service would be restricted to North American stores (4,574) from our calculations regarding the forecasted cost of $40 million. As mentioned in the case, â€Å"the company had plans to open 525 company-operated and 225 licensed North American stores in 2003. † (MOON, 2006) Consequently, these were the figures used to determine the forecasted North American store growth in 2003 and the same growth projections were made for subsequent years.Additionally, using the customer count derived from the calculations in the previous table we projected the change in customer count by using the same retention rate of 75% calculated from Exhibit 8 to determine the amount of retained customers. This is also supported by the fact the Starbucks’ cannibalizes its existing store revenue by opening new stores in geographically clustered markets. But this is offset by the total incremental sales associated with new store concentration. That figure was then used to provide the new customers by taking (1 – 75% = 25%) the percentage times the retained customer count.Thereby, our total projected customers equaled the sum of the two and those amounts were continually projected forward. YearCustomers Retained/storeNew Customers/storeTotal Customers/storeNumber of Stores 2002208,0504,574 2003156,03839,009195,0475,324 2004146,28536,571182,8566,197 2005137,14234,286171,4287,213 2006128,57132,143160,7148,396 2007120,53530,134150,6699,772 2008113,00228,250141,25211,375 One final assumption, the growth rate in stores was halted in 2008 to reflect the effect of the recession.All of these amounts allowed the $40 million investment in customer service to be broken out per store over our projected period spanning years 2002 – 2008. Year2002200320042005200620072008 Customer retained/store156,038146,285137,142128,571120,535113,002 New customer/store39,00936,57134,28632,14330,13428,250 Total customer count /store208,050195,047182,856171,428160,714150,669141,252 Number of Stores4,5745,3246,1977,2138,3 969,77211,375 Improvement/Acquistion Cost per store$8,745$7,513$6,455$5,545$4,764$4,093$3,517As shown, the growth in stores allows for a considerable reduction in the per store cost over the projected period. The initial acquisition cost was made by simply dividing the initial $40 million cost by the number of stores in 2002. From the information provided on Page 11 Fig A – Customer Visit Frequency, we calculated the customer base for each satisfaction level. Added to this information was the data derived from the prior table to break out the forecasted revenue stream less the acquisition cost to arrive at the profits made from improving customer service. 002200320042005200620072008 Number of Customers208,050195,047182,856171,428160,714150,669141,252 Customers – Unsatisfied87,38181,92076,80072,00067,50063,28159,326 Customers – Satisfied76,97972,16767,65763,42859,46455,74852,263 Customers – Highly Satisfied43,69140,96038,40036,00033,75031,64129,663 Total R evenue per store$800,800$840,840$882,882$927,026$973,377$1,022,046$1,073,149 Acquistion/Improvement Cost for store-$7,513-$6,455-$5,545-$4,764-$4,093-$3,517 Total Revenue – AC$833,327$876,427$921,481$968,613$1,017,953$1,069,632To increase the profitability based on the CLV data, the maximum bang for the buck is gained by increasing the customer level from satisfied to highly satisfied. Making this switch, Starbucks not only will see an increase in average ticket size from $4. 06 to $4. 42, but the frequency is also increased from 4. 3 to 7. 2 visits per month. All gains yield an additional $98 in incremental gross profit per every customer moved up in satisfaction. Additionally, customer life increases from 4. 4 years to 8. 3 years.As shown in the table below, it makes more sense to pursue after switching satisfied customers to highly satisfied customers as the NPV is far greater than the alternative. Using the NPV from the table and improvement cost for each store we can cal culate the minimum number of customers that we need to switch in 2003 per store. The minimum number of customers to be switched in 2003 = Improvement cost / NPV of satisfied to highly satisfied. = $7,513/$497 = 16 customers/store = 16 * 5,324 stores = 85,184 total customersCustomer LTV/yearChange in revenue by moving up in customer satisfaction levelAvg Customer LifeNet Present Value Unsatisfied$103 Satisfied$119$164. 4 yrs$51. 86 Highly satisfied$217$988. 3 yrs$497. 31 As Starbucks expands and builds more stores, improvement cost per store that is needed is reduced. This, in turn, has a direct effect in reducing the number of customers it needs to switch up one level. Qualitative assessment of Starbucks’ challenges Expectancy-Value ModelKey Attributes (Exhibit 10)Customer Ranking (Exhibit 10)Weights (Exhibit 11)Customer ranking (Exhibit 11)Combined ProbabilityRanking of Importance Treated as a Valuable Customer0. 75free cups after certain number of visits0. 190. 14251 Friend ly Staff0. 73Friendlier, more attentive staff0. 190. 13872 Appropriate Prices0. 65Reduce Prices0. 110. 07153 Fast service0. 65Faster, more efficient service0. 10. 0654 Knowledgeable Staff0. 39More knowledgable staff0. 040. 01565 Selection of merchandise0. 5Better Quality/Variety of Products0. 090. 00456 There is a direct relationship between customer satisfaction and number of visits and revenue which eventually leads to higher profits, Starbucks’ should raise the customer satisfaction levels of its current customer base by making them visit stores more frequently. By using key customer attributes from Exhibit 10 and the consumer weights which was given in Exhibit 11, we can use the expectancy value model to see what are the perceived values to the customer.We can then rank the attributes that consumers would value the most. The expectancy value model shows that faster service is not the highest in perceived value to consumers. There are others that rank higher. Specifically, Starbucks should focus on treating the customer as a valued consumer by rewarding the consumer with free cups of certain coffees after so many purchases. This would surely build more loyalty to the their brand, especially among both the newer and older customers.Starbucks can achieve this by doing one or more of the following: †¢Prices and Promotions – Since Starbucks’ typical customer profile is evolving, the company should look in to running promotions such as discounted prices or a free drink after so many number of visits which could generate additional revenue and possibly increase the average ticket size and customer life for both unsatisfied and satisfied customer level as well as build loyalty among newer and older customers. Improve value to customers with friendly staff – Knowledgeable staff who offer attentive service by greeting and knowing regular customers as well a remembering their drinks would help to improve the value proposition for Star bucks’. This will also try to bridge the gap between Starbucks’ and various other independent specialty coffee shops. †¢Cleanliness – Starbucks’s should ensure that the store is clean at all times (i. e. , restrooms, countertops, trash cans, seating areas, etc. as store cleanliness was ranked as key attributes in creating customer satisfaction (Exhibit 10) †¢Convenience – next on the list is convenience. Starbucks’ could continue to offer customized drinks and further promote sales of its SVC cards to help customers pay for their concoction at their convenience. †¢Improve the customer snapshot measuring techniques to strike a balance in measuring customer satisfaction level. †¢Improve the quality and variety of the coffee Explore additional opportunities to earn peripheral revenues in selling pastries, sandwiches, lunch menus or even liquor. †¢Study in making store atmosphere more conducive to ethnically concentrated geographical locations. WORKS CITED Ho, T. -H. (2006). Incorporating Satisfaction into Customer Value Analysis: Optimal Investment in Lifetime Value. Marketing Science , 260-277. MOON, Y. (2006). Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service. Harvard Business Review .