greyhound is definitely part of the travel around
Excerpt from Case Study:
Greyhound can be part of the travel and leisure services industry, providing intercity travel within the United States as well as travel plans and email services. Environmental surroundings that Greyhound operates in his been impacted by the incidents of Sept 11. The protection concerns, the decline in air travel as well as the decline in international travel around creates chances for Greyhound. In the current environment, there would be increased interest in journeys other than flights. This makes an opportunity for Greyhound to fully make use of the situation and promote its services. The primary problem that Greyhound looks is how to maintain current require after the environment has stabilized. After examining the various complications and the long term scenarios the recommendation is that Greyhound grow its solutions and generate an extensive advertising campaign to promote their services. To ensure increased demand is preserved there must also be a focus on ensuring new customers become duplicate customers and that the marketing campaign provides long-term effects. This will allow Greyhound to take advantage of the existing environment and carry it through to the future when the environment stabilizes.
OVERVIEW
Greyhound Lines Incorporation. is a provider of tour bus transportation services. It serves over 2600 destinations in the us with 18, 000 take-offs per day. (Greyhound Company Profile)
Greyhound offers three lines of business. The first is the foundation of their service and is intercity bus vehicles. Greyhound states three points that are critical to them achieving success in this area (Greyhound Company Profile):
Everyday low walk-up deals.
Provision of the only means of regular vehicles between towns and towns across the Us.
Provision more seats during peak travel around periods to allow for passengers.
The other two services that Greyhound presents are Greyhound Package Exhibit and Greyhound Travel Providers.
Greyhound Package deal Express is actually a package delivery service, particularly for remote spots that different postal web servers do not provide. The center of Greyhound’s services is the Daily Direct Service. Greyhound Package Express also offers highly period sensitive things. (Greyhound Organization Profile)
Greyhound Travel Services is a recent addition to Greyhound and one which is quickly growing. Greyhound Travel Services delivers charter and travel services, offers Greyhound vacation trips, destination administration, sightseeing, charters and shore holidays and package tours.
As well as this kind of, future plans include offering a dedicated navy for travel and leisure services, adding televisions, sound systems and luggage wine racks. (Greyhound Organization Profile) A fresh addition included in Greyhound Travel around Services in 2001 was Greyhound Vacations, which are escape packages to get popular spots such as New York City and Are usually. (Greyhound Organization Profile).
Important information is also mentioned in relation to Greyhound’s employees, buyers, safety and environment.
Greyhound employs more than 13, 500 workers, 5000 of those drivers. Greyhound as well as its employees have got a cooperative relationship with a labor union. The relationship is dependent on mutual trust and shared gains bargaining. (Greyhound Specifics Figures)
When it comes to customers, Greyhound reports that many passengers travelling by tour bus because it is safe and more economical. They also report that most people travel to visit family and friends and benefit from the low priced of entry pass. (Greyhound Details Figures)
In relation to safety, Greyhound reports that the recent audit showed they own an excellent protection record, with one-fifth the accident charge of all industrial vehicles in the United States. (Greyhound Details Figures)
With regards to the environment, Greyhound reports that a person Greyhound shuttle bus takes seventeen cars off-road and defines 162 traveler miles per gallon of fuel. (Greyhound Facts Figures)
The main concern effecting Greyhound is the way the events of September 10 impact after it. Seeing that September eleven there is a new fear of flying. This is very likely to increase the number of individuals choosing coach travel more than air travel. Additionally, it means that a large number of people in america will select holidays in the United States rather than overseas travel and leisure. The downside is the fact there will be less overseas tourists travelling in the United States. It has already been mentioned however , that almost all Greyhound customers are Us citizens travelling to check out family and friends. General then, we would expect demand for bus go increase. This brings with it equally opportunities and problems.
This is a changing environment to get Greyhound. This kind of report is going to focus on just how Greyhound can easily respond to these types of changes and specifically the way the problems they create could be predicted so that the opportunities provided can be fully utilized. Five of these problems will now always be discussed consequently.
PROBLEM CLASSIFICATION
Problem one particular – Elevated Demand
The first problem is due to the elevated demand for tour bus travel. We now have already found that Greyhound is ready to handle busy times, what Greyhound must now get ready for is a more constant increase in demand. Besides the fact that Greyhound is definitely prepared to get busy moments, we can suppose they have enough buses accessible to handle require. What they will have to increase is a number of drivers and other workers. It is reported that Greyhound is currently settling a five-year employment deal with its staff. (Greyhound Information Figures) It is important that Greyhound is still flexible. A flexible workforce is a must in a quickly changing environment, such as the 1 Greyhound is currently in. (Daft 84) Greyhound must ensure that they can remain flexible in this time to enable them to adapt to alter. Even if we all assume that the quantity of required employees will not reduce there is concern in selecting large numbers of fresh employees. This kind of concern is related to location. It might not be immediately obvious where increased require will be to get the medium term. Signing up for extra employees in an place may fasten Greyhound in to having worker they do not need.
Problem a couple of – The Downturn
While there is a current downturn in air travel, which increases interest in bus travelling, this will certainly not last forever. Especially with the airlines and the authorities taking actions, such as making use of air pads, this pattern may not last far ahead6171. This may lead to problems when the downturn happens. We have recently noted that extra workers may be essential in the short-term. If Greyhound must then simply lay off employees, complications will end result. Firstly, it will probably be a risk to the supportive relations among Greyhound, the unions and the employees. Subsequently, a downturn will likely trigger all employees to be worried for their jobs. This type of matter results in low morale and can be very damaging for the company. Improvements are always stressing to workers, and demoting is one of the many stressful improvements. (BillsBerry 53)
Problem 3 – Keeping Customers
The current decline in air travel means many new customers may try bus travel around. This is a major opportunity for Greyhound to retain new clients that recently selected air travel without genuinely considering bus travel like a practical choice. The problem that Greyhound has is locating a way to ensure it can retain these clients once the problems over flights are no longer right now there. Greyhound need to make sure that people making use of the services initially become completely aware that coach travel can be described as reliable and practical alternative, so that they might want to continue making use of the service.
Problem 4 – Safety Worries
While there are major issues about flights, there are also key concerns regarding terrorism generally. In October 2001, it was reported that a suitcase of explosives was found within a Greyhound shuttle bus station. (CNN) It has recently been noted that Greyhound likewise provides a postal service. The security concerns considering that the anthrax frighten have effected all mailpost services. While the threat for shuttle bus travel will not seem while concerning while bus travel around, the threat is still present. Greyhound should be aware that improved security might be required. The problem here is that Greyhound by simply increasing safety precautions may also change their client’s belief that buses will be safer than planes.
Difficulty 5 – Expansion / Changing Focus
As we have found there have been main changes considering that the events of September 11. People are choosing local vacation trips and vacation trips within the United states of america instead of international vacations. This is an opportunity pertaining to Greyhound to advertise their services as a practical and safe holiday alternative. We certainly have also found that Greyhound has launched Greyhound Travelling services which gives holiday packages. The existing environment is an excellent opportunity for Greyhound to promote this further and make interest in that. In the current environment, people will be more inclined to try the service of course, if the service is appropriate they may also choose this method over international travel later on. The challenge intended for Greyhound is usually how to make one of the most of this period by creating interest as well as how to ensure replicate sales. The other challenge is just how Greyhound can alter their target in a short time, to supply these types of companies immediately.
ALTERNATIVES
Now that the down sides have been explained, the conceivable solutions to these problems will probably be looked at. Five alternative alternatives will be
