Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Louisiana State Board of Private Investigators Examiners 2051 Silverside Drive, Suite 190 Baton Rouge, LA 70808
February 9, 1999 Mr. Jim Kraker 698 Orange Street Harahan, LA 70325 Dear Mr. Kraker: Pursuant to the provisions of La. R.S. 37:3517 in the Rules and Regulations, your Apprentice License # 3590-012198-AP has lapsed. Accordingly, you are no longer authorized to perform the duties of a private investigator in the State of Louisiana. Any further activity on your part as such is in violation of Louisiana law. To continue your practice as a private investigator, you may obtain a valid private investigator license by simply passing the Louisiana State Private Investigator Licensing Exam. Exam dates are flexible and scheduled at your request. Upon passage of the exam, you will then have the option of becoming an Individual Licensee or an Agency Holder. In the meantime, the applicable statutes in the Rules and Regulations further require you to now surrender your certificate and registration card to the Board. This may be accomplished by mailing or delivering both the certificate and the registration card to the Board office at the address listed above. Please contact the Board office at (225) 763-3556 to schedule an exam date or for any further information concerning the licensing process. Yours truly,
Notice the tone of this letter's introduction. Why is it effective, given the writing situation? Also notice how the writer cites specific rules and regulations to support both her bad news, and the alternatives the reader may take.
Examples of Bad News Messages
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Roy's Furniture
763 Magnolia Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70820 555-0956 22 May 2000 Mr. Ray Gunther 4980 Clamp Rd. Houma, LA 70983 Dear Mr. Gunther: We regret to inform you that your check number 410 for $290.89 in payment for a dining table was returned by your bank for insufficient funds. Please resubmit the payment along with the bank's fee of $25.00 for a total amount of $315.89. Please enclose your payment in the specially marked envelope. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely,
Notice how the writer makes clear how much money the reader owes. But he forgot to make it clear that the specially marked envelope is enclosed. And finally, was it a good idea for the writer to neglect using a buffer? Why or why not?
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The writer does a good job of making the bad news clear in a diplomatic manner and offering alternatives, but compare the date of the letter to the due date of the bill. Also beware of using relative dates rather than absolute ones. It's a bad idea to simply tell the reader that he still has 14 days to correct the oversight since it is not clear on what date his payment will truly be late. When do those 14 remaining days begin? Do they begin on the day the reader receives the letter, or on the date the letter is written? Remember that is important for you to make sure that important information such as this is unambiguous.
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Examine the buffer in the introductory paragraph. What does it lead the reader to believe is coming? What is this letter actually about? Is the buffer an appropriate and useful tool given the writing situation? Why or why not? Also notice that the letter doesn't contain all of the pertinent facts. How much does the reader owe as of this date? And how did the writer arrive at this amount? In debt collection, it is terribly important that you show your math. Finally is the overall tone appropriate given the writing situation? Why or why not?
Examples of Bad News Messages
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How would you feel after receiving this message? Would you know what to do? Would you not be so discouraged that you would never re-apply?
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La Vista Hotel
5248 Brightside View Baton Rouge, LA 70820
(225) 555-4243 January 25, 2000 Mrs. Candi Dayte 3091 Havenotyme Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70668 Dear Mrs. Dayte: I appreciate you coming to interview for the position as a front desk manager at La Vista. Your application and resume were quite impressive. Unfortunately, the position you applied for has been filled by someone with more experience in management. We believe that you are more qualified for positions such as daytime bartender or hostess at our restaurant. We'd like you to consider applying for either of these positions. Please call us to schedule an interview at (225) 555-4243. We look forward to seeing you again. Sincerely,
Do you think the reader will follow the writer's recommendations that you apply for positions more qualified for, especially since she just said that the resume and cover letter were quite impressive?
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Resource Management
30444 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 90432
January 28, 2000 Mrs. Susan Smith 12457 Veterans Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70395 Dear Mrs. Smith: I have been looking forward to speaking at the ABA conference in May. It has been many years since I have been to New Orleans and enjoyed the delicious cuisine. However, I am unable to attend. I failed to check my calendar at home before scheduling with you and have since noticed that my son's high school graduation will be held that same weekend. Because of the inconvenience I have caused you, I have included the names of three other motivational speakers who I highly recommend. If I can help you in engaging one of these speakers, please let me know. 1. Mr. Rickie Chutz--rchutz@earthlink.net 2. Mr. Robert Hubbard--rhubbard @aol.com 3. Mrs. Margaret Peak--mpeak@lpsb.org Once again, I apologize for not being able to speak at your conference and for any inconvenience I have caused you. Sincerely,
How will the reader feel about the writer after receiving the bad news?
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CheapRates Insurance Company 3205 Hickory Crest Lane Baton Rouge, LA 70820 (225) 76-CHEAP
February 1, 2000 Louis G. Brouque 787 Highland Road Baton Rouge, LA 70802 RE: Policy # 09LA345765 Dear Mr. Brouque: We have not received your monthly payment of $62.50 for your auto insurance, due on January 7, 2000. As a result of your non-compliance with our previous two attempts to collect payment, your policy has been canceled. However, it is not too late to get reinstated. Please come to our office immediately to make payment in person. The new auto insurance laws are very strict. If you are stopped without insurance, your vehicle may be impounded. If you are involved in an accident that is not your fault and you are uninsured, you lose the right to collect the first $10,000 of your claim. Please come in or give us a call. We CAN help! Thank you,
William G. Anderson, Account Representative CheapRates Insurance Company (225) 76-CHEAP, Ext. 3452 wanderson@cheaprates.com
Do you think the reader will follow the writer's recommendations that you apply for positions more qualified for, especially since she just said that the resume and cover letter were quite impressive? Examples of Bad News Messages
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Westside Tennis Club 2312 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77049 (713) 465-0934
May 1, 2000 Ms. Jane Smith 342 Kellywood Dr. Houston, TX 77024 Dear Ms. Smith: I have received your application for head coach for the Westside Tennis Club Swim Team. However, the position has already been filled. Since the swim team season begins at the end of this month we needed to fill the position immediately. Nonetheless, we were quite impressed by your resume. You seem to have all the qualities we were looking for. It was just a matter of timing. I will keep your resume on file and contact you if there are any changes. I hope that you keep us in mind and reapply next summer. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best of luck in your continued search.
Sincerely,
How would you feel about Ms. Goodson and the Westside Tennis Club after receiving this letter?
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How would you feel if you received this letter? Would you want them to keep your application on file? Why or why not?
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What action is the writer asking the reader to take? Are all of the consequences clear? Is the reasoning behind the bad news logical? Why or why not?