English 0392, Sections 004 and 005, Business and Technical Writing

Fall 2008

Prof. Michael Filas

Assignment One: Consumer Letter

As consumers, you enter a business situation every time you make a purchase, pay a bill, make phone call, or even surf the web. We often take bad purchases, bad transactions, rude sales people, shabby merchandise, buggy web sites and other unsatisfying transactions in stride. But, sometimes it is worth the trouble to speak up to correct the situation.

Ever have a bad meal at a restaurant? Did you speak to the manager and get your meal for free? Ever have a bad stay at a hotel? Did you get the night for free? Many consumer situations can be resolved with a conversation with the right person. However, sometimes you are in a situation where the purchase or transaction sours after you have already left the point of sale and speaking to someone is no longer an option. Sometimes, a situation is more complicated than a bad meal or an unsatisfactory stay at a hotel. In these instances, you can usually get your money back, or at least get what you initially paid for if you can write an effective business letter.

Alternately, we often let excellent service or products go unacknowledged, except perhaps through our loyal patronage. Occasionally an employee or product deserves recognition beyond your smiling gratitude. Written testimonials from customers can go very far in making sure the company or organization continues to support the kind of conduct or quality that you personally find satisfying, and it can result in a pleasing expression of gratitude from the company.

Consumers gain authority and power simply by communicating, in writing, with the companies with whom we conduct our business. It is easier and cheaper than spending more money or hiring a personal assistant to buy our things for us. This is your chance to elevate your position in the consumer food chain.

Assignment Details:

§ Read Murdick pages 1-14.

§ Write a business letter, using the format in Box 2.1 (page 6), to a company or organization with whom you have had an exceptional experience.

q Use "Westfield State College" for your return address the same way the example shows Marilynn Wright using "Mu Gamma Mu Sorority." If you live off campus, use your current mailing address on the lines directly beneath "Westfield State College."

q Be concise but explicit in your description of the situation and your expectations for resolution or response.

q Educate yourself on the company or organization and its stated customer satisfaction policies. Cite this policy as it applies to your situation.

q Bring three copies of your first draft to class on Thursday, 9/11.

q Bring a final copy on Tuesday, 9/16.

q Mail a copy in a typed envelope by Friday, 9/19.

q Unless you receive no response, provide me a copy of the response received by the end of the semester.

Some Ideas:

§ It is okay to write about something that happened a month or two ago. Depending on the magnitude of the issue, you can go back even further. But, if you have not had a particularly horrible or great consumer transaction in awhile, you can take an alternative approach.

§ Think of a company or organization which you loyally patronize and write a letter thanking them for their reliable and continued good service or products, or for a consistently pleasant employee.

§ Review the ingredients or construction of a product and write to the maker asking for an explanation about an unsavory aspect or making a suggestion for a change. For example, ask your shampoo company why they continue to use animal testing for their products; ask your beverage company why they use carcinogenic food dyes; ask your snack food company to explain they use so many preservatives.

§ Challenge a company or product which you feel has misled you with its advertising.

§ Ask a company about information it may not have provided, but which you feel could be useful to you.

§ Here’s a real different approach: write to a company or organization at which you may be interested in one day working, explain why you like that company, and ask how to receive more information about entry level employment there.