Chapter 06 Positive and Neutral Messages

1. Business letters are typically sent _______.

a. to relay bad news
b. within an organization
c. outside an organization
d. only by high-level executives

2. Most workplace messages should be organized _______.

a. indirectly
b. chronologically
c. directly
d. topically

3. Which of the following messages is a considered a routine business message?

a. An e-mail message to a coworker that confirms the time for an upcoming meeting
b. A letter to a customer denying a request for credit
c. A memo proposing the purchase of a new printer
d. A cover letter applying for a job

4. A popular format of business letters, called _______ style, aligns all parts on the left of the page.
a. justified
b. formal
c. informal
d. block

5. Which of the following statements accurately describes the use of letters, e-mails, and memos in businesses today?
a. Businesses use memos to deliver positive messages internally and externally, but they use formal business
letters to deliver negative messages.
b. E-mail delivers most internal communication, hard-copy memos deliver most external communication, and
letters communicate only legal issues.
c. Despite the popularity of e-mail, in certain situations letters remain the preferred channel of communication
for delivering messages outside an organization.
d. Businesses today use e-mail, memos, and letters interchangeably for all audiences, purposes, and messages.

6. Although e-mail is successful for both internal and external communication, you should still use letters when _______.
a. you need immediate feedback
b. the message must reach your reader very quickly
c. formality and sensitivity are essential
d. you have too little time to proofread

7. In which of the following situations should you send a letter instead of an e-mail message?
a. You are planning a sales team meeting.
b. You are asking leading members of the community to contribute to a fundraising event to improve local parks.

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 c. You are inviting employees to the annual sales seminar.
d. You are reminding employees of Friday's divisional meetings.

8. Which statement about the format of a business letter is accurate?

a. Legal agreements are invalid if they do not demonstrate the correct letter format.
b. Business letters are required to use the block formatting style.
c. The appearance of a business letter can send nonverbal messages about a sender to a receiver.
d. Legal agreements are only valid if they are printed on company letterhead.

9. In the popular block letter format, which of the following guidelines apply?
a. Use ragged, unjustified right margins.
b. Use fully justified margins on all sides and center the body of the letter on the page.
c. Start the sender's address, the dateline, and the complimentary close at the midpoint; align all other letter parts
at the left margin.
d. Double-space all content to improve readability.

10. Frontloading a message refers to _______.

a. including an attachment
b. proofreading only the beginning of a letter
c. including a salutation or greeting
d. placing the main idea of the message first

11. Which of the following is an effective opening for a routine request message?
a. Please answer the following questions about your Web services.
b. My name is Jill Aubrey, and I am the office manager for Cape Consulting Inc.
c. I recently read an article about your firm in the local newspaper.
d. Cape Consulting Inc. is the premier communication-consulting firm in the Cape and islands area.

12. Which part(s) of your messages are readers likely to find most interesting and read first?
a. Footnote
b. Opening and closing
c. Middle paragraphs of justification and explanation
d. Salutation

13. Courtney is getting married and is trying to gather information about the banquet facilities of a potential venue in Las
Vegas. She has lots of questions and decides to write a routine informational message. How should she present these
questions in her message?
a. As a separate enclosure
b. In a bulleted or numbered list in the body of her message
c. In paragraph form in the body of her message
d. In a follow-up e-mail

14. The body of a routine request message presents _______.

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 a. details explaining the request
b. action responses from the receiver
c. deadlines and approvals from governmental agencies
d. cost-to-benefit ratio analyses

15. End dates and specific actions in a routine request message should be placed in the _______.
a. introduction
b. body
c. closing
d. enclosure notation

16. Which of the following statements is an example of a closing statement for a routine action request message that
includes a clear request for action, a deadline, and applies a polite tone and style?
a. Please send a contract for heating and ventilation work by April 1 to allow installation to begin by April 15.
b. We hope you can get our work completed in a timely manner.
c. Thank you in advance for complying with our request by April 1.
d. I would appreciate receiving a copy of the contract for your proposed installation at your earliest possible
convenience.

17. In responding positively to a claim, begin the message with _______.

a. information promoting other products
b. the good news that you are complying with the customer's request
c. an explanation of the reasons the request is granted
d. a reminder of the problem

18. The _______ of a direct reply letter generally refers in abbreviated form to previous correspondence and/or
summarizes an earlier message.
a. body
b. subject line
c. closing
d. attachment

19. Which of the following is the most effective opening sentence for a response message?
a. Your letter of June 23, in which you sought information about our corporate travel packages, has been
referred to me for reply.
b. This is to inform you that we received your letter of June 23 seeking information about our corporate travel
packages.
c. Yes, we can put together a corporate travel package that will meet your needs and fit your budget.
d. Thank you so much for your interest in our corporate travel packages.

20. The conclusion of a response message should _______.

a. avoid repeating the information provided or referring to its use
b. include familiar expressions such as "If I may be of further assistance, please don't hesitate to call me"

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 c. provide specifics if further action is required
d. omit the sender's name to avoid legal liability

21. Which of the following sentences promotes the organization and its products by emphasizing reader benefits in a
message responding to a customer inquiry?
a. We offer an outstanding variety of thank-you gifts for our most valuable customers.
b. You will find that our top-selling host gift baskets not only welcome your guests but also save you money and
time compared to individually purchasing and assembling your host baskets on site.
c. Can I interest you in anything else?
d. If I can be of further assistance with any of our other fine products, do not hesitate to contact me.

22. One important guideline when preparing instructions is to _______.

a. follow an indirect approach to soften the impact of the demand for compliance
b. begin with an admonition or warning of the punishment for failure to comply fully with directions as written
c. put all steps of the instructions in one paragraph
d. divide the process into logical steps and present them in the correct order

23. Which of the following options would complete the sentence with correct parallelism: We are very concerned with the
quality of raw materials, their location, and _______.
a. how much it costs to transport them
b. what are the costs of transportation
c. the cost of transportation
d. what the costs of transportation are

24. In writing messages that deliver instructions, what advice should you follow?
a. Use an autocratic tone to establish the importance of the instructions.
b. Assume that employees want to contribute to the success of the organization.
c. Focus on the steps in the procedure and let the tone take care of itself.
d. Criticize the person(s) responsible for trouble with previous procedures and then praise the person(s)
responsible for the new procedure.

25. Which channel of communication for a complaint will more convincingly establish a record of what happened?
a. A telephone call
b. A letter
c. A post on social media
d. An email

26. Arika is following the three-part plan to write a claim message about a problem with her digital communication
service bundle. What should she put in her opening?
a. A clear description of the desired action
b. An explanation of the nature of her problem with the digital communication service bundle
c. A goodwill statement and end date
d. Her phone number

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27. Which of the following openings is appropriate for a direct claim message?
a. For the past four years, we have held our annual banquet at your fine restaurant.
b. On January 31 a number of our employees attended a banquet at your restaurant.
c. Please process a refund for $68 to reimburse us the amount we were overcharged for our banquet.
d. We were extremely upset to learn that we were charged too much for our banquet.

28. You can improve the effectiveness of a claim message by _______.

a. using a few threatening words to get your point across
b. providing a detailed timeline of what happened and the specific person who is to blame for the problem
c. explaining the problem with necessary details
d. including a subtle reference to your attorney or to the Better Business Bureau

29. Joaquin will use the three-step writing plan for his claim message. In the body of the message, Joaquin will _______.
a. assume the company understands his request without explanation
b. use emotional language to show how upset he is about the situation
c. assume the company purposely tries to cheat its customers
d. identify enclosed copies of all pertinent documents

30. When service is involved in a claim, you should _______.

a. demand a full refund of the service fee and a repeat service call
b. avoid naming the service representatives involved or otherwise identifying responsible company employees
c. cite names of individuals spoken to and dates of calls
d. enclose a photograph of yourself crying or suffering other severe emotional distress because of the poor
service

31. In the closing of a claim message, you should _______.

a. justify and explain your request
b. promote goodwill and summarize your request
c. reference all copies of pertinent documents enclosed
d. warn the company that failure to comply could cause legal action

32. Which of the following sentences represents an appropriate end date in a claim message?
a. Because we have enjoyed your prompt service in the past, we hope to receive the correct projectors by
January 12.
b. We wish to end our contract with your company if you cannot improve your service.
c. Service calls were made to our Washington Street office on May 20, May 22, and May 27 without resolving
the problem.
d. Please replace the five Panasonic projectors we received on December 22 because the model numbers do not
match the models ordered.

33. Which of the following tips would you give to someone who wants to post a complaint online?
a. Individuals should give companies an opportunity to resolve the issue before writing an online complaint.

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 b. Posting negative comments online poses no risk because businesses and professionals cannot sue individuals
for negative online comments.
c. A complaint that you post on social media can only be shared by you.
d. Post anonymously because anonymous complaints or reviews cannot be traced.

34. Most companies receiving a claim message tend to _______.

a. ignore the first phone call, e-mail, or letter
b. respond only to letters containing complaints that could result in lawsuits or financial harm
c. respond promptly because they want to maintain customer goodwill and loyalty
d. wait two to six weeks to establish a "cooling-off period" prior to responding

35. When granting a customer's claim, a business communicator should include an opening in an adjustment message that
_______.
a. summarizes the reader's claim and request
b. presents the good news immediately
c. explains and clarifies the company's position
d. builds goodwill

36. Adjustment messages should rectify a wrong if one exists, regain the confidence of the customer, and _______.
a. avoid humiliation by downplaying the mistake
b. verify the honesty of the customer's claim
c. warn the customer of possible legal action
d. promote future business and goodwill

37. Which of the following openings for an adjustment message granting a claim achieves the main objective of an
effective opening?
a. We are very sorry to hear that your meal with us did not meet your expectations.
b. Thank you for your letter of November 16 describing your bad dining experience with us last weekend.
c. Although we believe that the food we served last weekend was of the highest quality, we are willing to refund
the cost of your dinner this time only.
d. The enclosed check for $78, which covers the cost of your dinner, demonstrates our desire to satisfy our
customers and earn their confidence.

38. If you feel that an apology is appropriate, which of the following apologies sounds customized, sincere, and uses
positive language?
a. We understand your reliance on a high-performance router and apologize for the incomplete installation of
your DataServe router.
b. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
c. We regret the error that caused the system failure you claim on your DataServe router.
d. It is unfortunate that your DataServe router has failed, and we promise that this failure will never occur
again.

39. Dean has decided to include an apology as part of an adjustment message he is writing. Where in the message should
he include it?
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 a. The subject line
b. The opening
c. The closing
d. Multiple places throughout

40. Which of the following sentences is an example of sensitive language in an adjustment letter?
a. If you had followed the directions, you would have been able to use the product successfully.
b. We can guarantee that this mistake will not occur again.
c. Our goal is to earn your confidence with quality products and excellent service.
d. We regret the trouble you had because of our error.

41. Which of the following adjustment message closings successfully shows confidence?
a. We are happy that this problem is resolved because it wasn’t our fault.
b. We hope that you are satisfied because the resolution demanded an enormous amount of time and energy on
our part.
c. The cost of the resolution was more than the product itself, so we hope it meets your expectations.
d. Thanks for writing. Your satisfaction is important to us. Service to our customers is our top priority and we
look forward to continued business with you.

42. Why do writers often procrastinate writing goodwill messages?

a. They are lazy.
b. They overestimate how long the writing task will take.
c. They find the task of expressing thanks, recognition, and sympathy intimidating.
d. They think a commercially produced card would be more effective than something that they write personally.

43. Goodwill messages should be short, selfless, specific, spontaneous, and _______.
a. sassy
b. sincere
c. spiritual
d. suave

44. In writing a thank-you message, how can a writer make a letter sound warm and conversational?
a. By using the receiver’s name along with contractions and positive words
b. By using abbreviations common in text messaging, such as U for you.
c. By using formal titles such as Dr. and Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. to show respect.
d. By starting the message inquiring about the recipient’s well being.

45. Which of the following openings for a note expressing thanks for a gift achieves the goal of customizing the message
and expressing sincerity?
a. Thank you, Elena, for the e-reader commemorating my twenty years with Brown Sales; it will make a perfect
travel companion.
b. Thanks for the gift!
c. I cannot believe I have been with the company for twenty years.
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 d. A lot has changed over the past twenty years.

46. Messages expressing thanks should _______.

a. open indirectly
b. contain fewer than five sentences
c. be specific, warm, and conversational
d. be written on letterhead to avoid appearing ostentatious

47. If you want to express sympathy immediately after learning of a death or an accident, you might precede a phone call
or a written condolence message by _______.
a. visiting the person’s home
b. sending flowers
c. delivering baked goods such as cookies or brownies
d. sending an e-mail

48. Which of the following sentences in a sympathy note seems formulaic and insincere?
a. We are deeply saddened, Corbin, to learn of the death of your wife.
b. Bethany's volunteer work in the job center endeared her to many.
c. If we may help you during this difficult time or lighten your load in any way, you need only call.
d. I am sorry to hear your sad news; but if I may be of any help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

49. Sending a goodwill message via e-mail (vs. a handwritten note) is acceptable if you _______.
a. do not know the receiver well
b. frequently communicate with the receiver by e-mail
c. are expressing condolences instead of thanks
d. want to send an especially personal and lasting message

50. Minimizing I when praising others is a good way to ensure that your message is_______.
a. specific
b. selfless
c. spontaneous
d. sincere

51. Most of the workplace messages that you write will likely deal with routine matters that require straightforward
answers using the indirect method.
a. True
b. False

52. Letters are the preferred channel of communication for delivering messages inside an organization.
a. True
b. False

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53. Direct-mail letters remain a powerful tool to promote services and products and, in turn, boost sales.
a. True
b. False

54. Business letters are more confidential than electronic media such as e-mail.
a. True
b. False

55. A well-crafted and professionally formatted business letter carries a powerful nonverbal message.
a. True
b. False

56. In block letter style, headings are flush left, but paragraphs and some other elements are indented.
a. True
b. False

57. When formatting business letters, you should use ragged-right margins.
a. True
b. False

58. Readers tend to look at the body of a message before the opening and closing.
a. True
b. False

59. Place any details explaining your request for information in the body of your request message.
a. True
b. False

60. Thank you for your cooperation is an effective sentence for the closing paragraph of an information-request message.
a. True
b. False

61. You can use our assessments to save time during the employee screening process is an example of presenting reader
benefits.
a. True
b. False

62. If you must provide large amounts of data or answer many questions in your response message, make your message
more readable with graphic devices such as lists, tables, headings, boldface, or italics.
a. True
b. False

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63. Trina must respond to a customer inquiry. Her response should not only answer the customer's questions but also
promote her business and its products and services.
a. True
b. False

64. Do not hesitate to contact me is an effective example of closing pleasantly in a response message.
a. True
b. False

65. When you respond to customers online, you should do so in less than 24 hours.
a. True
b. False

66. Like requests and responses, instruction messages follow a straightforward, direct approach.
a. True
b. False

67. The imperative mood is language that_______.

a. requests an action
b. describes a statement
c. conveys an emotion
d. expresses an irrefutable fact

68. The first step involves installing the app is an example of the indicative mood.
a. True
b. False

69. When you expect the receiver of your claim message to agree with your claim, you should use the direct strategy.
a. True
b. False

70. Telephone claims are more effective than those made in writing because the caller can better express emotion.
a. True
b. False

71. When a customer has a legitimate claim or complaint, he or she can expect a positive response from a company.
a. True
b. False

72. When sending a claim letter by mail, include all original documents such as invoices, sales slips, catalog descriptions,
and repair records.
a. True

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 b. False

73. To get the best results, write your claim promptly because delaying a claim makes it seem less important.
a. True
b. False

74. Social media experts advise that consumers exhaust all other options for complaints with a company before venting
online.
a. True
b. False

75. Individuals can be sued for negative comments made online.

a. True
b. False

76. When a company receives a claim and decides to respond favorably, the response message is called an acceptance.
a. True
b. False

77. Businesses grant legitimate adjustments for two reasons: to protect themselves against future damages and to satisfy
their customers and retain their business.
a. True
b. False

78. Use a direct organizational pattern in an adjustment message granting a claim.

a. True
b. False

79. One goal of an adjustment message is to promote future business.

a. True
b. False

80. If you are responding favorably to your customer's claim, the best opening is an apology.
a. True
b. False

81. I'm sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused is an effective apology statement to include in an adjustment
message.
a. True
b. False

82. Avoid emphasizing negative words such as error, trouble, and inconvenience in the body of an adjustment message.
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 a. True
b. False

83. In the closing paragraph of an adjustment message, the writer should _______.
a. show confidence that the problem has been resolved
b. convince the customer that the problem was not the company’s fault
c. question the customer’s integrity
d. try to mitigate the damage of the customer’s complaint

84. Most people regard writing goodwill messages as easier than writing other types of business messages.
a. True
b. False

85. A personally written message will have more impact on your reader than a ready-made card.
a. True
b. False

86. It is good business practice to write messages of thanks to customers who have complained.
a. True
b. False

87. When writing goodwill messages, you should always use the "you" perspective.
a. True
b. False

88. Goodwill messages should be personalized and include specific incidents or characteristics of the receiver.
a. True
b. False

89. When writing a message to send condolences, you should avoid referring to the deceased person specifically and focus
on the reader instead.
a. True
b. False

90. Business letters are necessary for situations requiring (a) a permanent record; (b) persuasive and well-considered
presentation; (c) formality and sensitivity; and (d) _______.
a. multiple recipients
b. use of letterhead
c. timely delivery
d. confidentiality

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91. When writing messages that request information or action that you believe will be received positively, you should
frontload your message. Frontloading means _______.
a. making the first paragraph longer than the other paragraphs
b. starting your message with the main idea
c. starting your message with a greeting
d. putting the recipient’s name in the first sentence

92. The first sentence of a direct request is usually a question or a polite command. Which of the following is an example
of a polite command?
a. We appreciate your business.
b. Would you like to participate in a survey?
c. Please answer the following questions about your accommodations for a seminar.
d. Greetings from the marketing department.

93. Instructions should be written using command language, also known as the imperative mood. Which of the following
is an example of the imperative mood?
a. Sign the contract immediately.
b. The contract must be signed immediately.
c. The contract requires a signature.
d. A signature is required for the contract.

94. What type of message is used to identify or correct a wrong?

a. Routine
b. Adjustment
c. Goodwill
d. Claim

95. In which part of a claim message should you explain the problem and justify your request?
a. The opening
b. The body
c. The closing
d. The opening and the body

96. When a company receives a claim and decides to respond favorably, the message is called a(n) _______.
a. adjustment
b. goodwill message
c. claim letter
d. business letter

97. A common challenge writers face with adjustment letters is deciding whether or not to issue a(n) _______ as part of
the message.
a. refund
b. apology

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 c. credit
d. goodwill

98. Goodwill messages that follow the five Ss will be _______.

a. selfless, specific, sincere, spontaneous, and short
b. simple, sacred, smart, sophisticated, and speedy
c. selfless, speedy, simple, sincere, and special
d. special, sweet, strong, short, and selfless

99. What type of messages offer thanks, recognition, or sympathy?

a. Goodwill messages
b. Claims
c. Adjustments
d. Business letters

100. In writing a sympathy note be sure to _______.

a. avoid mentioning the death or misfortune
b. hand deliver it to the person’s home
c. outline the specific ways you can offer assistance
d. end on a reassuring, forward-looking note

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