TTEC4849 Bad Customer Experience

TTEC4849 Business Practice and Vehicle Safety

Customer Story of a Bad Experience

Instructions: Divide up into small groups. Read the following story, and

discuss the following questions in your small groups. Then write your answers

in the space provided.

This is a true story.

The year was about 1958, in California, before there were strong consumer

laws. Don Higgins owned a laundry and dry cleaning business, in which he

used one of the new Volkswagen bus trade vans for his deliveries. He would

pick up dirty clothes from businesses (like restaurants and auto repair shops),

clean them and deliver them back. He liked his Volkswagen van: it had lots of

space to hang the clothes and it got good fuel economy. Up until recently, it

had been very reliable. But lately the engine wasn’t running very well. The

engine was regularly missing and had low power.

So in the morning, Don took his van to his local auto repair shop. He told them

it needed fixing, maybe just a tune up, and he got a ride back to his cleaning

business. Then in mid-afternoon, he went back to pick up his van.

To his surprise, the van wasn’t ready. If fact, the repair shop owner showed

Don the engine that was now out of the van. The exhaust valve for number 3

cylinder was burnt, causing the poor running engine and lack of power. The

shop owner said he could have the engine fixed and back in the van in 3 or 4

days. And the bill would be about $400.00. (In 1958, this was a lot of money.

Don’s monthly mortgage on his house was only about $120.00 per month.)

Don was very upset. He was so upset that I (Steve McAfee) heard about this

as the little boy who lived next door to Don.

Discussion Questions:

1. From Don’s point of view, what was wrong here? What did the shop do

wrong that upset Don so much. (After all, they were fixing his van.)

The shop went ahead and took Don's motor out without consenting him beforehand, making the total cost  so high

2. From the repair shop owner’s point of view, what was wrong with Don

getting upset at them? What did they do right or wrong?

Don told the repair shop that his van "needs fixing". In the view of the repair shop, they thought they were doing Don a favour in diagnosing the problem and beginning to fix it. However, they really should have consulted Don first before going ahead and taking his motor out. 

3. What should have been done in this circumstance? If you were Don, what

would you have wanted to be done?

If I was Don, due to the unfair and awkward circumstances, I would enquire about paying off the repair shop slowly, as the repair shop really is in the wrong. If they had good business etiquette, they should do this for Don. 

4. When the repair was finished, and Don went to pick up his van, he took the

van and did not pay the whole repair bill. Did the repair shop have the right to

hold the van until they got paid?

If Don had pre agreed that they were to finish the van, then yes, the repair shop has the right to hold it until paid.

5. If Don took the repair shop to court, what would you have ruled if you were

the judge? Should the repair shop pay for a replacement rental vehicle?

Should Don pay the whole repair bill? Should the repair shop pay Don for lost

business because he could not pick up and deliver clothes to his customers?

I would make the repair shop repair Don's van free of charge, due to Don's business losses.

6. What New Zealand laws relate to this story? What do New Zealand laws

say should have been done in this case?

The "Consumer's Guarantees Act", and the "Fair Trading Act". 

The repair shop was vague and bad in communication, which lead to Don being worse off.

TTEC4849 Treaty of Waitangi

Treaty of Waitangi and Sustainability Worksheet

How does sustainability and freedom from pollution pertain to the treaty?

Instructions: Read the Treaty and answer the questions below. This may be used for theory classroom discussion.

Waikato-Manukau Treaty copy (English)

HER MAJESTY VICTORIA Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland regarding with Her Royal Favour the Native Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and anxious to protect their just Rights and Property and to secure to them the enjoyment of Peace and Good Order has deemed it necessary in consequence of the great number of Her Majesty's Subjects who have already settled in New Zealand and the rapid extension of Emigration both from Europe and Australia which is still in progress to constitute and appoint a functionary properly authorised to treat with the Aborigines of New Zealand for the recognition of Her Majesty's Sovereign authority over the whole or any part of those islands – Her Majesty therefore being desirous to establish a settled form of Civil Government with a view to avert the evil consequences which must result from the absence of the necessary Laws and Institutions alike to the native population and to Her subjects has been graciously pleased to empower and to authorise me William Hobson a Captain in Her Majesty's Royal Navy Consul and Lieutenant-Governor of such parts of New Zealand as may be or hereafter shall be ceded to her Majesty to invite the confederated and independent Chiefs of New Zealand to concur in the following Articles and Conditions.

Article the first [Article 1]

The Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the separate and independent Chiefs who have not become members of the Confederation cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty which the said Confederation or Individual Chiefs respectively exercise or possess, or may be supposed to exercise or to possess over their respective Territories as the sole sovereigns thereof.

Article the second [Article 2]

Her Majesty the Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession; but the Chiefs of the United Tribes and the individual Chiefs yield to Her Majesty the exclusive right of Preemption over such lands as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to alienate at such prices as may be agreed upon between the respective Proprietors and persons appointed by Her Majesty to treat with them in that behalf.

Article the third [Article 3]

In consideration thereof Her Majesty the Queen of England extends to the Natives of New Zealand Her royal protection and imparts to them all the Rights and Privileges of British Subjects.

(signed) William Hobson, Lieutenant-Governor.

Now therefore We the Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand being assembled in Congress at Victoria in Waitangi and We the Separate and Independent Chiefs of New Zealand claiming authority over the Tribes and Territories which are specified after our respective names, having been made fully to understand the Provisions of the foregoing Treaty, accept and enter into the same in the full spirit and meaning thereof in witness of which we have attached our signatures or marks at the places and the dates respectively specified. Done at Waitangi this Sixth day of February in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.

1.  What part of the Treaty relates to pollution and sustainability? Write the phrase that relates here: (If you can’t find it, reread Article 2)

The Queen confirms and guarantees that the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desires to retain the same in their possession. 

2.  What are ways that modern civilization could pollute the land, the sea, or the air?

Land

Pollution in land is caused by non biodegradable waste being dumped and not recycled.

Sea

The sea is polluted much the same as land, except oil spills are more severe, causing much harm to sea life, and the same goes for non biodegradable waste.

Air

Air pollution is most commonly caused by industrial fumes, car exhaust and other chemicals/gases leaked into the air.

3.  What New Zealand legislation directs what should happen about pollution? (You may need to do an internet search to find this.) Record your answers here:

The Resource Management Act 1991 is New Zealands environmental protection legislation. The Act’s purpose is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. There are three sections, 15, 17 and 340, that are specifically relevant to your responsibility to prevent pollution.

Section 15 prohibits unauthorized discharges of contaminants to land and water. Put simply, this means that nothing but rainwater can be discharged onto the ground, into storm water drains or into streams, lakes or the sea without authorization from the Regional Council. It is illegal to cause pollution and substantial penalties can be imposed, including fines up to $200,000 and up to two years imprisonment. See Section 15 of The Resource Management Act 1991 on

Section 17 makes individuals responsible for ensuring that their activities do not result in pollution. Everyone must take responsibility for his or her actions. If you are the director of a company, you are also responsible for ensuring that all of your staff and contractors are aware of this responsibility. See Section 17 of The Resource Management Act 1991 on

Section 340 makes you responsible for works carried out on your behalf (i.e. by your employees or people you have contracted or subcontracted to) and means you can be held liable for any unauthorized discharges to ground or the storm water system as a result of those activities. See Section 340 of The Resource Management Act 1991 on

TTEC4848 - Vehicle Electronics Controls

Anti Lock Braking (ABS)

Anti lock breaking is a braking system used in cars to prevent wheel slippage/lockup upon braking. It enables the driver to still be able to turn the car whilst braking in order to possibly avoid an object, instead of the car losing traction and veering straight, ultimately causing a crash.

ABS is integrated in the normal brake system, in the sense it still uses the same disc brakes as a conventional non ABS car. The difference is when the brakes are applied hard in an ABS equipped car, the ABS causes the brake pressure to modulate up to 20 times per second, whereas in a non ABS equipped car the brake pressure is constant, therefore the wheels just lock up, and traction is lost.

ABS's main components:

1. Speed Sensors

- Speed sensors are used to detect how fast the wheels are spinning upon acceleration or deceleration. The sensors are usually reluctor type sensors using a magnetic pick up that sends a signal to the ABS controller/ECU in the form of a/c voltage

- They are usually placed behind the hubs, and although they have shields protecting them, they can still get corroded, or metal fillings can get stuck in them causing incorrect voltages



2. G - Sensor

- Monitors the rate of deceleration or lateral acceleration in order for the ECU to calculate the precise condition of the road

3. Actuators

- These are solenoids that are turned on or off by the ABS control relays. They control the hydraulic brake pressure from the master cylinder to the brake calipers in response to the ABS ecu's signals

4. ABS ECU

- This is the brains of the ABS, sending signals to the outputs such as the actuators, in response to the inputs like the speed/G sensors

5. ABS Warning Light

- This is used to show when the ABS is in operation, or whether it is malfunctioning in which it will blink displaying a fault code




Slip Tolerance

Slip tolerance refers to the amount of slip/skidding the car undergoes when its wheels loose traction. This is calculated by the speed and G sensors, sending inputs back to the ecu to adjust the actuators accordingly




ABS's actions can be seen in three steps:

1. Hold mode

This is initiated when wheel lock up is sensed by the ECU. Hydraulic pressure in the brakes is held at a constant by a pressure hold valve turned on and pressure reduction valve off (ensuring there is no brake fluid in the reservoir), until the wheel to vehicle speed is calculated, in which case 2 of the following steps will come into faze.

2. Pressure reduction mode

This is the reason for "pulsation" felt in the brake pedal, and activates the ABS warning light.

When the slip tolerance of the car exceeds 20 percent, the ECU will continue to activate the pressure hold valve, causing the flow of fluid from the master cylinder to be stopped. The pressure reduction valve will also then be activated causing brake fluid to flow into the reservoir, in which the brake pressure will decrease rapidly. At the same time, the ABS pump will be on, pumping fluid into the master cylinder.

3. Pressure increase mode

When the ECU senses slip tolerance above 8 percent in response to the speed sensor,  brake pressure is increased by deactivating both the pressure hold valve and the pressure reduction valve.


Different types of ABS

1. Four channel

A four channel system incorporates a speed sensor for each wheel, in which braking to all individual wheels can be applied.

2. Three channel

A three channel system is much like the four channel, except the rear wheels share one speed sensor, usually located in the differential or transmission. An average of both wheels is calculated by the speed sensor. Using one sensor for the rear wheels means less complications, and cheaper production

3. One channel (rear-wheel ABS)

This is the most simple ABS system, consisting of just one speed sensor for the rear wheels, like a three channel, and no speed sensors for the front wheels. This is common place for vehicles that carry a heavy load, such as pick up trucks or vans.  





Here's a good video by Bosch explaining ABS and its advantages: