Bad news about transactions is always unwelcome and usually unexpected. These messages have three goals: Modify the customer's expectations regarding the transaction.Explain how you plan to resolve the situation.Repair whatever damage might have been done to the business relationship. The content and tone of each message can vary widely, depending on the nature of the transaction and your relationship with the customer. If you have not done anything specific to set the customer's expectations—such as promising delivery within 24 hours—the message simply needs to inform the customer, with little or no emphasis on apologies. If you did set the customer's expectations but you can’t meet them, your task is more complex. In addition to resetting the customer's expectations and explaining how you will resolve the problem, some messages may need to include an element of apology.