Negative Writing Situations

Today's Class

• Warm Up
• Negative Writing
• Scenarios
• Team Writing/Editing

In an effort to build relationships between team members in your department, your manager has asked each department member to submit a song they think represents them for a playlist.


The playlist will be the soundtrack at a department get-together later this month. Which song do you pick to put on the playlist, and why? What kinds of songs wouldn't you pick, and why?

How were your meetings?

What's a negative writing situation?

What's the direct approach?

What's the indirect approach?

What's a buffer line?

How should negative messages be organized?

Untitled Slide

Get into department groupings.

Visit
www.dearcustomerrelations.com

Choose one complaint letter. Read it carefully.

Discuss it as a group.

What is your complaint letter about?

What does the complaint message do well? What needs improvement?

Why did the original writer choose the approach and content he/she did?

What kind of vocabulary and tone are used in the letter? Why?

Re-write the complaint letter using the format and writing strategies outlined in class.

Your letter should not exceed one page.

You will be sending this letter to another department in our class.

Mail Delivery: Exchange re-written complaint letters with another department

Adjustment Letters

Respond to the complaint letter you received using the medium you think is most appropriate. Follow complaint and adjustment strategies as outlined in your textbook and in class.


When you are finished, upload the letter you received and your response to the Discussion Board on Blackboard for class discussion.

What medium did you choose to respond? Why?

What makes your chosen medium the most effective for your chosen situation?

Did you use the direct or indirect approach? Why?

If you wrote a buffer line, what kind of buffer did you use and why?

Did you apologize? If so, how did you word your apology?

How did you make your apology sound sincere?

What is most difficult about writing and responding to complaints?

What is most difficult about writing adjustments?

For Week 6

• Memo package assignment due (15%)
• Midterm