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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
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.
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.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear 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.
Making a point
If 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.
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.
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 John Marketing Manager
ADJUSTMENT LETTER
Regret at dissatisfaction
Rejecting responsibility for the problem leading to the complaint
Investigation to be made
Useful Expressions
Acknowledging 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 / Neutral
your comment operation / functioning issue the number of 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 Choi David Choi Distributions Manager Encl - Order Form No 2639/L
4. Sounding As If You Dont Want to Be Contacted Always leave the door open for customers who do not perceive the situation as resolved. Please dont hesitate to reply or call me if you have any questions.
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,
Im so sorry for any misunderstanding you have experienced. If I were in your shoes, Im sure Id feel just as you do. Im 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, Im 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 youre 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 wont 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 arent 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