Activities Solutions 8.3 Document for Analysis: Direct Request—Patient Privacy Breach at Medical Office Weaknesses a. Fails to use a meaningful subject line and includes a dated salutation. b. Opens with an explanation instead of a direct request. c. Presents information haphazardly; the document looks like an unrevised first draft. d. Should have set the questions in a bulleted list and organized them logically. e. Uses wordy expressions, such as I am writing this message to ask . . . and to make notification instead of to notify. f. Does not close with an end date and telephone number. Revision To: w.e.vance@securityspecialists.com From: dr.jeremy.chen@valleyinternists.com Subject: How to Protect Patient Data in Small Medical Practice Dear Mr. Vance: Please help me better understand how to protect patients' medical information. As a physician in a small medical practice, I am concerned about patient data breaches. Your website is promising but a bit overwhelming. I have a few specific questions to ask about your services. My practice may already have experienced a security breach, and I'm seeking answers to the following questions: Are you experienced in working with small medical firms? If a breach has occurred, how do you investigate the incident? Do you provide guidance in notifying affected patients, and are you discreet about such notifications? If you discover that laws have been broken, are you obligated to report them to law enforcement agencies? As you can see, I have many sensitive questions. I would like to talk confidentially with someone in your firm within the next two days. Please call me at (340) 589-3440 to arrange a time that is convenient for both of us. I am most likely to be available after surgery between 4 and 6 p.m. weekdays. Jeremy Chen, M.D. [Full contact information] 8.4 Document for Analysis: Direct Response—Sending Answers to Data Breach Questions Weaknesses a. Begins weakly with an obvious and unnecessary statement instead of expressing appreciation for the inquiry and conveying confidence that Security Specialists can help solve the writer's problems. b. Fails to organize answers to questions in a logical order. c. Does not see the opportunity to use down-editing (copying the recipient’s questions and inserting answers in a different color). d. Creates a negative tone by mentioning that the government may be warned of a security infraction instead of putting this bad news in a subordinate clause followed by the good news (Although we are obligated to report wrongdoing, this is rarely necessary). e. Does not express ideas with parallel construction (how to properly handle, store, and the processing of). f. Fails to close with an action statement about when the writer will call. Revision To: dr.jeremy.chen@valleyinternists.com From: w.e.vance@securityspecialists.com Subject: Answering Your Questions and Scheduling a Call on March 19 Dear Dr. Chen: We appreciate your interest in Security Specialists. We are confident that we can offer you expert guidance in the areas of cyber security, data breach response, and incident analysis solutions. You are smart to seek advice in protecting patient data. Although you may have limited resources, even the smallest firm will benefit from basic security awareness training in the proper handling, storing, and processing of patient health information. Let me respond to your specific questions. See my answers in italics: Are you experienced in working with small medical firms? Yes, we have worked with many small medical firms and have been able to address their specific needs. If a breach has occurred, how do you investigate the incident? We are experienced at investigating incidents, analyzing clues, and quickly and defensively uncovering critical information. Do you provide guidance in notifying affected patients, and are you discreet about such notifications? We deliver discreet, prompt, and customized breach notifications. If you discover that laws have been broken, are you obligated to report them to law enforcement agencies? Although we are obligated to report wrongdoing, this is rarely necessary. May I call you on March 19 at 4:30 p.m.? At that time I can provide more extensive answers to your questions. Please rest assured that Security Specialists can help you investigate and control any data breach incidents. Warren E. Vance [Full contact information] 8.5 Document for Analysis: Instruction E-Mail Weaknesses a. Suffers from a vague and imprecise subject line. b. Includes a long lead in (This is to inform you that) and wordy opening paragraph. c. Uses a numbered list suggesting a sequence of steps instead of the preferred bulleted list. d. Fails to begin each line of instruction with a verb. e. Could have improved readability with bold summary headings for each item. f. Includes needless repetition (vacant and not monitored; that will educate and train). g. Suffers from wordiness throughout. Revision To: Staff Members From: G. B. Goldman <gbgoldman@firstfederal.com> Subject: New Procedures to Avoid Loss of Data Through Hacking Staff Members: Like other banks, we at First Federal fear that our employees will unwittingly expose valuable information to hackers. Cybersecurity experts have advised that we can reduce some threats by following these procedures: Avoid out-of-office messages. Please do not leave voice mail or e-mail messages explaining when you will be away. Such messages alert hackers that your computer is not being monitored. Do not take photos of documents on phones. Smartphones can be lost or stolen, and when important documents appear on these phones, the data can be compromised. Do not use thumb drives. Although handy, small memory devices are easily lost. Do not store company information on these drives. Do not use work e-mail addresses for social media. Sharing details about your job can help hackers determine an organization’s best target. Never click phishing links. Be suspicious of all requests for password information and of links to click. Even messages that seem to be from high-level officials or the human resources department within the company can be sophisticated, realistic fakes. For example, don’t click a link to receive a package or to download a form from within the company. Within the next two months, we will begin implementing a program that includes fake phishing messages to train employees about what to avoid. You will learn more about this program from your managers in training workshops beginning September 1. G. B. Goldman, CEO [Full contact information] 8.6 Document for Analysis: Direct Claim—Very Unhappy Customer Weaknesses a. Fails to address the receiver appropriately and misspells Joseph Morgan’s name. b. Opens with an angry statement instead of summarizing a desired action. c. Uses an argumentative, belligerent, and unprofessional tone. d. Includes wordy, outdated, and redundant expressions (in view of the fact that, inasmuch as, true facts). e. Closes with a cliché instead of ending pleasantly and asking for action by a specific date. Revision Current date Mr. Joseph A. Morgan Regional General Manager ProCar Rentals 304 South Powell Road Mesa, AZ 85275 Dear Mr. Morgan: We are asking you to help us retrieve $60 from your Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport location. This amount covers taxes and surcharges that were omitted from a recent refund of $180 to our corporate account. We have had difficulty reaching the local manager, apparently the only person who can authorize such transactions. On July 7 a colleague and I received a free navigation device with our car rental because we were forced to wait for an hour before being assigned a car. Unfortunately, the GPS was defective, causing us further delay until a replacement was located. Much to our surprise, the rental car bill later showed the full charge of $180, plus tax. Over the next three weeks, we had trouble contacting the manager to issue the refund. We spoke to various employees in Mesa and in your corporate office, but to no avail. Finally, after threatening to keep calling until he spoke to me, I coaxed the Phoenix manager to the phone. He promised to credit the cost of the navigation device to our account. When we checked our account statement, we noticed that the manager had forgotten to add $60 in taxes and surcharges that had also been assessed for the GPS. We are asking that you use your influence to issue the credit to our account, given our problematic communication with your Phoenix-Mesa Gateway branch. Enclosed are copies of the signed rental agreement listing the complimentary GPS and the bill that includes the charges of $180 plus $60 in taxes for the device. Our corporate account number is 3053359-797. In addition, a copy of an account statement shows the insufficient credit of $180. We are a new business customer and, despite this experience, would like to use your agency for future car rentals because of your competitive rates. Sincerely, 8.8 Direct Request: Seeking a Social Media Specialist To: Doug Goodwin <doug.goodwin@mediaresources.com> From: [Your name] Subject: Searching for Advice and Information About Social Media Experts Dear Mr. Goodwin: You have been recommended by HomeCenter CEO John Brauburger as a trusted source of information. I’m hoping you can help me learn more about social media experts, as my company is considering hiring one. Our company wonders whether it would benefit from hiring a social media specialist who could keep abreast of online social venues and promote our company’s brand as well as perform other beneficial tasks. Answers to the following questions will assist me in deciding whether to suggest pursuing this issue: How could a social media specialist benefit HomeCenter? What salary range is appropriate for such a specialist? What qualifications would we seek in such a specialist? In what corporate areas do social media specialists usually work: corporate communications, marketing, customer support, or some other area? How could we evaluate that person’s success on the job, once hired? I’m sure many other questions could be asked, but I’d like to start with these. A written response before March 15 would enable me to report to our CEO on a topic that concerns him as well as our entire company. Sincerely, Your name [Your contact information] 8.9 Direct Request: Planning a Winter Retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming To: Jackie Sullivan <jsullivan@fourseasonsresort.com From: [Your Name] Subject: Requesting Information About Potential Conference and Facilities for 85 Guests Dear Ms. Sullivan: Can Four Seasons Resort provide 50 rooms accommodating about 85 guests for either December 10-14, 2018, or January 14-18, 2019? My company will be hosting a four-day combination sales conference/vacation/retreat for 55 of our marketing and media professionals and their families. Please answer the following questions to help us choose a suitable resort: What are the room rates and room sizes? Is there any discount for groups or for corporate customers? Do you have two conference rooms available that would hold 25 people? We would need these rooms for one and a half days. What is the size and cost of these rooms? Do the conference rooms have audiovisual and computer facilities as well as Internet access? Do you have facilities in which we can host a banquet for 85 people one evening? What leisure activities are available for the families of our staff on-site and in Jackson Hole? What skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports options are available to groups? Can you arrange tours to any of the nearby national parks? Do you operate a shuttle from and to the airport? Your answers to these questions before August 31 will help me make a complete presentation to our CEO, who is eager to select a spectacular resort for this conference and retreat. Sincerely, 8.10 Direct Response: Chesapeake Sail & Canvas Receives a Poor Customer Rating on Yelp Barry’s options are many, but not all are equally wise. He could respond on Yelp, which gives businesses the opportunity to address poor reviews. He could write Angela an e-mail or call her. What really happened was that Barry decided to call the customer. He left messages on both her mobile phone and her home phone. In both messages Barry apologized for not getting back to Angela, explained how busy he was, and reported that his administrative assistant had been sick. He offered to expedite the work Angela wanted to have done. Angela was pleased about the message and decided to change her Yelp review. She wrote an update explaining her change of heart. Calling the customer was very effective in this case because it showed a personal touch. Writing a Yelp response would most likely not have been as effective. If students decide that Barry should call the customer, they could write a potential script for him. Following is an e-mail solution. To: angela.king@outlook.com From: barry_gregg@chesapeake-sailcanvas.com Subject: Your Recent Request for an Estimate Dear Angela: You have every right to be disappointed in our service, and I promise to give special attention to your needs from this day forward. I have also left a voice mail message to tell you that I will personally come to your boat and take the measurements for your marine canvas covers. Just so that you know, our business has been severely shorthanded. As the summer is getting underway, we have a lot of inquiries from boat owners like you who wish to replace their aging canvas covers. I am scrambling to hire additional installers. However, worst of all, my trusted administrative assistant has been sick lately, and our communication with customers has suffered as a result. As you may have seen, we usually receive nothing but 4- or 5-star ratings online. We will be happy to make up for our delayed response by expediting the manufacturing of your custom canvas. Please call me at 410.388.3388 to make an appointment, so that I can meet you at your boat and get the new canvas order started for you. Cordially, Barry Barry Gregg | Owner | Chesapeake Sail & Canvas | Annapolis, MD 21401 | 410.491.4912 8.11 Direct Response: The Right to Be Forgotten The idea that citizens should have the right to be forgotten is gaining traction in the United States. Media coverage of the important European Court of Justice decision was substantial when the judgment was passed. Subsequently, the discussion in media outlets such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, PC World and The Verge has centered on Google’s doomed attempt to limit the reach of the court decision solely to its regional search engines ending in country-specific extensions such as .de for Germany, .ie for Ireland, and .fr for France. Google was forced to extend search results protected under the right to be forgotten globally to its main .com domain as well. Although students may be less concerned in the abstract about a potential right to be forgotten, they will surely be able to relate to social media mishaps and oversharing online. Because open discussions in the classroom could be embarrassing to individuals, it’s prudent to ask whether students have friends or know of people who may have breached decorum in cyberspace at a risk to their reputations or career prospects. Answers will understandably vary, but students are likely to be highly engaged in this timely and still developing subject. 8.12 Direct Response: Interviewing at Marmont & Associates Note: Memo guide words (Date, To, From, Subject) may appear in all caps or as upper- and lowercase. Date: To: From: Subject: Current Carl Mekeel, CEO [Your Name] Rescheduling Interviews for Environmental Architect/Designer As you requested, I have rescheduled three candidates for the position of environmental architect/designer. Here is a summary of the schedule with brief information about their backgrounds: Day, Time Candidate March 28, 10 a.m. Jerry Rodriguez Owner, Green Building Consulting. 10 years’ experience with energy efficiency, sustainable materials, domes, and earth-friendly design Background March 28, 2 p.m. Christine Lindt M.A. degree, Boise State University. 5 years’ experience with sustainable building materials as architect planner for Boise Builders March 29, 11 a.m. Scott Hogarth B.A., University of Southern Caliifornia. 2 years’ experience with SolarPlus, Inc., specializing in passive solar energy Do you want me to send this summary to Mr. Barker so that he can plan to attend? Please let me know by March 16 so that he can plan his schedule. 8.13 Instruction Message: How to Copy Pictures and Text from PDF Documents Date: To: From: Subject: Current All Marketing Employees Jenny Zhang How to Copy Images and Text From PDF Documents After requests from several of you, I’m sending instructions detailing how to copy images and text passages from PDF documents. Copying content from portable document format (PDF) files is easy and convenient for those of us working on our yearly catalog. The process works as follows in the open PDF document: 1. Select the Edit pull-down menu. 2. Click Take a Snapshot to activate the copying tool. (It is identified by a camera icon.) 3. Now you are ready to select the portion of the PDF document you wish to copy; your cursor will take the shape of a square cross. 4. Click and hold down your left mouse button near the spot where you wish to copy an image or text passage; simultaneously drag the mouse over the page. You will see a selected area that you can expand or collapse as long as you don’t release the left mouse button. 5. As soon as you let go of the left mouse button, the snapshot will be taken for you. The note The selected area has been to copied will appear on the screen. Click OK. 6. Now open a blank Word document or an existing one and paste the selection into the file by rightclicking the mouse and choosing Paste or Paste Options. 7. You will see the image or passage you have selected and can further manipulate it by making it smaller or larger, as far as the image resolution will allow. Of course, you can paste the images and text into Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. If you wish to copy an entire page, simply go to your PDF document and the page you wish to capture and left-click once. The same message will appear that your image was copied to the clipboard. This is a useful feature. The whole procedure will make your work much easier when you need image files from previous catalog editions (no more photocopying!) or when you need to transfer a figure from one catalog to another. Let me know if you need help with these instructions. 8.14 Instruction E-Mail Inviting Down-Editing Needs Revision To: New Team Members From: Your name Subject: Instructions for Moving to Your New Location The office move to your new location will take place on either November 9 or November 16. The movers will arrive between 4 p.m. and midnight. Your responses to the following questions and completion of the tasks involved will help ensure that your things arrive safely and are where you want them. Please answer the following questions: Because move requests for your personal items will be arranged on 11/9 or 11/16 (Fridays), which of those days is better for you? Do you have an ergonomic desk or chair (or other large furniture) that you want moved to your new office location? If so, please list those items. Because boxes, labels, tape, and a move map will arrive four or five business days before the move, will this time frame work for you? Please let me know if these supplies do not arrive on schedule. What office equipment will you be bringing from your current team? Company policy allows you to take a workstation/laptop from your current team. However, some groups allow the transferring employees to take more, so check with your admin regarding this policy. Your new office will be set up with a workstation, monitor, and peripherals. Please complete the following tasks: Use foam pads to box up fragile and valuable items: IT plaques, glass, or anniversary glass sculptures. Glass replacements are expensive, and the cost center is responsible for replacement. As an option, you may personally move glass sculptures or valuables. Pack the contents of all gray filing cabinets, as movers do not move them. Indicate on the move map the number and delivery location of whiteboards, corkboards, and rolling cabinets. Add a name label to your belongings, such as desk phones, docking stations, peripherals, monitors, tables, ergo desks, ergo chairs, etc. Remove or cross out old move labels if using recycled boxes. Please e-mail me your responses to the preceding questions by Friday, October 26, so we’ll have two weeks’ notice before the move dates. We look forward to having you on the team and greeting you in your new office! Regards, 8.15 Direct Claim: New Iron Gate Needs Work Current date Mr. Van Phan Luong Castle Iron Works 2255 NW Yeon Avenue Portland, OR 97210 Dear Mr. Luong: Subject: Gate Installed on August 20 at 921 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97210 We would like your help with a gate that was installed last August at one of our commercial properties at 921 NW 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97210. The gate was fine at first; it opened, closed, and locked without a hitch. Now, however, the gate opens, closes, and locks only after major effort and only if operated by someone with real muscle. In short, something may have settled, and now the two doors don’t match very well. The store owner leasing the property is not so strong that she could struggle with the gate every time she wants to open and close it. Please send someone to fix the gate so that it opens smoothly again. Also, the white paint is now bleeding rust in some spots, after less than six months. We would welcome spot treatment (repainting). The proposal that led to the installation of a white metal gate on our property is enclosed to help you recall the job. Our phone numbers are listed above and on the enclosed proposal that you sent us last year. Please respond by March 30, as our business tenant needs the gate to operate normally as soon as possible. Sincerely, Your Name Property Manager Ext. 8583 Enclosure: Copy of your proposal 8.16 Direct Claim: The Real Thing Current date Ms. Alicia Stevenson Customer Service Department Avery Dennison Office Products Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Dear Ms. Stevenson: Please send me a new box of laser labels or refund three quarters of the purchase price for a box that will not work in my printer. On March 3 I purchased a box with 100 sheets of Avery Laser Labels (No. 5166). The cost was $36.99 plus tax. I used 25 sheets immediately, and they worked well in my laser printer. Then I put the box away and didn’t need it again until June 14. At that time the labels would not feed through my printer. In fact, some of the labels lifted off their sheets and jammed my printer. Although I was able to get the printer working again, I threw out the remaining labels because I could not risk ruining my printer. Since I am forced to buy a box with 100 sheets when I need many fewer, I wonder if you have considered packaging these labels in smaller units. Apparently, they do not store well and must be used fairly soon after purchase. I would appreciate your check for $30 (which is about three quarters of the purchase price) or a replacement of the 75 sheets of Avery address labels that I had to discard. Enclosed is the bar code from the box I purchased. Sincerely, Enclosure 8.17 Direct Claim: But It Doesn’t Work! Current Date Mr. Dennis Garcia Manager, Digital Depot 2300 Austin Street Houston, TX 77074 Dear Mr. Garcia: After purchasing two faulty 65-inch Sony 4K ultra HD TVs (Model KD-75X9405C) from your store, I believe you should sell me a similar sized set for a price close to that of the Sony. I recently decided to purchase a 4K ultra HD TV and chose the Sony for its features and benefits. I found a great deal at Digital Depot and purchased the set for $2,798.00 plus tax. I sold my old set and installed the new one, spending considerable time and energy to get it up and running. That evening, the set worked fine, but the next day it didn’t turn on. Figuring that I had a faulty set, I packed it up and returned it to your store, which is a 45-minute drive from my home. I brought home another Sony and set it up. That evening it worked, but the same problem occurred the following day. When I returned the second set, I was told I could get another Sony. But after the two faulty TVs, hours of my time assembling and repacking the Sony, and hours spent driving to your store and back, I did not want to take another chance. Digital Depot sells a Panasonic (model TX-65CZ952) that is the same size as the Sony, but it costs more. Because I am a loyal customer who wants to continue to enjoy the great prices and service Digital Depot offers, please provide me with the necessary approval to purchase the Panasonic TV at the same or nearly the same price I paid for the Sony. Sincerely, 8.18 Adjustment: Erroneous Charge for GPS Reversed Current date Ms. Amanda Greene-Hedwig Sales Manager Greene Engineering Solutions, Inc., 2328 East Van Buren Street Phoenix, AZ 85006 Dear Ms. Greene-Hedwig: Immediately after reading about your plight, I authorized a credit of $60 to your corporate account # 3053359-797. Let me assure you that what you have experienced is highly unusual for our company. Please accept my heartfelt apologies for the poor treatment and delays. Naturally, I investigated what may have caused the communication lags and other irregularities. It turns out that the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport branch is an independent franchisee. Upon receiving your letter, I contacted the local manager, Mr. Frank Anderson, and explained to him that this is an unacceptable way to treat customers. Apparently the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway branch was short-handed during the time of your visit and then subsequently Mr. Anderson traveled on business and attended management training seminars. If you give us another chance, we will be happy to prove to you that we are a top-notch car rental enterprise—prompt, reliable, and cost-effective. As a token of our appreciation for your continued trust in us, enclosed are three vouchers. We are offering you 20 percent off your next three rentals anywhere in the United States and hope to welcome you soon in any of our over 100 branches nationwide. Sincerely, Joseph A. Morgan Regional General Manager Enclosure 8.19 Adjustment: We Can Restretch but Not Replace To: Henry M. Heinz <hmheinz@heinzproperty.com> From: Your Name Subject: Your Message Regarding Your Masterpiece International Painting Dear Mr. Heinz: We agree that your newly purchased painting for your executive offices should have arrived without sags in the canvas, and we urge you to engage a local framing shop to restretch it. When any Masterpiece International painting is shipped, we encase it in three layers of protection: two layers of convoluted foam and one layer of Perf-Pack foam. These multiple layers work together to provide superior shock absorption and guard your art from bumps and scrapes during shipping. However, the shipper may have laid the package down instead of standing it, thus allowing the canvas of this large painting to sag somewhat. You can be sure that we will review our transport instructions with our shippers so that future deliveries follow our strict guidelines, thus preventing future situations such as yours. Masterpiece International takes pride in offering works of art of the highest quality and value to collectors and decorators. Your satisfaction is important to us, and that’s why we encourage you to have your new painting restretched at a local framing shop so that you will be completely satisfied with the way your work of art hangs in your executive offices. Please have the bill sent to us at 438 West 84th Street, New York, NY 10024. To see our latest collection of original fine art at extraordinary prices, please visit www.masterpieceinternational.com. We appreciate your patronage, and our dedicated staff looks forward to continuing to serve you. Sincerely, 8.20 Thanks for a Favor: Glowing Letter of Recommendation 6745 West Axel Drive Kansas City, KS 41126 Current date Dr. Thomas Hirsch School of Business Mt. Carmel College P.O. Box 410 Carmel, IN 46952 Dear Dr. Hirsch: Thank you for your teaching and encouragement during my four years at Mt. Carmel. Your courses in financial management, advanced investment finance, and international finance helped to prepare me for my new job as a junior financial analyst. Your supportive recommendation letter was instrumental in helping me obtain a position with Fidelity Investment Services. The company was also impressed with the investment portfolio I compiled in your advanced investment finance course. The portfolio and other assignments helped me to respond knowledgeably when interviewers questioned me about real-world financial situations. Thank you for writing highly of my work as a student. You were an excellent teacher, and I learned a great deal from your courses. Sincerely, 8.21 Thanks for a Favor: Business Etiquette Training Session Current date Ms. Pamela Eyring, President The Protocol School of Washington P.O. Box 676 Columbia, SC 29202 Dear Ms. Eyring: Once again we would like to thank you for your fascinating etiquette talk and demonstration at XYZ College on October 15. We value your taking time out of your busy schedule to speak to an audience of students on the important subject of soft skills. Thank you for lessening our fears of dining. We now know which forks and knives are appropriate with specific types of food and individual courses. Before your presentation, we knew about you from your Web presence and television appearances, but in person you made the scariest aspects of etiquette seem easy to conquer. We particularly enjoyed the many hands-on components of your talk—for example, the many place settings you laid out for us. As business students, we appreciated learning about such crucial skills as entertaining, invitations, introductions, greetings, seating arrangements, toasting, and many etiquette dos and don’ts. We wish you continued success in your work and will follow your activities on Facebook to learn yet more about business etiquette and other soft skills. Sincerely, 8.22 Responding to Good Wishes: Saying Thank You Current date Dear Will: I appreciated very much receiving your good wishes at the time of my graduation. It made me feel good to know that you cared enough to write. Cordially, 8.23 Extending Sympathy: To a Spouse 851 Park Street Fairfield, CT 06825 Current date Dear Grace, Your many friends and I here at QuadraCom, Inc., were deeply saddened to learn of the death of your husband Ken. I remember when we first met Ken at a company party many years ago. He was extremely entertaining, especially when he affectionately referred to you as The Maiden of Mirth. You and Ken were a remarkable couple. Although it’s difficult for others to understand what a deep loss you must feel, I hope that your strong faith and your beautiful memories can outlast the pain of your grief. Please know that we share your profound loss and are available to help if needed. Fondly,