ocument for Analysis: Poor Persuasive Request Going toTexas 7-Eleven Owners (Objs. 1, 2 and 3)
Your Task. Analyzethe following poorly written persuasive e-mail request.
Make a list its weaknesses. Rewritethe email making the needed changes.
To: | 7-Eleven Franchise Owners Association of Texas |
From: | Terry Navarro <[email protected]> |
Subject: | Plastic-Wrapped Fruit Not for Us! |
Cc: | |
Bcc: | |
Hey, have you heard about this newthing coming at us? As a 7-Eleven franchise owner and member of the7-Eleven Franchise Owners Association of Texas, I am seriously putoff about this move to wrap our bananas in plastic. Sure, it wouldextend their shelf life to five days. And I know that our customerswant yellow-not brown—bananas. But wrapping them in plastic?? Imentioned this at home, and my teenage daughter immediately turnedup her nose and said, “A banana wrapped in plastic? Eeeyooo! Do wereally need more plastic clogging up the environment?” She’s beenstudying sustainability and said that more plastic packaging is nota sustainable solution to our problem.
I realize that we 7-Eleven franchiseesare increasingly dependent on fresh food sales as cigarette salestank. But plastic-wrapped bananas is going too far, even if thewrapping slows ripening. As members of the 7-Eleven FranchiseOwners Association, we have to do something. I think we couldinsist that our supplier Fresh Del Monte come up with a wrapperthat’s biodegradable. On the other hand, extending the shelf lifeof bananas cuts the carbon footprint by cutting down all thosedeliveries to our stores.
We have a meeting of franchiseescoming up on February 1. Let’s resist this banana thing!
Terry
10.14
Persuasive Claim: HawaiianToner Scam (Obj. 3)
Heather W. was new to her jobas administrative assistant at the Waialae Country Club inHonolulu. Alone in the office one morning, she answered a phonecall from Rick, who said he was the country club’s copiercontractor. “Hey, look, Babydoll,” Rick purred, “the price on thetoner you use is about to go way up. I can offer you a great priceon this toner if you order right now.” Heather knew that the copymachine regularly needed toner, and she thought she should probablygo ahead and place the order to save the country club some money.Then days later two bottles of toner arrived, and Heather waspleased at the perfect timing. The copy machine needed it rightaway. Three weeks later Maureen, the bookkeeper, called to report abill from Copy Machine Specialists for $960.43 for two bottles oftoner. “What’s going on here?” said Maureen. “We don’t purchasesupplies from this company, and this price is totally off thecharts!”
Heather spoke to the manager,Steven Tanaka, who immediately knew what had happened. He blamedhimself for not training Heather. “Never, never order anything froma telephone solicitor, no matter how fast-talking or smooth hesounds,” warned Steven. He outlined an office policy for futuresupplies purchases. Only certain people can authorize or finalize apurchase, and purchases require a confirmed price includingshipping costs settled in advance. But what to do about this$960.43 bill? The country club had already begun to use the toner,although the current copies were looking faint andstreaked.
Your Task .As Steven Tanaka, decide how to respond to this obviousscam.
Should you pay thebill?
Should you return the unusedbottle?
