Real-Life Communication
Working as a textile color chemist in a large dye house has its
ups and downs. While you enjoy working with dyes and colors, the tedious part
of your job is paperwork. You have to complete a job jacket on each order,
writing down the exact dye recipe, the water temperature and any modifications
to the original recipe. You must also collect a dye stick from each batch
to compare the color to industry standards if the order is ever called into
question.
Each day, when your job is completed, the finished product
goes out the door to the customer. For the most part, you can rest assured
you have done your job and the customer will be satisfied, because you have
matched the colors to an industry standard.
Today, one of your company's
sales reps has a problem. His newest client, a large apparel manufacturer,
just received their first order from your company. And they are not satisfied.
The
client's production manager, your boss -- the dye house manager -- and
the sales rep for the account are all gathered in the conference room trying
to sort out what happened. The client's production manager has brought
a sample of their latest creation, a woman's track top with a cotton
bodice and polyester sleeves. This is a surprise to you. You were originally
told that the bodice and sleeves would be made of the same material.
Everyone
can see what appears to be a slight difference in color between the bodice
of the garment and the sleeves. Your client's production manager is upset.
"Look,
I don't know what happened, but my boss says it can't go out the
door like this," he says. "You will have to do this over and we need it fast."
No
matter how many times they try to explain the dyeing process, he just doesn't
seem to understand. So they call you in for an explanation.
What do
you say to him?
Use the following points in your explanation:
- In order to match colors, a dye stick is made from each batch
- The dye stick is used as a reference point for the color
- The same color will look different depending on the material
- Polyester has a sheen that cotton doesn't have