Required intormation

Denying a Request for a Reduced Rate

Denying a customer's request is not generally a pleasant job$-$especially when the customer is one of your best and one whom you have worked well with. Your goal in this activity is to use the indirect pattern to refuse the request while retaining the customer's goodwill and business.

Read the case and answer the questions that follow.

You have been with Kiel Office Supplies for less than six months, but Milo Khang is already one of your favorite customers. Not only does Milo purchase all of his small business's office supplies from you, but he also purchases copy machines, computers, printers, and other office equipment. Before you began work with Kiel, the person who was previously in your position gave Milo a large discount on a service agreement contract $(47$ percent$).$ The service agreement is about to expire, and Milo emailed you to ask about an even larger discount this year $(50$ percent$),$ saying his business has been slow lately and his revenues much less than last year's.

You sympathize with Milo, but you are not able to give him such a large discount. Instead, you generated a price quote for him matching the previous year's discount. Now you have to respond to Milo's email.

You know he will be disappointed. You genuinely like Milo, and you think he is hoping your good relationship will lead you to agree to his request. Your denial of his request will likely be a shock, so you decide to use the indirect approach in your email to him.

What is your relationship with Milo, and how will this relationship affect the tone of your message?