Real-Life Communication
"There are so many different areas within biological systems engineering,"
says Elmer Sachvie. He is a biosystems lab services manager. "For people working
in management, communication skills are very important. For those doing just
technical work, the need to communicate may be less important."
Research
scientists may have to read and write research reports and also present them
to other scientists at conferences. Those working in the public sector may
have to deal with customers.
As the manager of biosystems packaging
at a major salt manufacturing company, you field the occasional call from
customers who have complaints about the product. You field a phone call this
morning:
"Hello,
"I'm calling because I'm concerned about a
bug infestation in my kitchen. It appears that the bugs are coming from the
salt box I purchased at the grocery store a few weeks ago.
"The reason
I think that the bugs are coming from the salt is that I can find them in
two of my salt shakers, and also in the box of salt. They don't seem to be
able to get in or out of the box of salt. I think they're small enough, though,
to get out the holes of the salt shakers.
"The bugs are brown in color
and are very, very small. I'd say they're just larger than the head of a pin.
They seem to have spread from my salt shaker, on to the counter and into my
flour and sugar supplies. I'm puzzled about the bugs because I didn't think
anything could live in salt.
"The box says that the salt was packaged
in New York, which must mean that the bugs have been in the salt for some
time to travel out to the West Coast where I live. The package number of the
salt is 65478 33241.
"Is it possible that the bugs are coming from
the salt, what are they and what can you do to help me?"
Before you
begin to answer the customer, you want to make sure that you have the facts
straight. You ask her a few questions:
- How long ago did you purchase the salt?
- What do the insects look like and where have you found them?
- Name two reasons why you think the insects originated from the salt box
and not from some other source in your kitchen.
- Could you please read the number of the package again so we can trace
it through our distribution and manufacturing centers?
What answers do you find to these questions?