Bad News Letter
Dear Mr. Waters:
Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to apply the lease payments you’ve been
making for the past ten months toward the purchase of your Sako 600 copier.
Company policy does not allow such conversion. Have you ever wondered why
we can offer such low leasing and purchase prices? Obviously, we couldn’t stay
in business long if we agreed to proposals such as yours.
You’ve had the Sako 600 copier for ten months now, Mr. Waters, and you say like
its versatility and reliability. Perhaps we could interest you in another Sako model
– one that’s more within your price range. Do give us a call.
Sincerely,
Dear Mr. Waters:
We’re happy to learn that you are enjoying the use of the Sako copier
you’ve been leasing for the past ten months. Like our many
customers, you have discovered that Sako copiers offer remarkable
versatility and reliability.
One of the reasons we’re able to offer these outstanding copiers at
such low leasing rates and equally low purchase prices is that we
maintain a slim profit margin. If our program included a provision for
applying lease payments toward the purchase price, our overall
prices would have to be higher.
Although lease payments cannot be credited toward purchase price,
we can offer you other Sako models that are within your price range.
The Sako 400 delivers the same reliability with nearly as many
features as the Sako 600.
Please let us demonstrate the Sako 400 to your staff in your office,
Mr. Waters. Our representative, Tracy Wilson, will call you soon to
arrange a time.
Sincerely,
Buffer
Reason
Bad News
Closing
Assignment 2: Block Business Letter
Due Week 4 and worth 150 points
Choose one of the professional scenarios provided (cannot be the same scenario chosen for Assignment
1). Write a Block Business Letter (in the form of the posted example from Week 4) from the perspective
of the company management. It should provide bad news and follow the guidelines outlined in Chapter
7: Delivering Bad-News Messages in BCOM7 (pages 110-128).
The message should take the block business letter form from the posted example; however, you will
submit your assignment to the online course shell.
The block business letter must adhere to the following requirements:
1. Content:
a. Address the communication issue from the scenario.
b. Provide bad-news from the company to the recipient.
c. Concentrate on the facts of the situation and use either the inductive or deductive
approach.
d. Assume your recipient has previously requested a review of the situation via email, letter,
or personal meeting with management.
2. Format:
a. Include the proper introductory elements (sender’s address, date, recipient’s address).
b. Provide an appropriate and professional greeting / salutation.
c. Single space paragraphs and double space between paragraphs.
d. Limit the letter to one-page in length.
3. Clarity / Mechanics:
a. Focus on clarity, writing mechanics, and professional language/style requirements.
b. Run spell/grammar check before submitting.
Your assignment must:
• Be typed, single-spaced within paragraphs/elements and double spaced between the
paragraphs/elements, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Submitting your assignment:
• Submit your assignment through the online course shell only.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
• Use writing process strategies to develop brief business documents, such as routine messages, bad
news messages, and persuasive/sales messages.
• Support ideas or claims in body paragraphs with clear details, examples, and explanations.
• Organize ideas logically by using transitional words, phrases, and sentences.
• Use sentence variety and effective word choice in written communication.
• Write clearly and concisely using proper writing mechanics.
Points: 150
Assignment 2: Block Business Letter
Unacceptable
Below 60% F
Meets Minimum
Expectations
60-69% D
1. Submission
meets the
content
requirements
outlined in
assignment
details.
Weight: 30%
Submission content
missing multiple
required elements,
has multiple issues
with development of
content, or does not
relate to the stated
requirements.
Submission missing
at least one noted
content requirement
and has multiple
issues with
development of
provided content
items.
Submission is
missing at least
one requirement
or has specific
development
issues with
provided content
items.
Submission
includes all
stated
requirements and
most are well
developed.
Submission
includes all
stated
requirements
and is well
developed.
2. Assignment
meets the format
requirements
outlined in
assignment
details.
Weight: 25%
Assignment makes
little or no attempt to
meet the stated
format requirements.
Assignment is
missing at least two
format requirements
(or there are major
errors as noted in
comments).
Assignment is
missing at least one
format requirement
and/or has 4-5
minor errors.
Assignment
includes all
stated format
requirements and
has 2-3 minor
errors.
Assignment
includes all
stated format
requirements
and has 0-1
minor errors.
3. Audience,
Purpose, and
Overall
Effectiveness of
the Block
Business Letter.
Weight: 30%
The block business
letter is not properly
targeted, the purpose
is unclear, and/or the
message is
ineffective in
achieving its goal(s).
The block business
letter has major
errors in at least two
of the areas
(Audience, Purpose,
or Overall
Effectiveness).
The block business
letter has a major
error in at least
one of the areas
(Audience,
Purpose, or
Overall
Effectiveness).
The block
business letter
mostly addresses
the proper
audience,
generally
achieves its
purpose, and is
somewhat
effective.
The block
business letter
addresses the
proper audience,
achieves its
purpose, and is
effective.
4. Clarity,
writing
mechanics,
professional
language/style
requirements.
Weight: 15%
9+ errors present.
7-8 errors present.
5-6 errors present.
3-4 errors
present.
0-2 errors
present.
Criteria
Fair
70-79% C
Proficient
80-89% B
Exemplary
90-100% A
Workplace Scenarios
John shows up to work approximately five minutes late this morning, walks silently (but
quickly) down the hallway and begins to punch in at the time clock located by the front
desk. Kim, the front desk manager, says, "Good morning, John," but John simply ignores her,
punches in, and heads into the shop to his workplace. Kim rolls her eyes, picks up the phone,
and dials the on-duty manager to alert her that John just arrived and should be reaching his
workplace at that moment.
Savannah is the lead on a project with a team of six other people. The project involves using
an outside vendor’s software. Without consulting Savannah, Amber (a senior team member)
sends a professional email to the vendor asking for a change to the existing software. The
vendor responds to the entire team expressing concern over making the requested change.
Paul has worked for the company four years. During that time, he had one manager and three
difference supervisors without any major conflicts. Due to a merger, the management
structure changed and Paul’s former manager Pat is now the general manager. Sharon, Paul’s
new manager, has a meeting with Paul over concerns that proper protocol is not being
followed. Sharon tells Paul he must conform to the proper procedures or he will be written up.
Paul protests as the process he uses was designed as a work around by Pat. Sharon writes Paul
up for insubordination.
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