The following memorandum is from the business manager of Happy Pancake House restaurants."Recently, butter has been replaced by margarine in Happy Pancake House restaurants throughout the southwestern United States. This change, however, has had little im

The argument with conclusions that 98 percent of customers like the change from butter to margarine, and that customers can't distinguish butter from margarine or they may use the term butter to refer to margarine or butter is rather weak. It is based on the premises that only about 2 percent or customers have complained about the change, and that many customers don't complain about the mistreat that they are given margarine while asking for butter. However, there are many alternative explanations that can rival the proposed one, as explained in the following paragraphs.

First, the explanation about the fact that 2 percent of customers complain about the change from butter to margarine is weak. The deduction in the statement is that most of the customers are happy. It may be true, providing that people expressing no comment simply accept it without discontent at least. On the other hand, if we view the fact that many people with dissatisfaction in mind could just keep it and doesn't speak out loud, the deduction in the argument will be invalid.

Moreover, the explanation about that either customers can't distinguish butter from margarine or they may use the term butter to refer to margarine or butter is shaky. The hidden assumption is, similar to the previous one, no complaint means happiness and satisfaction. Even though it is widely used in the argument, it is rather weak, since there is also a high possibility that people just don't complain about their mistreat. If, on the contrary, people with such mistreat keep the horrible quality of service in mind, deciding for themselves that they will never step in the restaurant for their long lifetime, what will be the outcome? The income will surely drop as number of customers, and, finally, the end of the business.

Furthermore, there is some important missed evidence whether the income is increasing, or decreasing. The evidence is very crucial, meaning the rate of contentment of the business, hidden though. If the income is increasing, then the conclusion might be right. On the other hand, if the income just drop, leaving the board of the company in panic, the manager possibly bury the essential facts in the earth, for some unknown purposes. The conclusion, as a result, will all be in vain.

In the end, the argument is rather weak. It has many alternative explanations as discussed above. Therefore, it is hard to accept the aspect in the argument as truth. Leave the memorandum until further proofs.