Deck 10: Writing Routine and Positive Messages

Question 1

When asking questions in a request message

A)begin with the least important question and work your way up to the most important.
B)avoid any open-ended questions.
C)begin with the most important question.
D)weave your questions into the rest of the content of your message.

Answer 1

C
Explanation:C)Your most important question should always come first, followed by any additional information you might seek. Make sure you include only relevant questions, and limit each question to one topic only.

Question 2

Routine, positive messages should do all of the following except

A)leave your reader with a good impression.
B)use an indirect approach.
C)provide all required details.
D)communicate the information or positive news.

Answer 2

B
Explanation:B)With a routine message you expect full compliance from your reader. Therefore, there is no need to adopt an indirect approach to your message.

Question 3

When making a routine request, you should begin with

A)an indication of the importance of your request.
B)a statement of who you are.
C)a clear statement of the main idea or request.
D)a question.

Answer 3

C
Explanation:C)A routine request opens by explaining what you are requesting, followed by justification for your request, then a brief closing.

Question 4

If you request a recommendation from a person you haven't had contact with recently, you should

A)use the opening of your letter to refresh the person's memory.
B)enclose a stamped, preaddressed envelope.
C)use the persuasive approach.
D)use the bad-news approach.

Question 5

Most simple requests can be handled by explaining

A)what you want to know or want the reader to do.
B)why you're making the request.
C)why it may be in your reader's interest to comply.
D)all of the above.

Question 6

A claim is ________; an adjustment is ________.

A)a goodwill message; a means to an end
B)an emotional reaction; a calculated response
C)a formal complaint; a settlement of a claim
D)an informal complaint; an emotional reaction

Question 7

In requesting a sales report from a co-worker, you should

A)use the indirect approach.
B)get straight to the point.
C)maintain a formal style and tone.
D)do all of the above.

Question 8

In closing a request for a recommendation, you should include

A)an expression of appreciation.
B)an indication that you've enclosed a stamped, preaddressed envelope.
C)the full name and address of the person to whom the letter should be sent.
D)all of the above.

Question 9

When making a claim or requesting an adjustment, your close should

A)clearly state how angry and disappointed you are.
B)explain the specific details of the problem.
C)request the specific action required to resolve the problem.
D)explain that you are planning to seek legal counsel.

Question 10

In a positive message, present the main idea

A)in the first sentence of the middle paragraph.
B)at the end of the middle paragraph.
C)right at the beginning of the letter.
D)in the last sentence of the letter.

Question 11

When making a routine request, you should

A)use the inductive plan.
B)assume that the audience is willing to comply.
C)demand immediate action.
D)explain the consequences of failing to comply.

Question 12

Before volunteering someone's name as a reference, always

A)assume you have permission to do so.
B)ask that person's permission.
C)describe your relationship with that person.
D)list that person's address and phone number for ease of contact.

Question 13

The opening of a request for a recommendation should include

A)a buffer.
B)a statement implying that you're applying for a position.
C)a statement on why the recommendation is needed.
D)an apology for bothering the reader.

Question 14

In a positive message, you should explain your point completely in the

A)introduction.
B)body.
C)close.
D)None-all parts are usually the same length.

Question 15

When closing a direct request, you should be sure to include

A)an apology for taking up the reader's time.
B)a mention of your own qualifications or status.
C)the time limits involved in your request.
D)an indication of the consequences of a failure to reply.

Question 16

When you're writing a routine reply to a positive message, your readers will generally be ________ what you have to say, so. you can use the ________ in your reply.

A)interested in; direct approach
B)resistant to; indirect approach
C)disinterested in; direct approach
D)in tune with; indirect approach

Question 17

When making claims or requesting adjustments, you should begin by

A)complimenting the company for past service.
B)providing a detailed description of the faulty merchandise.
C)providing a straightforward explanation of what the problem is.
D)threatening legal action if you do not receive a favorable adjustment.

Question 18

Which of the following would be the best opening for a routine request?

A)Please send me a summary of last month's east region sales data.
B)As soon as you get this, send me last month's sales data.
C)I know you may not want to, but send me last month's sales data.
D)I am very sorry to ask you to do this.

Question 19

In the closing section of a routine request, ________ would be out of place.

A)asking a series of questions
B)requesting some specific action
C)expressing your goodwill and appreciation
D)providing your contact information

Question 20

In the body of a routine request, you should

A)beg the reader to grant your request.
B)explain and justify your request.
C)give your sales pitch.
D)explain what will happen if the audience does not do what you are asking.

Question 21

When responding to a customer's request for an adjustment, it is usually sensible to assume that

A)if you handle the situation well, the customer will be even more loyal than before.
B)the customer's account of the situation is exaggerated.
C)the customer is hostile.
D)the customer is trying to pull a fast one.

Question 22

Most routine informative messages are

A)positive.
B)intuitive.
C)neutral.
D)enigmatic.

Question 23

If you plan to grant a claim made by a customer who's clearly at fault,

A)pinpoint the customer's shortcomings to discourage future mistakes.
B)discourage future mistakes without insulting the customer.
C)scold the customer to discourage future mistakes.
D)post the situation on social media to discourage future mistakes.

Question 24

Since a social media release emphasizes bullet-point content over narrative paragraphs, bloggers, editors, and others

A)are hesitant to accept the accuracy of the content.
B)can assemble their own stories, rather than having to rewrite the material.
C)don't feel obligated to acknowledge the source of the release.
D)rarely take such material seriously.

Question 25

If you decide to write a letter of recommendation about a job candidate, your goal should be to

A)remain neutral about the candidate's suitability for the job.
B)boost the job candidate's sense of self-worth and well-being.
C)explain why you're qualified to access the candidate.
D)convince readers that the candidate has the characteristics necessary for the job.

Question 26

The closing section of a positive message

A)highlights a benefit to the audience or expresses goodwill.
B)states the main idea.
C)is the longest part.
D)provides resale information.

Question 27

If you have mildly disappointing information to deliver as part of a positive message, you should

A)put the negative information in a favorable context.
B)just leave it out.
C)put the negative information first.
D)put the negative information last.

Question 28

When responding to a claim when your company is at fault, it is best to

A)avoid sympathizing with the customer, since it can lead to lawsuits.
B)do all you can to discourage any need for follow-up.
C)take (or assign)personal responsibility for setting matters straight.
D)be vague about when the claim may be resolved.

Question 29

When responding to a request for adjustment when a third party is at fault, the best approach is to

A)refuse the claim and suggest that the customer sue the third party.
B)refuse the claim but forward the paperwork to the third party.
C)respond promptly, explaining how the problem will be solved.
D)honor the claim but explain that your company was not at fault.

Question 30

If you have serious concerns about the qualifications of a job candidate who has asked you for a written recommendation, you should

A)avoid mentioning them in the letter of reference.
B)include allegations of misconduct in reference letter.
C)elect not to write the recommendation.
D)express your concerns via social media.

Question 31

The close of a routine reply or positive message should

A)clearly state who will do what next.
B)explain the reasons for any negative information you have included.
C)offer an explanation for why this decision was made.
D)create some ambiguity, so the audience will be more likely to contact you.

Question 32

When responding to a customer's complaint about one of your company's services, you should

A)soften the situation with excuses such as "Nobody's perfect" or "Mistakes will happen."
B)use a generous, grudging tone.
C)use a standard form letter, with blanks left for filling in unique information in neat handwriting.
D)avoid blaming anyone in your organization by name.

Question 33

The categories of routine replies and positive messages include all of the following except

A)answering requests for information and action.
B)granting claims and adjustments.
C)refusing applicants' resumes.
D)sending goodwill messages.

Question 34

Which of the following will not help you write routine messages that promote goodwill?

A)Providing information your readers may find helpful
B)Using content and tone to provide an element of entertainment
C)Including a sales pitch with every routine message
D)Making sure that the content and tone of the message are appropriate

Question 35

When answering requests and a potential sale is involved, one important goal is to

A)leave your audience with a good impression of you and your firm.
B)provide negative information about any possible competitors.
C)use hard sell techniques to pressure the reader into making the purchase.
D)none of the above.

Question 36

In corresponding with customers, making statements such as, "Thank you for purchasing the most durable notebook computer you can buy" is

A)to be avoided in routine positive messages.
B)a good way to build customer relationships.
C)an important part of all negative responses to claim letters.
D)all of the above.

Question 37

Direct-to-consumer news releases are

A)specialized documents used to share relevant information with the news media.
B)compliance documents written for governmental regulatory agencies.
C)financial statements intended for the use of top corporate managers.
D)general purpose tools for communicating directly with customers and other audiences.

Question 38

When you're writing a message of appreciation,

A)keep it brief and superficial.
B)avoid drawing attention to specific circumstances.
C)mention the names of those whom you want to acknowledge.
D)give yourself a "pat on the back" for taking the time to recognize a job well done.

Question 39

If you have strongly negative information to deliver as part of a positive message, you should

A)open with the negative information.
B)use the indirect approach.
C)put the negative information in a separate message.
D)apologize for having to spoil the moment.

Question 40

When you're responding to a complaint from a customer and your company is at fault,

A)deflect the blame up the supply chain.
B)maintain a professional demeanor.
C)counter the complaint with logical arguments.
D)remember that the best defense is a good offense.

Question 41

If the middle section of your request letter contains a series of questions, the most important question should be saved for last.

Question 42

It's best to back up all claims and requests for adjustments with invoices, sales receipts, and so on and to send copies to the company and keep the originals.

Question 43

Excluding important negative information about a candidate in a recommendation letter

A)is expected-otherwise no one would be able to get a good job.
B)has led some employers to sue after hiring the candidate and discovering problems.
C)is the only way to prevent the candidate from suing you.
D)is okay, as long as you explain to the candidate that you are doing it.

Question 44

When responding to claim letters, companies usually accept the customer's explanation of the problem.

Question 45

Your comments about a job candidate could be considered defamatory if

A)your comments are restricted to job titles and dates of employment.
B)you omit important negative information about the candidate in a recommendation letter.
C)you decline to provide a recommendation because of "company policy."
D)you cannot prove that those comments are true.

Question 46

When making a claim or requesting an adjustment from a company, you should document your initial complaint and every correspondence after that.

Question 47

It is not necessary to ask someone's permission before listing his or her name as a job reference.

Question 48

If you are sending an informative memo to employees about policy statements or procedural changes, you should

A)assume that employees will have a neutral response.
B)use the indirect approach.
C)use the body of the message to provide all the necessary details.
D)do all of the above.

Question 49

As you explain and justify your request, you should try to point out how complying with the request could benefit the reader.

Question 50

When writing a claim letter, you should assume that you will receive a fair adjustment.

Question 51

Because routine messages are so common in business, it is not necessary to pay attention to your tone when writing them.

Question 52

The best opening for a positive message includes the single most important information you need to give the audience.

Question 53

If you are writing to someone to request a recommendation letter for a job or scholarship, you should include a stamped, preaddressed envelope for mailing.

Question 54

When offering compliments in a goodwill message, you should

A)feel free to exaggerate.
B)keep them broad and general.
C)back them up with specific points.
D)temper them with comments on areas for improvement.

Question 55

When making a direct request, you should state what you want in the first sentence or two and then follow with an explanation.

Question 56

Requests sent to individuals outside your organization should be more formal than those sent internally.

Question 57

In the final section of a request message, you should omit stating specific deadlines to avoid putting too much pressure on your reader.

Question 58

In most cases, when making routine requests you should assume that the audience will not comply.

Question 59

Due to potential legal problems, many companies have a policy that prevents employees from providing recommendation letters.

Question 60

Condolence messages should

A)focus on your own sense of loss.
B)avoid referring to the deceased.
C)be short, simple, and sincere.
D)always be sent via electronic media.

Question 61

A(n)________ ________ is a specialized document used to share relevant information with the local or national news media.

Question 62

When a third party is at fault in a claim, the best approach is always to refer the customer to that party to resolve the problem.

Question 63

The body of a positive message is a good place to use ________, assuring the customer of the wisdom of his or her purchase selection.

Question 64

Recommendation letters have created so many legal problems that many companies no longer allow employees to write them.

Question 65

A routine positive message should never include negative information.

Question 66

Customers who are dissatisfied with a company's product or service make a(n)________, or formal complaint.

Question 67

Timing and media choice are important considerations with condolence letters.

Question 68

You may need to obtain a letter of recommendation for a new job, a promotion, a scholarship, or ________ from a bank.

Question 69

A new co-worker recently won a prestigious award for her work on green technologies. Since you do not know her well, you should not send a note to congratulate her on the achievement.

Question 70

In a routine request, the ________ of the message should contain an explanation of what you are asking the audience to do.

Question 71

If your routine message must convey some mildly disappointing information, put the negative portion into as ________ a context as possible.

Question 72

A message of appreciation can become an important part of someone's personnel file.

Question 73

In a letter agreeing to make an adjustment even though the buyer technically was at fault, a courteous tone is less important.

Question 74

Businesses often receive requests for claims and adjustments when a ________ ________ is at fault, and neither the company nor the customer is to blame.

Question 75

Even when you grant a dissatisfied customer's request for adjustment, he or she will most likely not return to your business.

Question 76

Dissatisfied customers can request a(n)________, or claim settlement.

Question 77

Writing letters of recommendation can lead to serious legal problems, including charges of ________ against employers who share negative information about candidates.

Question 78

Most routine requests in business should be organized using the ________ approach, with the main idea at the beginning of the message.

Question 79

Because informative messages such as meeting announcements and reminder notices are generally neutral, it is not necessary to worry too much about the reader's attitude toward the information.

Question 80

Goodwill messages were once common in business, but are now mostly regarded as a waste of time.