Deck 8: Bad-News Messages

Question 1

A buffer should show appreciation and be interesting so that it motivates the reader to continue reading.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Keep your language concise,short,objective,and to the point when sending bad news.This helps with accuracy.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Use the direct plan to organize a bad-news message involving a small but significant matter.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Consider using a buffer when writing a bad-news message to customers,subordinates,and readers you don't know.

Question 5

When sending a customer bad news,you should use the indirect pattern.

Question 6

Discussing how the refusal or rejection benefits the reader or someone other than your organization makes a bad-news message sound selfish.

Question 7

The general rule of thumb is to focus on the refusal rather than on the reasons for the refusal.

Question 8

Although it will not change the bad news,it is essential that the language used be persuasive to get the reader to accept the news.

Question 9

You should always use the indirect pattern when writing a bad-news letter.

Question 10

If you don't know your reader,you should use the indirect plan rather than the direct plan to organize your bad-news message.

Question 11

Bad-new messages require careful planning.

Question 12

Research indicates that delivering corporate bad news by email rather than in person helps ensure a more accurate message.

Question 13

The first thing you must know before giving bad news is how your audience will react.

Question 14

The indirect plan for a bad-news message emphasizes the reasons rather than the bad news itself.

Question 15

Always tell the bad news in the first paragraph.

Question 16

Direct messages are not necessarily shorter that indirect messages.

Question 17

When writing a bad-news message,one of your goals is to keep the reader's goodwill.

Question 18

If you write a bad-news letter instead of making a phone call,you have more control over the wording,sequence of ideas,and pacing of your points.

Question 19

You should use a buffer statement when writing a message that rejects a proposal from an employee.

Question 20

Use a direct plan to organize your ideas when writing a bad-news message to your supervisor.

Question 21

When refusing a favor,give the refusal in the first paragraph.

Question 22

Use the word however to prepare readers for the bad news that follows in the same sentence.

Question 23

When a colleague asks you for a small favor that you cannot grant,you should use a goodwill opening and a buffer closing as a courtesy.

Question 24

Within the text of a bad-news message,it is appropriate to use passive voice with words such as although and however to soften the refusal and retain goodwill.

Question 25

Show that you care about the reader by telling them how you are willing to change policy to help them.

Question 26

The direct plan is rarely used to refuse a customer's claim for an adjustment.

Question 27

Use the direct plan for messages rejecting ideas submitted by your subordinates.

Question 28

Effective writers offer a sincere apology when communicating bad news to a reader.

Question 29

When refusing a favor,use the indirect plan to explain your reasons.

Question 30

Your objective is to convey the bad news and retain the reader's goodwill.

Question 31

Offering your customer an alternative such as 25% off a new product will help retain their goodwill.

Question 32

For busy readers use a simple "no" without adding detailed explanations in your bad-news messages.

Question 33

An effective claim refusal uses third-person pronouns and passive voice to avoid directly accusing the reader of misusing the product.

Question 34

Your closing should buffer the bad news by anticipating specific objections the reader may have and inviting additional communication about your decision.

Question 35

Due to legalities,avoid using any language that might be interpreted as acknowledging responsibility on the part of your organization.

Question 36

You should not refer to the bad news in the closing of a message rejecting an idea or refusing a request.

Question 37

Put the bad news in the last paragraph when refusing a routine customer request.

Question 38

If possible,when firing a person it is best to give bad news in person.

Question 39

When refusing a claim in which the customer's actions are responsible for the problem,you should use personalized language.

Question 40

In the body of a bad-news message,focus on objective reasoning for the refusal.

Question 41

Plan to put your bad-news message in writing when you need to do any of the following except

A) control the exact wording of the message.
B) have a permanent record of what you say to the reader.
C) manage the order in which you present your ideas to the reader.
D) use courtesy and show fairness in making the decision.
E) present the negative news using more than one buffer.

Question 42

Sometimes you have to support decisions with which you personally disagree.

Question 43

One way to justify your decision in a bad-news message is to

A) show how your company benefits.
B) state how your refusing the idea will benefit the reader.
C) cite confidentiality.
D) explain that a third party will benefit.
E) focus on the negative news itself rather than on the reasons.

Question 44

When you use the direct plan for a bad-news message,you should

A) save any mention of the justification for the closing paragraph.
B) include a sincere apology in the first paragraph.
C) emphasize the reasons before presenting the negative news.
D) state the information in language as positively as possible.
E) avoid a friendly closing so you won't seem insincere.

Question 45

The purpose of a buffer is to

A) imply the negative news instead of stating it explicitly.
B) make it easier to change your mind later.
C) justify your decision for the bad news.
D) lessen the effect of negative news.
E) state the obvious to pave the way for the bad news.

Question 46

Your relationship with the readers and the effect that the bad news will have on them,help determine whether you should use the direct or the indirect organizational plan.

Question 47

Compared to face-to-face meetings,email does have some advantages for delivering bad news such as:

A) It allows the sender to determine precise wording
B) Gives the reader time to understand the message
C) Avoids confrontation
D) Both a and b

Question 48

When informing employees of a vendor change,little explanation is required.

Question 49

Use the direct approach to communicate bad news about your organization if the audience has already heard about the situation from another source.

Question 50

You should apologize to the customer to show you made a mistake and they are correct in their complaint.

Question 51

Which of the following is not a characteristic of an effective buffer for a bad-news message?

A) relevant
B) supportive
C) neutral
D) short
E) controversial

Question 52

It is important that you answer all potential questions in your response to prevent further unnecessary correspondence or discussion.

Question 53

Use the indirect plan when writing about bad news to all of the following people except

A) customers.
B) subordinates.
C) readers who prefer the indirect approach.
D) readers you don't know.
E) supervisors.

Question 54

Bad-news announcements are often written in response to another message.

Question 55

You should use the direct approach for a bad-news message if

A) the reader is not likely to have an emotional response.
B) the reader sent you a persuasive letter, not a routine letter.
C) the reader is not expecting a negative response.
D) the negative news involves a significant matter.
E) you do not have a close relationship with the reader.

Question 56

Offering an alternative as a compromise helps retain a reader's goodwill.

Question 57

Announcing a change in organizational policy that will have a negative impact on employees' calls for an indirect approach.

Question 58

Correspondence involving bad news such as a plant closing should buffer the problem by providing evidence that the situation is not a top priority for management.

Question 59

To achieve the goals of a bad-news message,you should

A) use general language to cushion the impact of the negative news.
B) persuade the reader that the decision is reasonable.
C) apologize for having to make the decision.
D) indicate the personal reasons for the decision.
E) choose the direct plan based on the "you" attitude.

Question 60

An example of a misleading statement would be:

A) "Your store would be a great venue for a demo product."
B) "It is not our policy of providing a venue for music."
C) "I like your ideas but they will not work."
D) "That venue is too dark for our event."

Question 61

Which of these statements is the most effective closing a bad-news message?

A) I am very sorry we cannot help you in this area.
B) Please let me know if you have any further questions.
C) I'll be glad to respond to any further questions.
D) I trust you'll understand our course of action.
E) The new store hours are sure to make it convenient for you to stop by.

Question 62

You may want to use the indirect plan to communicate bad news when writing to this audience:

A) an employee who reports to you and is expecting a "yes" answer
B) a customer who is unlikely to respond emotionally
C) a reader who is expecting a "no" response
D) a supervisor who prefers a straightforward, direct message

Question 63

Which of the following would not be considered an effective buffer?

A) agreement
B) appreciation
C) a compliment
D) facts
E) a suggestion for improvement

Question 64

Email is often used in business for conveying internal bad news and is affective in that it

A) allows the sender to determine precise wording.
B) gives the reader time to respond.
C) ensures a consistent decision when sent to employees.
D) all of these are correct.

Question 65

When refusing a request for a significant favor,you should

A) use the direct organizational approach.
B) write a routine response.
C) offer a buffer before saying "no."
D) emphasize the negative news.
E) write in the spirit of reciprocity.

Question 66

When you use the direct organizational plan in a message refusing a small favor,you should

A) save the bad news for the final paragraph.
B) present the bad news without any introduction.
C) reciprocate to maintain the reader's future goodwill.
D) use a polite buffer and explain your rationale in a few words.
E) offer a brief, sincere apology in your first paragraph.

Question 67

In explaining your reasons for refusing a claim,you should

A) lecture the reader about what went wrong.
B) use personal language, such as you and your.
C) accept clear responsibility for the problem.
D) not appear to accept responsibility for the problem.
E) avoid explaining why the claim is being denied.

Question 68

Which of the following is the most effective closing sentence for a bad-news message?

A) The service department can provide information gathered from customer feedback.
B) Once again, I'm sorry we can't afford to implement your suggested customer research project.
C) If you encounter additional problems, please let me know.
D) Feel free to call on me if I can be of further assistance to your department.
E) Although your proposed research would be beneficial, company policy forbids budget increases.

Question 69

Writing a message in which you reject someone's idea can be a challenge because

A) few form letters exist on which to model your letter.
B) you may have to take action against the person if the idea comes up again.
C) the person has probably invested considerable time in developing the idea.
D) you want to subtly suggest that the reader refrain from submitting more ideas.
E) you are more concerned with justifying the decision than with retaining the person's goodwill.

Question 70

Which of the following is not a problem that you should avoid when ending a bad-news message?

A) apologizing
B) anticipating problems
C) inviting needless communication
D) sounding selfish
E) expressing confidence

Question 71

Of the following,the least effective way to end a bad-news message is to offer

A) best wishes.
B) a counterproposal.
C) subtle sales promotion.
D) an apology.
E) alternative sources of assistance.

Question 72

If you want to offer a compromise rather than rejecting a customer's claim outright,you should

A) place the compromise just before the closing or make it a part of the closing.
B) position the counteroffer in the first paragraph.
C) buffer the compromise within the middle paragraph.
D) mention the compromise before giving the bad news.
E) use a complex or compound sentence.

Question 73

Which of the following sentences would be most effective in a letter communicating the bad news that an employee's idea is being rejected?

A) I hope you realize that no project such as the one you propose has ever been approved here.
B) Your proposal will not be considered until you submit an accounting of all costs.
C) It is impossible to move ahead with your idea at this time because we lack the proper machinery.
D) I'm sincerely sorry, but we cannot give you the resources you need for this new project.
E) Once our budget allows for equipment upgrades, we will be able to handle this type of project.

Question 74

To retain goodwill and help the reader "accept" the bad news you must

A) show that the matter was taken seriously and the solution was objective and fair
B) just tell them the company policy
C) explain that it has always been done this way
D) apologize

Question 75

One reason to avoid refusing a claim in the first paragraph is that you

A) lack the spirit of reciprocity.
B) may lose the reader's goodwill.
C) leave a strong buffer to justify your decision.
D) should use the direct organizational plan.
E) want to clarify your rationale immediately.

Question 76

When you include resale in a letter refusing a customer's claim,you are doing all of the following except

A) restating some of the benefits that led the reader to buy the product in the first place.
B) encouraging the reader to continue buying from your firm.
C) using subtle language to persuade without annoying.
D) rebuilding the customer's confidence in the product.
E) providing an appropriate buffer to cushion the bad news.

Question 77

Which of the following is an example of neutral or positive language you might use to convey bad news about rejecting an idea?

A) Unfortunately, we are unable to use your project idea as submitted.
B) The company is cutting costs by postponing any new projects until next year.
C) Our company is unable to move ahead on new projects at this time.
D) According to company policy, no new projects may be initiated.
E) Thank you for your interesting idea, although it is impossible to implement at this time.

Question 78

When rejecting an idea because it is not in your company's best interests,

A) ensure that most of your message focuses on the rationale for your decision.
B) use a direct plan and avoid any buffers.
C) mention all reasons, both strong and weak.
D) prevent unnecessary communication by giving no reason.
E) refer just to "company policy" as a rationale, rather than giving specific reasons.

Question 79

One general guideline for writing a message saying that you are not granting a routine favor is to

A) use the indirect organizational plan.
B) assume that the reader expects a negative response.
C) provide a lengthy list of reasons.
D) avoid offering any justification.
E) mention your refusal in the first paragraph.

Question 80

When using the indirect organizational plan,you can communicate the bad news by doing all of the following except

A) placing it in the middle of a paragraph.
B) including it in the same sentence with a reason.
C) introducing it after the word but or however.
D) stressing what you can do instead of what you can't do.
E) using impersonal wording to distance the reader from the news.