BGMT 394 Disc ***Zeek the GEEK***

Please read the following scenario.   Then post a response to the task described below.

Green Wave Landscape Management

You are the operations manager for Green Wave Landscape Management, a provider of residential and commercial landscape maintenance. You have a substantial number of customers in your metropolitan area. Due to the increase of business in the summer, you must hire additional employees. This year, you hired six new employees.

Henry Stewart is your most valued customer because he is a prominent real estate agent and refers many of his clients to your company. He recently had his home’s trees and shrubs sprayed for insects by your company. 

Yesterday you received the following letter from Mr. Stewart:

 

August 18, 2014

Dear Green Wave, I have been a customer of yours for five years and have sent you innumerable customers. And you have the nerve to send over two bozos to spray my yard. Those two idiots have killed over $2,000 in prize fish. Additionally, they were rude. As you may or may not know, I raise expensive koi in my fishpond. Whenever your people spray my shrubs and trees, they have been asked to cover the pond. I assumed people in your profession would know how to do that without being told. Obviously, I was wrong. I am terminating my service with Green Wave, effective today. I demand immediate restitution for my dead fish. If payment is not forthcoming, I will see you in court.

Sincerely, Henry Stewart

  

In addition to the letter, you also discover that Mr. Stewart has posted scathing commentary on your blog. He has posted the same complaint and request for remuneration publicly. Now you have a public relations crisis.

During your investigation, you discover that Tom Harrelson, field manager in charge of assigning workers to the various job sites, sent two new workers to the Stewart residence. The accident at the Stewart residence probably occurred because these new workers were sent alone. Your company policy is to pair new and experienced employees on work assignments.

As the operations manager, you must respond to Mr. Stewart.  You will also have to post something to the company website. Later, you will communicate with Tom Harrelson, to determine how the mistake was made, and write an internal report, directed specifically to the president.

Please respond to the following questions:

1. What will be your strategy, tone, format, and other considerations when responding to Mr. Stewart in a letter?

2. What will be your strategy, tone, format and other considerations when responding to the company website’s review by Mr. Stewart?

As you answer these questions, consider the Eight Essential Components of Communication.  Remember, Mr. Stewart is the receiver in query one, while the public is the receiver in query two. Be sure to consider in your responses how the difference in receivers affect your strategies toward them.

The fourth component listed is Receiver.  Your message to Mr. Stewart involves Mr. Stewart as the receiver.  Your message to Tom Harrelson involves Tom Harrelson as the receiver.  Your post to the company website involves the public as receivers.  How do the different receivers affect your communication approach?

Please write a paragraph or two in response to these questions. 

In addition, please respond to at least two other students on any items you found intriguing or on any questions you have about their responses.

 

·  (Dear Students,

   You will recognize the post above from our discussion in class at the Center. However, you may want to modify, tweak, or change your first positions offered at the Center when analyzing how you would respond to the letter of complaint from favored client, Mr. Stewart, regarding his dead koi. Since that first class, we've discussed more elements of business writing including, but not limited to, the ones below.  Your comments, beyond what's listed below, are welcome.

   Consider for this exercise, as well as for the following one, such issues as the following:

   * Purpose of letter. Your goal in writing the letter.  (Should it even be written? Would a visit be better? A phone call? Why or why note?) 

   * Title/Lead/Introduction: Why you likely have no more than eight seconds to engage Mr. Stewart. How should that time be well spent.

   *What should be your immediate goal of the letter, the first paragraph, the first sentence --- even how he is addressed?

    * What tone would be most appropriate? Why? What do you know about Mr. Stewart that will dictate how you'll respond to him? The three most important words of business communication: audience, audience, audience.

    * What cautions should be taken when accepting blame, offering restitution? other? What five letter word must be on the top of our computers when writing any document of business?

   * Why does Visual Presentation matter when designing a document?  Why may it be especially important in a letter to Mr. Stewart? Be specific in noting our letter design to Mr. Stewart. Consider such elements beyond the Memo or Business Letter to include white space, lists, numbers, bullets, and more.)