The document provides guidance on effectively communicating bad news messages in writing. It discusses using an indirect plan with a buffer, explanation, implied or expressed decision, and friendly positive close. Specific bad news scenarios are covered, such as credit refusals, order refusals, and announcing price increases. The document emphasizes conveying the news in a fair, reasonable manner while maintaining a positive relationship with the reader.

1. BAD NEWS MESSAGES
RAFIA NAZIR
1511-112002
BBA-VI

2. Plan for Bad - News Messages
• Every bad-news massage has an underlying
objective,
• To present the unpleasant facts in such a way
that the reader will consider you fair and
reasonable and preferably remain a friend of
the organization you represent.

3. Indirect Plan
• Most often, you will use an Indirect
organizational approach for bad-news
messages.
• Buffer
• Explanation and analysis of circumstances
• Decisions implied or expressed with resale and
/ or helpful suggestion
• Friendly positive close

4. BUFFER
• Buffer should be natural in tone, avoid
misleading the reader into thinking the news
is good.

5. Ways to Begin a Bad-News Letter
• Agreement
• Appreciation
• Assurance
• Compliment
• Cooperation
• Good-News
• Neutral Courtesy
• Understanding

6. AGREEMENT
• Agree with your reader on something, if
possible (perhaps business conditions, cost, or
any other pertinent item).

7. APPRECIATION
• Thank the reader (for a check, information,
application, request, inquiry, cooperation, or
whatever applies).

8. ASSURANCE
• Assure the reader of your careful
consideration and honest explanation of all
available facts about the problem.

9. COMPLIMENT
• Try to compliment the reader on something
good about his or her past record or request (
sincerity, careful listing facts, or others).

10. COOPERATION
• Show a sincere desire to be as helpful as
possible.

11. GOOD NEWS
• If you can grant any part of a request, and you
think your reader will be pleased, begin with
that good news.

12. NEUTRAL COURTESY
• Keep your opening paragraph noncommittal.
For instance, if you must announce a price
increase or service decrease, use a neutral
word such as “change”.

13. UNDERSTANDING
• Show that you understand or sympathize with
the reader’s problem.

14. Explanation & Analysis
• Try to convince the reader you are acting in his
or her best interest in the long run or according
to a policy that is enforced equally for all.
• Explain courteously all relevant facts behind
your decision.
• Show that the request has been carefully
considered for reader’s benefit as well as your
company’s.

15. Decision
• Implied: If the reasons are so clear that your
reader will conclude you must refuse the
request.
• Expressed: If an implied decision might be
misunderstood, express your decision clearly
at the end of explanation.

16. Decision CONT,..
• Constructive suggestion: If you can offer a
constructive suggestion, or alternative course
of action. By emphasizing what can be done,
you may clearly imply what cannot be done
without actually using negative language.
• Resell: If desirable resell the reader on your
company’s services or policies.

17. Friendly Positive Close
• Endings should be positive, with reader friendly requests,
assurance and reader benefits.
• Offer assurances that you appreciate reader as a customer
(or as an interested inquirer and possible future customer).
• Invite Future, patronage, cooperation, or compliance with
decision.
• Make clear whatever action is required, when to do it, and
how to do it.
• Express continued interest, service & reader benefit or
sincere wishes for reader’s success with alternatives.

18. Direct Plan
A direct approach can be used when the messages is
routine, when the reader is known for preferring
directness, or when the message is urgent.
• A Routine matter on which the reader is likely not to be
seriously disappointed or emotionally involved.
•
• A Reader who is known to prefer reading Bad News in
first paragraph.
• An Urgent message that should be called to the
reader’s attention forcefully.

19. Negative Replies to Requests
• Honesty, tactfulness, and precautions are
necessary when responding to a request for a
recommendation for a person about whom
you have unfavorable information.

20. Credit Refusals
• A request refusal is written when a business must refuse a
request for contributions, use of facilities, preferential
treatment, or special discounts.
• Begin with a pleasant or neutral statement that relates to the
receiver.
• Give at least one reason for the refusal.
• Imply or state the refusal.
• Offer a helpful solution or suggestion.
• End positively without reference to the refusal.

21. Recommendations
• Consider the following three options for providing poor
recommendation messages:
• Inform the person who made the request why you
cannot provide a positive response.
• Provide only employment dates and omit references to
poor performance or unsatisfactory evaluations.
• Prepare and transmit an unfavorable written
recommendation using the bad news strategy.

22. Adjustment Refusals
• When you cannot make the requested adjustment, follow
the bad news strategy to write an adjustment refusal.
• Begin with a pleasant, relevant statement.
• Give a factual basis for the refusal.
• Imply or state an impersonal refusal.
• Include a resale statement and/or an offer to help.
• End pleasantly

23. Credit Refusals
• A credit refusal for a loan, credit card, extended line of
credit, or credit purchase should apply the bad news
strategy.
• Give reasons for the refusal.
• Imply or state the refusal.
• Make a counterproposal.
• End with attention on the receiver’s benefits.

24. Order Refusals
• Write an order refusal message when you are unable to
fulfill or ship an order in a timely manner.
• Begin with a buffer.
• Ask for needed information for incomplete orders; give a
reason for delayed and unfilled orders.
• State or imply the delay plan or the refusal.
• Offer a resale or an alternative solution.
• End with a positive statement.

25. Unfavorable Unsolicited messages
You may sometimes have to send bad-news messages
that are not in response to inquiries.
This section illustrates unfavorable announcements
about prices and services, rules and procedures, plus
miscellaneous bad news.

26. Announcing Bad News About Prices
or Services
• When your firm finds it necessary to increase
prices or cut services to customers, a buffer
opening followed by reasons before starting
the negative decision will help break the news
gently,

27. Penalizing for Non Conformity to
Rules or Procedures
• The direct plan should be used especially
when the situation is urgent or when the
writer wants the reader to be sure to read the
main idea.

28. Conveying Other Bad News
• Yon may have to write other bad news or unsolicited or
solicited messages.
• As a rule, you can handle most of them well by the
bad-news plan.
• One exception to the usual rule for customer bad-news
letters is when you must confess that you made a
mistake that is not in the customer's favor.
• In such cases, it is often better to admit you're in the
opening.

29. THANK
YOU...