Scenario

You are the manager of Bike World, a retail motorcycle sales and repair shop. Jim Derwood purchased a Benson 500 motorcycle from your shop four months ago. He brought his bike in yesterday because the engine was not running. Mr. Derwood was anticipating that the repairs would be covered under the one-year warranty.  

Your mechanic has examined the bike and determined that 10W30 oil along with leaded gasoline had been used in the bike. You are not going to cover the repairs under warranty because it covers all parts and labor under normal usage. The owner's manual states that 2-cycle engine oil and unleaded gasoline must be used for the warranty to be in effect.

Your shop technicians can repair the engine for $235.00. You want Mr. Derwood to call your repair center to authorize the repair.

Before you write the letter, you may find it helpful to consider the following questions:

• Should you use the direct or the indirect plan in your message? Note that except in certain circumstances, bad-news messages should be written using the indirect plan.
• What would be an appropriate buffer to use in the introductory paragraph?
• In the middle paragraph(s), how will you justify your decision and state or clearly imply the bad news while minimizing negativity?
• What would be a good way to write the concluding paragraph, closing the message on a pleasant note?

Remember that you do not need to include all the information provided in the scenario when you write the letter.

Assignment

Write the letter to Mr. Derwood. Use the format presented on pp. 503-506, as well as the template presented on the next page in this assignment handout. Invent address details as needed.

After composing the first draft of the letter, review the assignment instructions as well as the assignment rubric to make sure that you have met all the requirements. Proof-read your work carefully to catch and correct any problems with style, tone, spelling, or grammar. You will not have a revision opportunity on this assignment. Submit the assignment via (1) the assignment dropbox  on Blackboard and (2) the Turnitin dropbox  on Blackboard and (3) STEPS by the due date.                               

Note: Please review the template on the next page.

LETTERHEAD
(Develop an appropriate letterhead that contains your  company’s name, address,
phone number, and email address. Invent details as needed.)

Date (spell out the month)

Recipient’s full name (ex: Mr. John Doe)
Recipient’s title, if applicable (ex: Director of Finance)
Name of recipient’s organization, if applicable
Recipient’s street address
City, state abbreviation, and ZIP code

Dear . . .  :

When using the indirect plan, do not mention the bad news in the introductory paragraph. Instead, write a buffer that helps you establish a relationship with your audience. The buffer should be short, neutral, relevant, supportive, and interesting. See Chapter 11 of your book for more details.

In the middle paragraph(s), justify your decision first; then state or clearly imply the bad news. Make sure that the bad news is clear. An ambiguous message will invite further communication and could make a bad situation worse. Avoid using needless negative phrases.

In the concluding paragraph, do not refer to the bad news. Instead, focus on closing on a pleasant note. For example, you could offer alternatives that may be available to the recipient, or you could direct the recipient to other sources. See Chapter 11 of your book for more details.

Sincerely,

Your name
Your position
Your email and/or phone number (optional)