The 5 Businesses you most admire?

[david3103]

I was sorting a few things out for my lad, paying for tickets etc

He is travelling Leicester-London on a National Express coach, leaving early evening midweek

the single adult fare is £4

this wasn't an isolated example. very rare to see an adult fare for that journey over a tenner

how do they make money? they run masses of coaches at all hours to everywhere and have fuel costs, driver costs, vehicle maintenance etc

i can't see how it can be so cheap?

They carry ~ 85 passengers and the trip will cost around £40 in diesel and about the same for the driver's wages.

A coach will do four runs a day.

All educated guesses btw.

Think you're out on the diesel cost Tom. Fuel consumption around 12mpg cruising and less than that if you factor in the city stretches at each end.

[scotty77]

I admire this one as they went from a fairly well known high street brand name to a company that purely does work 'behind the scenes' overnight, and are succesfull at it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Menzies

National Express, First and Stagecoach is a huge UK success story.  Between them they run so many services in the US from school buses to airport transfers.  Such a weird area where the UK has actually carved out a monopoly in the US.

[Marky147]

I admire this one as they went from a fairly well known high street brand name to a company that purely does work 'behind the scenes' overnight, and are succesfull at it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Menzies

National Express, First and Stagecoach is a huge UK success story.  Between them they run so many services in the US from school buses to airport transfers.  Such a weird area where the UK has actually carved out a monopoly in the US.

That takes me back to childhood, what a blast from the past.

[bobAlike]

Amazon are starting to get in to fresh food deliveries now and taking on the big supermarkets.

https://fresh.amazon.com/Gateway?browseZIP=90015&referer=

I have a feeling they will win.

[tikay]

Amazon are starting to get in to fresh food deliveries now and taking on the big supermarkets.

https://fresh.amazon.com/Gateway?browseZIP=90015&referer=

I have a feeling they will win.

Amazon is now the world's largest retailer (it overtook Walmart recently).

Meanwhile, Argos is doing "Fast Track" same day deliveries, & recruiting over 2,000 delivery drivers.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34460149


The internet came along 20 or 30 years ago, & now digital-based businesses are really learning to exploit it.

The world of retailing is changing fast.

Just think how bookmaking has changed. All those High St Bookies shops that arrived in the 60's & 70's, & now, were it not for FOBT's, they would all be closed down, as the Online Bookies have such a cost advantage & can offer so much more, quicker & better.

Not sure I'd want to be a Supermarket chain these days with all that cash tied up in property, now these digital companies are suddenly muscling in. 

[DaveShoelace]

Amazon are my personal favourite company in this regard.

I love reading anyway, so whenever someone asks me what I want for Crimbo I just say amazon vouchers. I also am a Prime member which is really good, I can take or leave their instant video, but its free so whatever.

Generally speaking I've found their customer service good.

However, as an author, they are really amazing. They are incredinly helpful and their entire business is set up to help you sell more books and reach more people. It's generally quite hard to get a none automated response when you are buying stuff from them, but when you have a query as an author they are great.

By all accounts, they treat their staff really crappy though.

[bobAlike]

Amazon are my personal favourite company in this regard.

I love reading anyway, so whenever someone asks me what I want for Crimbo I just say amazon vouchers. I also am a Prime member which is really good, I can take or leave their instant video, but its free so whatever.

Generally speaking I've found their customer service good.

However, as an author, they are really amazing. They are incredinly helpful and their entire business is set up to help you sell more books and reach more people. It's generally quite hard to get a none automated response when you are buying stuff from them, but when you have a query as an author they are great.

By all accounts, they treat their staff really crappy though.

Amazon will take over the world at some point. Their business plan is far more impressive than people realise IMO. I have refrained from posting my list as I really don't have a clue but if I did have a list Amazon would definitely top it.

[RED-DOG]

I really don't have a clue

QFT

[bobAlike]

I really don't have a clue

QFT

Touche

[strak33]

Spotify

[strak33]

Based on what they offer and how accessible it is. Easy to use. Excellent.

[tikay]

Based on what they offer and how accessible it is. Easy to use. Excellent.

I much prefer Deezer.

[mondatoo]

How is Amazon in the convo ?

My experience of them is they list products at 2x or more the standard retail price for absolutely no reason, very bizarre.

There delivery charges are a joke, I paid extra to get something delivered the next day, it took two days, I was then offered the opportunity again to pay extra for next day deliver, otherwise would have to wait 2-5 working days, opted out and paid less after the previous debacle, and received my item the next day.

I find the whole site clunky, awkward and basically just a pile of shit for how big they are.

So very intrigued at how people could put them at #1 ?

[horseplayer]

How is Amazon in the convo ?

My experience of them is they list products at 2x or more the standard retail price for absolutely no reason, very bizarre.

There delivery charges are a joke, I paid extra to get something delivered the next day, it took two days, I was then offered the opportunity again to pay extra for next day deliver, otherwise would have to wait 2-5 working days, opted out and paid less after the previous debacle, and received my item the next day.

I find the whole site clunky, awkward and basically just a pile of shit for how big they are.

So very intrigued at how people could put them at #1 ?

Because they

Refund/replace items without any hassle
I find them generally cheapest

Would agree with an earlier point their staff seem to be treated very poorly to me. Spoke to one the other day regarding an order and I could hear he had 3 or 4 colleagues shouting at him for advice.

Very helpful guy and polite

[david3103]

How is Amazon in the convo ?

My experience of them is they list products at 2x or more the standard retail price for absolutely no reason, very bizarre.

There delivery charges are a joke, I paid extra to get something delivered the next day, it took two days, I was then offered the opportunity again to pay extra for next day deliver, otherwise would have to wait 2-5 working days, opted out and paid less after the previous debacle, and received my item the next day.

I find the whole site clunky, awkward and basically just a pile of shit for how big they are.

So very intrigued at how people could put them at #1 ?

Because they

Refund/replace items without any hassle
I find them generally cheapest

Would agree with an earlier point their staff seem to be treated very poorly to me. Spoke to one the other day regarding an order and I could hear he had 3 or 4 colleagues shouting at him for advice.

Very helpful guy and polite

What makes them admirable though?
Being cheap?
They are cheap because they drive down on their staff and suppliers and avoid tax so aggressively that it runs close to evasion.

We admire this?