Professional Business Letter (Please fulfill all the requirements below)

Purpose         

While the ever-evolving technology is enabling faster methods of exchanging information, the business letter remains the foundation of all business communication. Professionals are expected to understand and apply the standard business letter formats in their written correspondence with internal and external audiences. Among the most difficult letters to write are those that inform the reader of bad news. No one likes to receive bad news, and keeping the good-will of the recipients can be a challenge.   

Your Task:       

You are the owner of Right-On-Time Construction, specializing in office remodeling and build-out. About a month ago, your company got a contract from Successful Financial Services to update their new office space. Their current office space is extremely crowded due to the hiring they have done over the last two years. The owner found a much larger space, and your company is remodeling this new space with fresh paint, new carpeting, and installation of office workstations. In addition, you have arranged for the heating and air conditioning systems to be replaced. You originally promised that the space would be ready for employees to move into by November 11. Until yesterday, the project has been on schedule with the walls painted, carpeting installed, and the new heating and air conditioning units installed.

Unfortunately, you just got word from your project supervisor about a serious problem with the project. This morning, something malfunctioned in the new main air conditioning unit and caused a small fire in the blower motor which caused smoke damage throughout the new space. Luckily, the fire was put out before any serious damage occurred, but it does mean that the freshly painted walls will have to be repainted and the newly installed carpeting cleaned or possibly replaced if cleaning does not remove the smoke odor. It also means a new air conditioning unit has to be ordered and installed. Luckily, the new furniture had not yet been installed, but the other repairs have to be done before that can happen.   

The insurance company for the air conditioner supplier will replace the unit at no cost and will also cover the smoke damage repairs, but this means a substantial delay in the move-in date. The new completion date will not be until Monday, November 27. You know your customer is not going to be happy with this delay, but this was beyond your control, and you are doing the best you can to get the project done as soon as possible.

Your task is to prepare a letter to John Smith, owner of Successful Financial Services letting him know of this disappointing information. Make up a fictional return address for yourself and a fictional address for Mr. Smith.

Note: It is OK to add minor details that make sense if you want to offer a "silver lining." (Silver linings are not necessary, however.) In other words, you can make up some logical details about the delay, as long as you do not change the details of the letter assignment. However, you should not go as far as doing something like offering a large discount on the project invoice or throwing inexpensive additions to the project.

Date your letter November 6, 2017.

Criteria for Evaluation         

*Demonstrates responsiveness to the audience’s subject knowledge, attitudes, interests, and values as well as the purpose and occasion.

*Employs format specifications detailed in the “Your Task” section of this assignment description.

*Incorporates effective language for the audience, purpose, and situation.

*Utilizes the appropriate organizational pattern for the message’s purpose.

*Reflects professional communication standards including tone, grammar, and overall writing standards.