Reading Response Week 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOo-tG9q2h0&mode=related&search=
I found the reading from this chapter to be very insightful. One of the questions raised on the first page dealt with knowing what to write. This can be a difficult thing to do because there are so many different perspectives that need to be covered. You need to make your writing clear so that it is interpreted by everyone in the way you intended. Judging the way your listener will respond is an important thing to do. As mentioned in the reading, John F. Kennedy did a nice job addressing his audience when he gave his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in Germany. The speech was specific to the people of Berlin despite the double meaning of the phrase in areas outside of Berlin. I also thought that the checklist provided on page 13 provides a good strategy to follow when writing the business letter.
In regards to the Corporate Project, the audience being addressed is the passengers of the cancelled JetBlue flights. From both the Youtube video provided and the additional video I have found, the attitudes and experiences of these passengers can be better understood. It has become clear to me that these passengers were put through some rough conditions. For example, the video provided shows the passengers stranded in the airport terminal without anywhere to go. On top this, it is cold enough to see your own breath and breezy as well. The video (link provided above) does a great job showing the entire dilemma. These passengers were stuck onboard their flight for eight hours before returning to the terminal. Afterwards, it shows their journey to get home. They were constantly waiting in a line for something, whether it is information on how to get another flight home or a taxi to get to a hotel (which they were lucky enough to get). This video shows how they were bounced around from place to place without anywhere to go. It took them two days to get from JFK to California. They whole time they expressed that they just wanted to return home, but knew that there would be problems with delays and cancellations along the way. The guy filming the video always shows the people he is traveling with and states that they are mad.
I think the best strategy to address this audience is to remain apologetic. These passengers have been under a lot of frustration and would just like something to go right so they can be on their way. I would also like to take a tone that lets the people know that steps are being taken to insure that something as bad as this will not happen again and that they will be compensated for their bad experience. When writing the letter, I will remind myself to write clear and concisely. Getting straight to the point will show that the company is not trying to tiptoe around anything. It is taking blame for the situation and not putting off responsibility.
Comments
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I like how you were planning on writing your business letter. I intend on writing an apologetic letter, explaining to the JetBlue passengers that the events that occured in February would never happen again. I want to remain concise but use simple and repetitive language that is described in the Thomson Handbook. The checklist on page 13 is really good to help me to remind myself who Im writing to and why I am writing this letter. The questions that the checklist poses pretty much makes sure that you stay on track in order to keep the letter on topic. I also really like the youtube video you found. It helps to further strengthen the idea that the jetblue passengers were angry and annoyed with how their flights were going.
Reading Response (4) Comment
I think you make a valid observation about the video posted below. Not only were passengers forced to sit on planes for hours at a time or wait in the airport without any idea of what was going on for hours but they were faced with obstacles everywhere. Especially when attempting to get their luggage, cab, or hotel. It seemed to be one obstacle after another. I can only image how frustrating an experience that must have been. I am sorry that anyone had to go through that. Although, I would hope that if I were put in that situation I would make the best of it, but I would also expect the best from my airlines and the airport. It is hard to say how angry I would.
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I agree with you completely on the difficulty of figuring out what to write. As you mentioned it is very hard to cover everything the person that will take the time to read it wants to find out. You’re starting very good by understanding what is the purpose of the letter and most of all knowing the situation they had to go through. Apologetic by far the best way to go since is the only thing costumers that had suffered so much would be open to hear. One small advice, the tone in which you write the letter is very important since it will give them the idea of your reaction towards their situation. For example, the reaction I will try to ser my tone to in my letter is humbleness.