BCOM 3360 Ch 9
Which one of the following is a goal when answering a request for information and action?
Answer all of the questions in the request
When making a routine request, which piece of advice should you follow? A. Demand action. B. Be specific. C. Do not consider the tone of the message. D. Be vague. E. Do not assume that your audience will comply.
B. Be specific.
Raoul receives a customer complaint. His customer has clearly misused the product, but Raoul agrees to grant the claim. Which of the following should he do in his response? A. Blame the customer for the problem. B. Discourage future mistakes. C. Make elaborate promises. D. Refer to the crisis management plan. E. Imply he will grant further claims.
B. Discourage future mistakes.
Which of the following is the MOST common reason some employers are reluctant to provide recommendation letters for former employees? A. Employers are uncomfortable with their writing skills. B. Employees have sued employers. C. Employers do not have time to write these letters. D. Employees will use the recommendation letter to seek employment. E. The former employee will demand to be rehired
B. Employees have sued employers.
When writing a routine business request, you should _________. A. use the indirect approach B. justify the request or explain its importance C. ask the most important questions last D. combine complex requests into questions that cover multiple topics E. explain the disadvantages of responding
B. justify the request or explain its importance
A(n) __________ should be written when you are dissatisfied with a product and a(n) __________ letter should be sent when you want a settlement concerning an issue with a product. A. adjustment; claim B. claim; adjustment C. claim; recommendation D. reference; adjustment E. recommendation; claim
B. claim; adjustment
Which of the following is an example of a concise sentence? A. "It is our intention to stock your items in our stores for our customers Tuesday." B. "It is our pleasure to inform you that on Tuesday, we will start the process of selling your items to our customers." C. "We will start selling your items in our store next Tuesday." D. "We intend to start making arrangements for the sale of your items on Tuesday." E. "We are pleased to inform you that as of next Tuesday we will begin developing plans to carry your product in our store."
C. "We will start selling your items in our store next Tuesday."
"Let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist you" is an example of which of the following? A. Condescending tone B. Disappointing news C. Courteous close D. Main idea E. Concise opening
C. Courteous close
Nicole is a hiring manager and is preparing an announcement regarding a new executive hire. Which of the following approaches should she use? A. Indirect B. Reluctant C. Direct D. Forceful E. Deceptive
C. Direct
Which of the following is a step in an effective routine response to a customer complaint? A. Apologize profusely, even if this is insincere. B. Do not sympathize with the customer's frustration since this could encourage similar claims in the future. C. Explain how you plan to resolve the situation. D. Do not accept personal responsibility. E. Assign blame to a coworker by name.
C. Explain how you plan to resolve the situation.
Which of the following is an example of a routine message? A. Lucas informs Ray that he is being transferred to another division within the company. B. The company is announcing a change in the employer-sponsored tuition reimbursement plan. C. Latisha is requesting a letter of recommendation from Joshua. D. The company is experiencing financial problems and is suspending employer contributions to the retirement plan. E. The company is announcing an impending merger.
C. Latisha is requesting a letter of recommendation from Joshua.
Just like other types of business messages, routine requests contain __________. A. an opening, a proposal, and a close B. an introduction, a list of actions, and a receipt C. an opening, a body, and a close D. an introduction, a proposal, and a close E. a salutation, a story, and an ending
C. an opening, a body, and a close
Which one of the following is a common routine request?
A message asking for information
Which of the following messages requires a direct approach?
A message informing a consumer about the replacement of a defective product.
When making a claim or requesting an adjustment, you should do which of the following? A. Present facts honestly and clearly. B. Provide a straightforward statement of the problem in the body of the request. C. Demand immediate action. D. Open with specific details of the problem. E. Maintain an angry tone to convey your frustration.
A. Present facts honestly and clearly.
Which of the three common types of routine requests are MOST difficult to comply with? A. Recommendations and references B. Direct messages C. Requests for information and action D. Claims and adjustments E. Indirect formatted messages
A. Recommendations and references
As a consumer, there may come a time when you are dissatisfied with a product or service and you many need to make a formal complaint called a(n) __________. A. claim B. accusation C. deposition D. formal report E. inquiry
A. claim
Which of the following is TRUE about a social media release? A. A social media release is directed to an editor. B. A social media release uses narrative paragraphs. C. A social media release is an announcement submitted to the news media. D. A social media release is considered to be a direct-to-consumer news release. E. A social media release is an announcement submitted to employees.
D. A social media release is considered to be a direct-to-consumer news release
Which of the following is TRUE about a traditional news release? A. A traditional news release is written directly to the ultimate audience. B. A traditional news release is an announcement submitted to employees. C. A traditional news release is directed to consumers. D. A traditional news release is not written directly to the ultimate audience. E. A traditional news release uses bullet points.
D. A traditional news release is not written directly to the ultimate audience.
________________ are the most personal business messages that you may ever have to write. A. Recommendation letters B. Claims and adjustment letters C. Good news announcements D. Condolence letters E. Goodwill messages
D. Condolence letters
Brenda writes the following request: "Send me the new sales figures right away." Which of the following errors has she made? A. Asking an important question first B. Addressing multiple topics per question C. Using reader's request last D. Using a demanding tone E. Using too casual a tone
D. Using a demanding tone
When writing a request, you should use the __________ of your message to explain or justify the request. A. opening B. courteous close C. introduction D. body E. appendix
D. body
The __________ of routine messages is usually short and simple since things are left on a neutral or positive note. A. body B. introduction C. appendix D. close E. opening
D. close
The __________ of a routine request should include a deadline, contact information, and an expression of goodwill. A. recommendation B. body C. executive summary D. courteous close E. Introduction
D. courteous close
For an unexpected or unusual request, the __________ approach is the best strategy. A. forward B. direct C. business D. indirect E. good-news
D. indirect
When writing a routine business request, you should ________. A. use the body to request specific action B. open by justifying your request C. use the indirect approach D. use the direct approach E. close by presenting your main idea
D. use the direct approach
Which one of the following should be included in the body of a routine request?
Explain any potential benefits of responding to the request.
Which one of the following guidelines should be followed when writing a letter of recommendation?
Facts and evidence relevant to the candidate and the opportunity should be mentioned.
________ is the positive feeling that encourages people to maintain a business relationship.
Goodwill
Which one of the following is true regarding the tone that a sender should use in a routine request or positive message?
People should avoid using a demanding tone while composing a routine request or positive message.
Which one of the following is an example of a goodwill technique?
Providing information that your readers might find helpful
Which one of the following is a step in writing a routine or positive message?
Start with the main idea.
Which of the following strategies should you keep in mind when writing a routine business request?
State your request or main idea up front.
Which one of the following is true about routine and positive messages?
The close of routine and positive messages explains what the audience should do next and how it will benefit them.
Which one of the following best describes an adjustment?
The settlement of a claim
A(n) __________ is a formal complaint made in response to dissatisfaction over a product or service.
claim
A news release is a(n) _________.
document used to share relevant information with the media
With a routine request, you should state your request __________.
in the beginning of the message
For routine replies and positive messages, you should __________.
place the main idea or the good news in the opening
Condolences are _________.
the most personal business messages you may ever have to write
When responding to a claim or adjustment request when the customer is at fault, you should __________.
weigh the cost of complying with or refusing the request
Which one of the following is true of goodwill messages?
A good congratulatory message will include specific content that relates to the reason why someone is being thanked.
Adrie writes the following business request: "Would you please send me a copy of the latest sales documents and a list of the employees assigned to our new project?" Which of the following errors has she made? A. Asking irrelevant questions B. Asking the least important question first C. Not conducting a thorough audience analysis D. Using an overly polite tone E. Dealing with multiple topics per question
E. Dealing with multiple topics per question
Isaac has been asked to write a letter of congratulations; this is also known as a ________________ message. A. thank you B. good news C. recommendation D. claims and adjustment E. goodwill
E. Goodwill
Which of the following is considered an external announcement sharing relevant organizational information with the media? A. Annual report B. Recommendation C. Productivity report D. Informational memo E. News release
E. News release
Which of the following should you do when writing routine replies and positive messages? A. Develop the single most important message during the writing process. B. Embed positive statements in negative contexts. C. Make sure that readers acknowledges their personal responsibility. D. End the message with the main idea. E. Use the direct approach.
E. Use the direct approach.
When might a writer use a routine or direct positive message? A. When setting up a meeting with a customer or client B. When writing to coworkers about a production problem C. When developing sales and marketing tools D. When asking employees to perform a task outside of their normal scope of activity E. When requesting a specific action
E. When requesting a specific action
Which of the following is the appropriate way to make a claim request when the remedy is obvious? A. You should demand an immediate resolution. B. You should express your anger and frustration and escalate the issue within the organization. C. You should request the company assess the situation. D. You should not make a claim request. E. You should clearly request it be done.
E. You should clearly request it be done.
Patricia wants to let her team know that they did exceptional work on a recent project. Patricia is going to send her team a message of ________________. A. recognition B. goodwill C. recommendation D. good news E. appreciation
E. appreciation
In order to enhance positive relationships with stakeholders, businesses can write messages specifically to build __________. A. professional courtesy B. appreciation C. gratitude D. thankfulness E. goodwill
E. goodwill
Most routine communications are ___________. A. biased B. subjective C. positive D. negative E. neutral
E. neutral
Sometimes a business may use the concept of _______ to reassure a customer of the wisdom of their purchase selection, using favorable comments to build customer relationships. A. advertising B. promotion C. public relations D. direct marketing E. resale
E. resale