NTL小组 第三次作业 A179 by fortuneClaire

fortuneClaireUID: 2649935

TOPIC: ARGUMENT179 - The following is a memorandum written by the director of personnel to the president of the Cedar Corporation.

"It would be a mistake to rehire the Good-Taste Company to supply the food in our employee cafeteria next year. It is the second most expensive caterer in the city. In addition, its prices have risen in each of the last three years, and it refuses to provide meals for people on special diets. Just last month three employees complained to me that they no longer eat in the cafeteria because they find the experience 'unbearable.' Our company should instead hire Discount Foods. Discount is a family-owned local company and it offers a varied menu of fish and poultry. I recently tasted a sample lunch at one of the many companies that Discount serves and it was delicious-an indication that hiring Discount will lead to improved employee satisfaction."
WORDS: 458
TIME: 01:00:00
DATE: 2009/6/30 14:32:20

In this memo, the director suggest that the Cedar Corpration(CC) should hire Discount Foods instead of their current food supplier the Good- Taste Company(GTC). It seems a hasty conclusion, because the director only give several untenable evidences to support his point. The author pointed out GTC is the second expensive caterer in the city without any comparisions with other caterers, and he cited a three- employees complain as a evidence. Finally he used his subjective experience as an example, trying to convince me that the quality of Discount Foods was good and thus would improve employee satisfaction.
First of all, the expensive price can not be a reliable reason that the Cedar Coporation should not hire the Good-Taste Company. The price cannot be the only criterion to assess their food. One reason for the high price may be the food and severces the GTC provides are superior to other copanies, hence the fame of it deserves it. Another reason is that the high quality of the food is worth of the price. And The soaring price may not be caused by the company. It could be the recession of the economy and the accompanying currency inflation. Without the comparison with other food companies, the author cannot assume that the rising price is unreasonable.

Second of all, only three employees complained about the GTC. They said the experience is "unbearable", but the author did not tell me more details. Perhaps it was not the food problem, maybe it was the cafeteria's surrounding problem. It is unfair to infer that the GTC is bad. And this sample is too small to represent all empolyees’ opinion. Without showing this sample is representive, the author can not convince me the GTC should not be hired.

Third of all, even assuming that the food of the GTC is terrible, it is unfaire to assume that Discount Foods should be hired. The author tried to convince me by his/her own experience, which was a sample lunch he/she tasted there. Firsty, it was a subjective opinion of himselfe/herself. Secondly, it was a sample lunch, which usually the sample food is used to attract the customers. Thirdly, without comparing to other cafeterias, it is hard to show why the CC should hire Discount Foods as substitute. It lacks of evidence to prove the quality and the safety of the food and the satisfactoriness of Discount Foods service.


In summary, the proposal of the author cannot convince me the CC should hire Discount Foods instead of the GTC, without rulling out all the aspects of Discount Foods, such as the quality, the safety, the price, the service and the comparison of other cafeterias. Hence we need a comprehensive survey and a strong analysis on this issue before the final conclusions are made.