How to Write a Bad News Business Letter
89Sometimes in business you simply cannot avoid writing a letter that has bad news. However, you can try to write the letter in such a way as to maintain a good relationship with the recipient, as well as breaking the bad news in the easiest way. You don’t want to burn any bridges in business, so it really is to your advantage to write an effective bad news letter.
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When writing the letter, your objectives should focus on:
- Minimizing damage to the relationship: Bad , news should not define the relationship.
- Showing that the decision is fair and reasonable: Imagine yourself in the reader’s shoes, and try to offer the best explanation possible.
- Stating the bad news clearly and firmly:
- Opening should have a buffer to minimize any damage to the relationship. Use a positive or neutral opening to maintain goodwill.
- Body should include reasons to help the reader see it from your point of view. You want to show that you are being both fair and reasonable. Be clear and firm about the bad news, but also be brief, positive, and low key about it.
- Closing should contain an appropriate gesture of goodwill, and perhaps a potential solution for the reader’s problem.
When writing your bad news business letter, use the Cheeseburger Structure:
Bad News Letter Example #1
Dear Bill,
Your invitation for me to act as chairperson for BCCJ’s upcoming Annual Auction Dinner is an honor. I enjoyed serving in that role last year. Your members are an excellent group with great ideas, and it was a privilege to work with them.
This year I am involved in developing a new department here at the clinic that is taking up all my time. As much as I would enjoy working with BCCJ again, I am afraid that I wouldn’t be able to give the duties the attention the project deserves.
Perhaps I may suggest one of my colleagues who would have the time to do the job the way it ought to be done. Give me a call if you are interested, and I will be happy to suggest some names for you. We want the industry to be well represented.
I wish you and the committee great success in achieving this year’s goal.
The letter was straight forward and polite. The writer provided an excellent reason for the refusal of the position, but also left the door open for a future relationship. As well, the writer provided a possible solution at the end.
Bad News Business Letter Example #2
Dear Ms. Hodges,
Thank you for ordering our professional Chinese wok set. You will find that wok-cooked foods are both delicious and quick to fix.
We have sent you an added bonus: 2 extra inches of cooking area, thanks to our supplier’s generosity. This 16-inch wok is more efficient than the advertised 14-inch wok. Now you can create Chinese meals with a professional flair with this package that includes cooking racks, chopsticks, a rice paddle, and a steel turner, in addition to a wok base and lid. To complete your collection, the skewers and cookbook will arrive by April 22.
Remember that Figby’s offers specialized items for all your cooking needs. Please stop by on May 10 for a free demonstration on preparing Japanese sushi. You may also want to take advantage of our special prices on Japanese cookware, which will only be available that week.
Sincerely,
Harry Figby
This bad news letter covers the fact that the wok Ms. Hodges ordered is not available by upgrading it to a better, bigger wok. As well, it is so positive in tone that the reader might not realize that the entire set she ordered hasn’t arrived on time, as two pieces of it will arrive later. This bad news letter did not focus at all on the negative, but delivered its message in a positive way. Harry Figby also extended an opportunity for a future relationship by informing Ms. Hodges of upcoming sales and events.
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Excellent hub Stacie!
I often have to deal with confrontation, and sometimes, it's EXTREMELY hard to start off in the positive, but you're absolutely right -- whenever I do things that way, the dialogue goes much smoother.
Great Hub! Great ideas! The organization of the letters really facilitates the point with professionalism, positiveness and flow. I like how you broke it down, then gave the two examples. Really well done.
I've used the approach of the second example many times--and its success really depends on the products you offer. Size, for example, is a very important feature for most people, and you should never assume that larger is better. In the second example, I'd first let the customer know that the product is unavailable and offer a solution - the larger product. Sending a product of different size without notice might create a lot of problems, especially with shipping, refunding, and losing goodwill no matter how positive you are.
Nice Hub. Nobody likes to hear bad news. I bet you are pretty good at the "breakup" speach too. LOL...
a very good, bad news letter. I really apreciate it. I would like to join ur fan club.You are needed in the business forum.
I am ur fan now.
I have written some hubs on business you may check this and advice.
Thanks,
Jyoti
i got a piece of bad news letter :-)
I liked the burger's example. Great example!
Thx! I like the cheeseburger structure
Hi Stacie! I teach Contemporary Business Communications for the University of Phoenix online, and we actually have an assignment related to this subject, which is why I chose to read this hub. You handled the subject impeccably well. As I would say to one of my students, you hit the ball out of the park!
Jim Henry, aka crashcromwell
Thanks Jim! Glad to hear others in the field find it applicable.
Stacie - great hub with a lot of useful information. I find myself having to write more of those bad news business letters lately. I'm going to keep the cheeseburger in mind!
Great and useful information. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Good Information. Great example...Thanks
Thanks for your useful information
Where i used to work we called the cheeseburger structure the s**t sandwich!
Thanks for the tips! Will come in handy!
These are great tips and it is very informative! Great hub
This hub gives the bad news in a good way, a great way to show how exactly to set out a "bad business letter", I have certainly learnt a bunch from the information you have provided on this page, thanks a lot!
Thanks for the key point to be more effective in writting.
How to Write a Bad News Business Letter
very good, I support you, come on , welcome to my hub!
Love the burger illustration. Really great hub.
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx i got what i want to know through the above sample
thanks for giving the best example.
great information. very useful.thanx
very great informations
hay thanks for such kind of information really its great
Really! if every bad news would be written on this format than there won't be damages in relationships..........
Good set of standard letters with which to draw from the next time I need to share some bad news.
thanks for given this information and i like burger example this is very easy.
good materials. it will do great help to us
great examples.... using it for my english notes. i see good marks comin my way
Good hub, loved the burger illustration, BUT; what about the lettuce???
Great example.. Thankyou!
i just want to know the reason why we should choose a beast way to tell a bad news
A VERY HELPFULL INFO . V.NICE
oh i got assignment of bad news thats why i like to remmeber the chees burger structure in my mind while delivering presentation on bad news letters.
thanks i got the main idea from example 1......
I like the communication style and good formatting.Useful Idea.
Thanks
It is a great help for me to unfortunately I have an exam of managerial communication, it helps since i couldnt get it on any books that I refered...
Thanks a lot
examples are good but not related to academic point of view.i need a sample of refusal letter from educational institute..............thanx
good idea
Quite useful,
Thanks
thanks,i learn a lot
very useful and very well written
Reading this i finally took a break from my job. This post just gave me a few minutes of relax =] I tried to find a rss feed on your site so that i could subscribe for some more. Ill be sure to come here more often from now on =]
Business Loan
I liked this article a lot. I feel that most the time people like to write about the things "we should do" and not the things "you shouldn't do". You did a great job here. Very useful - thanks!
i belive i saw that on the register today
Thanks, the cheesburger example has been helpful.
It's very useful advise. Thank you very much
it was awesome ,it really help us to answer the question of our mam
very thankful information i learn alot
I wouldn't do business with Figby's ever again. That "bad news" letter is garbage; obfuscation. How 'bout fessing up, just a little.
Thank the Lord I don't have to deal with people like that.
jzak Allah for very useful information and examples
thnx very useful
Hi, I deeply appreciate the cheese-burger example. It has made the content interesting, systematic, and easy to understand.
Thanks for sharing your scholarly ideas.
As previously mentioned, the second letter is very well written, but is not an ideal letter to send unless you know your recipient and their needs quite well. It is imperative to explain the situation to the customer, to keep them from feeling tricked or mislead. If I were to receive that letter, I would immediately know that something was wrong with my order, and would then have to reach out to get to the bottom of the issue - if it had been stated ahead of time, I would simply let the situation be.
This is obviously not true of every recipient, but during my time as a Sales Consultant and Sales Supervisor, I have seen enough emails and letters to know that many customers would send back an anxious or angry reply. Like the previous commenter said, size especially is often a huge factor in the purchase of an item, especially a kitchen item; the customer may need that specific size for their dishes or stove to, and may not appreciate feeling as though their order was disregarded and not listened to.
There are outstanding first example along with also second example bed news letter. it was very consequently words and proper form just like burger type position
Any sample on how to deliver a bad news email letter to customer who's device warranty expired?
thanks it help me allot in my studies
Very helpful post
Thank you very much
burger example is very usefull
gud example
Exellent example.all are good epecially the cheese burger formet is great.
thanks a lot for creative structure to share ....
Nice one some one will give 3 or 4 more examples ? if some have so please send it to e-mail address.
mohammad.nouman.lehri@gmail . thanks
ok dear mohammad nouman lehri i have nice bad news message and i will send to you providng that you add cridit in my account about $10. if you agree to do this so give me your response as soon as and i am waithing to you
thanks
stevemark122000 Level 2 Commenter 3 years ago
Very useful information, thanks