Q&A Hero

Q: In the closing of a bad-news message, you _____________ A) encourage the person to write or call to discuss the situation further. B) build goodwill by ending on a positive note. C) ask for feedback on whether the decision is acceptable to the reader. D) express concern over possibly losing the reader's business.

Q: When delivering bad news, wording such as "We must turn down," "Much as I would like to," and "We cannot afford to" _____________ A) soften the blow by drawing attention away from reader and onto the sender. B) will impress the reader as being straightforward and forceful. C) is likely to cause pain and anger in the reader. D) is unavoidable.

Q: When implying bad news _____________ A) be sure your audience understands the entire message, including the bad news. B) overemphasize the positive. C) be direct, using words like "can't" and "unable." D) apologize first, and then state your reasons for the rejection or denial.

Q: A good way to de-emphasize bad news is to _____________ A) maximize the space devoted to it. B) say, "I trust our decision is satisfactory." C) avoid stating it and hope that the reader understands what you mean. D) burying it in the middle of a sentence or paragraph.

Q: In the reasons section of a bad-news message, you _____________ A) convince your audience that your decision is justified. B) explain what your decision is before you explain why you have reached it. C) apologize for the negative decision. D) give at least three reasons.

Q: In a bad-news message, the reasons for the decision _____________ A) are so obvious that you don't need to mention them. B) come directly after the buffer and follow naturally from it. C) are glossed over quickly. D) are long and roundabout to cushion the negative aspects.

Q: A neutral lead-in to bad news is called _____________ A) a buffer. B) a disclaimer. C) an apology. D) a refusal.

Q: The point of using the indirect plan is to _____________ A) keep readers in the dark about the bad news. B) keep your company's best interests foremost. C) ease the blow and help readers accept the situation. D) save face for your company.

Q: Following the indirect plan, the bad news comes _____________ A) immediately after the buffer. B) immediately before the reasons. C) immediately after the reasons. D) at the very end.

Q: Instead of beginning your message with a blunt no, you can use _____________ A) the direct plan. B) the indirect plan. C) a combination of the direct and indirect plans. D) the deductive plan.

Q: Use the direct plan with a bad-news message if _____________ A) the message will have a great deal of personal impact on members of the audience. B) when the reader prefers short messages. C) an order is unfillable or portions of it must be back-ordered. D) you are refusing to make an adjustment on a claim.

Q: When you use the direct plan for a bad-news message, you _____________ A) begin with a buffer. B) have more room to discuss pertinent details. C) can get right to the point. D) can expect your audience to be offended.

Q: Avoid words such as wrong, fault, and unfortunately because _____________ A) they create a negative tone and are counterproductive. B) they are too abstract. C) they imply that you are apologizing. D) they are impersonal and passive.

Q: When composing a bad-news message, you _____________ A) choose a buffer that will distract your reader from the main point of your message. B) try to gain the audience's acceptance of the bad news. C) leave the reader with hope that you will change your decision. D) do all of the above.

Q: When refusing a routine request, it's a good idea to imply that other assistance or information might be available, even if it isn"t, in an attempt to calm the customer. A) True B) False

Q: When refusing routine requests, it's a good idea to offer alternative ideas if you can. A) True B) False

Q: Performance problems should place blame on the employee with an attack. A) True B) False

Q: The best method for delivering performance reviews is by email or fax. A) True B) False

Q: In a crisis situation, it is important for a company to use the crisis to pitch products and services. A) True B) False

Q: One of the main purposes of giving performance reviews is to improve employee performance by emphasizing and clarifying job requirements. A) True B) False

Q: Companies often have policies on reference letters and other negative employment messages that managers are required to follow. A) True B) False

Q: When turning down someone for a job, state clearly why the applicant was rejected even if you have to be rude or blunt because they won"t take "no" for an answer. A) True B) False

Q: An important goal of any performance evaluation is giving the employee a plan of action for improving his or her performance. A) True B) False

Q: Written defamation is called slander. A) True B) False

Q: When refusing to make an adjustment, avoid calling the customer defamatory names, such as "cheat" or "liar." A) True B) False

Q: When refusing adjustments of claims, use the direct plan in most cases. A) True B) False

Q: When the message is a combination of good news and bad news, use the indirect approach to turn the good news into a buffer for the bad news. A) True B) False

Q: If you must deliver bad news to a customer about an order, one of your goals should be to work toward an eventual sale along the lines of the original order. A) True B) False

Q: Use the indirect approach in most cases of refusing a claim. A) True B) False

Q: Always use the direct plan when denying a request for information. A) True B) False

Q: The close of a bad-news message should urge additional communication from the reader. A) True B) False

Q: In the close to a bad-news message, you repeat the bad news. A) True B) False

Q: It's best to end a bad-news message on a positive note. A) True B) False

Q: Statements beginning "I must refuse" and "We cannot afford" are particularly likely to offend readers. A) True B) False

Q: In a bad-news message, you never give the reader any indication that he or she could have received or might someday receive a favourable answer. A) True B) False

Q: You can de-emphasize bad news by minimizing the space or time devoted to it. A) True B) False

Q: It is a good idea to use "company policy" as a cushion when presenting reasons for bad news. A) True B) False

Q: If appropriate, use the explanation section to suggest how the negative news might in fact benefit the reader. A) True B) False

Q: A good buffer begins with an apology. A) True B) False

Q: You use a buffer to make the reader think that good news will follow. A) True B) False

Q: When using the indirect plan for a bad-news message, you present the reasons for your decision before revealing the bad news itself. A) True B) False

Q: You should use the indirect plan if you want to present an image of firmness and strength. A) True B) False

Q: You would use the direct plan for bad-news messages when the message has little or no personal impact on the audience. A) True B) False

Q: An advantage of the direct plan for communicating bad news is that it keeps the message short. A) True B) False

Q: The direct plan is never used for bad-news messages. A) True B) False

Q: Words that should not appear in a bad-news letter include unfortunately, regret, and inconvenience, because they're negative and counterproductive. A) True B) False

Q: When you use language that avoids an accusing tone, you protect your audience's pride. A) True B) False

Q: Bad-news messages should have the same approach and tone no matter what the culture of the audience. A) True B) False

Q: When delivering bad news, you have only one goal: to maintain a good image for yourself. A) True B) False

Q: Experts advise that bad news for employees be delivered in person whenever possible. A) True B) False

Q: If a customer requesting an adjustment is at fault for the problem, the best response is to _____________ A) refuse the claim without any explanation. B) refuse the claim and point out the customer's mistake. C) honour the claim but do so begrudgingly. D) honour the claim but tactfully point out that your firm was not at fault.

Q: When responding to a customer complaint about one of your company's services, you _____________ 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 a specific individual or department for the problem.

Q: When responding to a customer request for an adjustment, it is usually sensible to assume that _____________ A) the customer's account of the situation is truthful. 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.

Q: When a potential sale is involved, after you present the key information, you should _____________ A) promptly and courteously end the letter. B) provide a clear, conversational statement of the main point. C) urge the customer to reply immediately. D) encourage the future sale.

Q: Using lists helps readers sort through _____________ A) the body of the message. B) truths and lies. C) multiple requests. D) unrelated items.

Q: In a positive message, the main idea is presented _____________ 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.

Q: 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, pre-addressed envelope. C) use the persuasive approach. D) use the bad-news approach.

Q: Before volunteering someone's name as a reference, always _____________ A) assume you have permission to do so. B) describe your relationship with that person. C) ask that person's permission. D) list that person's address and phone number for ease of contact.

Q: When writing a claim letter, the best way to begin is ________ A) by complimenting the company for past service. B) providing a detailed description of the faulty merchandise. C) with a straightforward statement of the problem. D) to threaten legal action if you do not receive a favourable adjustment.

Q: Requests sent to people outside the organization usually _____________ A) use the indirect approach. B) are in memo or email form. C) adopt a more formal tone. D) are more complex requests.

Q: When closing a direct request, you _____________ A) thank the reader in advance for helping you. B) mention your own qualifications or status. C) give a specific description of what you expect and include a deadline, if appropriate. D) indicate the consequences of a failure to reply.

Q: In the middle section of a request message, you _____________ A) beg the reader to grant your request. B) give reasons to justify your request. C) give your sales pitch. D) give a detailed list of procedures.

Q: When making a request, you _____________ A) use the inductive plan. B) assume the reader will comply with your request. C) demand immediate action. D) do all of the above.

Q: 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) ask only questions that are central to your main request. D) format complicated questions so they stand out from other text.

Q: When making a routine request, you 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.

Q: When offering condolences, it is appropriate to mention your shock and dismay. A) True B) False

Q: When writing a condolence message about a loss, always use such euphemisms as "passing away" or "departing," rather than the word "death." A) True B) False

Q: A message of appreciation can become an important part of someone's personnel file. A) True B) False

Q: You don't send notes of congratulation that deal with personal events unless you know the recipient well. A) True B) False

Q: In a goodwill message, honesty and sincerity must come across above all else. A) True B) False

Q: Goodwill messages are friendly, unexpected notes with no direct business purpose. A) True B) False

Q: News releases are usually prepared by specially trained writers in the public relations department. A) True B) False

Q: Because a letter telling someone that he or she got the job is a legal document, you need to make sure that all statements in the letter are accurate. A) True B) False

Q: When writing a letter of recommendation, omit references to the candidate's shortcomings if they will keep him or her from getting the job. A) True B) False

Q: The most difficult recommendation letters to write are those for truly outstanding candidates. A) True B) False

Q: When a third party is at fault, the best approach is to refer the customer to that party to resolve the problem. A) True B) False

Q: When you agree to make an adjustment even though the buyer technically was at fault, a courteous tone is less important. A) True B) False

Q: A claim letter written as a personal answer to a unique situation starts with a clear statement of the good news. A) True B) False

Q: When replying to a customer's complaint when your company is at fault, be sure to promise that the mistake will never happen again. A) True B) False

Q: Your response to a complaint depends on both your company's policies for resolving such issues and your assessment of whether the company, the customer, or some third party is at fault. A) True B) False