4.1 Unjustified complaints
To have to
complain is annoying, but to complain without good reason will also annoy your
correspondent. If you complain, make sure you get your facts right. And if you
have to answer an unjustified complaint, be polite and restrained, and remember
that we can all make mistakes.
Below are
two examples of unjustified complaints, with the replies to them. Notice how
restrained the replies are.
Dear
Sir,
I strongly object to
the extra charge of £9.00 which you have added to my statement. When I sent my
cheque for £56.00 last week, I thought it cleared this balance. Now I find…
Dear
Mr Axeby,
We received your
letter today complaining of an extra charge of £9.00 on your May statement. I
think if you check the statement you will find that the amount due was £65.00
not £56.00 which accounts for the £9.00 difference. I have enclosed a copy of
the statement and...
Dear
Sir,
I could not believe
it when I read that your prices have now been increased by £7.00. To have to
pay £12.00 for an article that was £5.00 only a few months ago is outrageous!
The government is fighting inflation...
Dear
Mr Richardson,
Thank you for your
letter. I checked the item you referred to, which is in fact the Scriva Pen
catalogue No. G14 on our price-list. The pen has been increased to £7.00, not
by £7.00, and I think you will agree that for a fountain pen this is not an
unreasonable increase considering that the price of our materials has doubled
in the past few months.
4.2 Writing general complaints
Terms like 'disgusted', 'infuriated', 'enraged', 'amazed' have no place in business. You can express dissatisfaction by saying:
This is the third time this mistake has occurred and we are far from satisfied with the service you offer.
Unless you can fulfil our orders efficiently in the future we will have to consider other sources of supply.
Please ensure that this sort of problem does not arise again.
Do not be rude or personal. In most cases correspondence between firms takes place between employees in various departments. Nothing is gained by being rude to the individual you are writing to; you may antagonize someone who has probably had nothing to do with the error and, rather than getting the error corrected, s/he could become defensive and awkward to deal with.
Do not use words like 'fault' ('your fault', 'our fault') or 'blame' ('you are to blame'); these expressions are not only rude, but childish. Therefore, do not write:
It is not our fault, it is probably the fault of your despatch department.
But:
The mistake could not have originated here, and must be connected with the despatch of the goods.
Never blame your staff, and finally, while writing the complaint remember that your supplier wants to help you and correct the mistake. He is not in business to irritate or confuse his customers but to offer them a service.