Chapter 6 Lecture Notes ● 7
12. 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 the one responsible for the problem. Instead, state the facts logically,
13. Is it true that the “squeaky wheel gets the most grease,” meaning that the customer
complaining the loudest and most aggressively will get noticed and receive the greatest
concessions? (Obj. 3)
Some students are convinced that they will be more likely to get their way as customers and
even workers if they become loud and demanding. After all, road rage, flaming e-mails, and
14. Why is it important to regain the trust 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
15. Is it fair for creditors to continue reporting late payments after the payments have
been made? What do you think about experts’ suggestion that people with credit
blemishes write a sincere “goodwill” letter to creditors asking for compassion and
requesting that the records of their late payments be erased? (Obj. 5)
Chapter 6 Lecture Notes ● 8
A person with an otherwise good credit history might be able to stop negative reporting
about a few late payments. Such a letter should identify the account for which the update is
Activities and Cases
Note: The solutions to the activities and cases for this chapter are located in the Solutions to
Activities section of the Instructor’s Manual.
Communication Workshop (p. 176)
Choosing Tools for Doing the Right Thing
• Is the action you are considering legal?
• How would you see the problem if you were on the opposite side?
Career Application: For each of the following issues, students should discuss whether the
ethical issue is (a) very important, (b) moderately important, or (c) unimportant. Then they
should decide whether they (a) strongly approve, (b) are undecided, or (c) strongly disapprove of
the action taken. This set of questions has no specific answers and no survey results for
• Recruiting. Although it is not illegal, it is unethical to mislead job candidates. If you were a
job candidate, you would not like to be misled about the job climate. If you were on the other
side, you might, however, see the untenable position of the recruiter. Does the recruiter tell
the truth and lose the candidate, or does he do his job and sell the company? Alternate
Chapter 6 Lecture Notes ● 9
might also consider removing yourself from this situation because you can’t be a good
recruiter if you can’t answer truthfully.
• Training Program. Participating in a company’s training program when you plan to leave a
company is clearly unethical, although perhaps not illegal. If you were in the company’s
shoes, you would not want to waste your training funds on people who planned to leave.
Alternate solution: pay for the trip to Hawaii yourself.
• Thievery. Firing an employee for an inconsistency in his records is probably illegal and
Chapter 6 Lecture Notes ● 10
Additional Writing Improvement Exercises
Improving Subject Lines and Opening Paragraphs in Positive Messages
Your Task. Study the following paragraphs. Then write an appropriate subject line and opening sentence
for each one.
1. Hello! My name is Gregory Samples, and my office will soon become involved in an office makeover.
I am searching for information about workspaces. We are about to redesign our office, and the
makeover will involve ergonomic chairs, desks, and entire workstations. Are there guidelines on how
much space a workstation should have? Of course, we are very interested in ergonomic solutions in an
open office environment. I was referred to you as an office makeover expert.
3. We have received your e-mail inquiry and are happy to respond. You asked about franchises for water,
fire, and mold cleanup and restoration services. RestorePro is the leading emergency service and
property damage reconstruction provider in North America. Among other things, you asked how much
investment was required to get started as a franchisee of RestorePro. We’re happy to answer that
question and also provide you with complete information about our franchise business.
Writing Instructions
Your Task. Revise the following wordy, dense paragraphs into sets of concise instructions. Include a
short introductory statement for each set. Decide whether bullets or numbers are appropriate.
Chapter 6 Lecture Notes ● 11
6. When opening the store, we want employees to follow a number of preliminary steps that are
necessary and important. First, employees should arrive early enough to allow time to prepare for the
day–at least 30 minutes prior to opening. When unlocking the door, they should do so only when two
or more associates are present. One employee should be stationed at the front end so that he or she can
let arriving employees in the door one at a time. This is important–relock the entry door after each
person enters. If you leave the door unlocked and unmanned just for the convenience of arriving
employees, it’s like an open invitation to be robbed or for a thief to enter the store and steal
merchandise. The alarm must be disabled immediately after entering. Finally, turn on the lights but
only those that are necessary for sales preparation.
Key to Chapter 6 Additional Writing Improvement Exercises
Improving Subject Lines and Opening Paragraphs in Positive Messages
1. Subject line: Need Information About Remodeling Workspaces
Opening sentence: Please send me information about ergonomically remodeling workspaces
in an open office environment.
2. Subject line: Please Share Advice on Initiating Internship Program at Pacific Investments,
Inc.
Opening sentence: Pacific Investments, Inc., would deeply appreciate your advice and
answers to a few questions to help us learn about developing an internship program.
Chapter 6 Lecture Notes ● 12
5. Subject line: Requesting Reimbursement for Clothing Purchases
Opening sentence: Please reimburse us for the cost of clothing purchased when our luggage
was lost on our trip to the Caribbean.
Writing Instructions
6. Follow these preliminary steps in opening the store:
1. Arrive 30 minutes prior to opening to allow time to prepare.
2. Unlock the door only when two or more associates are present.
3. Disable the alarm.
7. Our office could use energy more efficiently and reduce our carbon footprint in three simple
ways:
• Power down: Turn off monitors rather than just logging off our computers.
• Light right: Install energy-efficient lighting throughout the office.
• Recycle instantly: Place small recycling bins at all workstations and common-use
areas to encourage recycling.
8. In interviewing for a job, you will be more successful if you follow a few basic
guidelines:
• Before the interview: Research the target company, prepare success stories, and
clean up any digital dirt.