WORK ENVIORNMENT (Remote)

Assignment: Indirect Letter Delivering Bad News

Grade 15
Percentage /15

Objectives:

1. Deliver bad news while maintaining a positive view of the company

2. Use positive, diplomatic professional language to deliver the bad news
3. Use the indirect style of organization (“reason before refusal”)
4. Demonstrate problem-solving skills and critical thinking ability

The Situation:

As the owner of Crème Bakery in St. John’s, Newfoundland, you have a devoted clientele
savouring your delicacies. Your salty caramel cupcakes offer an irresistible salty-sweet flavour
combination using fleur de sel crystals hand harvested from the pristine seas off Brittany, France.
These salt granules complement the sweet butter caramel that flavours both the cake and
frosting. Although your cupcakes are a trendy hit, you also feature delicious cakes, squares,
cookies, croissants, and breads. Your bakery has a medium-sized storefront; however, most of
your business comes from supplying local restaurants and coffee shops with your tantalizing
treats. You own two trucks that make deliveries to customers throughout the St. John’s area.

Although Crème is financially successful, rising costs have severely undercut your profits over
the past few months. You know that you are not the only business owner dealing with rising
prices. Many of your suppliers have raised their prices over the past year. Specifically, the
higher prices of wheat and sugar have resulted in a drastic increase in your production costs.
Previously, you did not charge for deliveries made to your wholesale clients. However, you now
feel that you have no choice but to add a delivery charge for each order to cover your increased
costs and the price of gas.

Instructions:

1. As the owner of Crème Bakery, write a letter to your wholesale clients in which you
announce a $20.00 charge per delivery. Try to think of a special offer to soften the blow.
2. Address your first letter to Ms. Stacey Winsor, Café Fairwell, 16 Blackmarsh Road, St.
John’s, NL A1E 2H3
3. Use a block style letter format as shown in your Weekly Folder and on pp. 228 of your
textbook. Make sure all your company information is present within the letter.
4. Use indirect style – buffer, reason, bad news, close
5. One page minimum
6. Read your rubric before beginning