LEARNING UNIT 6

Negative Message

PURPOSE:  The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to plan and draft a negative message.   You will not only learn the proper format, but also you will employ the 3×3 writing process about which you have read.  In addition, you will add the component of collaboration in that your Crisis Communication Team will work together to create this document.

This assignment links to Unit 6 Learning Objectives 1 through 5.

TYPE OF ASSIGNMENT: Writing Assignment worth 100 points.  There is a rubric associated with this assignment.

SITUATION: Good news and bad news:  the good news is that your supervisor has approved your request to form a Crisis Communication Team; the bad news is that he assumes that you will now be responsible for delivering all of the bad news on behalf of the company.  The following are the facts provided to you by your supervisor.

The ATM Error Resolution Department at Union Bank of California (where you work managing operations) often adjusts customer accounts for multiple ATM debit errors, which are usually honest mistakes: A merchant will run a customer’s check debit card two or three times through the credit card machine, thinking it didn’t “take,” when in fact the machine was working. The problem is that customers don’t discover they’ve had multiple purchase charges until they receive their bank statement at end of the month; then, they get very angry.

The bank’s teleservices department calmly takes the customers’ information, gives them a claim number, and explains they must send your department a signed, dated claim letter, describing the situation and enclosing copies of receipts if they have them. They’ll be notified of your decision within 10 to 20 business days.  The routine solution is usually a credit to their account to correct the error. But this time, your experience and intuition have made you suspicious about the letter from Margaret Clemmons. She maintains several large joint accounts with her husband at Union Bank of California.

Three debits indicated on her checking account statement were processed on the same day, using her card (not her husband’s), and were credited to the same market, Wilson’s Gourmet. The debits carry the same transaction reference number, 7620011, which attracted Mrs. Clemmons’ attention. While that number does indicate time, it changes daily, not hourly. So purchases made on the same day but from different stores carry the same number, as can different purchases from the same store.

Mrs. Clemmons’ statement indicates debits for different amounts: $23.02, $120.10, and $43.19. This finding doesn’t strike you as a multiple-card-swipe situation. And no receipts were enclosed with Mrs. Clemmons’ letter. Mrs. Clemmons wrote that the store must have been trying to steal from her by reusing her card numbers, but you doubt it.

AUDIENCE:  Ms. Margaret Clemmons (details in the case)

YOUR ROLE:  Operations Manager, ATM Error Resolution Department at Union Bank of California

INSTRUCTIONS:  Write a letter of no more than 1 page to Mrs. Margaret Clemmons, 762 Buns Parkway, Venice, CA 90028, explaining your denial of her claim #712. Remember, you do not want to lose this wealthy customer’s business.

Be sure to apply the concepts from the chapter on negative messages.

Again, use the Team Area to collaborate on this document.

You will use the Reviewing Pane in MS Word to show each team member’s comments, additions or changes to the document.  Retain that working copy in the team area, but only one team member will submit the finished product to the dropbox.