Planning: Choosing the Direct or Indirect Approach

[LO-1] Select which approach you would use (direct or indirect)

for the following negative messages.

a. An email message to your boss, informing her that one of your key clients is taking its business to a diff erent accounting fi rm

b. An email message to a customer, informing her that one of the books she ordered over the Internet is temporarily out of stock

c. An instant message to a customer, explaining that the DVD recorder he ordered for his new computer is on back order and that, as a consequence, the shipping of the entire order will be delayed

d. A blog post to all employees, notifying them that the company parking lot will be repaved during the fi rst week of June and that the company will provide a shuttle service from a remote parking lot during that period

e. A letter from a travel agent to a customer, stating that the airline will not refund her money for the fl ight she missed but that her tickets are valid for one year

f. A form letter from a U.S. airline to a customer, explaining that the company cannot extend the expiration date of the customer’s frequent fl yer miles even though the customer was living overseas for the past three years and unable to use the miles during that time g. A letter from an insurance company to a policyholder, denying a claim for reimbursement for a special medical procedure that is not covered under the terms of the customer’s policy h. A letter from an electronics store, stating that the customer will not be reimbursed for a malfunctioning mobile phone that is still under warranty (because the terms of the warranty do not cover damages to phones that were accidentally dropped from a moving car)
i. An announcement to the repairs department, listing parts that are on back order and will be three weeks late