GRE Argument Topic 15

NOTE: The above topic has wording similar to Argument Tasks 48, 123, 124, 126 of this Website. However, if you read carefully you will notice that the topic and the task instructions are different. Hence, it is very important to read the topic as well as its instructions completely before you start to write your response.

Sample 1:

The business manager of Happy Pancake Restaurants reports that butter has been replaced with margarine at restaurants throughout the southwest. Customers have not been informed of the change, and, in fact, when customers of Happy Pancake request butter, they are given margarine instead. Based on what he concludes is a dearth of negative customer feedback, the business manager has determined that Happy Pancake customers either cannot distinguish butter from margarine, or that they use the two terms interchangeably. However, the manager’s conclusion may not be the only explanation for the observations noted.

First, the manager notes that only 2% of customers complained, and concludes, based on this figure, that 98% of customers are happy. That is not necessarily the case. It may be that 98% of customers are less than satisfied, but not dissatisfied to the degree that they feel it necessary to lodge a complaint. If a customer has enjoyed his breakfast, found his pancakes fluffy, his coffee strong, and his fruit fresh, and the only disappointment was a pat of processed margarine where he expected sweet, creamy butter, he might not be motivated to fill out a complaint card or summon a restaurant manager to engage in a lengthy diatribe. He might, however, tell a friend or neighbor, the next time they are discussing where to have breakfast that Happy Pancake seems to be “going downhill” and doesn’t even serve “real butter” anymore. The business manager will remain under the impression that this, and 98% of his customers are happy, but they are, in fact, growing slowly disillusioned with their once-favored breakfast spot.

Second, the manager points out that “a number of customers” who ask for butter do not complain when they receive margarine instead. That suggests that “a number of customers,” in fact, do complain, when they receive margarine. What is the difference between these two numbers? Are servers tracking these complaints and reporting them to the business manager, or is he basing this on anecdotal observations? Without more concrete information on the number of people who reject margarine when they’ve requested butter, the business manager cannot use this information to support his claim.

Based on the vague notion of “a number of customers” who do not react negatively to being duped when requesting butter and receiving margarine, the business manager has drawn two possible conclusions. The first is that people cannot tell the difference between the two substances. That may well be the case. Or, it may be the case that people simply cannot be bothered to recall a server, who may also appear very busy in a breakfast rush at a busy restaurant, to correct her error. Customers may assume the server has made an error in bringing them margarine. In some cases, that error may result in customers tipping their servers less.

The business manager’s second conclusion is that customers use the terms butter and margarine interchangeably to refer to either butter or margarine. This is perhaps the most far-fetched of his assumptions. He provides no evidence to suggest that Happy Pancake customers, in particular, are unable to distinguish between these two spreads, and since the colors and textures of the two foods are typically dissimilar, it seems unlikely that would be the case.

While the business manager may be trying to make a case to support discontinuing serving butter in Happy Pancake restaurants without impacting customers, he has not successfully shown that would be the case. What is more likely is that busy people are less likely to complain about a small part of their meal, such as butter or margarine, and that complaints made to servers are not being tracked accurately. The business manager would be better served to study this issue more closely before taking further action.

Sample 2:

The given argument draws the conclusion that the Happy Pancake House should replace butter by margarine in its restaurants in the southeast and northeast as this change has been successful in its restaurants in the southwestern part of the United States. The arguer presents some facts as evidence in proof of the claim that replacing butter by margarine has been successful throughout the southwestern United States. However, a careful scrutiny of the facts that have been presented shows that the said facts weaken the given argument instead of strengthening it. Each of the facts has been discussed in the succeeding paragraphs.

Firstly, the assumption that 98 percent of the consumers must be happy with the change is baseless because not complaining is not an indication that they are happy. They may not have complained due to varied reasons. They may not have been able to distinguish between the taste of butter and margarine. Even if they were able to distinguish the change, they probably did not complain as they thought that butter was perhaps not available. Additionally, one cannot ignore the fact that most people would avoid complaining for a trivial thing such as being served margarine instead of butter. However, there is a chance that if they are continuously served margarine instead of butter, they may stop coming to the restaurant altogether. This is because people who are used to having butter may not be open to the idea of having margarine in its place.

Secondly, the argument does not clearly state that the consumers are told that they have been served margarine instead of butter in spite of their asking for butter. They may not be complaining, but there is a chance that they would not like to come back to the restaurant again. If this change is being made without informing the customers and waiting to see their reaction, then there is a chance that this may adversely affect the image of the restaurant as the consumers may lodge a complaint that they were duped into eating something other than what they had ordered for. Therefore, assuming that people use the term ‘butter’ to refer to either butter or margarine can have serious repercussions if this assumption turns out to be false.

Lastly, nowhere in the argument, has the arguer explicitly discussed the prices of butter and margarine. Therefore, assuming that serving margarine will be cost-effective is far-fetched. Moreover, it is not necessary that what seems to be successful in one part of the country would be successful in the other part as well. This is because of the difference in the demographic make-up of different parts of the same country.

The argument could have been better substantiated had there been enough evidence that clearly supported the claim that consumers treat butter and margarine at par as far as their taste and quality is concerned. Also, there should have been more evidence in support of the claim that the consumers in the southeast and northeast parts of the country will react in a similar manner as the consumers in the southwestern United States. Therefore, the argument sounds unconvincing due to lack of sufficient evidence in support of the claim made.