Section B: Long Questions

Read the CASE STUDY carefully and then answer QUESTIONS $2,3$ and $4$ related to this.

CASE STUDY

CELLSOLUTIONS ARE LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION

John Mkize is a call centre teamleader at CellSolutions, a cell phone company with approximately

$28\%$ market share in South Africa. Since early this morning, call volumes into the call centre has

gone through the roof. They are receiving more than double the number of calls per hour that they

usually receive on a Tuesday. Because of that more clients have to hold on for long periods before

they get through to a call centre agent. Other clients abandon their calls after they have been

holding on for too long. Those who eventually get through to an agent are very angry and often

demand to talk to a manager.

John has determined from his agents that many of the callers say that they are calling because

they have received an e$-$mail from CellSolutions informing them that they are behind on their

payments and that their service will be discontinued within $24$ hours. Investigations consistently

confirmed that callers were not behind with their payments. Nobody could yet determine where

that specific e$-$mail originated from, or how it got sent to the clients.

Question $2.$ Basic Communication Principles

$2\mathrm{.}1$ From the case study above, it is clear that communication has failed somewhere. Why

else would clients be irate and concerned. It is also clear that the call centre operators are

having a bad day at the office.

$2\mathrm{.}1\mathrm{.}1$ State three reasons for clients$$ irritation with CellSolutions. $(3)$

$2\mathrm{.}1\mathrm{.}2$ Draw Jacobson$$s model of communication as relevant to this case study. Draw it

from the perspective of the call centre operator speaking to a client. Apply all the

elements to the case study. $(8)$

$2\mathrm{.}1\mathrm{.}3$ Identify the category of communication that John Mkize$$s uses as a call centre

teamleader. $(2)$

$2\mathrm{.}1\mathrm{.}4$ Briefly explain what is meant by the category identified in QUESTION $2\mathrm{.}1\mathrm{.}3.(3)$

$2\mathrm{.}2$ This case study refers to complex communication between CellSolutions and clients. Consider

the following questions related to factors which could influence this communication.

$2\mathrm{.}2\mathrm{.}1$ Name four factors that could influence this communication. $(4)$

$2\mathrm{.}2\mathrm{.}2$ Explain how two of these factors could potentially affect the communication

between a call centre agent and an irate client. $(2$ x $2)(4)$

$2\mathrm{.}3$ Phatic communication is important in the context of a call centre where call centre operators

have to deal with both friendly and unfriendly clients and build these relationships.

$2\mathrm{.}3\mathrm{.}1$ Explain what is meant by phatic communication. $(2)$

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$2\mathrm{.}3\mathrm{.}2$ Give one example of how the call centre operators could use phatic communication

to calm down irate clients on the phone.