LETTER OF COMPLAINT & ADJUSTMENT

BES 2053 (ENGLISH PROFICIENCY VI)BY:

NUR NAIMHAFIZAH BINTI RAMLI

LETTER OF COMPLAINT

REASONS • incorrect delivery of products

• poor / rude services

• inferior products

• outstanding products or service

• faulty / defective products

• incorrect billing

PURPOSES

To:

• bring about an improvement in a situation

• ensure that the complaint will not recur• suggest on how a complaint is expected to be dealt

with• enquire what the recipient intends to do to remedy

the situation

FEATURES

• Concise– understood quickly

• Authoritative– well-written and professionally presented – have more credibility– taken more seriously

• Factual– enable the recipient to see immediately the relevant

details, dates & requirements– justify action to resolve the complaint

• Constructive

– positive statements

– suggesting positive actions

– encourage actions & quicker decisions

• Friendly

– considerate, cooperative & complimentary tone– prioritised because the recipient warms to the

writers and wants help

HOW TO WRITE COMPLAINT LETTERS

1. Background

This section introduces the situation or background of the problem.Here are some examples:• I am writing to inform you that the goods we

received have been made in the wrong color.• I am writing to inform you of my

dissatisfaction with the quality of your products.

2. Cause and Effect

Cause:• You shipped our order for bedroom sets, but the

nightstands were not included in this container.• We ordered 50 pcs office desks in antique brown color

and 50 pcs office desks in walnut color, but we received 100pcs of office desks all in brown color.

Effect:• We are therefore unable to sell the bed set.• These office desks are unacceptable to our customers,

and we are therefore unable to sell these desks.

3. Requesting Action or Giving Solution

In this section, the writer or someone who write a complaint letter request a necessary action to be taken or provide solution to settle the problem. Please look at the examples below:• Please delivery the nightstands as soon as possible.• I am writing to ask you to produce the office desks painted

with the color as we requested and send them immediately. • Please make sure that such errors do not occur anymore. • We have implemented a new system to... • To prevent re-occurrences we have instructed our quality

control to check all items before packing the goods.• We assure you that this problem will not happen anymore.

4. Warning

• I'm afraid that if these conditions are not properly resolved, we may be forced to take legal action.

• If such errors happen again, we will have to look elsewhere for our suppliers.

5. Closing • end in a conciliatory tone but stress the needed to

have action taken to rectify the solution• say something complimentary about the organisation

and/or its products, service or people• express the hope that your complaint would be

looked into immediately

– I look forward to hearing from your shorlty. I look forward to receiving your explanation of this matter.

Making a mild complaint To make a mild complaint you can say " Unfortunately, .......e.g. • Unfortunately, we have not received the mahogany bookcases. ....

and then followed by request some action.• Please could you • We would be grateful if you could - include them in the next

shipment

Here are other examples:• Unfortunately, we have not received your payment. Please could you

transfer the payment as soon as possible.• Unfortunately, one of the wooden cabinets that we received was

damaged. We would be grateful if you could send the replacement.• Unfortunately, the new computer that we bought from you yesterday

was out of order. We would appreciate it if you could repair it as soon as possible.

SAMPLE LETTERDear Mr Andrew

Order #911

I am writing in connection with the above order for 100 pcs office desks and 5 pcs mahogany bookcases.

Unfortunately, we have not received the mahogany bookcases which were part of this order. We would be grateful if you could include these items in the next shipment.

I would appreciate an early reply.

Yours sincerely

JohnMarketing Manager

Making a pointIf you want somebody to take special attention or note, you can use the following phrases:• I would like to draw your attention to ( the fact that ) ...• I would like to point out that ...

If you are writing something that both the writer and reader / recipient already know and you are a little bit angry ) you can write :• I would like to remind you that ..• I hope it is not necessary to remind you that ...

SAMPLE LETTER:Dear Mr Andrew

Order #912

It is now over 60 days since we place the above order and we are still waiting for the mahogany bookcases. We should like to remind you that you have already confirmed to deliver those items 45 days after receiving down payment. We, therefore requested that you deliver them immediately..

Unless we hear from you within two working days, we will be forced to cancel this order and refund our money.

Yours sincerelyJohnMarketing Manager

Making a strong complaint/WarningThere are several ways to make a strong complaint letter: 1. Explain directly what is wrong.

e.g. The quality of the wooden furniture was terrible, we have spent a lot of money to repair the items.

2. Make a point related to the probleme.g. We should like to point out that you have signed the agreement to produce the products based on our requirements.

3. Request immediate actione.g. We really must insist, therefore that you deliver the replacements as soon as possible.

4. Give a warninge.g. If you are unable to do this, we will be forced to cancel all orders.

Here is the way to warn someone or company:

Please study the following examples:• Unless our account is settled within six days, we shall

have to place the matter in the hands of our lawyer.• If you do not deliver the replacement immediately, we

will be forced to cancel our new order.

• Disclaimer:Be aware when you use the phrases mentioned in this business letter writing guide, as they have legal, financial, or other implications. If you are not sure about the use of any phrases or sentences, consult with an appropriate professional first.

Unless ...If ..... ( not ) ..... we will be forced to ......

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear Mr Andrew

Order #912

It is now over 60 days since we place the above order and we are still waiting for the mahogany bookcases. We should like to remind you that you have already confirmed to deliver those items 45 days after receiving down payment. We, therefore requested that you deliver them immediately..

Unless we hear from you within two working days, we will be forced to cancel this order and refund our money.

Yours sincerely

JohnMarketing Manager

The Grammar of Complaint• complain about + problem ( a noun or noun phrase); e.g. 'I would like to complain about your services'.• complain to + a person; e.g. 'I complained to the customer service representative'.• complained of + a medical problem; e.g. 'He complained of not sleeping well'.• complaint of + date the complaint was written; e.g. 'I received your complaint of 10 February 201210 February 2012 '.• complaint on + date the complaint was received; e.g. 'I received your complaint on 10 February 201210 February 2012 '.• complained that + clause; e.g. 'He complained that we had not answered his e-mails'.

ADJUSTMENT LETTER

How to Reply to Complaints Acknowledging receipt of a complaint letter

Accepting a Complaint Rejecting a Complaint

Apology for the error or fault

Accepting the Complaint

A short explanationof the fault

Investigation to be made

Proposal to settle the difficulty

An offer to take goods back, make a replacement, give a discount etc.

A concluding paragraph aiming at retaining the goodwill of the customer

Regret at dissatisfaction

Rejecting responsibility for the problem leading to the complaint

Reasons for the rejection

If a third party (another person or organization) is to blame, direct the complainer to that party

Useful ExpressionsAcknowledging receipt of a complaint letter• Thank you for your letter of … regarding / concerning /

in connection with …• I refer to your letter of … about / relating to …

Apology for the error or fault• We must apologies for …• We sincerely apologies for …• Please accept our apologies for …• I would like to apologies for the error made by our

company in (verb+ing)

Accepting the Complaint• We agree that the usual high standards of our products / services were not met in this

instance.

A short explanation of the fault• Introductory phrase

– As a result of our investigation, we found that... (Not: After our investigation...)• Causes

– The error was caused by … / was due to …– Apparently, the problem was the result of … / resulted from …– The cause of / reason for the mistake was …

• Effects– As a result …– This led to …– Consequently …

• Solutions– We have modified / changed our ...– We have implemented a system to...– To prevent re-occurrences we have set up a verification procedure.

• Assurances– We assure you that this will not happen again.

Investigation to be made• We are currently investigating the cause of ...• We will investigate the cause of...

Proposal to settle the difficulty• As a gesture of our regret, we are prepared to …/ we are

willing to …/ we would like to …• To show goodwill, we will …

An offer to take goods back, make a replacement, give a discount etc.• We have dispatched the new items by express courier. They

should arrive by Wednesday, 15 February 2012. • To show our goodwill, we would like to offer you a 5% discount

on your next order with us.

Regret at dissatisfaction• While we can understand your frustration, ...• We understand how disappointing it can be when your

expectations are not met.

Rejecting responsibility for the problem leading to the complaint• I regret to inform you that …• I am afraid that …• Unfortunately, I must point out that …

Reasons for the rejection• This is because the guarantee period has expired.• This is due to the fact that the guarantee period has expired.

If a third party (another person or organisation) is to blame, direct the complainer to that party• We therefore suggest that you contact...

A concluding paragraph aiming at retaining the goodwill of the customer• We look forward to receiving your further

orders, and assure you that they will be filled correctly / promptly.

Positive Tone in Adjustment Letters

Negative Positive / Neutral

your complaint your comment

failure operation / functioning

problem issue

the lack of the number of

too many the large number of

SAMPLE LETTER 1:Dear Mr Wong

Order No. 2639/L

Please accept our apologies for the error made by our company in filling your order no. 2639/L dated Thursday, 9 February 2012.

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, 20 February 2012.

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

SAMPLE LETTER 2:Dear Mr Wong

Order No 2639/L

Thank you for your letter of Thursday, 9 February 2012 regarding your order no. 2639/L. We understand that this is a difficult situation for you.

We have investigated the situation, and found that you ordered 12,00 size Ultra super-long-life premium batteries. Please see the enclosed copy of your order form. Our dispatch office therefore sent 1,200.

If you need the remaining batteries urgently, the balance of 10,800 batteries can be dispatched today by express courier to your store and would arrive by Monday, 20 February 2012.

Please phone me at the number given above if you would like to order these batteries.

We look forward to receiving your further orders.

Yours sincerely David ChoiDavid ChoiDistributions Manager

Encl- Order Form No 2639/L

4 Deadly Mistakes Companies Make When Writing Adjustment Letter

1. Sending out a ‘canned’ LetterCanned or form letters, while convenient, are not well received by customers. If you choose to use form letters, use them as templates and take the time to customize each letter to specifically address the customer’s situation.

2. Giving a Delayed Response

3. Failing to Mirror Emotional Content of Letters• Regaining goodwill is not just about solving the problem,

it’s about showing that you care, expressing empathy and connecting with the customer. Mirror customer letters by writing response letters that pace the length and emotion of the customer’s letter.

(This does not mean you have to send an 8- page letter to a customer who complains line by line for 8 pages. It does mean your letter needs to be carefully thought out and structured and at least a full page with serious loyalty-regaining content.)

4. Sounding As If You Don’t Want to Be Contacted• Always leave the door open for customers

who do not perceive the situation as resolved.• “Please don’t hesitate to reply or call me if you

have any questions”.

The 7 Golden Rulesfor Writing Adjustment Letter

1. Express appreciation for feedback• Thank you for taking the time to write to us..

• Thank you for your letter. We appreciate customers who let us know when things aren’t right..

• Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify what we think has happened.. (This is ideal for a response letter to a customer who is actually responsible for the error or when you cannot honor the customer’s request for a refund or exchange.)

2. Show empathy• You can express empathy by saying something

similar to:– “It must have been very frustrating for you have

waited 5 days for your order and for that I am sorry.”

3. Apologize• Make a note of this rule: Never send out a

response letter without an apology. Never.• For example, you might say, – I’m so sorry for any misunderstanding you have

experienced.– If I were in your shoes, I’m sure I’d feel just as you

do. – I’m sorry for the frustration you have experienced..

4. Respond with a sense of urgency (This includes both responding immediately and expressing a sense of urgency about regaining goodwill.)

• Ninety-five percent of complaining customers will remain your customer if their problems are resolved immediately.

• A. We will immediately send you a new workbook with black print. We will ship that today..

• B. Ms. Boese, I’m eager to restore your confidence in our company and regain your goodwill. As a concrete form of apology, I am also sending you a disk with my PowerPoint presentation.

5. Tell the customer what you’re going to do• Clearly explain to the customer exactly what

you plan to do to resolve the problem. This is especially important if the resolution will take some time.

6. Give them double for their trouble (Add a goodwill token like a coupon or a complimentary product)• It is appropriate to add a little something to the

recovery to ensure customer goodwill.• This can be as simple as a coupon inviting the

customer to come back and try your product or service at a discount. It won’t always be necessary to make it a double for their trouble but doing this can help maintain and strengthen loyalty.

7.Invite customer to contact you if they aren’t satisfied• Make it easy for your customers to contact

you if they need more information. Always give your name, toll-free number, email address and website.

THE END