Responding to the Letter of Complaint

also called Adjustment Letters A response letter provides the answers or information requested in a letter of inquiry. The objective is to satisfy the reader with an action that fulfills their request. a written response by a representative of a business or agency to a customer's claim letter. a letter in answer to a complaint letter. The answer may either be a refusal or a grant.

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Responding Letter to the letter of complaint must be:

State that the claim is to be honored and say when. Explain how the error was made. Express regret that the errors occurred and that the address was inconvenienced.

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The Purpose of Responding to a Letter of Complaint

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To inform the reader that actions are being taken against the wrong doing as well as it serves as a legal document acknowledging the complaint. Encourage the customer to continue buying other goods from you To inform the reader that their complaint has been received. It is also a legal document recording what decisions were made and what actions have or will be taken. Keep in mind that your reader has been inconvenienced. This is a prime goodwill building opportunity. Everybody makes mistakes and when a business owns up to one it goes along way to renewing the customer's confidence in a continued business relationship.

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Complaints should not be negative because they can serve as a means of discovery and correcting poor service. It is also a chance to win back the goodwill of the complainant.
To maintain a long term relationship with your customer or client. To offer brief description of the cause of dissatisfaction and prepare the necessary action.

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Parts and Features

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Letter Heading / Company logo

Address Details Tel. Details Fax Details Email Address

Reference Number: Date Customer Address Details Dear xxxx, Re: First Paragraph

Second and Subsequent Paragraphs

Closing Paragraph Yours sincerely,

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 First Sample Paragraph

I was most concerned to receive your letter dated _____________ regarding__________

Main Body Sample Paragraph Respond to each issue raised in this part of your letter... Apologise when appropriate... Show empathy - I appreciate how frustrating Emphasize what you have done or can do... The company aims to consistently deliver a professional service to our customers and I would like to state that on this occasion the level of service you received was unacceptable.
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Closing Sample Paragraphs Create the correct lasting impression the last thing you say, will be the first thing the customer remembers Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention and that you will have no further cause for any complaint in relation to our service. I apologize for the annoyance that this may have caused to you. The company is actively working to improve service levels and your feedback has proved to be invaluable.

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1090 Peachtree Lane, #4 Atlanta, GA 30303 404/555-3030 Ms. Judy Gallagher Atlanta Board of Education 45 Peachtree Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30303 Dear (Customer Name), Thank you for taking the time to communicate to us why our (product / service) did not meet your expectations. We wish to address your needs and provide the best solution available to resolve your issue as soon as possible. We will be in contact with you in the coming days to make our best attempt in re-establishing your confidence in our company. We will further evaluate how we can prevent this problem from occurring again in the future. Please accept our sincerest apology for any trouble or inconvenience we have caused you. Once again, we appreciate your feedback as it will assist us in becoming better at what we do. As with any business like ours, the greatest advertising we can have is word of mouth from a satisfied customer. Its our goal to retain you as a satisfied customer and we hope to serve you again in the future. Yours sincerely, XYZ

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Ever long Batteries 171 Chui Hung Road Hung Hon, Hong Kong Tel/Fax 2235 2449 8 Aug 2011
Mr J Wong Purchasing Officer Fortune Goods 317 Orchard Road Singapore Dear Mr Wong Please accept our apologies for the error made by our company in filling your order no. 2639/L dated Wednesday, 3 August 2011. You ordered 12,000 size Ultra super-long-life premium batteries, but our dispatch office sent 1,200. This was due to a typing error. The balance of 10,800 batteries was dispatched by express courier to your store this morning and will arrive by Monday, 15 August 2011. Since we value your business, we would like to offer you a 10% discount off your next order with us. We look forward to receiving your further orders and assure you that they will be filled correctly. Yours sincerely David Choi Distributions Manager

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Tips in Writing an Adjustment Letter

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Tip1. Know What are you writing for?

To write a great letter you have to be in the right frame of mind. Are you writing to handle a complaint, answer a query or to thank them for placing an order? Framing the letter in the right context means you will use the appropriate language and the tone will be right. Try writing a thank you letter as if you are responding to a complaint the message is totally different. Before putting pen to paper, think for a minute and decide what your aim or goal is.
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Tip 2. State your purpose Start off by summarizing why you are writing. Open your letter by saying that you are responding to a query, or to resolve a problem they have had. This set out to the reader why you are contacting them and puts them in the right frame of mind to accept your message. An opening summary will grab their attention.

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Tip 3. Include a W.I.I.F.M. No, this is not some obscure radio station! WIIFM stands for Whats in it for me? To truly engage your customer and get them on your side, you have to include a benefit for them. They have to get something out of your letter so they feel satisfied. What could their WIIFM be? Their complaint may be resolved; they may get a discount voucher; a priority service the next time they use you. If the compliant is a minor one, a simple, heartfelt apology may be enough! Study your letter carefully and make sure you have a WIIFM moment.
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Tip no.4 Dont say I

Wherever possible, avoid littering your letter with Is. The reader will find it hard to link with you if they receive me, me, me letters. Review your letters and wherever possible substitute I with you. Change the focus to the reader. Make them feel valued.

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Tip no.5 Write as you speak Your writing style should reflect the way you talk. After all, providing good customer service is partly down to how you interact or communicate with your client and letters play an important role. review your letters and get rid of those phrases you learnt in school letter-writing lessons!

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Tip no.6 Please do this Having written a great letter, you dont want it to tail off into nothing. Have a clear action-orientated close. Make sure your reader knows what you expect him to do next call me so we can discuss this idea in more depth, Fill in the attached form and pop it in the post, send me an order (a bit strong perhaps but certainly to the point!). A resounding call-to-action is a great way to finish a letter and leaves the customer in no doubt what he has to do next another element of good customer service.
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Tip no.7 Ask someone to check your letter

If you are writing a very important letter or one containing a complex message, its wise to ask someone to proof read it. This is not just to check your spelling but also to check readability. Is the structure of the message you wish to convey clear and understandable? Youll be amazed by what someone else will pick up which you have completely missed!
So, there you have it. Some useful tips on how to write a superb letter, which will further enforce your image of providing exceptional customer service.

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Dos and Donts when writing a response to letter of complaint

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Dos
Do mention the problem. Do greet the person complaining. Do assure the person that the complaint has been heard and that you want to work with the person to find a solution. Do respond to complaints, even if no solution has been found.
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Don'ts
Don't be condescending. Don't use technical jargon. Don't make promises. Dont be rude or dismissive.

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END

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