Plan and Communicate a Time-Based Task

Plan and Communicate a Time-Based Task

SCENARIO: On Monday morning, you arrive at work and discover you have an email from your manager, Sara, about a customer service issue. She is worried because one of the company’s most important clients did not receive their shipment. While she acknowledges it isn’t your fault, she needs you to work quickly to resolve the issue. Her email outlines some tasks that must be completed in order to address the problem and fast track the solution:

So last Friday, our client didn’t receive their shipment, and now it’s Monday, making it three days late. We need this problem fixed soon. I need you to email Renee Colon, the client’s executive assistant, right away. Apologize for the delay and let her know we’re fixing this issue, but don’t overdo it. Make sure they know we appreciate their business. Then, contact Accounts Receivable. Have them issue a full refund on the customer’s delivery costs and send confirmation of the refund to them as well. Make sure the client is not charged for the new delivery either. And have Shipping expedite the new shipment and send tracking info to the customer. If you contact both departments by the end of today, Accounts Receivable should be done by Tuesday at the latest, and Shipping should have the package out the door with tracking by Wednesday.

The table below lists the relevant tasks and deadlines that need to be done to accomplish the stated goals.

Goal

Task

Due Date

Status

Inform customer Email Renee Colon Monday To do
Inform relevant departments Contact Accounts Receivable (AR) Monday (end of day) To do
Contact Shipping Monday (end of day) To do
Refund customer AR issues refund to customer Tuesday To do
AR does not charge for replacement Tuesday To do
AR sends confirmation to customer Tuesday To do
Ship replacement package Package is expedited Wednesday To do
Tracking info sent to customer Wednesday To do

ASSIGNMENT: This assignment has two parts. The first part is to prepare a clear and concise email communication (no more than two paragraphs in the body of the email) to the customer that will inform them about the new delivery date and the refund to compensate for the inconvenience.

The second part is to communicate an internal plan regarding the refunding and redelivery of the shipment. You will draft a message to your colleagues in the Accounts Receivable and Shipping departments about the time frame of each task that clearly identifies who has which task and by what time it needs to be completed. You will need to select an appropriate tool to communicate this message to your colleagues and explain why this would be an effective tool for this purpose.

For this assignment, you will:
•Demonstrate your ability to craft messages for the appropriate purpose, tone, structure, and audience.
•Be sure to include all the important information you need to communicate.
•Select an appropriate tool for workplace communication.
•Edit your messages for organization and style, ensuring professionalism with respect to formatting spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

A. Assignment Guidelines

DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.

1. Email to the Customer
❒ Have you communicated all essential information to the customer regarding the actions you will take? ❒ Have you chosen the appropriate language and tone for this audience?
2. Message to Your Team
❒ Have you communicated all essential information to your team regarding the tasks and timeline? ❒ Have you clearly designated roles and responsibilities relating to the tasks? ❒ Have you identified the tool from the list provided on the template that you will use to deliver your message? ❒ Have you explained your reasons for choosing this tool? ❒ Have you structured your message with this specific tool in mind?
3. Formatting and Conventions
❒ Have you formatted both messages using the Touchstone template provided? ❒ Have you revised, edited, and proofread your messages to ensure they are clear and error-free?

"96% of our customers have reported a 90% and above score. You might want to place an order with us."