Tag: Business

EV chargers draw customers to local businesses, study suggests | CBC News

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The gasoline-powered car has spawned a whole universe of businesses around it — especially the gas station, a place where drivers can fill up, pick up a coffee and buy a lottery ticket.  What happens to that ecosystem in a world of electric vehicles? A new study published in Nature Communications from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests electric vehicle charging stations open up their own world of possibilities. Read full story here: EV chargers draw customers to local businesses, study suggests | CBC News

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Why several big-box stores have ditched their self-checkouts | CBC News

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After Dwayne Ouelette took over the Canadian Tire in North Bay, Ont., last year, he decided to buck the trend and ditch the store’s four self-checkout machines — which had been there for a decade.  “I’m not comfortable using them and I don’t think some of my customers are comfortable [either],” said Ouelette, who removed the machines in July and replaced them with cashiers.  “I’d rather my customers see my cashiers and if there’s any questions or concerns, at least there’s somebody they can talk to.” Read full story here: Why…

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Coding May Not Be All It’s Cracked Up To Be When It Comes To Getting A Job In The Future – Business – CBC News

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Coding is, apparently, the new language we all need to learn. It’s billed as essential by the likes of Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking. General Motors CEO Mary Barra calls coding a “core skill” that you need to learn if you want a high-paying job. But what if this emphasis on coding is distracting us from teaching kids about other, more important things that they’ll actually need for the jobs of the future? Marina Gorbis, executive director of the Institute for the Future, sees this obsession with coding as the equivalent of putting…

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‘We Are All Doing It’: Employees At Canada’s 5 Big Banks Speak Out About Pressure To Dupe Customers – Business – CBC News

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Employees from all five of Canada’s big banks have flooded Go Public with stories of how they feel pressured to upsell, trick and even lie to customers to meet unrealistic sales targets and keep their jobs. The deluge is fuelling multiple calls for a parliamentary inquiry, even as the banks claim they’re acting in customers’ best interests. In nearly 1,000 emails, employees from RBC, BMO, CIBC, TD and Scotiabank locations across Canada describe the pressures to hit targets that are monitored weekly, daily and in some cases hourly. “Management is down…

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Telecoms made $37 million last year charging to unlock cellphones – Business – CBC News

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Telecoms made $37 million last year charging to unlock cellphones – Business – CBC News Canadian telecoms made a total of $37.7 million last year by charging customers to unlock their cellphones. That’s a whopping 75 per cent jump in this source of revenue compared to 2014. Telecoms often order locked phones from manufacturers that are programmed to work only with their service. Then they charge a fee — typically $50 — to unlock the phone if a customer wants to switch providers. The charge is unpopular with consumers. It…

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