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LESSONS 12 & 13
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE (1)

Emails & Memos

- Complaints, Claims & Adjustments -

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 EMAILS & MEMOS
COMPL AI NT S, CL AI MS & ADJ UST MENT S

They allow for clear

They provide a
communication with
written record
a professional tone

They can expedite

They enable timely
the resolution
communication
process

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 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Use proper conventions to Apply courtesy techniques in

write clear messages for email composing business messages.
and memorandum.

3
 OVERVIEW

Writing routine Writing positive &

messages neutral messages

Writing goodwill Writing negative

messages messages

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 Effective Professionalism Time Building Legal
communication management relationships protection

BUSINESS EMAIL

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 REVIEW
EMAIL STRUCTURE

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Rentz et al. (2011, p. 100)
A memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) - normally used for communicating
policies, procedures, or related official business within an organization.

Necessary for important internal messages that (a) are too long for e-mail,
(b) require a permanent record, (c) demand formality, or (d) inform employees who
may not have work e-mail (Guffey & Loewy, 2019, p. 119)

Provide updates on activities for a given project or to inform a specific group within a
company of an event, action, or observance.

REVIEW
MEMORANDUM

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 MEMO FORMAT

DATE: The date on which the memo is distributed.

TO: The names of the recipients of the memo. If there are several
recipients, it’s acceptable to use a group name, such as “All Employees”
or “Personnel Committee Members.”
FROM: The name and job title of the writer.
SUBJECT: Think of the SUBJECT line as the title for the memo. Make it
specific so that readers can immediately identify the topic.
BODY: The order of the items can vary – direct or indirect depending
on the situations. The text of memos typically uses block format, with
single-spaced lines, an extra space between paragraphs, and no
indentions for new paragraphs.
CLOSING

8
Baker (2020)
Routine Messages
- Sent on a regular or recurring basis to convey information or provide
updates within an organization.
- Usually brief and straightforward,; may be sent via email, memo, or other
forms of electronic communication.

Positive & Neutral Negative Goodwill

Messages Messages Messages

ROUT I NE , P OSI T I V E &

NE UT R AL , G OODW I LL &
NE G ATI V E ME SSAG E S

Download & read the handout with more detailed explanations about
routine, positive and neutral, goodwill & negative messages. Available on
Class Notebook. 9
 ROUTINE, POSITIVE & NEUTRAL,
GOODWILL & NEGATIVE
MESSAGES

Positive & Neutral Messages

• To convey information, acknowledge an accomplishment
or congratulate someone.
Negative Messages
• To convey unpleasant or disappointing news, such as rejection of
a proposal or denial of a request.
Goodwill Messages
• To express appreciation, gratitude, congratulations, condolences,
or other positive sentiments to clients, customers, colleagues, or
business partners.

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 WRITING
ROUTINE MESSAGES (1)

1. STATING YOUR REQUEST UP FRONT

• Pay attention to tone. Instead of demanding action
(“Send me the latest version of the budget spreadsheet”),
show respect by using words such as please and I would
appreciate.
• Assume that your audience will comply.
• Be specific. State precisely what you want.

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 WRITING
ROUTINE MESSAGES (2)

2. EXPLAINING & JUSTIFYING YOUR REQUEST

• The body paragraphs - Explain your request
• Logical flow of explanation, details, benefits, cause & effect,
etc
• Multiple requests or questions - ask the most important
questions first; deal with one topic per question.
• Complex request - break it down into specific, individual
questions

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 WRITING
ROUTINE MESSAGES (3)

3. REQUESTING SPECIFIC ACTION IN A

COURTEOUS CLOSE
Closing -
• a specific request that includes any relevant deadlines
• information about how you can be reached (if it isn’t obvious
– digital signature - contact info; letter head - company's logo,
address, contact info)
• appreciation or goodwill

For more routine message examples, download & read the lecture
handout. Available on Class Notebook.

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 WRITING
POSITIVE & NEUTRAL MESSAGES (1)

1. STARTING WITH THE MAIN IDEA

• Make your opening clear and concise.

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 WRITING
POSITIVE & NEUTRAL MESSAGES (2)

2. PROVIDING NECESSARY DETAILS &

EXPLANATION
• The body paragraphs - explain your point completely so that
your audience won’t be confused or doubtful about your
meaning.
• Maintain the supportive tone established in the opening.

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 WRITING
POSITIVE & NEUTRAL MESSAGES (3)

3. ENDING WITH A COURTEOUS CLOSE

• Usually short and simple
• If follow-up action is required or expected, use the close to
identify who will do what and when that action will take
place.

For more positive & neutral message examples, download & read the
lecture handout. Available on Class Notebook.

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 WRITING
GOODWILL MESSAGES (1)

SENDING CONGRATULATIONS
• To congratulate individuals or companies for significant business
achievements.
• Other reasons - highlights in people’s personal lives - weddings,
births, graduations, success in nonbusiness competitions, etc
• If you’re already friendly with the reader, a more personal tone
is appropriate.

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 WRITING
GOODWILL MESSAGES (2)

SENDING MESSAGES OF APPRECIATION

• To recognize the contributions of employees, colleagues,
suppliers, and other associates.
• To encourage further excellence.

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 WRITING
GOODWILL MESSAGES (3)
OFFERING CONDOLENCES
• Brief personal messages written to comfort someone after the death
of a loved one.
• Timing and media choice - The sooner your message is received, the
more comforting it will be.
• Open a condolence message with a simple expression of sympathy
• How you continue from there depends on the circumstances and your
relationships with the deceased and the person to whom you are
writing.
• Conclude with a simple statement
• Make it a personal expression of sympathy

Thill & Bovee, 2017 19

 WRITING
GOODWILL MESSAGES (3)
OFFERING CONDOLENCES (cont)
Dear Jim
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved wife. Losing someone you love is one of
the most difficult experiences a person can go through, and I cannot imagine how hard this
must be for you right now.
Please know that you are not alone during this time of grief. Your colleagues and I are here to
offer you our support and love in any way that we can. We are here to listen if you need to
talk, and we are here to lend a shoulder to cry on if you need it.
Your wife will always be remembered as a kind, loving, and wonderful person who touched the
lives of many. She will be missed deeply, and we will keep her memory alive in our hearts.
I am sending my deepest condolences to you and your family. May you find comfort and
strength in the love and memories you shared with your wife.
Sincerely,
Yunus

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 WRITING
NEGATIVE MESSAGES (1)

PLANNING A NEGATIVE MESSAGE

• Analyze the situation carefully
• Consider your purpose - straightforward or complicated?
• Identify and gather the information your audience requires to
understand and accept your message
• Select the right medium and channel - in person, written or
electronic media
• Define your main idea

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 WRITING
NEGATIVE MESSAGES (1)

PLANNING A NEGATIVE MESSAGE (cont)

• Organize the negative message with particular care - direct or
indirect approach (see Figure 10.6).
• Direct approach - opens with the bad news, proceeds to the
reasons for the situation or the decision, and ends with a
positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship with
the audience.
• Indirect approach - opens with the reasons behind the bad
news before presenting the bad news itself.

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Organization Content
Strategy
Definition Type of Introduction Body Conclusion
Document
Writer arrives Used for good
at purpose news or routine
Action
quickly, communication
Direct Purpose Details information or
sometimes in (audience is
courteous close
the first receptive or
sentence. neutral)
Writer
Used for negative,
gradually builds Relevant, Purpose
persuasive, or Action
up to the attention-getting statement is
Indirect sales messages information or
purpose, which statements --> sandwiched by
(audience is not courteous close
is stated in the Buffers details.
receptive)
body.

ORGANIZE YOUR MESSAGE:

DIRECT & INDIRECT

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Baker (2020)
 SAMPLE DIRECT MEMO
POSITIVE/NEUTRAL
Date: March 18, 2019
To: Department Managers
From: Safiyya Dev, Store Manager
Subject: Customer Service Excellence Nominations
Please submit your nominations for the quarterly Customer Service Excellence Award by April 8. Help us identify great employees!
Do you have an employee who you feel fortunate to have in your department? Does this employee show a positive and professional
attitude when helping customers? Do you get frequent comments about this person’s friendliness and helpfulness? Now, you have an
opportunity to give this employee the recognition they deserve.
According to the nomination criteria, nominees must:
• demonstrate excellent customer service consistent with Variety Craft Supplies’ policies;
• have worked at Variety Craft Supplies for at least six months;
• work 20 or more hours per week;
• not have received the Customer Service Excellent Award within the last year;
• and have a record clear or oral and written warnings for the last six months.
The winner of the award will receive a framed certificate and a $100 check.
A nominating form is attached. Please complete and return it to me by Monday, April 8. Thank you for your help in identifying and
rewarding excellent customer service representatives.

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 SAMPLE INDIRECT MEMO

Date: Feb. 25, 2019

To: All Employees
From: Jaspreet Kaur, Call Centre Manager
Subject: Change in Operating Hours

Our call centre has been experimenting with a half-day Friday work schedule over the last year, and we’ve recently
conducted an evaluation to determine how well the program is working.
When a client calls to order their diabetic supplies on Friday afternoon, our messaging system directs them to
complete their order on our company website. While many customers are willing and able to do this, many do not
have Internet access (hence the reason for their call in the first place). Their only other option is to wait until
Monday to place the order, and if a customer is already low on supplies, this may be untenable. Customers who
are calling with questions or to resolve issues with an order must also wait for Monday.
We have received positive comments, especially from our West Coast customers, about the extended hours we
are open in the evening. We have determined that to continue to offer quality service, we must also re-institute
Friday afternoons.
However, that does not mean that we cannot continue to offer employees some scheduling perks. In fact, the
addition of later hours Monday through Thursday provides us with more leeway in scheduling employees.
We will have a staff meeting on Monday, March 4 at 8:00 a.m. to discuss new scheduling procedures. To the extend
possible, we wish to accommodate employees’ preferences in scheduling, so it is important to attend this meeting
to have your voice heard.

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 W R I T I NG
NE G ATI V E
ME SSAG ES ( 2 )

PLANNING A
NEGATIVE
MESSAGE (cont)
• Organize the
negative message
with particular care
- direct or indirect
approach

Thill & Bovee, 2017

Figure 10.6 Comparing the Direct and Indirect Approaches for Negative Messages
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 Table 10.2 Types of Buffer

Buffer Type Strategy Example

Agreement Find a point on which you and the We both know how hard it is to make a profit
W R I T I NG reader share similar views. in this industry.
NE G ATI V E Appreciation Express sincere thanks Your check for $127.17 arrived
for receiving something. yesterday.Thank you.
ME SSAG ES ( 2 )
Cooperation Convey your willingness to help in Employee Services is here to assist
any way you realistically can. all associates with their health insurance
, retirement planning, and continuing
education needs.
PLANNING A Fairness Assure the reader that you have For the past week, we have had our
NEGATIVE closely examined & carefully bandwidth monitoring tools running around
considered the problem, the clock to track your actual upload and
MESSAGE (cont) or mention an appropriate action download speeds.
that has already been taken.
• Organize Good news Start with the part of your We have credited your account in the amount
the negative message that is favorable. of $14.95 to cover the cost of return shipping.
message with Praise Find an attribute or an The Stratford Group clearly has an impressive
achievement to compliment. record of accomplishment in helping clients
particular care- resolve financial reporting problems.
indirect approach Resale Favorably discuss the product With their heavy-duty, full-suspension
– use a buffer or company related to the hardware and fine veneers, the desks
subject of the letter. and file cabinets in our Montclair line have
long been popular with value conscious
professionals.
Understanding Demonstrate that you To help you find the printer with the features
understand the reader’s goals you need, we are enclosing a brochure that
Thill & Bovee, 2017 and needs. describes all the Epson printers currently
available.
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 Example Techniques
W R I T I NG Our department shares Establishes common ground with the
NE G ATI V E your goal of processing reader and validates the concerns
ME SSAG ES ( 2 ) orders quickly and that prompted the original request—
efficiently. without promising a positive answer

PLANNING A As a result of the last Establishes common ground, but in a

NEGATIVE downsizing, every negative way that downplays the
department in the company recipient’s concerns
MESSAGE (cont) is running shorthanded.
• Organize
the negative You folks are doing a great Potentially misleads the reader into
message with job over there, and I’d love concluding that you will comply with
particular care- to be able to help out. the request
indirect approach
– use a buffer Those new state labor Trivializes the reader’s concerns by
regulations are driving me opening with an irrelevant issue
crazy over here; how about
in your department?

Thill & Bovee, 2017

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 WRITING
NEGATIVE MESSAGES (2)

STEP 2:WRITING A NEGATIVE MESSAGE

• Write clearly and sensitively
• When you use language that conveys respect and avoids an
accusing tone, you protect your audience’s pride.
• You can ease the sense of disappointment by using positive
words rather than negative, counterproductive ones (see Table
10.1).

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 Table 10.1 Positive and Negative Tone

Examples of Negative Positive alternatives

Phrasings
W R I T I NG
NE G ATI V E Your request doesn’t make any Please clarify your request.
ME SSAG ES ( 2 ) sense.
The damage won’t be fixed for The item will be repaired next
a week. week.

STEP 2: WRITING Although it wasn’t our fault, We will process your order as
A NEGATIVE there will be an unavoidable soon as we receive an
delay in your order. aluminum shipment from our
MESSAGE (cont) supplier, which we expect within
10 days.

You are clearly dissatisfied. I recognize that the product

Audience-centered approach
I was shocked to learn that
you’re unhappy.
did not live up to your
expectations.
Thank you for sharing your
concerns about your shopping
experience.

Thill & Bovee, 2017 The enclosed statement is Please verify the enclosed
wrong. statement and provide a correct
copy. 30
 EXAMPLE -
COMPARING THE TONE IN
BUSINESS MESSAGES (1)

• "We cannot comply with your request to use our

staff on your project because they are too busy
doing their jobs."
vs.
• "While we do not have the available staff to assist
you with your project, we would be glad to share
sample documents with you. If you will tell me.....”

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 EXAMPLE -
COMPARING THE TONE IN
BUSINESS MESSAGES (2)

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 EXAMPLE -
COMPARING THE TONE IN
BUSINESS MESSAGES (3)

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 WRITING
NEGATIVE MESSAGES (3)

STEP 3: COMPLETING A NEGATIVE MESSAGE

• Revise your content to make sure everything is clear, complete,
and concise.
• Produce clean, professional documents and proofread carefully
to eliminate mistakes.
• Deliver messages promptly - withholding or delaying bad news
can be unethical, even illegal.

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• In the workplace, most messages are positive or
neutral
• When something goes wrong between a business
and its customers, usually someone begins an
effort to correct the situation.
• Three common types of messages that companies
use to communicate with their customers -
complaints, claims, and adjustments

COMPLAINTS, CLAIMS
& ADJUSTMENTS

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 Complaint Messages
• Sent by customers to a business
to express dissatisfaction with a
product or service.
COMPLAINTS,
CLAIMS &
• Purpose - to inform the
ADJUSTMENTS
(1)
company of the problem and to
request a resolution.
• Provide specific details about the
issue; include any relevant dates
or times, names of employees
involved; any other pertinent
information

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 Claim Messages
• Sent by a customer to a business
to request compensation
for a problem caused by the
COMPLAINTS, company.
CLAIMS &
ADJUSTMENTS
(2)
• May be submitted in response to
a product defect, a billing error, or
any other issue caused by the
company's actions or inaction.
• Provide specific details about the
issue and to provide evidence to
support the claim.

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 Adjustment Messages
• A message sent by a company to a
customer in response to a
complaint or claim.
COMPLAINTS, • Purpose - to offer a resolution to
CLAIMS &
ADJUSTMENTS the issue raised by the customer.
(3)
E.g., a refund, replacement of a
defective product, etc
• Be concise, courteous &
professional about the resolution
being offered; provide any
necessary instructions or details to
the customer.

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 SCENARIO

Play the role of Jeff Sutton, owner and president of Sutton Creative Services. You’ve
just received a bill from Regal Banquet Center for the winter-holiday party that your
company held there last week. It's for $1410, which you had agreed to pay for an
elegant three-course meal, plus drinks, for your 27 employees. The food was as good
as its reputation, but there were two problems. First, the room for the party was
much too warm. You complained to the servers but to no avail. You would have
opened windows to correct the problem yourself, but the room you were given did
not have any windows (something you weren’t happy about either). Second, there was
apparently a shortage of servers on the night of your event. Some of your employees
had to wait a long time for their food, while those who had their food first either had
to start eating before the others or let their food get cold while waiting for all to be
served. This ragged timing ruined the dinner, and it also threw off the timing of the
program you had planned. You were embarrassed by these problems. They reflected
poorly on you and your efforts to thank your employees for their work. While you
understand that unexpected problems can arise, you just don't think you should have
to pay the full amount for a subpar experience. You'll need to write a claim message
asking for an adjustment to your bill.

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A P O O R LY
WRITTEN
EMAIL
(CLAIM)

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 A WELL
WRITTEN
EMAIL
(CLAIM)

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 A POORLY WRITTEN EMAIL:
EXAMPLE 1

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Guffey & Loewy (2019)
 A WELL WRITTEN EMAIL:
EXAMPLE 1

43
Guffey & Loewy (2019)
 A POORLY WRITTEN EMAIL:
EXAMPLE 2

44
Guffey & Loewy (2019)
 A WELL WRITTEN EMAIL:
EXAMPLE 2

Guffey &
Loewy
45
(2019)
 REFERENCES

• Baker, S. (2020). Professional and technical writing. NSCC.

• Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2016). Essentials of business
communication. Cengage Learning.
• Rentz, K., Flatley, M., & Lentz, P. (2011). Lesikar’s business
communication: Connecting in a digital world (12th ed.).
McGraw-Hill Education.
• Thill, J. V., & Bovee, C. L. (2017). Excellence in Business
Communication, Global Edition. Pearson.

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