Reading Response 4
I really liked this reading. It gave me a really good perspective on writing. I never thought of considering what kind of environment the reading will be in when they read the document. I have a major problem with find the right words to use while I am writing. I really liked the different aspects of context mentioned on page 8.It give me a much clearer idea of what all I should keep in mind while writing. These are things you know, but actually having a list makes it easier to remember and ensure that you kept the aspects in mind while writing. The most helpful part is the project checklist. I am much more confident about what to address in my writing after this weeks reading.
As far as the Jet Blue crisis goes, these passengers are really angry. I don't think they are looking for an explanation as much as an apology. They want to know that the company is doing something to compensate for all the inconvenience was caused. I think that is most important! I saw a video on you tube, about these 4 guys who were at the JFK airport for over 2 days. From this video I could tell that the guys knew why there was such a problem. I think they want an apology and compensation. On the other hand, the link form our class website to the you tube video, those passengers were angry that they were being kept at the airport, they would need an explanation and an apology and compensation. Even on the video from Bill O'Rilley, the customers on the show were angry, so in that case again it is important to concentrate on the apology and the explanation and the steps jet blue is taking to improve.
I think this reading has changed my perspective on writing; I am quite exited about writing the letter now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOo-tG9q2h0&mode=related&search=
Comments
Response
I also enjoyed the reading. The checklist will help a lot to make sure you get your point across. The concepts of context and being concise will really help us as we complete the corporate communication project. As for the JetBlue situation, I think you have completely right. The customers seem very upset and want communication. An apology will be key in the letter. They will also be looking for compensation like you said. It is important that you keep the letter in context. By keeping the customer’s feelings and situations in mind, you will be able to write a very effective letter that will hopefully gain back the trust of customers.
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I agree that the reading was interesting. I too had never thought that the environment in which someone would read a letter would affect my writing. The checklist does help a lot, I find myself making lists all the time to keep myself in order so having another list to follow is really helpful, especially when it comes to writing the jetBlue letter. I found the same feeling among the passengers I found videos for. Everyone is very angry, and the best approach is to be apologetic. These customers want to hear that jetBlue was wrong and that they will compensate these customers somehow. As long as you address these issues within the business letter, it should be fairly effective amongst this audience.
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It is very important to know your audience when writing any business text. It was helpful to be provided phrases and words to try to avoid when writing. I know that when I write I happen to use some of these phrases, but did not know it really was a problem until I read through chapter one. It makes more sense to keep the sentences down to the minimal amount of words that still make sense. I'm sure nobody wants to spend a long time reading something when the point could be made in just a couple minutes. This chapter is helpful for all of our writing even when we finish this class.
I think you are taking the right approach for your letter too. The consensus of passengers seems to be anger and that is their biggest emotion. JetBlue should feel like they are in debt to all their clients and they should take all efforts to make it up to them. JetBlue should provide compensation as well as a guarantee a similar event will never take place. Neeleman must realize he made the mistake and take the blame for it. It is easy to place the blame on something or someone else, but he should not take this approach. If you use the idea in you response towards the letter you will write, it should be very effective.
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I too think that the reading was pretty resourceful. Even I have the same problem of finding out that perfect word that will blend with the situation but by the time I think of the word I totally loose the track of what I was writing. The chapter stresses a lot on using the right vocabulary according to the reader, the circumstances and various other factors which we just dont consider while writing.
About the audience analysis I totally agree that majority of the people were frustrated with the way the cisis was handled by the jetBlue staff. I think that the only way the company can win the trust of the customers back is not just provide them with compensation stated on the bill of rights but something more which will make clear in their minds that the company does realize the misery they went through and care for them.
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I think you were right in saying that the customers who endured the JetBlue crisis are looking for an explanation and an apology. They are also going to be expecting a reasonable compensation. I also watched the YouTube video about the four guyswho were stuck in the airport for over 2 days. And after all the time spent waiting in the airport, I think they deserve a generous compensation. I think being honest and sincere with the customers will go a long way. Showing that JetBlue understands their mistakes will definitely help to win back the trust of their customers.
Reading Response Comment
The reading was also very intesting to me. There are a lot of little things that go into letter writing, that I did not realize were so important. The steps are very important in making sure you include everything, they also help to keep your thoughts organized. Many times while writing you can get off track but I think the steps will be very helpful. The reading also helped me to understand that every letter must take a different tone depending on the audience you approaching. I know that while writing my letter I was very sincere, but other letters may take different tones.
I also can relate now after
I also can relate now after the reading how important it is to consider the type of environment and state of mind something is read in. It definitely plays a part in how someone will react the reading. The vocabulary profoundly influences the way they interpret the information.
In response to your comment on the JetBlue crisis, I can also agree that the passengers are not looking for an explanation, but instead want to know how they will be compensated and what changes will be implemented. After such a disaster, these passengers don't need another explanation of the incident in a letter. It would too redundant and they don't want to relive the experience.
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I really liked the reading too. I also found page 8 very helpful to have a clearer idea about the context. As you said, I learned how important the context was but still had a difficulty in describing the context actuall on business letter since how to construct the effective context was still vague to me. The lists on page 8 helped me with this problem. I also liked the check list on page 13. It more clearly gives a guideline to construct the appropriate context of business writing.
I liked the video you found. That was the same one I found for my research too. I think that video clearly shows how the jetBlue’s customers experienced inconvenience during the storm. In the video, he and his 3 friends were mad at the delay of customer service and no clear announcement about the situation. I think it is very important that jetBlue shows its deep understanding of those inconvenience to assuage the customers’ anger .