1) Which opening is most appropriate for this adjustment letter?

a.We offer you our sincere apologies for the poorly-made gym bag. We're truly sorry for the inconvenience of having your exercise clothes spill all over the place. This is why we will replace the damaged bag for the same item or one that is similar.

b.You rightly expect only the best quality from the Yuma brand, and this is why we will gladly provide you with a brand-new gym bag that features our trademarked durable seams. Thank you for calling our attention to a gym bag that came from a batch with loose stitching.

c.We will grant your request and you can have a new gym bag although such mishaps usually don't happen. Sometimes customers use our bags in ways for which they were not intended.

2) Which passage displays sensitive language likely to pacify upset customers?

a.You can be certain that we will hold responsible the quality-control inspectors who failed to detect the flaw in the production line. From now on we will make sure that such a malfunction never happens again.

b.We regret your claim that the gym bag you purchased was faulty, but we want you to know we're sorry if you suffered an inconvenience as a consequence.

c.Although rare, sometimes flaws in merchandise can occur despite rigorous quality control. However, only 0.03 percent—the equivalent of three in 10,000 items—is ever flagged as faulty.

Which body paragraph most skillfully provides details about the adjustment and attempts to regain the customer's confidence?

a.As a result of our rigorous quality control, deficiencies requiring alterations of Yuma branded items run no more than .03 percent of our total output. Threads coming undone are extremely rare in our triple-stitched merchandise. Because of an unusual malfunction in our stitching line, a damaged needle caused the threads in a few Yuma gym bags to unravel. Immediately we instituted strict daily checks of all our industrial needles to ensure that the stitching on all our merchandise will last the lifetime of the product.

b.Please once again accept our apologies. We hope you were not inconvenienced too much by the malfunctioning gym bag. We want our customers to be happy, which is why we have generous return and exchange policies. Our merchandise satisfies the highest quality standards; unfortunately, sometimes mishaps cannot be avoided.

c.We take complaints such as yours very seriously and investigate each and every one carefully. In your case we have come to the conclusion that no fault on your part can be detected. In fact, apparently some piece of machinery in our plant malfunctioned. Rest assured that we have investigated the flaw and addressed it immediately so it won't ever happen again.

3) Which closing best expresses a desire to satisfy the customer and signals confidence that the problem has been resolved?

a.Please take the defective gym bag to any retailer carrying our brand to exchange it for a new hard-wearing Yuma bag. For your convenience, we have enclosed a list of retailers in your area. To ensure that you receive the very same item, please complete the exchange by May 31 before the arrival of our new summer merchandise. Your new Yuma gym bag will serve its purpose for a long time to come.

b.Thanks again for writing. Your satisfaction is our utmost goal. We hope that the new bag will help you get over your disappointment and the inconvenience of buying a defective product. As I said before, such flaws are extremely rare.

c.We appreciate that you let us know about your unfortunate situation. We hope you agree that we demonstrated how much we consider customers our No.1 priority. We can't give you cash for your defective bag, but you can exchange it for an item of equal or lesser value at any retailer that carries the Yuma brand.

4) Should the customer service representative have apologized in this case?

a.An apology is not advisable. It could be seen as an admission of liability and potentially invite the customer to make greater demands.

b.No apology is needed. It would introduce a negative tone. The remedy is sufficient for maintaining the customer's goodwill and rebuilding his confidence in the Yuma brand.

c.Yes, an extensive apology at the end of the letter would have shown the writer's humility and ended the message on a conciliatory note.