Businesses must sometimes respond to disappointed customers. Whether your company is responding to frustrated customers through social networking channels or through more traditional channels, it will face the same challenges at maintaining goodwill. Generally, negative messages to customers follow the same pattern as other bad$-$news messages.

Read the scenario, and then answer the question.

You are the manager of a luxury hotel in Atlant$-.$ A representative from the National Association of Engineers $($NAE$)$ contacted you last year to reserve a large ballroom for the organization's annual conference. He reserved the room by sending a check for $10$ percent of the total room rental. However, you have not been able to contact him since. The conference is scheduled for next month. Another group has requested use of part of the conference space. Since you have not been able to reach the representative from the NAE, you booked the alternative function, refunded the NAE deposit, and canceled the reservation. Now the NAE representative is on the phone threatening to sue you and the hotel.