Statstar Communications

Peter Saunders

Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Contents

     Sample responses

     Comments on student samples

     Teaching notes

     Potential difficulties

Sample Responses

Assignment 1 - Sample A: E-Mail Message

Transmission Date: December 2, 0000

To: R. Medley, General Manager, Business Services Division
From:
Re: J. Beechum/Excel Tire Corp.

I received your E-mail message this morning regarding J. Beechum of Excel Tire Corp. and her apparent misconceptions regarding our services. I have investigated the matter and conclude that the problem resulted from our failure to adequately answer Beechum's queries.

What Went Wrong

We failed to clearly address her questions regarding the legality of splitting satellite signals with Excel's tenants and the feasibility of combining signals. Beechum raised these issues in her letter of October 20, 0000. There was a breakdown in communication in our response.

The following is a summary of what went wrong:

1. Beechum's inquiries were forwarded by you to J. Lumbar, Director of Technical Services, who delegated the task of responding to one of his staff members, Phil Hackman. Apparently, this response was somehow delayed for over 2 weeks.

2. This delay caused Beechum to write another letter on November 7 asking why no one had responded to her initial correspondence. Lumbar was directed by you upon receipt of this letter to immediately fax Beechum a response on November 9. However, Lumbar's response did not get faxed out until November 15, resulting in a total delay in our answer to Beechum of 1 month.

3. Lumbar's response was far too technical. More importantly, it failed to clearly address the issues of signal splitting and signal combining. In fact, Lumbar's letter leads those without technical expertise to believe that both are feasible and legal. However, such applications in the context of Beechum's queries cannot be implemented (primarily for regulatory reasons).

4. Lumbar's response was sent directly to Excel. Thus, our department did not get a chance to ensure that it complemented our marketing strategy with respect to this potential sale to Excel.

5. Beechum's inferences were based on Lumbar's response and resulted in her submitting an inaccurate proposal to her Executive Committee.

This is where we currently stand.

Recommended Actions

It is imperative that these misconceptions be clarified immediately. We have misinformed Beechum, and the problem has been exacerbated by the fact that Excel's Executive Committee now also shares in Beechum's misconceptions about what we promise we can deliver. Additionally, since Beechum and VP Peter Gandoff will meet in a few days I think it is prudent that this matter be brought to Gandoff's attention so that he can help save this sale.

My recommendations in dealing with this situation upon your return are as follows:

1. Immediately fax an apology and clarification to Beechum that requests a meeting to discuss the problem and to offer our assistance with respect to Excel's Executive Committee. Also, possible alternatives to Beechum's initial inquiries should be included in this letter.

2. Inform Gandoff of the problem and ask him to intervene on your behalf. Whether this intervention is formal or informal will depend on Beechum's response to your letter and Gandoff's relationship with Beechum.

3. Correspondence between our various departments and our clients must be better coordinated to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future. Our department should review these documents to ensure that they are accurate, comprehensive and appropriate relative to our marketing strategies.

In reviewing this problem, I think the misunderstanding with Beechum can be clarified. In fact, given her general enthusiasm with Statstar, I think we can still secure Excel as a client. It is imperative that an apology and explanation be sent to Beechum immediately, and that we attempt to alleviate any problems she might have with her Executive Committee.

I hope this has explained what has transpired in leading Beechum to the wrong conclusions. If there is any other information you require or any actions that I can undertake in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I will transmit you a letter addressed to Beechum which reflects the strategy outlined above, and will await your instructions.

Assignment 2 - Sample A: Draft of Client Letter

STATSTAR Communications Network Inc.
2222 Corporate Park Drive
Chicago, IL 00000

December 4, 0000

Ms. Janet Beechum
Vice President
Planning and Development
Excel Tire Corporation
Toledo, Ohio 00000

Dear Ms. Beechum:

Thank you for your letter of November 26, 0000 and the invitation to represent Statstar at your Executive Committee meeting of December 12. We are very pleased that you share our enthusiasm about the features of our services and the benefits which Excel will realize.

Your past correspondence has indicated Excel's strong interest in combining various telecommunications such as telephone, fax, etc, into a single system and its desire to split transmission signals with its clients and tenants. Although both are technically feasible, they are not readily implemented, and I apologize for any confusion that we might have caused in not clarifying these issues earlier.

Combining similar types of signals is technically feasible, but it is not possible when some signals are digital and some analog. Our R&D division is working on a system which would combine different types of signals into just such a system, but we are still years away from developing a commercial version. We will be pleased to discuss this information with your committee at our December meeting.

Sharing of satellite transmissions with your tenants and clients through reselling the broadcast signals would violate federal law. However, for Excel's own buildings within a 20-mile radius of an installed Statstar dish, you can share your dish and signals with your tenants and clients so long as they purchase or rent these services from a legal distributor such as Statstar. Should your tenants or clients wish to establish their own satellite systems for commercial purposes, a federal license would be required which usually takes 6 to 8 months and costs approximately $500,000.

Since we are on a tight schedule with respect to your Executive Committee meeting, I propose that we meet sometime within the next 2 to 3 days to further discuss and clarify this matter. I will make myself and my staff available to respond to any questions you might have. Also, Peter Gandoff, our Vice President, will be available to attend this meeting and the December meeting.

I am certain that we can service all of Excel's needs with Statstar and our other data network capabilities. We are committed to a total package of service excellence for all of our clients. I look forward to constructing a mutually beneficial arrangement to meet your needs for today and tomorrow.

Thank you again for your interest, and my apologies for any confusion that may have arisen. I look forward to meeting with you at your earliest convenience and will call to arrange a mutually beneficial time later this afternoon.

Sincerely yours,

Robert Medley
General Manager, Business Services

Assignment 3 - Sample A: Client Letter Explaining Technical Information

STATSTAR Communications Network Inc.
222 Corporate Park Drive
Chicago, IL 00000

October 24, 0000

Janet Beechum
Vice President
Planning and Development
Excel Tire Corporation
Toledo, Ohio 00000

Dear Ms. Beechum:

Thank you for your letter of October 20. We enjoyed your recent visit and hope that you have received the printed materials you requested.

Your questions deal with two separate but related issues. I will provide you with a general answer to each question, but recommend that you contact Mr. J. Lumbar, coordinator of Technical Services ( tel. 000-0000), if you wish more technical information.

The question of sharing satellite dishes is one frequently asked by our clients. Statstar encourages its clients to share their dishes and signals between multiple buildings of their firm located within a twenty mile radius. Each dish's computer system has a pre-installed fiber optic network that facilitates this type of multi-point broadcasting. There is no additional charge for activating this feature of our system.

In the case of Excel Tire wishing to rent out dish space to outside clients, I am afraid that both federal law and Statstar's policy restrict such activity. Federal regulations control the sale and rental of satellite dishes and signal ports for commercial use. If Excel decided to establish its own satellite and operate a telecommunications service to external clients, you would be required to file for a federal license. This usually takes 6 to 8 months and costs approximately $500,000 for licenses and fees. Statstar's policy regarding the sharing of satellite transmissions with your tenants and clients is that such activity constitutes a reselling and competition with our services.

Your final question relates to the linking of different types of signals. Technically, combining similar signals such as analog with analog is feasible. Although our R&D division is working on a system which would combine different types of signals, at present it is not possible to combine analog with digital. In your letter you ask if these might be linked 'in the near future.' It is difficult to say precisely when a solution to this problem will be found, but you can be sure that Statstar will offer you the benefits of such advances when they occur.

At present Statstar must treat these different signals separately and provide independent channels on our satellites and at our base computers. So, although we cannot combine such signals on a single cable line, we can carry and deliver these signals to separate networks. I will be sending you our publication 'Statstar's Solution to the Digital Option' which provides a more detailed explanation of how we handle this.

If I can be of any further service please do not hesitate to contact me. My staff and I will be available to assist you as you prepare your proposal.

Sincerely,

Robert Medley,
General Manager, Business Services

Comments on Student Samples

Comments on Assignment 1 - Sample A: E-Mail Message

This sample directly asserts the key answer to the problem: Statstar failed to adequately answer Beechum's queries. The message covers some of the causes of the miscommunication with the client and proposes some solutions for saving the contract with Excel. Despite these positive qualities, however, the sample demonstrates the difficulties respondents find in developing an effective strategy for explaining to a self-confident superior (Medley) that he represents the major cause of the problem.

The "What went wrong" section recounts the key communication events, but except for Lumbar and his group, it does not clearly assign responsibility for the problems. The author leaves Medley "to read between the lines" regarding his own failure to check Lumbar's response to ensure that it met Beechum's information needs. The sample does not even address the critical issue of where responsibility lies in this department for answering client questions regarding the legality of splitting signals. Moreover, it does not note the ambiguity contained in Beechum's letter of October 20 which Medley should have pointed out to Lumbar. Indeed, Medley merely faxed Beechum's letter to Lumbar and never followed up on the communication with the client.

The recommendations section touches on several important points and provides some helpful solutions. All could benefit from more development and adaptation to the audience, however. First, the apology and explanation do not fully account for Beechum's awkward position with her Executive Committee nor the serious nature of Statstar's errors. Second, bringing in Gandoff to smooth things over may be wise, but Medley is unlikely to accept a move that could indicate he is not handling things well. Third, better coordination is clearly needed, but the causes for the problems need to be identified in order to solve them.

Presented in written report format to be transmitted electronically (rather than as an informal e-mail message), the sample is formal and distant in language, and fairly repetitive, especially in the later paragraphs.

Comments on Assignment 2 - Sample A: Draft of Client Letter

After a positive opening, the author corrects the client's misunderstandings and then offers a very mild apology for possibly contributing to the situation. The question is, after all that has happened, will this brief apology satisfy Beechum sufficiently to keep the contract negotiations on track. The explanation that follows is written in plain English and is relatively easy to understand. Although it provides little information on combining telecommunications, the complexity of that subject warrants postponing a full explanation until the face-to-face client meeting. Certainly, the constraints of sharing signals with Excel's clients and tenants should be clear to the client. Also, by bringing Gandoff into the picture without undermining Medley, the author creates a positive impression.

Comments on Assignment 3- Sample A: Client Letter Explaining Technical Information

This letter reflects a classic strategy for handling bad news. The author uses a positive tone and aids understanding by targeting the technical information to meet the needs of the client and explaining matters in plain English.

Since Gandoff had made it quite clear to Medley that Beechum is uncomfortable with highly technical language (see Figure 4), the author devotes attention to both satellite transmissions and signal splitting. Before delivering the bad news about each, the author stresses the positive by handling the sensitive issues of reselling satellite space directly and professionally and by clearing up the confusion regarding which signals can be combined and carried on a single cable. The author stresses that Statstar is working on finding a solution to this issue, and concludes positively by noting what Statstar can deliver at present.

Teaching Notes

Objectives

• To illustrate pitfalls of interpreting written communication on the basis of weak inferencing without verification.
• To demonstrate how ethical issues and power relationships are involved in decision-making and in applying persuasive strategies in business communication.

Communication Problem

At the heart of this case is a series of misunderstandings that arise when several members of one firm-without coordination or clear gatekeeping-attempt to communicate with a client. The case requires that students first discover the causes for such misunderstandings and then develop strategies for creating effective solutions, especially handling negative messages.

Learners must sift the written correspondence to draw inferences about what happened, the same process the case characters applied in reading the correspondence. Many ambiguitieslead to different interpretations. For example, Lumbar assumes that Medley will handle the legal issues, whereas Medley assumes Lumbar will handle both legal and technical concerns. Beechum's reference to "potential technical capability" is interpreted by Lumbar to mean future technical advances, not the nearly immediate capabilities Beechum seeks.

Difficulties of communicating across different discourse communities also play a role in the misunderstandings and offer opportunities to discuss dialects of English for different purposes and professions. The failure of Lumbar and the technical staff to translate their technical language does contribute to the problem with the client, although it is a less important factor than some learners might believe. Most significant is the behavior of Medley, the manager in the case. His typical behaviors, including false inferencing but also many small matters like failing to follow-up on communications and failing to pass on to others such important information as Beechum's antipathy to highly technical information, contributed greatly to the problem the company faces with the client. It is a real challenge to tell Medley who is very powerful and dedicated to finding fault elsewhere that he might be responsible for this state of affairs.

Potential Difficulties

Writing an e-mail to Medley raises issues of how e-mail genres may or may not differ from conventional paper communications. Whether in e-mail or on paper, writing an effective communication to Medley causes respondents difficulties because Medley represents the biggest contributor to the problem and his faults seem to characterize his standard behaviors.

Clearly, he does not suspect that he himself is the primary one "who dropped the ball" (Figure 2), both in terms of specific actions in the Excel situation and in the way he manages communications. Issues that engage respondents are whether to adopt a direct or an indirect approach with Medley; and whether Medley should get a quick rendering of the events and some swift solutions or a detailed explanation of all the contributing forces.

Writing to Beechum entails several major problems. While retaining the client's goodwill and securing the contract are the primary business objectives, devising strategies that will accomplish these goals is less clear. In fact, developing a sound persuasive strategy involves Medley's credibility with Excel. What is his ethical responsibility for the misunderstandings? Should he apologize strongly to Beechum? Will an apology help or hurt Statstar's chances for saving the Excel business? Different perspectives on apologies in terms of individual ethos based on gender, standards of business ethics, and the strategic goal of saving the contract can all impact communication decisions in this case. In addition to the apology issue, how open and direct should Medley be in describing the situation for Beechum? Some favor attempting to minimize fault and stress the positive; others advocate making a clean breast of all Statstar's errors. The issue of Beechum's awkward position with her Executive Board further complicates the situation. Might she desert Statstar and reveal everything to her Executive Committee, or would her professional reputation be too tarnished by such a move? Does Medley owe her some recompense for the damage done?