Deck 6: Delivering Good- and Neutral-News Messages

Question 1

Good-news or neutral-news messages follow a(n) _____.

A)passive sequence
B)interrogative sequence
C)inductive sequence
D)deductive sequence

Answer 1

D

Question 2

An advantage of the deductive pattern of good- or neutral-news messages is that the first sentence is easy to write and the details follow easily after it is written.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

An acknowledgment message is sent to indicate that an order has been received and processed.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Memorandums, or memos, are appropriate for communication both inside and outside a company.

Question 5

When compared to letters, _____ are used for formally sharing information with people inside an organization.

A)text messages
B)memos
C)claims
D)voice-mails

Question 6

When asked to provide credit information about an account holder, it is advisable to report facts and personal opinions about the applicant.

Question 7

Which of the following is a recommended advice when writing an appreciation message?

A)Send the message two weeks after the circumstance.
B)Use exaggerated statements to communicate a favorable attitude.
C)Avoid including any detail about the circumstance in the message.
D)Make specific remarks about the receiver's performance.

Question 8

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act requires that a credit applicant be notified of a credit decision within 10 days of receipt of the request or application.

Question 9

Empathetic managers use goodwill messagesto build strong, lasting relationships with employees, clients, customers, and various other groups.

Question 10

Mary, a team leader, has some news about a surprise bonus that she wants to share with her team members. She will use the deductive sequence to formulate her message. Which of the following types of messages is Mary likely to send her team members?

A)A persuasive request
B)A routine claim
C)A neutral-news message
D)A good-news message

Question 11

Appreciation letters that are not sent in a timely manner may raise questions about the sender's sincerity.

Question 12

Routine claims assume that a request will be granted only after explanations and convincing arguments have been presented.

Question 13

Which of the following is a feature of the deductive sequence approach for a good-news message?

A)The first sentence is very difficult to write, so it makes it difficult for the details to follow.
B)The last sentence is emphasized, while the first sentence is ignored.
C)The first sentence mentions the good news making the audience more receptive to the details that follow.
D)The arrangement of the message makes it extremely time consuming to understand the idea and move through the details.

Question 14

An attempt at resale or sales promotion is inappropriate in a favorable response to a claim message.

Question 15

Asking a colleague or employee to walk through the steps outlined in a procedural document before finalizing the document is recommended.

Question 16

Neutral-news messages contain content that is not likely to generate an emotional reaction from the receiver.

Question 17

Form messages are a fast and efficient means to send frequently recurring messages that will likely result in a neutral or favorable reaction from the receiver.

Question 18

While writing an appreciation message, exaggerated language should be used frequently even if it does not sound believable.

Question 19

Good- or neutral-news messages follow a deductive sequence in which the message begins with the main idea.

Question 20

Memos or email messages are the most frequent methods of sharing procedures and instructions for internal business communication when a written record is needed.

Question 21

Ola Jensen has placed her first order with a company. Which of the following should the company send her to indicate that they have received her order?

A)A preprinted form letter
B)A routine message
C)An adjustment message
D)An acknowledgment message

Question 22

Which of the following guidelines should be followed when writing messages extending credit?

A)The message should be written inductively.
B)The message should start with the credit terms.
C)The message should include sales promotional material.
D)The message should begin with future-oriented thoughts.

Question 23

Jeremy had bought a phone that stopped working just after its guarantee expired. Due to this reason, he writes a persuasive claim to the phone manufacturing company. The company sends back an adjustment message to Jeremy. A sentence in the message reads, "Your claim is being granted." On reading the sentence, Jeremy is very offended. Which of the following is a reason why Jeremy is offended by the sentence?

A)The sentence implies that his request is not acknowledged.
B)The sentence implies that the company is in power.
C)The sentence implies that his claim is not valid.
D)The sentence implies that the business has not demonstrated integrity.

Question 24

Ignacio asks for a refund for a recently purchased malfunctioning DVD player. His request for the refund is considered a _____.

A)persuasive claim
B)neutral-news message
C)routine claim
D)negative-news message

Question 25

List the components of the direct outline used for good- and neutral-news messages.

Question 26

Identify the use of memos and letters in communicating messages.

Question 27

The _____ requires that a credit applicant be notified of the credit decision within 30 days of receipt of the request or application.

A)Credit Extension Act
B)Equal Availability Credit Act
C)Credit Conformant Act
D)Equal Credit Opportunity Act

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true about persuasive claims?

A)They assume that a request will be granted only after explanations have been presented.
B)They only use the passive voice in the claim message.
C)They begin with the assumption that the claim will be granted.
D)They use the inductive approach for the claim message.

Question 29

When people provide credit information about a credit applicant, they:

A)give personal opinions about the credit applicant.
B)write passively about the credit applicant's credit history.
C)have legal obligations toward the credit applicant.
D)write about how the company should extend credit to the credit applicant.

Question 30

Claims related to product warranties, guarantees, or contractual conditions are typically _____.

A)persuasive claims
B)inductive claims
C)routine claims
D)directive claims

Question 31

_____ refer to statements made about related merchandise or service.

A)​Adjustment claims
B)​Public relations promotions
C)​Sales promotional materials
D)​Credit reports

Question 32

_____ are the most frequently used methods of communicating standard operating procedures and other instructions to employees.

A)Memos and email messages
B)Face-to-face meetings and phone conversations
C)Phone conversations and instant messaging
D)Reports and letters

Question 33

Which of the following is a disadvantage of form messages?

A)They are an inefficient way of transmitting messages.
B)They tend to be impersonal.
C)They are too elaborate.
D)They are written inductively.

Question 34

Alana orders a pink shirt from BuyClothes.com but receives an orange shirt instead. The store advertises a free exchange policy for goods. Therefore, Alana should write a _____ to get the correct shirt that she ordered.

A)routine claim
B)persuasive request
C)negative news message
D)goodwill message

Question 35

_____ refers to a discussion of goods or services already bought.

A)​Resale
B)​Sales promotion
C)​Advertisement
D)​Marketing

Question 36

Customer Requests Information for Returning a Product
The customer service department of Software Solutions received a letter from Samuel Muhler stating that he placed an order for the AccTabs accounting software and instead received a software package entitled ThirdWave. He would like to receive a UPS account number to use when returning the product so that he will not have to pay the shipping, as well as instructions for packaging and labeling the returned product.Required: Write an e-mail message as the customer service manager of Software Solutions responding to Mr. Muhler's requests. Include an appropriate subject line and message body in your solution.

Question 37

Manuel, a credit supervisor, wrote a letter informing a new client that her credit application has been approved. He started the message with the good news. Which of the following writing sequences has he used?

A)Persuasive pattern
B)Inductive pattern
C)Deductive pattern
D)Interrogative pattern

Question 38

A procedural message is most effective when:

A)all the numbers that indicate the order of the steps are removed.
B)mind maps are created for simple procedures.
C)located errors are left uncorrected.
D)each step begins with an action statement.

Question 39

Which of the following suggestions should be used to make a form letter more personal

A)​Use mass produced mailing labels.
B)Use a high-quality printer.
C)​Use colloquialisms.
D)​Use the inductive sequence.

Question 40

While writing a routine claim the message should begin with _____.

A)a request for adjustment.
B)details and explanation.
C)an expression of gratitude.
D)future-oriented thoughts.

Question 41

What content should an effective adjustment message contain?

Question 42

Describe the guidelines used to write effective procedural messages.

Question 43

Discuss form messages that are used for routine responses.

Question 44

Summarize the guidelines that should be followed when extending credit.

Question 45

Crafting an Effective Routine Claim​Analyze the following routine claim letter and make the required revisions.​Dear Mr. Ortiz:​Eight months ago, I purchased the Wireless-G Broadband Router (2.2 GHz), Model No. 13MP26SD, from your company. After only eight months of use, it no longer works. It quit working while I was in the middle of a huge project, and the delay cost me hundreds of dollars.​Since this product came with a year warranty, I am upset that it quit working after less than a year. It must be defective. I have the receipt for purchase and want a replacement immediately. The router problem has already cost me time and money. If I don't receive a replacement or refund immediately, I will not buy your products in the future.​Please send a replacement router via express delivery to the address on this letterhead.​Thank you.

Question 46

Extension of Credit to InfoSearch​You have received a request for credit from a company called InfoSearch for online databases available from your company. You are a vendor for information databases, and subscribers to your services may contract for 12-month access to this information. You offer various service packages that provide access to specific databases. InfoSearch wants the Standard Package which allows access to a selection of your company's available databases. The extension of credit will allow InfoSearch to order additional levels of service as needed and pay for them on a monthly basis.​Required: Send a letter stating that credit is granted to Andrea Schmidt at InfoSearch.

Question 47

Which guidelines should be followed while writing an effective appreciation message

Question 48

What are the advantages of writing good-news or neutral-news messages in the deductive pattern?

Question 49

Discuss the different replies for credit information requests.

Question 50

List the ways in which a form letter can be made more personal.