CHAPTER NO-6

BRIEF ON MY INTERNSHIP WORK

BREIF ON MY INTERNSHIP WORK

During my internship at PTCL I worked in fallowing department of PTCL: Marketing department Customer Care & Customer Services department HR department Revenue department Now we move department wise and give brief introduction of each department, and I will explain the work flow of these departments.

Marketing Department
Marketing Department is called a revenue-generating department of an organization. Marketing Department undertakes market research and gives feedback to management about customers needs and wants on the basis of which, products and services are developed and positioned to give value to the customers. Thus Marketing department of an organization plays a pivotal role in its business development, growth & expansion. During my internship I worked with PTCL marketing department. Through working there I gain so much practical knowledge that will help me during my practical life. For understanding the work flow and the operation of the department we have to move in certain manner. We have to look the key operation the structure of the department and in the end the focus will be on the critical analysis. So we will move in the pattern describe below: Marketing strategy of PTCL Market segmentation of PTCL Marketing mix of PTCL Promotional strategy of PTCL

1. Marketing Strategy of PTCL

For understanding the marketing department work flow and its function we must have clear picture of the PTCLs marketing strategy. For developing clear understanding of marketing strategy of PTCL there is no one line statement or clear vision of marketing department so we have to move traditionally .Classically, Marketing has been all about the four Ps: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. The marketer identifies a target market, defines the
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product and Pricing to appeal to this market and a strategy to deliver the product to the market. Thus the marketer is the steward of the value proposition, ensuring that the firm is delivering maximum value to its customers. We will briefly discuss below the marketing strategy, product planning, development & management, Pricing strategy, distribution strategy and promotional strategy:

Marketing Strategy
Normally, a marketing strategy identifies the target markets, the desired position in each market and the marketing mix that will persuade those target markets to part with their money. Market is targeted through market segmentation. Segmentation can be done on four types i.e. Demographic Segmentation (age, gender, race/ethnicity, household type, home ownership, education, employment, income etc.), Geographic segmentation. Positioning oneself by product can do positioning differentiation, positioning by product usage, positioning against a particular competitor, positioning against an entire product category, positioning by association and positioning by problem, Marketing Mix includes Ps i.e. Product, Price, Promotion and place.

Target Market
PTCLs 80% revenue comes from just 20% customers, who are corporate customers and other big and small business organizations. The main focus of PTCL marketing efforts is on retaining and satisfying that 20% chunk of key customers at any cost. For this purpose, PTCL is now established Corporate Customer Services Centers in major cities to take care of these vital customers. Apart from these important customers, PTCL targets general public and other small business companies for sale of its landline telecom services like telephone, fax, Internet, as well as other services like CLI, VMS, and Digital Facilities etc.

2. Market Segmentation
Basically PTCL segmented its market on two bases To better implement customer services features, segment the market on a customer basis: Corporate

Resident tonal

On the basis of services as:

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 Telephony Data Video PTCL has segmented its market for its services and products to effectively deal with its customers. Some of its services like Universal Access Number, Co-Location centers and virtual private network are specially targeted at corporate customers and business concerns. The other services like new telephone connections, digital services etc. are meant for mass market. The services like Internet, fax facility etc. are targeted at both the corporate and general customers. Positioning Strategy As PTCL is the sole provider of the landline telecom services in the country; it is the market leader in providing these services because there are no competitors to challenge its market leader status. Thus presently PTCL is facing no problems in positioning its services in the market as a market leader because it enjoys monopoly in the industry. However, with the deregulation of telecom sector PTCL is gearing up itself to maintain this market leader position, on the other hand competitors are doing to challenge it. 3. MARKETING MIX Product Planning In PTCL, so far products had been planned and developed by the engineering department and marketing professionals had no role in product planning as there was no marketing department in the Company. But now marketing professionals have been inducted in the Company and they will definitely have a close coordination with engineering department in planning and development of products to satisfy customers desires. It should also be kept in mind that PTCL is a technical organization enjoying state-of-the-art telecom technology. The services offered by PTCL are built in the technology and with the passage of time; PTCL rolls out these products in the market. Even many products, which have become obsolete in developed countries, are launched as new products by PTCL. But we cannot deny the fact that being monopolist, PTCL is depriving customers of many digital services that are available free in many other countries. However, as the Marketing department has
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been established now, it is expected that in future there will be close coordination and liaison between marketing professionals and engineers for planning and developing customers oriented products. PTCL is also in the process of hiring brand Managers to manage its different products in a thorough professional way. Pricing Strategy Being a government organization, PTCL is not authorized to determine the prices of its products itself, the Telecom Regulator Authority viz. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) fixes the prices of telecom services. The process is such that whenever PTCL intends to increase or reduce the rates of its services, it submits its Proposal to PTA for approval. PTA then calls consumers representatives, journalists and other interested groups for discussion on the proposal. After listening to the viewpoints of all the interested parties, PTA gives its decision. If PTA approves PTCLs proposal, the new rates are enforced. It may be mentioned here that telecom technology is only technology whose rates are on the decline with the passage of time. PTCL also rationalizes its tariff with the passage of time. Tariff rationalization process started in 1997 as part of GOP Telecom Sector policy for privatization of this sector. It was mainly focused on rebalancing the domestic process like NWD, international, local call, line rent etc. Rebalancing is completed by the end of 2003 (as per Tariff rates) with the objective to position PTCL for competition. 4. Promotional Strategy PTCL is using following components of promotional mix for the promotion and Publicity of its product/services. Advertising In promotional mix, PTCLs main stress is on advertising in print and electronic media. PTCL periodically places its advertisements in print media on services like H/Qs hotline 0800-44544, Caller line identification (CLI), Voice Messaging Service, Digital Facilities, PTCL Prepaid Calling Cards, Inquiry 17, Complaint 18, phone bill cards prepaid telephone etc. to remind the customers of these services. Sometimes, corporate ads are also released to print media to mark special occasions. PTCLs Commercials on Prepaid Calling Card, CLI, Voice
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Messaging, Digital Facilities etc. are also broadcast immediately on electronic media as reminders to Customers. Sales Promotion PTCL charges 1/3rd rates on national calls from 06:00 pm 07:00 am and local calls are free from 11:00 pm to 06:00 am to promote the usage of its telecom network. Moreover, PTCL offers special rate packages on special occasions like Ramadan Package and EID package, which offer customer reduced rates for specific timings. For Example, In EID Package PTCL charges half rates from 6:00am - 6:00pm and quarter from 6:00pm 6:00 am to attract customers to use its telephone service. These rates result in increased revenue for PTCL and also facilitate the customers to talk to their near and dear ones on these special occasions on affordable rates. Personal Selling As PTCL is enjoying monopoly in fixed-line telephony, the Company has no Professional sales force because the company has not felt any strong need to use the Services of a sales force for increasing the sale of its products. At the moment, PTCLs Customer Services Centers are playing the role of sales outlets. Customers can make telephone calls; send fax messages from these Customer Services Centers. They can also get connected their telephone bills and get duplicate bills from these outlets. However, with the establishment of Marketing Department in PTCL, The marketing professionals are now in the process of inducting professional sales force for the company. CUSTOMER CARE & CUSTOMER SERVICES DEPARTMENT PTCL has established its Customer Services Department at different levels the overview of the said department is as follows. Corporate Customer Care Center To facilitate Corporate Customers PTCL has established Corporate Customer Care Centers at all Operation Regional Head Quarter Level, in all the major cities country wide. The Corporate Customers can get their problems resolved under one roof in a

one window environment by dialing UAN 111-20 20 2. The Customer Relation Officers register the complaints & forward these to the related office. Customer Services Centers To facilitate consumers PTCL has established Customer Services Centers at all Tehsil Level cities/offices. Here the consumers can use Fax Facility, Voice Telephony for Local/NWD/ISD dialing. On divisional Offices Level duplicate phone bills may also be obtained from C.S.Cs. Toll Free Help Lines PTCL offers state-of-the-art call center network to its all type of valued customers for convenient frequently asked Questions, Complaints regarding their services, T/No enquiry. The following three Toll Free T/Numbers are available for this purpose. REVENUE DEPARTMENT The revenue generated by the marketing department through selling the company services/products is collected by the Revenue Department. The roles played by the Revenue Department are following: Bill Printing & Distribution Issuance of Duplicate Bills. Error correction of Bills. Collection of defaulter amounts. Bill Printing & Distribution The printing is basically carried out by regional billing computer center at every regional headquarter. These printed bills are handed over to Post Office after sorting & stapling by the Assistant Revenue Officers staff at Distt level. Issuance of Duplicate Bills In case of missing or damaged bills received to customers the correction is also Revenue departments responsibility. For this purpose the revenue office deputes its staff for each Tehsil level PTCL office during the bill payment dates normally from 18th to 30th of each month.
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 Error Correction of Bills In case of late payment or any other discrepancy due to missed collection by banks the previous amount is also included in the new bill. The revenue office is responsible for such kind of correction. Collection of Defaulter Amounts The amounts defaulted by the customers or the bad debts are also collected through revenue department. Each Telecom Recovery Inspector (TRI) is assigned a target of bad debts collection on monthly bases. Now a days as incentive is also offered on more than 100% recovery each month.