Today the information that flows in companies is as vital as the blood in the human body. Various information channels feed daily in business activities, providing essential information for its development.
For Gary Kreps "external communication in organizations involves giving and receiving information between organizations and their relevant environments."
The environment shapes all the factors external to the organization. Organizations and their environments are connected by message flows that provide each one with relevant information. The relevant environment provides members of the organization with important information to process.
Giving and receiving are two important and interrelated communication activities, since it sends information about the organization to representatives of the relevant environment and seeks relevant information from the relevant environment for the organization.
Kreps also indicates that: External communication is used to provide persuasive information to representatives of the environment about the activities, products or services of the organization. Information sent through external channels can be used to influence the activities of individuals and groups in the relevant environment.
Taking Kreps' proposal to professional practice, we can point out that organizations constantly exchange information with their relevant environment. In this case, the relevant environment is the organization's customers who use the services. For example, in the Sedapal organization, the relationship between client - company is manifested through the new customer service services called Aquafono, Aquanet, Telemarketing and Virtual Commercial Office. Its activity is to collect information from clients (for example: names, telephone numbers, addresses, emails) this information will allow us to classify clients, satisfy their needs and cover them (segment clients and create VIP clients, for example)
These new services must not only be referred to receive complaints and manage them or attend to requirements or provide information, they must provide advice or alternative services and even show interest in customers.
In general, organizations define formal external communication as the areas of Public Relations, marketing, Public Opinion and Market Research. The new trends indicate that there are new forms of external communication that at first glance are defined as operational or management units but are of vital importance for the organization.
Taking up the example of Sedapal, new customer service services have been created: Call Center, Infomóvil, Virtual Commercial Office and Telemarketing that maintain permanent contact with the customer, exchanging messages and establishing fluid and effective communications.
For Sedapal these new services are located in the Special Services and Clients Team, giving it an operational nuance and limited management. However, by its nature, it must be framed in the area of Communications Management due to its characteristic of formal external communication of the company (although it is not recognized as such)
Below we will define each structure that makes up an external communication channel within organizations:
- Call Center: Call Center is a unit or department in a company (or a specialized company) that is dedicated to the fulfillment of communication functions in a company. The relationships that can be established as a means of external communication in companies are: between departments in the company, relationship with user and client and marketing functions.Infomóvil: The Infomóvil is a mobile customer service unit, unique in its kind, who travels carrying company information and establishing business relationships with customers. This service leads a Manager (advisor, promoter, etc.) to the client's door or to the areas required where an exchange of information and messages that are vital for the company and the client will begin.Infomóvil uses technology to meet customer needs, using transmission equipment, state-of-the-art computers, a power generator, for example. Infomóvil is presented as an option to cover an important part of the needs of our clients; Because this type of unit is ideal for inquiries and requirements due to its ability to move within the city. Virtual Commercial Office: The Virtual Commercial Office is another of the variants of the customer service system. It is an interactive service in a web environment where the client can collect vital information, and consultations can even be made via email. Queries are answered in real time because technology allows access to the company's database through the website.To access the service you have to register, then you will be generated an access code that is the only personal means with which you can make inquiries.Telemarketing: System that is defined as the relationship between a company client through calls or emails to collect relevant information, provide personalized service on various aspects of the company (administrative collection, billing, debts, campaigns, sale of products, offer of services, benefits and others). This variant suggests a form of effective communication and constant exchange of messages.System that is defined as the relationship between a company client through calls or emails to collect relevant information, provide personalized service on various aspects of the company (administrative collection, billing, debts, campaigns, sale of products, offer of services, benefits and others). This variant suggests a form of effective communication and constant exchange of messages.System that is defined as the relationship between a company client through calls or emails to collect relevant information, provide personalized service on various aspects of the company (administrative collection, billing, debts, campaigns, sale of products, offer of services, benefits and others). This variant suggests a form of effective communication and constant exchange of messages.
The application of these new trends in external communication and their expansion depends on the prompt decision of the managers of the organizations because we are in a globalized and competitive world where borders are broken and companies struggle to cover each segment of the continents and Those who do not apply creativity to reach and retain their customers will not survive to foresee the changes that are coming.
Gary L. Kreps «Communication in Organizations» Ed. Addison -Wesley Iberoamericana. U.S. 1995. pp. 254-257
Gary L. Kreps «Communication in Organizations» Ed. Addison -Wesley Iberoamericana. U.S. 1995. Page 304
