Business Communication Chapter 6 -

Which of the following statements best describes the use of letters, e-mails, and memos in businesses today? a. Despite the popularity of e-mail, in certain situations letters remain the preferred channel of communication for delivering messages outside an organization. b. E-mail delivers most internal communication, hard-copy memos deliver most external communication, and letters communicate only legal issues. c. Businesses today use e-mail, memos, and letters interchangeably for all audiences, purposes, and messages. d. Businesses use memos to deliver positive messages internally and externally, but they use formal business letters to deliver negative messages.

a. Despite the popularity of e-mail, in certain situations letters remain the preferred channel of communication for delivering messages outside an organization.

Minimizing I when praising others to a good way to ensure that your message is a. selfless. b. sincere. c. specific. d. spontaneous.

a. selfless.

Which of the following sentences would be least effective in a sympathy note? a. Bethany's volunteer work in the job center endeared her to many. b. I am sorry to hear your sad news; but if I may be of any help, please do not hesitate to contact me. c. We are deeply saddened, Corbin, to learn of the death of your wife. d. If we may help you during this difficult time or lighten your load in any way, you need only call.

b. I am sorry to hear your sad news; but if I may be of any help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

In which of the following situations should you send a letter instead of an e-mail message? a. You are inviting employees to the annual sales seminar. b. You are asking leading members of the community to contribute to a fundraising event to improve local parks. c. You are reminding employees of Friday's divisional meetings. d. You are planning a sales team meeting.

b. You are asking leading members of the community to contribute to a fundraising event to improve local parks.

A popular format of business letters, called _____________________ style, aligns all parts on the left of the page. a. informal b. block c. justified d. formal

b. block

You can improve the effectiveness of a claim message by a. using a few threatening words to get your point across. b. explaining the problem with necessary details. c. including a subtle reference to your attorney or to the Better Business Bureau. d. providing a detailed timeline of what happened and the specific person who is to blame for the problem.

b. explaining the problem with necessary details.

Which of the following is the most appropriate opening for an adjustment message granting a claim? a. Thank you for your letter of November 16 describing your bad dining experience with us last weekend. b. We are very sorry to hear that your meal with us did not meet your expectations. c. The enclosed check for $78, which covers the cost of your dinner, demonstrates our desire to satisfy our customers and earn their confidence. d. Although we believe that the food we served last weekend was of the highest quality, we are willing to refund the cost of your dinner this time only.

c. The enclosed check for $78, which covers the cost of your dinner, demonstrates our desire to satisfy our customers and earn their confidence.

Dean has decided to include an apology as part of an adjustment message he is writing. Where in the message should he include it? a. Multiple places throughout b. The closing c. The opening d. The subject line

c. The opening

Which of the following represents the most appropriate apology in an adjustment message? a. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. b. It is unfortunate that your DataServe router has failed, and we promise that this failure will never occur again. c. We understand your reliance on a high-performance router and apologize for the incomplete installation of your DataServe router. d. We regret the error that caused the system failure you claim on your DataServe router.

c. We understand your reliance on a high-performance router and apologize for the incomplete installation of your DataServe router.

Messages expressing thanks should a. contain fewer than 5 sentences. b. open indirectly. c. All of these are true. d. be specific, warm, and conversational.

d. be specific, warm, and conversational.