breaking bad news assignment

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  • Breaking Bad News Assignment (15%)

    Scenario: Who wouldnt want to a cashmere zip turtleneck sweater for $18? At the J. Crew

    Website, many delighted shoppers scrambled to order this unbelievable bargain. Unfortunately,

    the $18 price was an interns typing errorthe sweater should have been listed for $218!

    Before the J. Crew officials could correct the mistake, over a thousand keen e-shoppers had

    bagged the item in their digital shopping carts.

    When the mistake was discovered, J. Crew immediately went into damage control and drafted

    an email to the soon-to-be disappointed shoppers. The subject line shouted, BIG

    MISTAKE!!!!! Emily Woods, the V.P. of Online Business at J. Crew, began her message with

    this statement: I wish we could sell such an amazing sweater for only $18. Our price mistake

    on your new cashmere zip neck sweater probably went right by you, but rather than charge you

    such a large difference, Im writing to alert you that this item has been removed from your recent

    order. Of course, you are free to re-order this item at its regular price of $218.

    As an assistant in the communication department at J. Crew, you saw a draft of the message

    that was going to be sent to customers, and you tactfully suggested to your manager that the

    bad news should be broken differently. Intrigued by your suggestion, your manager has

    entrusted you with composing a better bad news message.

    Your Task: Using the principles that have been discussed in this weeks (Week 9)

    presentation, write an email that uses the indirect approach to breaking bad news. Your

    message should thus contain the following four parts:

    1. A buffer that prepares the reader for the bad news

    2. Reasons that explain or justify the bad news

    3. Strategies that cushion the blow of the bad news

    4. A closing that shows goodwill towards the disappointed customers

    In the end, J. Crew decided to allow customers who ordered the sweater at $18 to reorder it for

    $118.80 to $130.80 depending on the size (larger sizes cost more). Customers would be given

    a special discount code to use at the checkout (you can make it up). As a bonus, if customers

    purchased additional items and their total order was over $218 (the cashmere sweater`s regular

    price), J. Crew would waive the shipping fee. For customers who may not want to reorder the

    sweater at the discounted price, think of another way to address their disappointment.

    Important Notes: For this assignment, you will need to bring together the various writing

    techniques and principles that you have learned this term. Remember to do the following things

    in your message:

    Be concise: eliminate unnecessary wordiness (flabby expressions, long lead-ins,

    redundant words, empty words) and only say what is essential to your message.

    Be clear: ensure that your message is not clouded by trite business expressions,

    clichs, slang/pretentious words, buried verbs, etc.

  • Consider your audience: J. Crew customers are young, and like to think theyre hip, so

    keep the tone of your message upbeat (but at the same time professional).

    Consider formatting: use the principles of document design (typeface, fonts, white

    space, headings, lists, etc.) to ensure that your message looks attractive and is easy to

    read.

    Remember the details: use the specific details in the scenario. You may supply any

    additional information you need to complete the assignment.

    Grading: This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade. Please consult the attached rubric

    that I will use to evaluate your assignments. Use the rubric as a checklist to ensure that

    your message meets all the requirements.

    Due Date: Submit your assignment in the appropriate dropbox by 11:59pm on Sunday, March

    30, 2014. As always, please include your last name in the filename you use. Submissions

    that do not follow this request will be penalized one (1) mark.

  • Breaking Bad News Assignment Grading Rubric

    Students Name:

    /15

    Email Format 6 marks

    Email contains address block with guide words (To:, From:, Subject:)

    Email is sent from a business appropriate email address

    Subject line is completed with a concise statement that describes the messages topic/contents

    Email contains an appropriate greeting

    Body paragraphs are properly formatted (paragraphs are left justified with no indents, paragraph is single-spaced, double-space between paragraphs, etc.)

    Email contains a signature block with the senders name and appropriate contact information (Note: assume that the message is being sent by Emily Woods, V.P. of Online Business)

    Step 1: Buffering 4 marks

    Message begins with a buffer that prepares the reader for the bad news

    Buffer uses at least three (3) different techniques listed in the slide presentation (best news, compliment, appreciation, agreement, facts, understanding)

    Step 2: Reasoning 3 marks

    Message provides a clear explanation and/or justification of the bad news

    Explanation uses at least two (2) different techniques listed in the slide presentation (explain benefits, explain company policy, choose positive words, show fairness)

    Step 3: Cushioning 5 marks

    Bad news is strategically placed in the middle of a body paragraph (not in a paragraphs beginning or ending sentence)

    Bad news is delivered in a subordinate clause and in the passive voice

    Positive words are used in the delivery of the bad news

    Message offers a compromise or alternative to mitigate the bad news

    Step 4: Closing 4 marks

    Message closes pleasantly with an attempt to maintain positive relations with the customer

    Closing uses at least three (3) different techniques listed in the presentation (forward look, alternative follow-up, good wishes, freebies, resale)

  • Professionalism 3 marks

    Message contains no spelling/grammatical errors

    Message is written in an upbeat, but professional, tone

    Message is limited to 1 page maximum (not including address and signature blocks)

    Total

    /25

    Deductions (if any) Message is overly wordy (flabby expressions, long lead-ins,

    redundant words, empty words): 1 mark penalty

    Message is unclear (trite business expressions, clichs, slang/pretentious words, buried verbs, etc.): 1 mark penalty

    Message does not use the principles of document design (typeface, fonts, white space, headings, lists, etc.) and is unattractive and/or difficult to read: 1 mark penalty

    Grand Total

    /25

    Final Grade (Grand Total 25) x 15

    /15