Task B
Within a business, internal communication will take place between the different levels of the firm. For example, the director of the Finance department of Boots will communicate with the Management department who will then communicate with other stores to inform them.
External communication occurs when a firm’s directors or employees communicate with individuals and groups who work with Boots, but are outside the firm. Such as competitors or conferences which people are told to attend who will them communicate with the directors and then give them feedback.
Communication both internal and external can take place in a number of diverse ways. It can be in a written or a verbal form and also can be graphical.
Boots
Internal Techniques of communication:
Stakeholder: Directors / Managers
Need for communication: The main directors of Boots will want to discuss, with the managers such as the main aims and objectives of the firm over the years.
Technique of communication: This is discussed in a private meeting; where the directors and managers can communicate with each other freely. Video conferencing can also be used to have a meeting.
Stakeholder: Manager / Employee
Need for communication: When there is an surplus of customers, managers require a larger employees and so would need to contact extra employees to help in the store; the manager would need to contact the employee personally.
Technique of communication: If the employee has switched his/her mobile phone because they are in a meeting then they will be contacted through the use of voicemail on their phone or a pager.
Stakeholders: Two main managers from different countries
Need for communication: The two managers would want to discuss the performance of Boots in their country.
Technique of communication: Instead of arranging a meeting where both members would have to travel to a specific location. Instead they can arrange an internal video connection where both members can talk to each other and at the same time can see each other while being on the other side of the world.
Stakeholder: New Employee / Training officer or staff
Need for communication: On the job training.
Technique of communication: Time would be saved if video clips were used where there will be a member of staff going through specific detail of the machinery or computers and how to control them e.g. cash tills.
Stakeholder: Employee
Need for communication: The employee has a responsibility of ensuring that the stock is maintained on a regular basis.
Technique of communication: The employee will use a small memo or a small post-it, stuck up on their board in his / her workspace to remind him / her to see this duty out or to order new stock or to tell the management sector to order more stock.
Stakeholder: Managers / Employees
Need for communication: The Managers would want to notify about holiday arrangements and also about holiday pay, bonuses, pay rise etc.
Technique of communication: To notify the employees about any arrangements the manager would want to use a notice board or a newsletter which would be published every month to tell the employees how the business is doing and to tell them about arrangements as it doesn’t require face to face conversation which can be very time consuming because there will be a large number of staff.
External Techniques of communication:
Stakeholder: Administration Supplier / Supplier
Need for communication: The communication here could be because the supplier might feel that Boots are behind on payment of stock; as a result the supplier would contact Boot’s administration department to discuss this matter.
Technique of communication: The suitable technique of communication that the supplier would use is the telephone as all the supplier will need to do is to report Boots about expense. It would be unreasonable for the supplier to make a journey to Boot’s head office to inform them about the lack of payment over stock.
Stakeholder: Administration Department / Customers
Need for communication: Customers might like to complain about the poor customer service in the Boots store or may want to give suggestions for improvement.
Technique of communication: To suitably criticize it is likely that the customer would visit the store and have a face to face conversation at the customer service desk with the manager of the store to show their emotions such as an old lady complaining and they will do something about it and if it a teenager then they will not do anything because it they might think he/she is lying. This would clearly deal with the problem and both sides have an opportunity to express themselves freely. They would now phone because normally they will have an answering machine.
Stakeholder: Employee / Employer
Need for communication: The applicant would wish to fill in a role within Boots.
Technique of communication: It is institution for the applicant and the employer to communication verbally through an interview so they can question and answer freely and also they can see his/her appearance such as if they are sometimes drunk in the morning or they smell of cigarettes then they would not want him/her working with customers. Other types of communication would be used in the interview, such as presentations through the use of Curriculum Vitae.
Stakeholders: Employees / Customers
Need for communication: Employees need to communicate across any recent changes to the Boots store and also if there are any offers.
Technique of communication: Presentations can be used to convey these changes of the store and to tell the customers about the offers. Presentations could be done within the store hanging posters etc and also advertising in newspapers, billboards, internet, television and magazines.
Stakeholder: Competitors
Need for communication: The competitors of Boots, mainly Superdrug and The Body Shop would want to gain an higher place over Boots and try to fulfil their aim of becoming the number one place for health and beauty.
Technique of communication: To do this Superdrug and The Body Shop would want to look at the annual report that Boots release on a yearly basis and also they might hire people to go into Boots as a customer and look at the prices, this maybe illegal but the person doing it wont refuse because he/she will be offered money. It will obviously be a female because then it will be quite embarrassing for a male to be viewing female products.
Rushey Mead Eye Care Centre
Internal Techniques of communication:
Stakeholder: Owner / Employee
Need for communication: The owner might want to point out the need for the glasses to be maintained and updated because there will be new styles of glasses for different age groups.
Technique of communication: It is trouble-free for the owner to do this in a respectful conversation as they both (owner and employee) are in the optician together.
Stakeholders: Partner/Partner
Need for communication: The partner might want to discuss a change that he/she might want to do to the store and will need the other partner’s permission.
Technique of communication: The partner may telephone him on his/her mobile and if s/he is not available then the partner may record a message on the voicemail. If the partner stays in the office the they can discuss it face to face.
Stakeholder: Employee / Owner
Need for communication: Mr Mistry would want to remind the employee to keep the accounts book up to date at the end of the week.
Technique of communication: If Mr Mistry is away from the store and at home then it would be wise for him to send a fax instead of making a journey to the store or even phoning up. Faxing can be relatively cheap.
External Techniques of communication:
Stakeholder: Owner / Supplier
Need for communication: The supplier might want to talk to the owner of Rushey Mead Eye Care Centre about being deficient in the payment of bills of the products they sell such as contact lens solution and contact lens and glasses and also they have to update the machinery often.
Technique of communication: The proper technique of communication will be over the phone as it is just a reminder and if the owner is away then an answering machine would be set so that he doesn’t miss any important messages. Some suppliers would even send a letter to chase up their customers into paying for the stock.
Stakeholder: Employee / Customers
Need for communication: The employee would want to get across any new deals on offer from Rushey Mead Eye Care Centre.
Technique of communication: This would be done in the form of a presentation (poster) stuck on the inside of the chemist. The employee can also use graphics to make the poster more appealing to the passing public.
