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Chapter 9 Solutions to Activities
Zooming In: Applying Your Skills at Carnival Corporation
Current date
Dear Carnival Guest:
Important Cancellation Notice – Carnival Starlight 01/16/2014, 01/23/2014, and 01/30/2014
Following well-publicized incidents aboard Carnival-owned cruise ships that involved engine-room fires,
our technical teams are working diligently to prevent future electrical failures. Specifically, we are
Here are your options:
• Receive a full refund. The refund includes Carnival-provided air travel, Vacation Protection Plan,
and government fees and taxes. No further action on your part is necessary. Refunds will be
automatically issued within ten business days.
• Reschedule immediately and book another voyage. For your convenience, you can rebook your
cruise on Carnival.com. When you rebook, you may select from one of the following compensation
offers:
1. Rate protection on any 7-day Carnival Starlight voyage
2. Rate protection on any other 7-day Carnival voyage
3. 25 percent future cruise discount on any 2-9 day future Carnival cruise
Our offer is non-transferable and applies to the cruise fare only. You’ll need to sail within 24
months of your original travel date.
Chapter 9 Solutions 93
9.1 Organizational Strategies (Objs. 1–3)
a. Probably direct
9.2 Employing Passive-Voice Verbs (Obj. 3)
a. Free shipping cannot be offered for orders under $100. Or: Free shipping is available on all
9.3 Subordinating Bad News (Obj. 3)
a. Although your complete order cannot be shipped at this time, two corner workstations should
arrive within five days.
9.4 Implying Bad News (Obj. 3)
a. All our present funds are needed to lease equipment and offices for our new branch in
94 Chapter 9 Solutions
9.5 Document for Analysis: Nuptials Nixed at Napa Inn (Objs. 1-4)
Weaknesses
• Fails to open with a buffer statement before announcing the bad news.
Revision
Current date
Ms. Heather Herreira
1180 Blossom Hill Road
San Jose, CA 95118
Dear Ms. Herreira:
Thanks for your inquiry regarding weddings at the Napa Valley Inn, one of the most beautiful
and romantic settings in the country.
June is our busiest month, and this year is no exception. Although all of the Saturdays in June are
booked, we can accommodate your party in midweek if you reserve soon. With unparalleled
cuisine and service, along with panoramic Napa Valley and vineyard views, our Inn offers a
unique, intimate ambiance in a breathtaking location for your special event.
Chapter 9 Solutions 95
9.6 Document for Analysis: Claim Denial – No New Droid for You (Objs. 1-4)
Weaknesses
• Begins with a long lead-in (This message is being sent to you to inform you that).
• Delivers the bad news bluntly with no effort to soften the blow.
Revision
To: Lynda Brownsmith <lbrownsmith@aol.com>
From: Michael Quinn <mquinn@unitedservice.com>
Subject: Replacing Your Damaged Droid
Cc:
Bcc:
Dear Ms. Brownsmith:
As you have done, many of our customers purchase the Peace of Mind Plan to insure their
valuable smartphones for theft, loss, and malfunction. The low fee of $5.99 a month is a wise
investment in protecting your expensive device.
Although fairly sturdy, today’s smartphones are very sophisticated electronic gadgets that require
proper care and handling. The Peace of Mind Plan is designed for the most common incidents
smartphone owners experience, such as when their devices are stolen, lost, or defective. In
96 Chapter 9 Solutions
9.7 Document for Analysis: Saying No to Time Off for Newborns in Need (Objs. 1-4)
Weaknesses
• Uses flippant tone and doesn’t seem to take request seriously.
• Provides brusque and vague subject line.
Revision
To: Amanda Fox <afox@financialsolutions.com)
From: Gabriel Lugo (glugo@financialsolutions.com)
Subject: Your Request for Time Off
Cc:
Bcc:
Amanda,
Everyone here at Financial Solutions appreciates the splendid work you have done for the
Newborns in Need Foundation. We admire its goal of making differences in the lives of babies,
particularly newborns. In the past we’ve been able to give you release time to work on its fashion
show/luncheon, and we’ve been able to make a considerable financial contribution to the
foundation.
Chapter 9 Solutions 97
Gabe
9.8 Document for Analysis: Hackers Hijack E-Mail Addresses (Objs. 1-4)
Weaknesses
• Begins weakly with general statement leaving receivers wondering why the message was
written.
• Includes long lead in (this is to let you know that).
Revision
To: Kara Khalial [kkhalial@coastal.net]
From: Justin Small [jsmall@princetonpayment.org]
Subject: Customer Security Incident at Princeton Payment Systems
Cc:
Bcc:
You are receiving this e-mail because of a recent incident at Princeton Payment Systems
resulting in the release of some customer e-mail addresses.
On November 12 we learned that computer “hackers” maliciously exploited a function designed
to make our log-in process faster. The hackers deliberately went to great lengths to extract
customer e-mail addresses. However, within hours we disabled the mechanism and established a
98 Chapter 9 Solutions
9.9 Request Refusal: Try Applying Online and On Time (Objs. 1-4)
To: Josephine Rosa <jrosa@pinkdragons.org>
From: Your Name <your e-mail address>
Subject: Your Request for Adobe Sponsorship
Cc:
Bcc:
Dear Josephine:
We enjoyed learning about the fascinating sport of dragon boat racing and about the role it plays
in the lives of many active breast cancer survivors. Your team is to be commended for its
competitive spirit and positive attitude.
Our company supports a variety of great causes, breast cancer among them. We receive requests
for sponsorships daily; therefore, we have decided to streamline the application process by
asking that proposals be submitted on our website (the link is listed below). Although we would
like to accommodate every request, our sponsorship funds are finite. We must evaluate each
Chapter 9 Solutions 99
9.10 Request Refusal: Advocating for Abused Children (Objs. 1-4)
Current date
Mrs. Paulina Ramirez
4382 Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
Dear Mrs. Ramirez:
Let me commend you on the fine work you are doing as a volunteer with CASA. Its programs to
recruit, train, and support volunteers to work with abused children deserve the high praise it
receives from local and national communities. My heart goes out to those children who have
9.11 Request Refusal: No Favors for Jamba Juice (Objs. 1-4)
Current date
Mr. Joe Wong, Vice President
Product Development
Jamba Inc.
450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, 94102
Dear Joe:
It’s good to learn that Jamba Inc. is expanding its menu with drinks that are more substantial and
could substitute for a meal. In today’s fast-paced world, people have less time for sit-down
meals, and a hearty, healthful smoothie would be perfect for nutrition-conscious folks on the
move.
100 Chapter 9 Solutions
9.12 Request Refusal: Party Over for 21 and Under (Objs. 1-4)
Current date
Ms. Elisabeth Neil
Leisure World Travel
480 West Harrison Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Dear Ms. Neil:
We at Carnival Cruises genuinely appreciate Leisure World Travel’s continued use of the “Fun
Ship” line for your holiday tour packages for travelers of all ages.
In the past we have been able to offer fun, sun, and exotic ports of call to a wide range of guests,
including high school and college students. More recently, however, some of our younger guests
have been loud and disruptive. Last year we raised the drinking age from 18 to 21, but to no
avail. Unruly young people still made it impossible for others to fully enjoy their travel aboard
our cruise ships. Therefore, we’re starting a new policy.
Chapter 9 Solutions 101
9.13 Request Refusal: Learn to Live With a Noisy Tenant (Objs. 1-4)
Current date
Mr. Manuel Quinones, CPA
Suite 300
Two Buckhead Plaza
3050 Peachtree Rd., NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
Dear Mr. Quinones:
Subject: Your Recent Inquiry About a Neighboring Tenant
Thank you for bringing up your concerns about the loud music coming from Mr. Eslan’s office. I
can understand how frustrating the noise must be, especially when you are conducting business
with clients.
9.14 Claim Denial: Complaining on the Web (Objs. 1–4)
Students will find numerous legitimate complaints about products and services. For example, one
102 Chapter 9 Solutions
9.15 Claim Denial: Going Ape After Botched Gorilla Party (Objs. 1-4)
To: Christopher King <cking@outlook.com>
From: Your Name <your e-mail address>
Subject: Gorilla Costume Inquiry
Cc:
Bcc:
Dear Mr. King:
Thank you for telling us of the late arrival of your Gorilla Blinky Eye With Chest costume. Like
you, we are disappointed that it did not arrive in time for your Halloween party.
In checking our records, we note that your order arrived five days before Halloween. This is the
busiest time of the year for us, and our staff grows from 60 core employees to over 300 during
this season. We were, nevertheless, able to ship your order the next day, which is our promise to
all customers. We shipped your order according to the option you noted: Standard Shipping. This
option requires three to six business days for arrival. Because the package was traveling from
Wisconsin to Buffalo, New York, that apparently was not enough time.
Chapter 9 Solutions 103
9.16 Claim Denial: No Receipt, No Replacement! (Objs. 1-4)
To: Bert Mayes <bmayes@outlook.com>
From: Your Name <your e-mail address>
Subject: Your Warranty Inquiry
Cc:
Bcc:
Dear Mr. Mayes:
A manufacturer of fine Swiss luggage, Schwenger takes its commitment to providing the highest
quality products to its customers very seriously. This is why we offer a generous warranty that is
unmatched in our industry. Thank you for responding to our last e-mail and sending us photos of
your travel bag, a description of the damage, and your contact information.
All of our travel pieces are made to last a lifetime of normal wear and tear. Even years after
purchase, we gladly replace all products that show defects in the material or workmanship—
something that happens rarely indeed. Once you send us the required documentation, your claim
104 Chapter 9 Solutions
9.17 Claim Denial: Expensive Eyeglasses Lost on Plane (Objs. 1-4)
Current date
Mrs. Kristen Linder-Bowls
534 Cadillac Avenue
Venice, CA 90034
Dear Mrs. Linder-Bowls:
We can imagine that the loss of your glasses on our flight from Washington, DC to Los Angeles
with a stopover at Denver International Airport must be truly frustrating.
Our flight attendants are instructed to remind passengers that the cabins will be cleaned during
brief layovers. Most passengers leave the plane and do not return because they are catching
connecting flights. During these brief layovers, cleaning crews must work swiftly as they pass
Enclosure