The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of a food distribution company with food storage warehouses in several cities.” Recently, we signed a contract with the Fly-Away Pest Control Company to provide pest control services at our warehouse in Palm City, but last month we discovered that over $20,000 worth of food there had been destroyed by pest damage. Meanwhile, the Buzzoff Pest Control Company, which we have used for many years in Palm City, continued to service our warehouse in Wintervale, and last month only $10,000 worth of the food stored there had been destroyed by pest damage. Even though the price charged by Fly-Away is considerably lower, our best means of saving money is to return to Buzzoff for all our pest control services.”

The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of a food distribution company with food storage warehouses in several cities.

“Recently, we signed a contract with the Fly-Away Pest Control Company to provide pest control services at our warehouse in Palm City, but last month we discovered that over $20,000 worth of food there had been destroyed by pest damage. Meanwhile, the Buzzoff Pest Control Company, which we have used for many years in Palm City, continued to service our warehouse in Wintervale, and last month only $10,000 worth of the food stored there had been destroyed by pest damage. Even though the price charged by Fly-Away is considerably lower, our best means of saving money is to return to Buzzoff for all our pest control services.”

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The vice president of the company wants to save money by switching pest control services. He assumes that theFly-Away Pest Control Company is more expensive than Buzzoff Pest Control, and that Fly-Away’s less expensive service will save money over Buzzoff’s. He also assumes that the warehouses in the Palm City and Wintervale areas are comparable. But, the assumption is that Fly-Away’s service will save money. This is not always the case, and, in fact, may not even be true in the future. If it is not true, then switching to Fly-Away will be costly, so the vice president of the company needs to take these assumptions into account before making such a decision.

In the case of this food company, the warehouses are located in different states, and it is not possible to compare the cost of pest control services between the two shops. The warehouses in Palm City and Wintervale deal with completely different commodities, and, therefore, require different pest control services. The warehouses in Palm City handle produce, meat, and other perishable items, and pest infestations pose an immediate threat to these products. Pests in the Wintervale warehouse deal mostly with insect infestations in stored grains, and pest damage in warehouses such as this may not pose an immediate threat to these products. The effectiveness of the pest control services also depends on pest populations. If the Fly-Away Pest Control Company is replacing Buzzoff, then the company’s current pest control service may be ineffective, and an increased amount of pest damage may occur. If the Buzzoff Pest Control Company has been servicing the company’s warehouses for a number of years, then the company may have built up a tolerance to the pests and may require more pest control services.

The vice president of the company assumes that the warehouses in Palm City and Wintervale are comparable. But, there are no guarantees that the new pest control service will save money. A pest control service in one area may require more frequent services than the same service in another area, or it may require less services. If the company’s warehouses in Palm City need more pest control services than those in Wintervale, then the services of Fly-Away may prove more expensive than those of Buzzoff. On the other hand, if Fly-Away’s service is less thorough, then the company may save money on pest control services.

The vice president of the company also assumes that the Fly-Away Pest Control Company is more expensive than the Buzzoff Pest Control Company. This assumption also appears in the memo, but it is generalized. The vice president of the company does not know the exact cost of the services, and, therefore, cannot compare the cost of these two companies. In order to make an informed decision, the vice president of the company needs to compare the costs of these two companies, as well as the costs of the pest control service in the warehouses in Palm City and Wintervale. The vice president of the company needs to consider not only the cost of the services, but also the cost of the equipment and personnel required to deliver the services. The vice president of the company also needs to consider the fact that Fly-Away’s service may be less effective than that of the Buzzoff Pest Control Company, and, as a result, may end up costing the company more money in the long run.

The vice president of the company needs to consider the various assumptions he has made before switching pest control companies. If the assumptions are not true, then the new service will be more costly than the old service. If the assumptions are correct, however, then the savings may be substantial. The company may also need to compare the pest control services in the warehouses in Palm City and Wintervale. If those warehouses require different services, then the vice president of the company may need to reconsider his choice of companies.

Weird Al Yankovic, in his song ‘Yoda,’ sang, “The force is strong in this one, let me tell ya,” as his parody of the Star Wars theme song. The force is strong in this one, and we must harness it in order to make sound decisions.