English homework.

Assignment #3: Letter Package B, Crisis Communication and Negative Messages

1. Crisis Communication: In a recent trip to her local grocery store, Sandy Wheeler decided for the first time to stock up on PowerBars. These are low-fat, high carbohydrate energy bars that are touted as highly nutritious snack food specially formulated to deliver long-lasting energy. Since 1986, PowerBar has been dedicated to helping athletes and active people achieve peak performance. It claims to be “the fuel of choice” for top athletes around the world. Sandy is a serious runner and participates in many track meets every year.

On her way to a recent track meet, Sandy grabbed a PowerBar and unwrapped it while driving. As she started to take her first bite, she noticed something white and shiny in the corner of the wrapping. An unexpected protein source wriggled out of her energy bar – a worm! Sandy’s first inclination was to toss it out the window and never buy another PowerBar. On second thought, she decided to tell the company. When she called the toll-free number on the wrapper, Sophie, who answered the phone, was incredibly nice, extremely apologetic, and very informative about what happened. “I’m very sorry you experienced an infested product,” said Sophie.

She explained that the infamous Indian meal moth is a pantry pest that causes millions of dollars in damage worldwide. It feeds on grains or grain-based products, such as cereal, flour, dry pasta, crackers, dried fruits, nuts, spices, and pet food. The tiny moth eggs lie dormant for some time or hatch quickly into tiny larvae (worms) that penetrate food and enter products.

At its manufacturing facilities, PowerBar takes stringent measures to protect against infestation. It inspects incoming grains, supplies proper ventilation, and shields all grain storage areas with screens to prevent insects from entering. It also uses light traps and electrocuters; these devices eradicate moths with the least environmental impact.

PowerBar President Brian Maxwell makes sure every complaint is followed up immediately with a personal letter. His letters generally tell costumers that it is rare for infestations like this to occur. Entomologists say that the worms are not toxic and will not harm humans. Nevertheless, as President Maxwell says, “It is extremely disgusting to find these worms in food.”

Your task: Write a posting for the company web site in which you take responsibility for the problem and explain what steps your company is taking to take care of the problem. Explain how pests get into grain-based products and what you are doing to prevent infestation. You can learn more about the Indian meal moth by searching the Web.

Before you begin this task, watch the following videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w86XNNkBXWw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyiTwCuCRqg

Search the web for tips on “Crisis Communication”

B. Introduction to Web site Design. Memo to a website designer at Organizer Unlimited.

When Kendra Williams, owner of Organizers Unlimited, wanted to create a website to sell her Superclean Organizer, she asked you, her assistant, to find a designer. After some research, you found three promising individuals. Williams chose Pete Womack, whose resume impressed both of you. Womack has been hired and has submitted his first proposal, a proposal that Williams hates.

“I detest cluttered websites!” she explodes. “This homepage has too many graphics and animations, too much ‘dancing baloney.’ He must have included at least a megabyte of bouncing cotton balls and jogging soap bars! Clever, maybe, but we don’t want it! If the homepage takes too long to load, our customers won’t wait for it and we’ll lose sales.”

Williams’ dislike of clutter is what inspired her to invent the Superclean Organizer in the first place, a neat device for organizing bathroom items.

Your task: “You found him,” says Williams. “Now you can answer and tell him what’s wrong with this design.” Write a memo to Womack explaining the need for a simpler homepage. Read some of the articles offering tips on www.sitepoint.com. On the homepage, search “Simple web site design,“ Design and layout,t” or “design principles.” Use these ideas to support your message. In addition, go to www.useit.com. Click on articles and then do a similar search.

Your memo should incorporate information from one article from each web site. Do not copy material from the articles. Paraphrase and summarize it. Use correct APA documentation. Turn in a copy of each article with your assignment.

Before you begin the assignment, watch the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq0EZdgBXN0

C. The Complaint Letter

Choose a product or service that you recently found unsatisfactory. Do not make one up—I usually can tell. I will provide some examples and suggestions in class. Write a letter to the company or business explaining the problem and making a request and most likely, an adjustment. If you mail the letter and receive a reply, you receive three points extra credit.

OR

Rewrite the following complaint letter to Bits and Bytes:

Dear Owner of Bits and Bytes,

I recently visited your new location in Annapolis, MD. I live in Frederick and I eat at your restaurants a lot. I like the free Internet, and your food is good too. I like the bacon wrapped beef bites, they are killer.

Well in Annapolis it took me forever to get waited on. There was a shift change and it seemed like every employee was in training, and the manager was having to explain everything, and meanwhile, I’m like, just standing there waiting for my beef bites. Then the cashier took my order but got a text in the middle of giving me change and gave me change for a 10 not a 20. I had to argue with her and she was nice about it, but really.

It’s kind of like Hilda Greenspin wrote in the Washington Post wrote because the beef bites didn’t really taste like the ones at the Frederick place where I go. I think one of my beef bites had chicken in it instead. This is unacceptable.

I hope you folks can get your act together because I really like the Internet and the food in Frederick. Can you send me a coupon or something, because I was really inconvenienced when I visited your store on January 12, 2015.

Thank you,

Alvin Vincenzo (you can call me VinVin).