ARGUMENT179 求拍~~~

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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."


In this argument the writer suggests that the Cedar Corporation should not rehire the Good-Taste Company as the employee cafeteria for the reasons that it is the second expensive one in the city and has a record of increasing its prices for the last three years; besides, some employee complained about the company for its terrible service. Therefore, the author proposes the replacement of Good-Taste with Discount Foods Company will be a much better choice since the company supplies nice foods and lower prices.

However, once take a scrupulous look at the argument, you may find out that there are not sufficient reasoning in this argument to make it convincible. First of all, even if Good-Taste is secondary to the most expensive caterer in the city, its price may be located on the same level as the third expensive caterer and merely overcoming other relatively cheap caterers marginally, but supplies with much better services and versatile genres of dishes. Consequently, the lacking the realistic statistics of price leaves some points for doubt, much less to make a full comparison with other cafeterias in price and services.

Secondly, although it is true that the prices of Good-Taste are increasing year by year, we are not informed whether there is maybe inflation all over the country, which will definitely causes substantial rises in prices. If so, perhaps the Good-Taste had no choice but to levy the price in order to keep pace with the food industry in the city. However, there is no evidence in the argument concerning that the Good-Taste in the sole one that has its prices increased. Even Good-Taste increase its prices, perhaps the company would take a discriminated price policy by significantly increase some luxurious dishes and keep some ordinary dishes almost at the same prices in that most of its original customers will be attracted and satisfied. And there is not evidence that the company is going to heighten its price during the next months. In fact, when it comes to the explanation that why the Good-Taste lifted its prices during the last three months or whether it is proper to elevate the price, the arguer kept silence or unconsciously ignored some important fact.

Thirdly, the conclusion of the arguer based on another fact that three employees had showed their unsatisfactory in their complaints about Good-Taste. Compare with the whole number of the Cedar Corporation, three persons maybe marginal. And what was their unbearable experience like? Evidently, the argument lacks further details. Maybe the employees had some responsibilities on the issue such as they did not clarify their needs and the dishes were delayed. Even if the waiter or waitress is too blamed for absent-minded, bad-tempered or so, the rest of the waiters or waitresses are really delightful and competent, and the company is well-known for high quality services. Additionally, it is unnecessary and impossible for everyone to be fond of special diets, perhaps there are only fewer people who go in for special diets.

Besides, even if the Good-Taste is rather worse beyond imagination, Discount Company may not be the best choice. Apparently, the arguer prefers the Discount and is impressed with the sample meal offered by Discount Company and its diverse menu. However, these two factors do not necessarily lead to the fact that Discount accommodates excellent services everyday. The sample lunch may be deliberately arranged and cooked. Moreover, perhaps most of the Cedar Corporation employees are vegetarians and do not favor fish and poultry at all. Since there are maybe other better alternatives available, it is possible that Discount Foods will cause unsatisfactory among the employees.

All in all, to choose the Good-Taste or not depends on whether it offers better services cater to the needs of the employees,
in other words, whether the employees are satisfied with its services. However, there is no sufficient supporting evidence supplied by the arguer. Thus we have no idea about whether Good-Taste should be rehired. Only after an overall investigation about the employees on their satisfaction of capacity of the Good-Taste can the arguer make a substantiated conclusion. Accordingly, there are still some crucial statistics and facts left to be collected.