Rhetorical Simulation: Writing a Customer Letter Click Here to Begin
Scenario: You are paying your bills online and notice that one of your previous payments for your cell phone was misapplied. After searching, you realize that the company has no standard form or direct person listed for contact, only a general e mail for billing questions. You must write a short message to explain your problem and try to get the matter resolved. Given this set up choose the best opening paragraph for this piece from the three paragraphs below. Hey, There's a problem with my bill. You guys messed up where my payment is supposed to go and now you are billing me for the wrong service. I don't know what you were thinking when you did that, but you did, and now I need you to fix it. Dear members of the Billing Department, It is with great regret that I must inform you of a misapplication of my last payment to your company. I understand that such things happen, and I am hopeful that we may resolve this matter with the utmost care, respect and all due speed. Hello, I've noticed a problem with my cell bill last month. After looking though the My Help section on line, I was unable to find a form or other standard way of contacting your department. I hope that you will be able to help me.
You chose this paragraph. Now select another paragraph to go with it. Hey, There's a problem with my bill. You guys messed up where my payment is supposed to go and now you are billing me for the wrong service. I don't know what you were thinking when you did that, but you did, and now I need you to fix it. Ok, so, I made my regular payment, it's like, 70 bucks, wich is a lot of money and really hard to come up with every month never mind having to do it twice. And now I don't know what I am supposed to do about it, I mean seriously, you guys are a huge company and have a lot more money and time than I do. The least you could do is get my payment right. Seriously. From my careful analysis of this situation, I was able to glean that the standard payment of $70.43 seems to have been placed into the category your company so quaintly calls My Apps, which is a service I have never used and know nothing about. Perhaps I will use it at some future time, as it looks quite interesting, but as of this date, I have yet to avail myself of this particular service., My account number is B625893 04, and my cell number is 555 555 5555. It looks as if my regular payment of $70.43 was applied against the My Apps feature against future downloads, instead of to my regular payment. For reference: the payment was made with the card listed on file with your company.
You chose this paragraph. Now select another paragraph to go with it. Dear members of the Billing Department, It is with great regret that I must inform you of a misapplication of my last payment to your company. I understand that such things happen, and I am hopeful that we may resolve this matter with the utmost care, respect and all due speed. Ok, so, I made my regular payment, it's like, 70 bucks, wich is a lot of money and really hard to come up with every month never mind having to do it twice. And now I don't know what I am supposed to do about it, I mean seriously, you guys are a huge company and have a lot more money and time than I do. The least you could do is get my payment right. Seriously. From my careful analysis of this situation, I was able to glean that the standard payment of $70.43 seems to have been placed into the category your company so quaintly calls My Apps, which is a service I have never used and know nothing about. Perhaps I will use it at some future time, as it looks quite interesting, but as of this date, I have yet to avail myself of this particular service., My account number is B625893 04, and my cell number is 555 555 5555. It looks as if my regular payment of $70.43 was applied against the My Apps feature against future downloads, instead of to my regular payment. For reference: the payment was made with the card listed on file with your company.
You chose this paragraph. Now select another paragraph to go with it. Hello, I've noticed a problem with my cell bill last month. After looking though the My Help section on line, I was unable to find a form or other standard way of contacting your department. I hope that you will be able to help me. Ok, so, I made my regular payment, it's like, 70 bucks, wich is a lot of money and really hard to come up with every month never mind having to do it twice. And now I don't know what I am supposed to do about it, I mean seriously, you guys are a huge company and have a lot more money and time than I do. The least you could do is get my payment right. Seriously. From my careful analysis of this situation, I was able to glean that the standard payment of $70.43 seems to have been placed into the category your company so quaintly calls My Apps, which is a service I have never used and know nothing about. Perhaps I will use it at some future time, as it looks quite interesting, but as of this date, I have yet to avail myself of this particular service., My account number is B625893 04, and my cell number is 555 555 5555. It looks as if my regular payment of $70.43 was applied against the My Apps feature against future downloads, instead of to my regular payment. For reference: the payment was made with the card listed on file with your company.
Version 1 4 Hey, There's a problem with my bill. You guys messed up where my payment is supposed to go and now you are billing me for the wrong service. I don't know what you were thinking when you did that, but you did, and now I need you to fix it. Ok, so, I made my regular payment, it's like, 70 bucks, wich is a lot of money and really hard to come up with every month never mind having to do it twice. And now I don't know what I am supposed to do about it, I mean seriously, you guys are a huge company and have a lot more money and time than I do. The least you could do is get my payment right. Seriously.
Version 1 5 Hey, There's a problem with my bill. You guys messed up where my payment is supposed to go and now you are billing me for the wrong service. I don't know what you were thinking when you did that, but you did, and now I need you to fix it. From my careful analysis of this situation, I was able to glean that the standard payment of $70.43 seems to have been placed into the category your company so quaintly calls My Apps, which is a service I have never used and know nothing about. Perhaps I will use it at some future time, as it looks quite interesting, but as of this date, I have yet to avail myself of this particular service.
Version 1 6 Hey, There's a problem with my bill. You guys messed up where my payment is supposed to go and now you are billing me for the wrong service. I don't know what you were thinking when you did that, but you did, and now I need you to fix it. My account number is B625893 04, and my cell number is 555 555 5555. It looks as if my regular payment of $70.43 was applied against the My Apps feature against future downloads, instead of to my regular payment. For reference: the payment was made with the card listed on file with your company.
Version 2 4 Dear members of the Billing Department, It is with great regret that I must inform you of a misapplication of my last payment to your company. I understand that such things happen, and I am hopeful that we may resolve this matter with the utmost care, respect and all due speed. Ok, so, I made my regular payment, it's like, 70 bucks, wich is a lot of money and really hard to come up with every month never mind having to do it twice. And now I don't know what I am supposed to do about it, I mean seriously, you guys are a huge company and have a lot more money and time than I do. The least you could do is get my payment right. Seriously.
Version 2 5 Dear members of the Billing Department, It is with great regret that I must inform you of a misapplication of my last payment to your company. I understand that such things happen, and I am hopeful that we may resolve this matter with the utmost care, respect and all due speed. From my careful analysis of this situation, I was able to glean that the standard payment of $70.43 seems to have been placed into the category your company so quaintly calls My Apps, which is a service I have never used and know nothing about. Perhaps I will use it at some future time, as it looks quite interesting, but as of this date, I have yet to avail myself of this particular service.
Version 2 6 Dear members of the Billing Department, It is with great regret that I must inform you of a misapplication of my last payment to your company. I understand that such things happen, and I am hopeful that we may resolve this matter with the utmost care, respect and all due speed. My account number is B625893 04, and my cell number is 555 555 5555. It looks as if my regular payment of $70.43 was applied against the My Apps feature against future downloads, instead of to my regular payment. For reference: the payment was made with the card listed on file with your company.
Version 3 4 Hello, I've noticed a problem with my cell bill last month. After looking though the My Help section on line, I was unable to find a form or other standard way of contacting your department. I hope that you will be able to help me. Ok, so, I made my regular payment, it's like, 70 bucks, wich is a lot of money and really hard to come up with every month never mind having to do it twice. And now I don't know what I am supposed to do about it, I mean seriously, you guys are a huge company and have a lot more money and time than I do. The least you could do is get my payment right. Seriously.
Version 3 5 Hello, I've noticed a problem with my cell bill last month. After looking though the My Help section on line, I was unable to find a form or other standard way of contacting your department. I hope that you will be able to help me. From my careful analysis of this situation, I was able to glean that the standard payment of $70.43 seems to have been placed into the category your company so quaintly calls My Apps, which is a service I have never used and know nothing about. Perhaps I will use it at some future time, as it looks quite interesting, but as of this date, I have yet to avail myself of this particular service.
Version 3 6 Hello, I've noticed a problem with my cell bill last month. After looking though the My Help section online, I was unable to find a form or other standard way of contacting your department. I hope that you will be able to help me. My account number is B625893 04, and my cell number is 555 555 5555. It looks as if my regular payment of $70.43 was applied against the My Apps feature against future downloads, instead of to my regular payment. For reference: the payment was made with the card listed on file with your company.