8.12 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Downward: Avoiding Costly

Shipping Charges (L.O. 4)

As office manager of a Sacramento footwear and apparel company, write a memo persuading your shipping employees to reduce

express delivery fees. Your FedEx and other shipping bills have been sky high, and you feel that staff members are overusing these ser[1]vices to please their favorite distributors. They don't consider less expensive options, such as sharing shipping costs with the recipient.

If shipping staff members plan ahead and allow enough time, they can use UPS or FedEx ground service, which takes three to five

days and is much cheaper. You wonder whether staff members consider whether the recipient would mind waiting a few days longer

for the merchandise in exchange for prices remaining low. When is overnight shipment justified? You would like to reduce overnight

delivery services voluntarily by 50 percent over the next two months. Unless a sizable reduction occurs, the CEO threatens severe

restrictions in the future.

Your Task. Address your memo to all staff members. What other ways could employees reduce shipping costs?