This case scenario will help you review the chapter material by applying it to a specific situation. For the past year, Miguel Ramirez has worked for his father$$s insurance agency, Ramirez & Associates Insurance. The small company has only five employees: Miguel and his father, Carlos; Melinda and Reggie, both senior associates; and Theresa, the office manager. On a Friday morning, Miguel opens the office and checks the company$$s voice mail. The first message is from his father, saying he won$$t be in today because he decided to leave for vacation one day early. The second message is from Reggie, reminding everyone that he will be out calling on clients. The third message, from Melinda, says that the insurance supplier she planned to visit next week requested that she come today instead, so she will be out of the office all day. The last message is from Theresa, the office manager, who says she has the flu and will not be in today. This leaves Miguel in charge. Miguel sits down at Theresa$$s computer and opens the central email for the office. He also glances at the stack of regular mail on Theresa$$s desk. Here is a summary of the $11$ messages he finds. In the Email$1.$ A notice from one of the insurance companies whose products Ramirez & Associates sells. The company has adjusted auto insurance rates and coverage for all customers in the state based on claims and costs from the previous year. These changes will affect almost all customers$\mathrm{.}2.$ A notice from another company that it will not renew the insurance for a customer who filed three claims during the past year$\mathrm{.}3.$ Two requests for insurance quotes from new customers$\mathrm{.}4.$ A request from a summer intern for a job recommendation$\mathrm{.}5.$ A request from a corporate client asking that Ramirez & Associates confirm the details of an insurance policy covering its fleet of $1,000$ cars$\mathrm{.}6.$ A notice that a customer$$s claim for wind damage to her garage will be completely covered by the insuring company, minus the$$250$ deductible$\mathrm{.}7.$ An email from Melinda asking someone in the office to place an order of office supplies with Office$-$To$-$Go$.$ She left the list of supplies on her desk, and she needs them by Monday. In the Regular Mail$8.$ Three insurance policies that need to be mailed to customers. These policies are complex, and the customers will not under$-$stand the details without a clear summary$\mathrm{.}9.$ An invitation addressed to Miguel$$s father, Carlos, asking him to speak at a college career night next month. The school requests a reply within $10$ days, and Miguel$$s father is not going to be back in the office for two weeks$\mathrm{.}10.$ A letter from the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, indicating that Carlos Ramirez has been nominated for the prestigious John Newton Russell Memorial Award, the industry$$s highest honor$\mathrm{.}11.$ A news re lease from Office$-$To$-$Go$,$ one of the major office equipment suppliers in the area. The company has been purchased by a larger corporation, which may affect pricing and delivery policies. The news release offers no details but raises many questions about whether Office$-$To$-$Go will remain competitive with other suppliers. Analyzing Tasks and Choosing the Best Medium Because Miguel is alone, he decides to spend the day following up on business leads, answering the phone, and responding to emails and letters. As a first step, Miguel uses the first phase of the ACE process to analyze his communication tasks using three criteria: Do others need the information quickly? Will the task be easy for me to do$,$ or should someone else handle it later? Is it in the business$$s best interest for me to answer quickly?

TASK $1$: Review the $11$ messages and prioritize each item by putting a $1$ next to those that must be handled today, a $2$ next to items that should be handled today if there is time, and a $3$ next to items that can wait. Then, for each item, do a quick analysis. Identify the purpose of Miguel$$s communication, the audience, and the best medium option: letter, memo, email, IM$,$ telephone, meeting, and so forth. Be prepared to explain your choices.