Communication in Business: Phones

• Phones are one of the most popular means of communication in business
• To such an extent that virtually every business has a phone
• The advent of mobile phones means that almost every individual has a phone
• In Zimbabwe over 90% of the people have a mobile phone and almost 100% has access to one
• Businesses use phones to contact:
• Suppliers
• Customers and Potential customers
• Debtors etc

Advantages of Telephones

• Can be used to contact customers internationally
• Are an affordable means of communication
• Allow for verbal communication which means complex matters can be explained and the customers can be persuaded
• Can be used for mobile banking
• Provide other services such as Whatsapp/Facebook
• There is instant feedback
• Provide a fast means of communication
• Can be used with an answering machine to pick up calls when no one is available to answer
• Calls can be recorded for future reference

Disadvantages

• Have been superseded by cheaper technologies such as VoIP
• Do not have a written transcript of the call
• Information may be wrongly interpreted
• Reduces real life interactions
• They cause constant interruptions for example ringing during a meeting
• Can be hacked/breached
• Increase the risk of traffic accidents

To access more topics go to the O Level Business Notes page