I.

Summary of the case/Background/Case Facts

Being a seasonal business that booms during the spring and summer seasons, the
Sandtrap, a dining establishment in a local beach, finds itself in a predicament during
the winter season, as it experiences a steady decline in its sales. Efforts have been
concentrated to create different gimmicks and strategies to induce sales, but these are
yet to be of great help. Fred, the Sandtrap’s owner, devised a latest tactic that led to an
increase of customers, and consequently, sales. This tactic came in the form of
requiring female employees to wear skimpy clothes. Though this has considerably
helped in the increase of sales, the downturn came in the form of female employees
having to bear the burden of dealing with lewd remarks and actions from male
customers. Don, the manager, having received a complaint from one of the female
employees about such an experience, is hesitant to give in to the employee’s plea of
bringing back the old uniform, for the establishment is in desperate of customers to
improve the sales.

II. Statement of the Problem

Given that the company is in its off-season business, how can it raise its off-season
sales without compromising the welfare of its [female] employees, and without
subjecting the establishment to public scrutiny for its imposition of a female attire that
tends to cultivate work discrimination and women exploitation?

III. Objectives

 Prevent the rise of issues related to work discrimination and women exploitation
 Keep a healthy morale that fosters respect within the company
 Raise the off-season sales of the company
IV. Areas for Consideration

A. SWOT Matrix

HELPFUL HARMFUL
(for your objective) (for your objective)
INTERNAL Strengths: Weaknesses:
(within organization) 1.)Known eating and 1.)Seasonal business
drinking establishment 2.)Restless female
2.)Provider of great employee(s)
entertainment

EXTERNAL Opportunities: Threats:

(outside organization) 1.)Identifiable off- 1.)Seasonal
season market businesses that boom
during winter
2.)Other players in the
same industry
3.)Untoward behavior
of male customers

B. Analysis of the SWOT

Strengths:

Being a well-known eating and drinking establishment, the Sandtrap can

readily sell its products and offer its services to the public, while banking
on its established reputation. With its night bands and gimmicks that
provide the customers with great entertainment, Sandtrap can expect that
they would have patrons, who appreciate not only their food and drinks,
but also the entertaining vibe the business is trying to exude.

Weaknesses:
 The greatest weakness that the Sandtrap has is its nature of being a
seasonal business. Having said this, it will experience its peaks and
troughs, and sometimes, if the troughs are not managed or countered with
right measures, it may lead to the end of the business. It is
understandable that the Sandtrap will take all measures to keep the
business going, but sometimes such measures may already be crossing
the line of what is acceptable to societal standards and what is not. The
latest tactic of requiring the female employees to wear low-cut and tight-
fitting shirts and very short shorts puts the employees in a position where
they are attacked with behaviors that are uncalled for, from men. The
routine experience of the female employees of such thing can create
restlessness. This feeling of restlessness can lead to many directions, and
none of which may be considered pleasant. For one, the routine
experience of having to suffer indecent behavior from customers may
make the female employees lose their control and retaliate—the business’
image may be marred and sales will go down. Another instance may be in
the form of a filing of complaint against Sandtrap under the grounds of
work discrimination—considering that the business is in the trough state, it
cannot afford to use its resources for paying legal penalties that would
have been avoided. The restless employee may also suffer psychological
trauma, in which case the business may be held liable for failing to take
care of its employees. The feeling of restlessness may go in different
ways, but ultimately, it leads to the same end of an ugly image for the
business.

Opportunities:

Having an identifiable off-season market is a great opportunity. The

management would no longer have to extensively scout for the market it
would target in its off-season; it can already direct its focus on harnessing
the identified market’s potential by initiating tactics that would hook such
market and consequently, increase the sales.
 Threats:

The most obvious threat that Sandtrap confronts is other seasonal

businesses that booms during winters. Conventionally, people do not
spend their winters in beaches or seaside areas. Patterned after this train
of thought, Sandtrap cannot reasonably expect to be of great competition
to other businesses (e.g. Ski Rental Service, Ice Rink, Sleigh Ride
Service) that are in demand during winter. Moreover, other players in the
same industry but in different geographical locations may have a better
edge simply because of the fact that they are not situated in a beach
where biting cold winds abide.

V. Alternative Courses of Action

1.) Fire Lucy and other employees who show dissent to the new attire

 This alternative embodies the philosophy ‘desperate times call for desperate
measures,’ hence, it will resort to aggressive dealings.

2.) Revert to old uniforms and open a new branch elsewhere

 Taking into consideration that beaches are not the typical winter destination of an
ordinary person, Sandtrap may opt to open up a branch in a strategic location
where customers would be of relatively high population. If Sandtrap wouldgo for
this alternative, the new business site may serve as cushion for the Sandtrap’s
business during what it would consider the trough periods, since it would no
longer have to heavily rely on the establishment by the beach. The downside of
this alternative is that it is costly, but in the long-run, the business can recover its
costs and realize it profits.

3.) Revert to old uniforms and heighten customer referral and ‘loyalty’ incentives

 Bonus cards, reward points and freebies are some samples of mechanisms that
encourages customers to frequent doing business with a company. Sandtrap
may develop forms of incentives to its customers, be it patrons or newbies, if they
 would continue their patronage and make some referrals to Sandtrap. In this
way, both parties benefit and good relations may be established because of the
incentive system.

4.) Revert to old uniforms and cultivate niche marketing

 This alternative delves on the idea that, given that the establishment is a
seasonal business, it has to be strategic in its off-season plans, for it cannot
reasonably expect that the customers it attends to during the peak seasons (i.e.
spring and summer) will continue to come back in the trough season. In this
instance, the company has to flex its mindset and toggle its focus towards locals
rather than tourists. Understanding the needs or wants of the local and banking
on a foundation that would address the such needs or wants may prove to be a
key part in boosting the sales of the establishment. Subjecting female employees
into needless scrutiny and insult puts the company in a position where turbulent
waters reside—not only does this affect how others (or even the employee
herself) view the female employee, it also draws the public’s attention to how low
and degrading the company could get just for an increase in the number of
customers and profits. It’s true that the company needs publicity, but it must not
be in a negative form, for ultimately, this will lead to the downfall of the company.

VI. Recommendation

Of the four alternative courses of action presented, the third alternative may be deemed
to be the best choice. By presenting to the customers incentives whenever they go to
the business and avail of their services and goods, the customers are rewarded for the
loyalty they have given to the business and this can give them more motivation to
continue providing that loyalty especially during the winter season. These stamp cards
can also lure newcomers and turn them into regulars, by showing them the benefits of
patronizing the business. Aside from that, these cards can also encourage tourists to
keep coming back for the duration of their stay.
VII. Action Plan

Activity Monitoring Persons Resources Time Frame

Responsible Needed
Formulate Minutes of the Head manager Meeting room 1 to 2 days
strategies with Meeting and Supervisor and snacks
the internal
stakeholders
and
management
on how to make
the event
successful
Hold a meeting Minutes of the Head manager, Meeting room 1 day
with the meeting Supervisor, and and snacks
employees to Employees
inform them of
the event
Contact Invoice and Head manager Telephone 1 week
suppliers and receipts and Suppliers
gather supplies
Contact printing Invoice and Head Manager Telephone 1 week
shops for receipts And Printing
advertisement Shops
and printing of
stamp cards
Print flyers, Printed flyers, Printing shops Flyers, posters, 1 week
posters, and posters, and and cards
cards cards
Advertisement Posted posters Flyers and 2 weeks
and given out Employees posters
flyers
Preparation of Printed out Head manager, Stamp Cards 3 days
stamp cards for stamp cards Supervisor, and
the event Employees
Giving out of Printed stamp Employees Stamp Cards 1 quarter
cards cards
Stamping Stamped cards Employees Stamp Cards 1 quarter
Cards
Claiming of Collected fully Employees One bucket of 1 quarter
Prizes stamped cards beer
Evaluation Evaluation Head Manager, Evaluation 1 week
sheets and Supervisor, and Sheet
Feedback Employees