Chapter 8 BA 105W
Is E-mail Appropriate for Goodwill Messages?
Depending on your relationship with the receiver, sending a goodwill message by e-mail is acceptable.
Effective Positive Messages and the Writing Process
Phase 1: Analysis, Anticipation, and Adaptation
Business Letters
-Provide a permanent record -Are confidential and formal -Deliver persuasive, well-considered messages
Phase 2:
Research, Organization, and Drafting
Phase 3:
Revision, Proofreading, and Evaluation
Saying Thank You
Written notes showing appreciation and expressing thanks are significant to their receivers; more so than oral messages
The Five Ss of Goodwill Messages
1) Be selfless 2) be specific 3) be sincere 4) be spontaneous 5) keep it short
Adjustment Messages
1) Opening 2) Body: Explain how you are complying with the claim. 3) Closing: Consider expressing confidence that the problem has been resolved -We hope this refund check proves our commitment to providing excellent customer service
Creating Request Messages
1) Opening- main idea first 2) Body—provide details and explain your purpose 3) Closing—end with appreciation and a call for action -Set an end date, if necessary. Provide a logical reason for the end date -Most emphatic positions in a message are the opening and closing
Adjustment messages have three goals:
1) Rectify a wrong, if one exists. 2) Regain the confidence of the customer. 3) Promote future business.
Responding to Requests
1) Subject Line 2) Opening: Deliver the information the reader wants
Examples of straightforward claims:
1) The transmission in your car gave out within the warranty period. 2) A shipment arrived two weeks after it was promised. 3) Your credit card was billed twice for a purchase you made.
Most businesses
make adjustments promptly
In the workplace most messages are
positive or neutral and, therefore, direct.
Delay makes
the claim seem less important
Claims are written by customers
to identify or to correct a problem with products or services they have purchased. (BONUS)
Act promptly
when making a claim