Project description

Write a bad newsletter to a customer who has requested an exemption to a company’s policy. Possible requests that would be subjects of bad newsletters are:

•A request for a refund or replacement of a $1,000 piece of equipment that broke after three (3) years, one (1) year past the warranty date.
•A request for a refund or voucher for a ruined two-week vacation (due to bad weather: rain or snow) at an expensive resort.
•A request to change a company’s “no-pets indoors” policy to a “pet-friendly” policy to allow customers to bring pets inside the restaurant and allow them to sit at tables with their owners.
•A request to change a company’s “pet-friendly” policy to a “no-pet” policy to prohibit customers from bringing their pets into the restaurant’s eating areas – inside or outside.
•Other: Write a bad news message based on another scenario.
The message should take the “form” of a letter; however, you will submit your assignment to the online course shell.

1. Format the letter properly:

•Include “to” and “from” addresses and the date.
•Include appropriate greeting and salutation.
•Use bullets as needed to emphasize key points.
2. Show appreciation and concern for the customer from the beginning (possibly with a brief buffer) and throughout the letter. Avoid being overly apologetic or complimentary.

3. Provide the turndown or bad news early in the letter.

4. Make the turndown clear and support it by providing two (2) to three (3) key reasons for the turndown.

5. Provide an alternative and / or a positive expectation of a future with the customer.

Your assignment must:

•Be typed, single spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Submitting your assignment:

•Submit your assignment through the online course shell.
•You do not need to email your assignment to your instructor.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

•Use writing process strategies to develop brief business documents, such as routine messages, bad news messages, and persuasive / sales messages.
•Support ideas or claims in body paragraphs with clear details, examples, and explanations.
•Organize ideas logically by using transitional words, phrases, and sentences.
•Use sentence variety and effective word choice in written communication.
•Write clearly and concisely using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.

Criteria

Unacceptable

Below 60% F

Meets Minimum Expectations

60-69% D

Fair

70-79% C

Proficient

80-89% B

Exemplary

90-100% A

1. Format the letter properly: include “to” and “from” addresses, date, appropriate greeting, and salutation. Use bullets as needed to emphasize key points.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely formatted the letter properly; did not include “to” and “from” addresses, date, appropriate greeting, and salutation. Did not submit or incompletely used bullets as needed to emphasize key points.

Insufficiently formatted the letter properly; insufficiently included “to” and “from” addresses, date, appropriate greeting, and salutation. Insufficiently used bullets as needed to emphasize key points.

Partially formatted the letter properly; partially included “to” and “from” addresses, date, appropriate greeting, and salutation. Partially used bullets as needed to emphasize key points.

Satisfactorily formatted the letter properly; satisfactorily included “to” and “from” addresses, date, appropriate greeting, and salutation. Satisfactorily used bullets as needed to emphasize key points.

Thoroughly formatted the letter properly; thoroughly included “to” and “from” addresses, date, appropriate greeting, and salutation. Thoroughly used bullets as needed to emphasize key points.

2. Show appreciation and concern for the customer from the beginning (possibly with a brief buffer) and throughout the letter. Avoid being overly apologetic or complimentary.
Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely showed appreciation and concern for the customer from the beginning (possibly with a brief buffer) and throughout the letter. Did not submit or incompletely avoided being overly apologetic or complimentary.

Insufficiently showed appreciation and concern for the customer from the beginning (possibly with a brief buffer) and throughout the letter. Insufficiently avoided being overly apologetic or complimentary.

Partially showed appreciation and concern for the customer from the beginning (possibly with a brief buffer) and throughout the letter. Partially avoided being overly apologetic or complimentary.

Satisfactorily showed appreciation and concern for the customer from the beginning (possibly with a brief buffer) and throughout the letter. Satisfactorily avoided being overly apologetic or complimentary.

Thoroughly showed appreciation and concern for the customer from the beginning (possibly with a brief buffer) and throughout the letter. Thoroughly avoided being overly apologetic or complimentary.

3. Provide the turndown or bad news early in the letter.

Weight: 15%

Did not submit or incompletely provided the turndown or bad news early in the letter.

Insufficiently provided the turndown or bad news early in the letter.

Partially provided the turndown or bad news early in the letter.

Satisfactorily provided the turndown or bad news early in the letter.

Thoroughly provided the turndown or bad news early in the letter.

4. Make the turndown clear and support it by providing two (2) to three (3) key reasons for the turndown.

Weight: 10%

Did not submit or incompletely made the turndown clear and did not support it by providing two (2) to three (3) key reasons for the turndown.

Insufficiently made the turndown clear and insufficiently supported it by providing two (2) to three (3) key reasons for the turndown.

Partially made the turndown clear and partially supported it by providing two (2) to three (3) key reasons for the turndown.

Satisfactorily made the turndown clear and satisfactorily supported it by providing two (2) to three (3) key reasons for the turndown.

Thoroughly made the turndown clear and thoroughly supported it by providing two (2) to three (3) key reasons for the turndown.

5. Provide an alternative and / or a positive expectation of a future with the customer.

Weight: 10%

Did not submit or incompletely provided an alternative and / or a positive expectation of a future with the customer.

Insufficiently provided an alternative and / or a positive expectation of a future with the customer.

Partially provided an alternative and / or a positive expectation of a future with the customer.

Satisfactorily provided an alternative and / or a positive expectation of a future with the customer.

Thoroughly provided an alternative and / or a positive expectation of a future with the customer.

6. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements

Weight: 25%

More than 8 errors present

7-8 errors present

5-6 errors present

3-4 errors present

0-2 errors present