Tapescript 2. Mr Green: Er if I could come in here

1.

Mr Green: Er … if I could come in here …

Chairman: Yes, Mr Green?

Mr Green: I’d just like to say that the targets that Jim suggests would be unacceptable to my people. I mean, I can’t see that a level of 4,500 is realistic. I’m sure Ms White would agree.

Ms White: Well, no actually it seems to me that 4.5 thousand for the year is quite easily achievable. We had a 22% increase in turnover last quarter, after all. I think the others would agree with that.

Others: Mmm! Oh yes.

2.

Miss Grey: I’d say that the important thing for us to agree on first is the colours we’ll be offering in the new product range. There’s a contradiction between the reports we’ve been getting from our marketing interviews and from what Mr Brown suggests. The people we talked to found both the orange and yellow prototypes very appealing. I’d like to know why Mr Brown thinks that we should stick to last year’s colours.

Chairman: Mr Brown?

Mr Brown: I resent the tone of Miss Grey’s question there. She seems to think that interviews with potential customers should govern our entire policy when it comes to colour. It’s well known that tastes change very rapidly when it comes to this aspect of a product. My suggestion is based on 23 years in this business and I think I know what I’m talking about. Besides, manufacturing the product in two new colours would increase our production costs by approximately 4 ½ %.

Miss Grey: I see, I didn’t realize that.

Chairman: All right, well let’s leave it there, shall we?

3.

Mr Black: If we’re going to spend that much on promotional literature, we need to make sure we’re getting a good quality product.

Mrs Scarlet: How do you mean, Mr Black?

Mr Black: Well, Mrs Scarlet, the leaflets we’ve had done so far have been designed by our own publicity department. And quite frankly, the don’t look professional enough.

Mrs Scarlet: I think they’ve been doing quite a good job. And do you have any idea how much contracting this out would cost?

Mr Black: Well, no I don’t, but maybe we should find out.

Chairman: Mrs Scarlet, would you be prepared to do that?

Mrs Scarlet: But … Yes. All right.

Chairman: Fine, next …

4.

Ms Pink: I think stuff training should take preference in this case.

Chairman: Yes, well, thank you, Ms Pink. Mr Gold you don’t agree?

Mr Gold: NO, not at all. In my experience, stuff training is just an excuse for time-wasting. If anyone needs to find out anything they can do that on the job, when they need to.

Ms Pink: All right, with new documentation procedures, that may be true but half the stuff in your section have no idea how the computer works.

Ms Gold: They know as much as they need to know.

Ms Pink: But if they knew more, they could make it work for them instead of regarding it as a piece of technical equipment.

Mr Gold: We could give it a try, I suppose.

Chairman: Well, perhaps you could draw up some guidelines, Ms Pink?

5.

Chairman: Yes, Mr Dark?

Mr. Dark: I’d like to raise a point about office services.

Chairman: Yes.

Mr Dark: As you all know, we have a big turnover of staff in our section. And a number of our new staff have come to me very upset recently. I had one girl in tears yesterday. The problem is that if they want someone in the office services to do anything for them, they have to know exactly who to ask. I mean, it’s easy for the old hands – they’ve learnt who’s in charge of what. But if you approach the wrong person there, you just get a sarcastic or a superior answer and no help at all. I think that Mr Bright should talk to her people and tell them to be more considerate. And it would be a big help if she should draw up a clear handout explaining who is responsible for what. It’s just not fair, otherwise.

Ms Bright: Goodness, I think you’re over-reacting, Mr Dark. It was probably Shirley or Ted again. But if you think it’ll help I’ll have a word with them. Once you to know them they’re very nice, they just seem fierce. And we already have a handout like the one you describe. If you haven’t got a copy, I’ll send you one.

Mr Dark: Thank you, Ms Bright.

6.

Ingrid Muster: This is Ingrid Muster (INGRID MUSTER) calling from Berlin. Can you tell Mr Hanson that I’ve had a problem with flights. The one I was going to book on is full – there’s a big football match on apparently. So, the earliest I can make it on Friday is 2.30. I’m sorry about this, but there’s nothing I can do. It does mean we can continue the meeting as long as we like into the evening, though. Can you let your people know, please? I know that Linda has to travel down from Glasgo that day – at least she won’t have to set off quite so early. The other thing is, I’d like to bring Petetr with me, if that’s all right, yes? He’s done all the research on this project, so he’s really the best person to put everyone into the picture. Can you book both into the Royal Hotel for the night of the 13^th and cancel my booking for the night of the 12^th?

Tim Hanson: Hello, this is Tim Hanson. I’d like to give a message to Linda about the meeting on Friday the 13^th. The thing we’ve have to change it because Ingrid can’t get a flight from Berlin. So the new time is 2.30 instead of 10.30. But the lunch is still on and Linda is welcome to join us for that – if she wants to. Couuld she call Mrs Burrows (BURROWS) on 345 0982 to confirm whether she will be joining us for lunch or not. Ah,and the meeting will go on at least till 6, probably longer, so maybe Linda will need to book a hotel room. She can do this herself, or again, she could call Mrs Burrows to do this for her. Ingrid and Peter are staying at the Royal, near the station. If that’s full, the …er … the Imperial nearby is good. If there are any problems, call Mrs Burrows. Or you can get me at home this evening on 778 8021. OK?