Answers to Chapter Review Questions
1. Explain the types of positive messages and the strategy used when businesspeople write
them. (Obj. 1)
In the workplace, most messages are positive or neutral, and, therefore, direct. Positive
messages are routine and straightforward; they help workers in organizations conduct
2. What channels are used for routine messages in organizations today? (Obj. 1)
E-mails, memos, and letters are the channels most frequently used. In addition, businesses
3. When are letters still the preferred channel of communication despite the advent of
e-mail, social networking, and other electronic communication technologies? (Obj. 1)
In certain situations letters are still the preferred channel of communication for delivering
messages outside an organization. Such letters go to suppliers, government agencies, other
4. What are the most emphatic positions in a message, and what goes there? (Obj. 2)
5. What should you include in the closing of a request message? (Obj. 2)
The closing of a request should tell courteously what is to be done and include an end date
6. Why should businesses embrace customer comments online? (Obj. 2)
Customer reviews online are opportunities for savvy businesses to improve their products or
services and may serve as a free and efficient crowdsourced quality-control system. Big
7. How should businesspeople respond to online posts? (Obj. 2)
Social media experts say that not every comment on the Web merits a response. They
recommend responding to posts only when you can add value; for example, by correcting
8. How should instructions be written? Give a brief original example. (Obj. 2)
Instructions should be divided into bulleted or numbered steps listed vertically in the order in
9. What is the imperative mood, and why is it important to use it in writing instructions?
(Obj. 2)
The imperative mood involves action verbs that give commands. In preparing instructions,
10. What is a claim? When should it be straightforward? (Obj. 3)
A claim is a request by a customer to correct a problem. The customer may request a
11. Why should a direct claim be made by letter rather than by e-mail or a telephone
call? (Obj. 3)
Most organizations take a claim letter more seriously than an e-mail or a telephone call. In
12. What is an adjustment message? (Obj. 4)
13. What are a writer’s three goals in composing adjustment messages? (Obj. 4)
In an adjustment message, the writer tries to (a) rectify the wrong, if one exists; (b) regain
14. What are five characteristics of goodwill messages? (Obj. 5)
15. What are four groups of people to whom business communicators might write letters
of appreciation? (Obj. 5)
Business communicators might write letters of appreciation to (a) customers for their
Answers to Critical Thinking Questions
1. What are the advantages of mailing a letter as opposed to sending an e-mail, making a
phone call, or writing an online post? (Objs. 1, 2)
Business letters are confidential. They are less likely than electronic media to be intercepted,
misdirected, forwarded, retrieved, or otherwise inspected by unintended recipients. Also,
business letters presented on company stationery carry a sense of formality and importance
2. In promoting the value of letter-writing, a well-known columnist recently wrote, “To
trust confidential information to e-mail is to be a rube.” What did he mean? Do you
agree? (Obj. 1, 3)
A rube is an unsophisticated person. The columnist meant that educated, knowledgeable
3. Why is it smart to keep your cool when making a claim, and how should you go about
it? (Obj. 3)
Avoid becoming angry or trying to fix blame. Bear in mind that the person reading your
message is seldom responsible for the problem. Instead, state the facts logically, objectively,
4. Why is it important to regain the confidence of a customer in an adjustment message?
How can it be done? (Obj. 4)
Unhappy customers have, naturally, lost some degree of confidence in the company and its
products or services. Regaining confidence and reestablishing good feelings is crucial for
future business. Regaining confidence requires more than empty statements, such as “We
5. Ethical Issue: Credit repair companies are notorious for making grand promises that
they can’t legally fulfill. The Federal Trade Commission has warned that none of those
companies are legitimate. Experts say that people with credit blemishes would be better
off saving their money and trying to repair their bad credit themselves. One path to
better credit involves the writing of so-called goodwill letters. A goodwill letter in this
context is a formal message to individual creditors asking them for compassion and
requesting that they stop reporting negative information such as late payments on one’s
credit report. Discuss why writing such goodwill letters instead of calling or sending an
e-mail might be a good strategy.
A goodwill letter is not meant to dispute erroneous reporting; rather, its purpose is to address
negative blemishes on accounts that have already been paid. With an otherwise good credit
history, a person might be able to stop negative reporting about a few late payments. Such a
ZOOMING IN
Insurance Industry Indebted to Ink
Why might receiving a letter make a customer feel valued?
A formal letter takes time to compose. Printed on a company’s letterhead, it is addressed to an
Which instances might call for a confidential letter?
Whenever content is sensitive, an organization or individual may choose to send a
How does graphic highlighting help save readers’ time?
Graphic highlighting such as boldface, italics, and headings indicate specific signals to
ZOOMING IN
Your Turn: Applying Your Skills at Highpoint
Current date
Mr. Martin L. Pritchett
President, Pritchett Consulting
114 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Dear Mr. Pritchett:
Before I can provide you with a quote, however, I need some additional information.
To tailor potential health plans to your company’s needs and guide you through their intricacies, I
Your responses by (insert date) will help me research the best options to present to you when we
Ethics Check Solutions
Surprising the Boss, Page 249
Kyra M. uses e-mail for nearly all messages. She is ecstatic over a new job offer and quickly
sends an e-mail to her manager announcing that she is leaving. He did not know she was
looking for a new position. Is this an appropriate use of e-mail?
E-mail is wonderful for many announcements, but it is totally inappropriate for something as
Stretching the Truth, Page 250
A magazine publisher sends you a letter saying that you should renew your subscription
immediately to ensure continued delivery. Your subscription is paid for at least a year in
advance, but nowhere in the letter or magazine label does your subscription end date
appear. How far can a writer go in stretching the truth to achieve a purpose?
Magazine publishers and their sales agents regularly send misleading messages to subscribers
telling them that their subscriptions are about to run out. Many publishers do not include the
How Authentic Are Customer Reviews Online? Page 254
As the value of social media buzz is steadily increasing, so are efforts to rig the system. Not
all customer critiques on the Web can be trusted, particularly when so many are
anonymous. Some businesses pay for positive online reviews or encourage their employees
to sing the praises of their own products while knocking the competition. How seriously
should companies take the threat of potentially fraudulent reviews?
Fake or manipulated reviews are harmful because they may potentially mislead customers to the
point of buying products based on less than truthful reviews. Skewed reviews may also prompt
businesses to act on unreliable evidence and over- or underestimate the significance of online
Renting or Buying, Page 258
Lucky U.S. consumers enjoy among the world’s most generous
merchandise return policies. No wonder, perhaps, that some
customers presumably buy a video camera or a dress for a special
event and afterwards return the product, no questions asked. Is this
so-called “renting” or “wardrobing” wrong? Do retailers invite such
behavior with their liberal policies?
Most Americans would probably agree that such practices are unethical and wrong.
Competition is tough and consumers have high expectations of retailers. Surprisingly perhaps,
abuse in the form of “renting” or “wardrobing” is rare, accounting for about 1 percent of retail
Photo Essay Solutions
Photo Essay, Page 248
Despite the advent of electronic communication technologies, in certain situations letters remain
Photo Essay, Page 261
When a company receives a customer complaint (a claim) and decides to respond favorably, the
message is called an adjustment. Most businesses make adjustments by replacing merchandise,
offering free repairs, refunding money, or making some good will gesture. In this case, DKNY