64 Communicating Unfavorable News One of the most difficult tasks in communication is saying "no." In business we often have to refuse to make an adjustment, decline a service, refuse a job request, decline sales, and so forth. There are two ways to communicate an unfavorable decision in print. One is the direct approach. The bad news is fronted, stated immediately and then explained. This approach, though, may be too harsh and may alienate the reader. Its slam-bang method is not designed to maintain goodwill and is not appropriate unless you are sure the reader prefers the news first, without any need for an explanation beforehand. A more reader-oriented approach is the indirect or delayed method. The bad news is embedded and preceded by several important goodwill-maintaining elements: 1. The buffer eases the reader into the letter. The writer can appreciate the reader's efforts, compliment the reader, sympathize with the reader, or be neutral by opening with a service-oriented remark. 2. The explanation details the reasons for the denial in as concrete, rational, and courteous manner possible. This segment gives the reader an understanding of the details, factors, and/or conditions behind the denial. 3. Letting the reader know the bad news comes in the decision segment. Here it is important that you avoid negatives because they tend to harshen the letter's tone. For instance, it is better to say "We will consider you for the buyer position when you have experience in retail sales" than "We cannot consider you for buyer because you have no experience in retail sales." Turn around negatives to word them with the same meaning but less harshly. Instead of saying: "We cannot repair your typewriter for free because you did not follow the directions on how to use the 'unjammer' key. Read the warranty and you will see we are not responsible for this sort of problem." Say: "Your warranty limits free typewriter repair to manufacturer's defects only. We can repair the 'unjammer' key for approximately ten dollars, including parts and labor. Please check the directions in your owner's manual for how to use the key." 4. Once you have written your decision, you can now close in a courteous way, asking for any questions and looking forward to a continued business relationship with the customer or including a service-oriented remark. 65 Following are several examples of unfavorable communications which will give us a better sense of how they work. Let's look at Susan McConnell's letter to Ken Noble. Noble had forgotten to use a base coat over bare wood in refinishing. When the paint he did use immediately began to crack and peel, he wrote to the manufacturer demanding his money back: McConnell, in Customer Relations, responded. COVER-ALL PAINTS 6609 South Stoney Island Chicago, Illinois 60429 April 1, 1991 Mr. Ken Noble 5 Elder Drive Marquette, Michigan 46901 Dear Mr. Noble: Refinishing your home is a very rewarding experience. Doing the work yourself gives you the satisfaction of a job well done and allows you to do everything exactly as you want. Cover-all Paints is always happy when another homeowner joins the ranks of the do-it-yourselfers, and we stand ready to offer the products and advice necessary for you to achieve a professional result. All our paints are guaranteed to provide a satisfactory finish when used according to our specifications. One of these specifications, described on the labels of our latex-base paint cans, is that latex paint be applied over a base coat of alkyd(oil)-based paint when used to cover raw wood. The fibers in raw wood tend to absorb paint, and with latex paint this causes the cracking and peeling you described on your painted woodwork. When an alkyd base coat is used, the wood fibers absorb the oil based paint so that a latex finish coat can be applied without cracking or peeling. Drywall resists absorbing paint, so using the latex paint on the drywall gave you the finish you reported as so pleasing. We are sure you will be as pleased with your woodwork as you are with your walls when a base coat of Cover-all alkyd-base is used. The enclosed brochures with tips on now to achieve a professional finished product may help you in this and other refinishing projects. We appreciate your use of Cover-all products and wish you the best with all your refinishing projects. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of any additional help. Sincerely, Susan M. McConnell Customer Relations 66 The letter's buffer begins with a complimentary statement about do-it-yourselfers and is followed by a service-oriented remark about Cover-all's readiness to help handy-men and women. These sentences provide a pleasant lead-in to the explanation. In her explanation, McConnell details in a clear, straightforward manner the reason behind Noble's cracking and peeling paint. She notes the directions on the can label, explains the effects of not using a base coat, notes what using a base coat does, and explains why Noble had no difficulty using the paint on drywall. The tone is direct but not harsh. It is even and courteous. The decision is implicit, repeating the need for a base coat and offering brochures to help Noble in his refinishing efforts. McConnell's close is considerate, appreciative, and open. Throughout the letter, and especially in the decision, negatives are avoided. The Parroquia letter is another example, this time of declining a service: SHAWNEE COUNTY COMMISSION 200 E. 7th TOPEKA, KS 66612 May 4, 1991 Curtis Ambulance Service Attn: Mr. Richard Zaffiro 1427 Adams Blvd. Milwaukee, WI 45107 Dear Mr. Zaffiro: Curtis Ambulance Service has a longstanding reputation of reliable service to its customers. The Shawnee County Commission was extremely pleased with the depth and completeness of the bid which your firm submitted to us. If all the bids submitted were as easy to read and understand as yours was, it would make the final decision-making process a great deal easier. The main concern of the Shawnee County Commission in considering all the bids was the ability to handle and transport intensive care emergencies. The factors which influenced the final decision were the actual cost estimates for the different types of emergency cases, the areas in which the ambulance companies are currently operating, and the references provided by the various companies. 67 Mr. Richard Zaffiro page 2 May 4, 1991 Although the companies submitting bids were considered to be extremely competent and well-established, our final choice of the Medevac Ambulance Service of San Diego, California, was based on a slightly lower overall average cost for services and the fact that their Midwest regional offices are located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Shawnee County Commission is sure that Curtis Ambulance Service will continue to provide its customers with the emergency services so vital in any community. We would also suggest contacting the City Commission in Hays, Kansas, as they have made it known to us that they are going to be accepting bids for a new ambulance service. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Sincerely, Wilma Parroquia County Commissioner Here the buffer is complimentary of the ambulance company's reputation and its efficiency in submitting a bid. The writer then details the important reasons behind the commissioner's decision (ability, cost estimates, operating areas, references). The decisions segment identifies the choice and the specific reasons why (lower cost, convenient location). The close is courteous, but also includes some helpful information about another city which will be advertising for ambulance service bids. The letter concludes with a question contact clause. Both these examples show that bad news can be communicated in a less harsher manner than many of us have experienced. Explanations can be clear and detailed. Sometimes alternatives or suggestions can be made in a decision to help the reader out. All of these elements help maintain the reader's goodwill in an efficient, straightforward way. Look at the following examples of bad news communications. How do they work? How would you rework or rephrase those that need to be recast into the indirect or delayed format?