The price of successPoor communicat

The price of success
Poor communications are affecting the performance of a fast-growing electronics company
Background
Based in Seattle, US, W.C. Hooper Inc. (WCH) is a manufacturer and distributor of hi-tech electronic product, ranging from executive toys to state-of-the-art-digital cameras. The company has grown rapidly in the last 20 years and until recently, its performance has been excellent. However, problems have arisen concerning communications, both internal and external, and these are beginning to impact on the efficiency of the business. A new communications director, Betty Friedman, has been hired, and one of her task is to improve communications in the company.
A product defect
A weakness in the company’s communications. Was highlighted by the following incident. What mistakes do you think were made in the way this problem was handled?
About three months ago, a customer found a fault in WCH’s most up-to-date, multi-functional cell phone. Her phone became every hot after being recharged and it burned her hand. ‘it was so hot, I thought it would explode, ’she said. The customer complained to the Customer Service Department, who sent her a replacement phone. The employee dealing with the complaint did not inform either the Marketing or R&D developments about the fault. After this incident, there were a number of similar complaints. As a result of bad publicity, the phone was withdrawn from the market.
Lawrence Discount Stores
Another incident a few weeks ago showed that internal communications in the company were not working well. Read about the problem and discuss the reason(s) why WCH lost an important customer.
Richard Lawrence, one of WCH’s best and oldest customers, phoned William Hooper about the company’s new digital camera, the EX-120. He told Hooper that he’d probably be placing an order for 5,000 of the products in the next few weeks. Hooper passed on this information by phone to the Sales Manager. When Lawrence sent in the order five week later, the Sales Manager sent him are e-mail saying that unfortunately the product was out of stock Lawrence complained to Hooper, who asked the sales Manager why he hadn’t given priority to Lawrence’s order. The manager replied, ‘I was waiting for him to confirm his order. I didn’t realize that his order had to be given priority.
The new communications director
Betty Friedman, the new communications Director, hired a firm of consultants, Ward Associates, to analyze the communications problems in the company and to come up with recommendations for improvement. Read this extract from the report.
1. Internal communications

Problem:
Communications between Directors and Heads of Department need to be improved

Recommendations:
- Heads of Department should send weekly reports to the Board of Directors. This would enable Directors to keep in touch with key developments in the company.
- A new manager should be appointed to be in charge of key account. He / She would ensure that key customers were given personal attention.

2. Sales reps/Head office

Problem:
Head office is not receiving information quickly from sales representatives. This has resulted in delays in processing orders and insufficient information about customers.
Recommendation:
Issue all sales reps with BlackBerry devices and instruct reps to sent daily reports to the Sales Department.
3. Customer Services Department

Problem:

The department needs a new procedure for dealing with product complaints.

Recommendation:

Any complaint about a product which has health and safety implications should be forwarded immediately to the following departments: Marketing, Research and Development, Public Relations.

CD1.7 William Hooper is talking to Betty Friedman. Listen to his reaction to the consultants’ recommendations and summarize his attitude to weekly report, appointing a new account manager, and defective products.

CD1.8 Listen to Joanna Merkowitz, a sales representative, talking to Betty Friedman about the consultants’ recommendations. Why is she against giving daily reports? Why does she enjoy her job so much?

Task

1. Work in small groups. You are members of the Board of Directors. Discuss each of the consultants’ recommendations. Decide whether you agree or disagree with each recommendation, noting down your reasons.
2. Consider any other ideas that your group has to improve communications in WCH.


Watch the case study commentary on the DVD – ROM.

Writing
As Communications Director at WCH, write a follow-up e-mail to the Head of Ward Associates, summarizing the decisions you have taken, with your reasons.

ผลลัพธ์ (ม้ง) 1:

Tus nqe ntawm kev kawm tau zooTus naiskhu tsis yog rau cov ntawv uas ib vas nthiv zuj zus electronics lagTom qabRaws li nyob rau hauv Seattle, teb chaws Asmeskas, W.C. Hooper Inc. (WCH) yog ib lub chaw tsim tshuaj paus thiab distributor txog hi-tech hauv yam khoom, xws li los ntawm cov khoom ua si executive rau xeev-of-tus-kos duab-cov koob yees duab. Lub tuam txhab loj hlob loj hauv 20 lub xyoo tas los no thiab txog ntua, nws txoj kev ua tau zoo lawm yav tom ntej. Tiam sis, teeb meem muaj arisen txog cov naiskhu, ob sab hauv thiab lwm, thiab cov no yog pib tej ntawm lub efficiency ntawm lub lag luam. Twb tau ntiav ib tug tshiab naiskhu director, Betty Friedman, thiab ib tug ua hauj lwm nws yog lug txhim khu cov naiskhu hauv lub tuam txhab.Ib cov khoom kho rawsTus tsis muaj zog nyob hauv lub tuam txhab naiskhu. Txawm highlighted los ntawm tej xwm no tshwm sim. Dab tsi yuam kev koj xav tias tau tsim txoj kev qhov teeb meem no yog leej twg?Txog peb lub hlis dhau los, tus neeg nrhiav tau ib cov txhaum nyob hauv WCH cov ntaub tshaj plaws, haumxeeb ntau xov tooj ntawm tes. Nws tus xov tooj los ua txhua kub tom qab tau recharged thiab nws kub tuag nws txhais tes. ' nws yog kub li, kuv xav tias nws yuav tawg, ' nws yuav hais. Tus neeg muas zaub complained kom tus neeg muab kev pab Department, uas xa nws ib lub xov tooj hloov lawm. Cov neeg ua hauj lwm soj ntsuam nrog rau qhov kev tsis txaus siab tsis puas tau qhia yog tus li los yog R & D uas hais txog qhov ua txhaum. Tom qab tej xwm no, muaj ib tug xov tooj uas zoo xws li cov lus tsis txaus siab. Vim tus phem tshaj, tus xov tooj yog tsis los ntawm koj lub lag luam.Khw muag khoom noj luv nqi LawrenceLwm xwm li ob peb lub lis piam dhau los tsom uas nrog naiskhu hauv lub tuam txhab ntawd tsis ua hauj lwm zoo. Nyeem txog cov teeb meem thiab sib tham txog peb saib yog vim li cas WCH poob ib cov neeg tseem ceeb.Cai Richard Lawrence, yog ib lub WCH zoo tshaj thiab hiob muas, phoned William Hooper txog lub tuam txhab tshiab cov koob yees duab, tus EX-120. Nws hais kom Hooper tias nws xav ntshe yuav tso kev yuam 5,000 ntawm cov khoom uas siv rau ob peb lim piam tom ntej no. Hooper kis no hu xov tooj mus rau tus neeg saib xyuas uas tsis yog muag khoom. Thaum Lawrence xa mus nyob rau qhov kev txiav txim tsib lub limtiam tom qab, tus manager saib xyuas muag xa nws cov e-mail hais tias hmoov tsis qhov khoom ntawd tawm hauv Tshuag Lawrence complained rau Hooper, leej twg nug txog qhov muag Tus Manager vim nws tsis tau muab qhov muaj feem thib rau Lawrence txoj kev txiav txim. Tus neeg saib xyuas teb, ' kuv heev tos kom nws paub meej tias nws tau txiav txim. Tsis kuv twb paub lawm tias nws tau txiav txim yuav tsum tau muaj ib feem. Thawj coj ua kom cov naiskhuBetty Friedman, cov naiskhu tshiab Director, ntiav ib ruaj ntawm pheejyig npaum licas, Ward Associates, rau kev tsom xam cov naiskhu teeb meem rau cov tuam txhab thiab tuaj nrog cov tswv yim rau kev txhim kho. Nyeem no extract ntawm daim ntawv.1. nrog naiskhuQhov teeb meem:Cov naiskhu Directors thiab cov hau kev Department yuav tau yuav khees me ntsis lawm Tswv yim:-Tus puav txiv Department yuav tsum xa cov ntaub ntawv txhua lub limtiam rau cov Board of Directors. Qhov no yuav pab kom Directors cia tod tseem ceeb uas nyob hauv cov tuam txhab.-Yuav tsum coj nyiaj tseem ceeb yuav tsum tau koomhaum ib tug tshiab los tus thawj tswj. Nws / nws yuav xyuas kom meej tias tseem ceeb muas kuj tau paub koj tus kheej.2. chaw ua hauj lwm/lub taub hau muag reps Qhov teeb meem: Taub hau qhov chaw ua hauj lwm yog tsis txais ntaub ntawv sai heev los ntawm cov neeg sawv cev muag. Qhov no ua hauv qeeb ua cov txiav txim thiab tsis txaus cov ntaub ntawv hais txog koj cov neeg muas zaub.Pom zoo:Muab txhua yam muag reps nrog cov BlackBerry pab kiag li lawm thiab qhia reps kom xa niaj hnub hais rau lawv muag khoom.3. cov neeg Services DepartmentQhov teeb meem: Lub tuam tsev yuav tsum ua ib txoj kev tshiab rau kev soj ntsuam txog kev tsis txaus siab los ntawm yam khoom.Pom zoo: Tsis txaus siab txog ib yam khoom uas twb huv thiab kev ruaj ntseg uas siv yuav tsum tau khaw tseg tam sim ntawd rau ntawm tuam tsev hauv qab no: ua li, kev tshawb kawm thiab kev loj hlob, Public Relations.CD1.7 William Hooper yog tham Betty Friedman. Mloog nws cov tshuaj tiv thaiv rau cov tswv yim rau pheejyig npaum licas, thiab saib lub ntsab lug muaj nws tus cwj pwm qhia txhua lub limtiam, appointing tus account thawj, thiab cov khoom siv.CD1.8 mloog Joanna Merkowitz, tus sawv cev muag, tham Betty Friedman txog cov tswv yim rau pheejyig npaum licas. Yog vim li cas nws tiv thaiv tsis muab cov ntaub ntawv txhua hnub? Nws yeej puas zoo siab kev nws txoj hauj lwm npaum li cas?Neeg ua hauj lwm1. ua hauj lwm nyob rau hauv pawg me me kawm. Koj yog neeg ntawm lub Board of Directors. Tham txhua yam txog cov tswv yim rau pheejyig npaum licas. Txiav txim siab saib koj pomzoo los tsis pomzoo nrog pom zoo txhua, ntsoov teev cia koj vim li cas.2. muab tej lwm yam tswv yim uas koj pab tau kom cov naiskhu hauv WCH.Saib cov ntaub ntawv kawm tawm tswv yim rau daim DVD – ROM.Sau ntawvRaws li tus naiskhu Director nyob WCH, sau ib cov e-mail rov qab kom koj lub taub hau ntawm Ward Associates, summarizing qhov kev txiav txim siab koj noj, nrog rau koj.