Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology

Business Communication
Programme: BBA Semester: II Paper Code: BBA 110
Case Study 1

Effective Business Communication

Abstract:

The effectiveness of communication depends upon the kind of personalities that are involved
whether they are I' personalities or 'you' personalities or it' personalities. The speaker or
writer chcoses a style of verbal and non-verbal communication to establish a particular centre
of interest and relationship with the audience. In other words, the entire act of communication
is the index of his or her mind, thoughts, and concerns, and attitudes towards the audience,
himself or herself, and the subject. That is, a speaker's entire personality is at work when he
or she seeks to communicate effectively. The case deals with the communication issues
between a customer and a sales employee along with the manager of the store to solve the
customer problem.
Introduction:

Devox (India ) Limited : The case of a Less Expensive Customer

[Sunday : 11:40 a.m The showroom of DevoxSports Shoes &Sportswear in aposh market of
a metro. Mr and Mrs Oberoi wallk towards the showroom from the parking lot holding a box
of DevoX shoes. Mr Oberoi is an HR executive with a multinational company. He is dressed
in ared t-shirt, a pair of long khaki shorts, and sandals.Mrs Operoi is wearing a plain, light
blue salwar kameez She is holding a shopping bag and a small purse. Mr Oberoi enters the
shop first as Mrs Oberoi decides to linger outside to look at the display windows. On entering
the shop. He is greeted by Rahul, a young sales executive trainee who is on the showroom
from the company's headquarters.]
Conversation between the Parties:

Rahul: Good morning , sir! May I help you?

Mr Oberoi: Oh, yes well, I bought this pair of shoes from this shop last Sunday. Ihave just
worm them twice. I have a feeling that they are from a seconds lot. (Tries to
hand over the box, but Rahul has his hand behind his back.)
Rahul: Sir, we don't stock seconds in this show-room.
Mr Oberoi: (Opening the box of shoves ) It did strike while I was buying the shoes but I
was more keen on the colour; maybe that's why Iover looked it. (He points to
the toes of the shoes here. )There is a difference between the two shoes here.
The stripes are not aligned the same way. It seems to be a manufacturing
defect.
Rahul: (Looking at the shoes but with his hands still behind his back ) Sir, this is the
way they are designed. It is not a manufacturing defect.
Mr Oberoi: (Getting closer to Rahul and trying to hand over the shoes so he could take a
look)
This can't be the design. It is an alignment defect and it looks like a second
pair.
Rahul: (Still not taking the shoes )Sir, Ican show you other pairs. They are all made
the same way. (He asks one of the shop assistants. To get a couple of pairs of
the same shoes. And moves on to attend toother customers. When he returns
about six minutes, he finds Mr Oberoi trying on a different pair.)
See, I said that they were all made the same way. It is the design, not a
manufacturing defect.
Mr Oberoi: The Ihave a feeling that this showroom is selling defective pieces. They are not
from fresh stock.
Rahul: Sir, as I have informed you, we don not keep any seconds in this showroom as
a policy. In fact, we don't have much seconds stock because our production
line is most modern.
Mr Oberoi: (Picking up his pair of shoes) Anyway, Iwant to return them. I don't want to
wear a defective pair.
Rahul: Iam sorry, sir we can't take these back. Our policy is not to take back goods
that have been sold.
Mr Oberoi: What! (Raising his voice) First you do not accept that this is a defective pair.
And then
you tell me that Ican't return it. What kind of shop is this?
Rahul: (Looking grim but speaking steadily )Sir, they are not defective, Secondly, you
have already used them. How can Itake them back?
[At this moment, Mr Sharma, the manager of the showroom, comes out from
his office, notice them and walks up to Mr Oberoi.]
Mr shrma: May I help you, sir?
Rahul: This is Mr. (tryinig to produce Mr Oberoil)
Mr Oberoi: (Interrupting Rahul) I'm small Oberoi/ Ibought this pair of shoes (showing,
him the shoes )last week from your showroom, I find that them is something
wrong with the design (Points to the toes). In fact, a couple of my friends
pointed it out.
Mr Sharma: Did you notice this when you made the purchased?
Mr Oberoi: Inoticed it but didn't bother about it then.
Mr Sharma: May I know why?
Mr Oberoi: Perhaps because I was concentrating on the colour.
Mr Sharma: Well. Mr Oberoi. This is no design or manufacturing defect, On the contrary,
this is the way these shoes are made to looks. You can see that all of them
(Pointing at the pairs lying on the floor) have the same pattern.
Mr Oberoi: But they look old. And Idon't want to wear something that looks like seconds.
Mr Sharma: MrOberoi, the company doesn't have a policy of...
Mr Oberoi: (Interrupting him ) Then I am leaving them here (drops the pair on the floor).
Please do whatever you want to do with them.
Mr Sharmat; (Looking down at the shoes for a while ) Do you have a receipt?
Mr Oberoi: (Searches for a while in his wallet and check s the box of shoes )Let me check
with my wife. ( He turns to looks for her; she is coming towards them ) Do you
have the receipt for these shoes ?
Mr Oberoi: No, Idon't think you gave it to me. (She check her purse.) No, I don't have it.
Mr Oberoi : l don't know. Imay have left it at home.
Mr Sharma: Please give us a moment. (He asks Rahul to accompany him to his office.)
Mr Oberoi: What did they say?
Mr Oberoi: They don't have a policy of taking back sold goods.
Mrs Oberoi: Itold you; they won't take them back.
Mr Oberoi: Is that so? They will have to take them back; you wait and see.
Sharma's office and approaches
[In the meanwhile, Rahul emerges from Mr
Mr Oberoi.]
office. You can cheek back with
Rahul: Sir, we will have to refer the matter to out end
us after two days.
Mr Oberoi; Ican't come back on a weekday.
Rahul : Next Sunday, them?
Mr Oberoi: ButI have other things to do on Sunday. him a card with the
(Rahul gets
Rahul: Them you can find out over the Phone
showroom phone number:)
we are not able to get
Rahul (Taking the card) Sure, we will do that. But in case
through toyou, you could also try calling us.
Mr Oberoi: (Reluctantly) Okay (take the card and turns to exit). shoes with you in the
Rahul : (Picking up the pair from the floor) you may keep the
meanwhile.
Mr Oberoi: (Moving back toward him ) what will Ido with them/ them here. Secondly, in
Rahul: Sir, untilIhave heard from our headoffice I can't keep
the absence of a receipt, they might get misplaced.
Mr Oberoi: (Looking hard at Rahul and thinking for a while ) Okay.
But do let me know soon.
Rahul: (Pacing the shoes back in the box and handing it over to him) sure.
[On the advice of Mr Sharma, the next day Rahul speaks to Mr Khare, the
to fax
general manger of sales at the company headquarters, Mr Khare asks him
the details. Rahul sends him the following communication]

Dear Mr Khare,
customer, Mr Sunil Oberoi, wants to returns a pair of shoes he bought from this showroom
A
a week ago. He claims that there is a manufacturing defect in the design In fact, he is
accusing us of selling seconds from this shop. Mr Sharma and Itried to convince him about
our policies, but all in vain Finally, to prevent him from creating a scene, we promised that
we would let him know our decision after consulting the head office. Ihave.

Also been sin convincing him to take the shoes back with him. but he will certainly want an
answer from us within a couple of days.
Please advise us as to what course of action we should take,

Regards,
Rahul

[The following day (Tuesday) Rahul leavestown on an official tour: On Wednesday

moming. Mr Sharma finds the following message from Mr khare on the fax machine]:
Jf he is a 4500 customer, don't ask any questions, take the
nair, and salute him, but if he is a ?1250customer, then tell him shoes back, give him a new
please remember that the customer is king, but kings are also big clearly that it is not possible,
and small and rich and poor;
Case Questions

1. Describe the important characteristics of asuccessful communicator with example.

2. How do language skills contribute to the effectiveness of communication?
3. Based on your study of the case, discuss the strong points of Rahul and Mr Sharma as
communicators.
4. Discuss the importance of tone in oral communication.
5. Briefly iscuss the part you think personality plays in communication
6. Discuss what you have perceived about the characters in the case through their non
verbal mode of communication.

Guidelines for Case Presentation:

1. Introductory Slides with the name of Group Members

2. Summary of a Case
3. Identification of Problem (Problem Statement)
4. Answers to the above questions
5. Possible solutions
6. Conclusion

Date of Presentation by Each Group: February 21, 2024

Ms. Neha Sharma

Assistant Professor