What approach is used to convey negative messages?
Chapter Objectives The purpose of this chapter is to: Positive and Routine MessagesThe vast majority of business messages sent every day are short messages of a routine nature such as asking for and sharing information, requesting action, or thanking someone for something given. Most of the time these are positive or neutral messages even when they involve small complaints or claims where you request that an error be corrected. These are all direct approach messages, in which the main idea comes right upfront and details follow. Occasionally, you must communicate bad news in writing, which requires a more careful, indirect approach. All of these situations involve conventions that business professionals follow to minimize miscommunication and its fallout, and thus keep their operation running smoothly. Positive (Goodwill) MessagesGoodwill messages are as essential to healthy professional relationships as they are to personal ones. Thank-you, congratulatory, and sympathy notes add an important, feel-good human touch in a world that continues to embrace technology that isolates people while being marketed as a means of connecting them. The goodwill that such messages promote makes both the sender and receiver feel better about each other and themselves. In putting smiles on faces, such notes are effective especially because many people don't send them--either because they feel that they are too difficult to write or because it does not even occur to them to do so. Since praise for someone can be harder to think of and write than criticism, a brief guide on how to do it right may be of help.
Information SharesPerhaps the simplest and most common routine message type is where the sender offers up information that helps the receiver. Information Share Email To: Subject: CFP info you might find interesting Hi Karin, I just saw a CFP for a new funding opportunity you can apply for via the Department of Agriculture. Find it on the Greenbelt Fund's Local Food Literacy Grant Stream page. If you haven't already been doing this, you should also check out the Department of Agriculture's general page on Funding Programs and Support to connect with any other grants etc. relevant to the good work you do. It looks like the deadline for proposals is at the end of the week, though, so you might want to get on it right away. Good luck! Rima Replies to such information shares involve either a quick and concise thank-you message or carry the conversation on if it's part of an ongoing project, initiative, or conversation. If you are using email, remember to change the subject line as the topic evolves. Information shares to a larger group, such as a departmental memo to 60 employees, don't usually require acknowledgment and would be slightly more formal in tone. If everyone wrote the sender just to say thanks, the barrage of reply notifications would frustrate them as they try to carry on their work while sorting out replies with valuable information from mere acknowledgments. Only respond if you have valuable information to share with all the recipients or just the sender. Pay attention whether you need to Reply All or whether it is sufficient to reply just to the sender. Do not burden others with messages not directly relevant to them. Information or Action RequestsManagers, clients, and coworkers alike send and receive requests for information and action all day. Because these provide the recipient with direction on what to do, the information that comes back or action that results from such request can only be as good as the instructions given. Such messages must be well organized and clear about expectations, opening directly with a clearly stated general request (unless you anticipate resistance to the request) and proceeding with background and more detailed instructions if necessary. Figure 1 below provides an example of a request email. Figure 1: Request Email, Communication @ Work Note that, because we expect action to come of the request rather than a yes or no answer, the opening question does not require a question mark. Never forget, however, the importance of saying "please" when asking someone to do something. Notice also that the list in the message body helps break up dense detail, so the request message is more reader friendly. All of the effort that the writer of the above message made to deliver a reader-centered message will pay off when the recipient performs the requested procedure exactly according to these clearly worded expectations. If you expect resistance to your request, an indirect approach is more effective. Ideally, you'll make such persuasive pitches in person or on the phone so that you can use a full range of verbal and non-verbal cues. When it's important to present your argument in writing, however, such requests should be clear and easy to spot but buffered by goodwill statements and reasonable justifications. When responding to information or action requests, simply deliver the needed information or confirm that the action has been or will be completed unless you have good reasons for refusing. Ensure the accuracy of all details and utilize the "you-attitude." Note that sometimes manager approval may be necessary before providing the information. Organizationally, a positive response to an information request delivers the main answer in the opening, proceeds to give more detail in the body if necessary, and ends politely with appreciation and goodwill statements. Complaints and ClaimsBusiness doesn't always go smoothly and bad customer experience can have long-lasting consequences. Customers can be disappointed with a faulty product or poor service; shipments might get damaged, lost, or arrive late; or one business might infringe on the rights and freedoms of another. In all such cases, customers or clients are likely to make your company aware of what went wrong and what they want o be done about it. Indeed, it's their consumer right to do so and the business or organization receiving such a message should take it as valuable intelligence on customer expectations that must be met for the business to be viable. A claim explains what went wrong and demands compensation from the offending party while a complaint explains what went wrong and merely demands correction or apology. Minor complaints are best communicated in person, on the phone, or by email (if it's important to have them in writing) so they can be dealt with quickly. More serious complaints or claims are delivered as formal letters to lay down a paper trail in case they need to be used as evidence in a lawsuit. When customers are reasonable about communicating a problem with a situation or business transaction, the customer service representative or manager dealing with the matter is more likely to respond positively and meet the needs of the client. However, ineffective complaints or claims often merely vent frustrations, issue threats, don'ts say what they want or only vaguely imply it, or demand completely unreasonable compensation. Assume that a business will take your complaint or claim seriously if it's done right because, no matter the industry, companies are rightfully afraid of losing business to negative online reviews. In this day of social media, good customer service is crucial to business survivability. A complaint provides a business with both valuable information about customer expectations and an opportunity to win back a customer--as well as their social network if a good endorsement comes of it from the now-satisfied customer--or else risk losing much more than just the one customer. Effective complaints or claims are politely worded and motivated by a desire to right wrongs and save the business relationship. They are best if they remind the business that you have been a loyal customer (if that's true) and really want to keep coming back, but you need them to prove that they value your business after whatever setback prompted the complaint. If the writer of such message strikes the right tone, they can end up getting more than they originally bargained for. Complaints and claims take the direct approach of message organization even though they arise from dissatisfaction. They follow the usual three-part message organization. Complaint/Claim Organization
Claim Email To: Subject: Refund for unwanted warranty purchase Hello, please refund me for the $89.99 extended warranty that was charged to my Visa despite being declined at the point of sale. This past Tuesday (June 15, 2021), I purchased a Dell laptop at the Belleville location of Future Shock Computers and was asked by the sales rep if I would like to add a 3-year extended warranty to the purchase. I declined and we proceeded with the sale, which included some other accessories. When I got home and reviewed the receipt (the PDF scan of the receipt is attached), I noticed the warranty that I had declined was added to the bill after all. Please apply the cost of the warranty to the Visa account associated with the purchase by the end of the week and let me know when you've done so. I have enjoyed shopping at Future Shock for the great prices and friendly customer service. I would sincerely like to return to purchase a printer soon. I appreciate your assistance in this matter, Samantha Nguyen Adjustment LettersIf a company grants what the customer has asked for, communicating this is called an adjustment message. An adjustment letter or email is heavy on courtesy in letting the disappointed customer know that they are valued and will be (or have already been) awarded what they were asking for, and possibly even a little extra. In the case of coupons for discounts on future purchases, the little extras help smooth things over and win back the customer's confidence, hopefully so they will tell their friends that the store or company is worthy of their business after all. An adjustment message takes the direct approach by immediately delivering the good news about granting the customer's request. You may start with an apology, but starting on a purely positive note is more effective, especially in a written message. Tone is also important here; resist the urge to shame the customer--even if they are partly to blame or if part of you still suspects that the claim is fraudulent. If you are going to grant the claim, write it whole-heartedly as if others will be able to see it and judge whether your company has good customer service or if you are going to be difficult about it. Though a routine adjustment letter might skip a message body, a more serious one may need to go into more detail about how you are complying with the request or take the time to explain what your company is doing to prevent the error again. Doing this makes the reader feel as though making the effort to write will have made a positive impact in the world, however small, because it will benefit not only them but also everyone else who will not have to go through what they did. Do not make empty promises, though. An apology might also be appropriate in the body of the message, but be aware that apologizing is tricky. It is essential to winning back customer confidence in some situations, but it also leaves you or your company open to legal action in others. For minor matters, admitting fault with an apology usually helps vindicate or validate the customer. In more serious matters, especially involving injury or damage to property or even someone's reputation (and thus their earning potential), a written apology might be read as admitting fault and be used as evidence in court. For this reason, it is best to ask a manager or legal department for guidance on apologizing to a customer or other stakeholder in writing. If apologizing is appropriate because you genuinely erred, no legal repercussions are expected, and it is the right thing to do when trying to calm an angry response and mend a damaged business relationship, ensure that the apology has the following characteristics:
Adjustment Email To: Subject: Refund for unwanted warranty purchase Hello Samantha, absolutely, we would be happy to refund you for the $89.99 warranty mistakenly charged along with your purchase of the Dell laptop. For your inconvenience, we will also offeer you a $20 gift card for future purchases at our store. To receive your refund and gift card, please return to our Belleville location with your receipt and the credit card that was charged so that we can credit the same card (For consumer protection reasons, we are unable to complete any transactions without the card.) We are sorry for inconveniencing you and will speak with all sales staff about the importance of carefully checking the accuracy of any bill of sale before sending the order for payment. We appreciate your choosing Future Shock for your personal electronics and look forward to seeing you soon to credit your Visa card and provide you with the best deal in town on the printer you were looking to purchase. Have a great day, Melissa Negative MessagesJust as in life, the workplace is not always sunny. Sometimes things do not go according to plan, and it is your job to communicate about them in a way that does not ruin your relationships with customers, coworkers, managers, the public, and other stakeholders. When doing damage control, bad-news messages required care, diplomacy, and skillful language because your main point will meet resistance. Rarely are people okay being told they they are laid off, their application has been rejected, their shipment got lost, prices or rates are increasing, their appointment has to be moved back several months, or they are losing their benefits. Though some people prefer that the messenger be blunt about it, in most cases you can assume that the receiver will appreciate or even benefit from a more tactful, indirect approach. The list below provides several tips for delivering bad news in person or in writing:
For more information on delivering unwelcome news effectively, watch Don R. Crawley, IT Customer Service Speaker, in this video: How to Deliver Bad News: Customer Service Training 101, which provides five strategies for delivering bad news. Your ability to manage, clarify, and guide understanding is crucial to addressing challenging situations while maintaining trust and integrity. Key to helping the receiver understand and accept information they don't want to hear or read is organizing the message using the indirect approach. For example, this is effective when you need to refuse a claim because the customer's complaint is not justified. If you tactlessly provide your audience with really bad news, you run the risk of them rejecting or misunderstanding it because they may be reeling from the blow and be too distracted with anger or sadness to rationally process the explanation or instructions for what to do about the bad news. To avoid misunderstandings when delivering bad news, follow this organization. Bad News Message Organization
Bad News Message Outline and Example
Although it is usually preferable to deliver negative messages using the indirect approach, there are several occasions when you can or should be upfront about the bad news:
Delivering bad news can be dangerous if it angers the reader so much that they are motivated to fight back. If you are not careful with what you say and how you say it, that message can be used as evidence in a court case that, when read by a judge or jury, could compromise your position. You can lower the risk of being litigated by following general principles given below when delivering bad news.
General Positive and Negative Messages Tips
All links live as of June 2021. This work "Positive and Negative Messages" is a derivative of “Communication @ Work” by Tom Bartsiokas, Robin Potter, and Tricia Hylton under a CC BY license. "Postive and Negative Messages" is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by Iva Balic. How do you use the direct approach to convey negative news?Explain how to use the direct approach effectively when conveying negative news. The direct approach puts the bad news up front, follows with the reasons, and closes with a positive statement. Even though it is direct, however, don't use the direct approach as a license to be rude or overly blunt.
What is negative message in communication?Negative messages are verbal or nonverbal communication that includes information that is unfavorable, disappointing, or harmful. The purpose of negative messages is to reduce conflict between the sender and receiver, decrease the impact of bad news, or reinforce a negative consequence.
How do you deliver negative information?Prepare and rehearse what you're going to say. Explain the rationale and the process for making the decision.. Sugarcoat the news — be clear and direct.. Let your body language belie your words.. Allow people to debate the merits of the decision — focus on moving forward.. |