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LETTER WRITING:Claim and Adjustment Requests, Warm, Courteous Close

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Lesson 23
LETTER WRITING
Claim and Adjustment Requests
Ideally, everything runs smoothly in the operation of an organization -- no mistake, no problems, no
defects, and no misunderstandings. However, even in the best-managed organizations, dissatisfactions are
bound to occur. In recent years both buyers and sellers are more aware of problems caused by business
errors. When a product or service does not meet customers' expectations, the customers are disappointed
and usually complain.
Their complaints should not be called complaint letters, because complaint connotes irritation, unpleasantness,
negativism, and even anger. Using a word with such negative connotations could lead to a bad attitude toward
customers. Letters about such complaints should be called claim letters.
Countless aspects of business dealings can break down, but the most common causes for claims are:
1.
an incorrect bill, invoice, or statement
2.
a bill for merchandise ordered but never received;
3.
delivery of unordered merchandise;
4.
delivery of incorrect merchandise;
5.
delivery of damaged or defective merchandise
Two other more specialized types of claims are:
1. a request for an adjustment under a guarantee or warranty;
2. a request for restitution under an insurance policy.
A claim is written to inform the company of the problem and suggest a fair compensation. No matter how
annoying the nature of the problem, how great the inconvenience, the purpose of a claim is NOT to
express anger, but to get results.
Therefore, it is important to avoid a hostile or demanding tone. A claim must be calm and polite
though, of course, also firm.
A claim should begin with the facts, first explaining the problem such as the condition of the
merchandise or the specific error made. Then all the necessary details should be described in a logical order.
These details may include the order and delivery dates, the order or invoice number, the account number,
the method of shipment, etc. A copy of proof of purchase, such as a sales slip or an invoice, should be
included whenever possible. (Always, of course, keep the original.)
In most cases, and especially in your first letter, assume that a fair adjustment will be made, and follow
the plan for direct requests. Begin with a straightforward statement of the problem, and give a complete,
specific explanation of the details.
Politely request specific action in your closing, and suggest that the business relationship will continue if
the problem is solved satisfactorily.
The following direct organizational plan is used for writing claims.
A. Direct statement of the Request
1. Write a claim letter as soon as possible after the problem has been identified.
2. State the need for replacement, refund or correction of the problem.
3. Maintain a confident, factual, fair, unemotional tone.
B. Justification, Explanation, and Details
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To gain the reader's understanding praise some aspect of the good or service or at least explain why the
product was originally purchased.
1. Present facts honestly, clearly, and politely.
2. Eliminate threats, sarcasm, exaggeration, and hostility.
3. Specify the problem: product failed to live up to advertised standards; product failed to live up to
sales representative's claims; product fell short of company's policy; product was defective;
customer service was not up to the mark.
4. Make no accusation against any person or company, unless you can back it up with facts.
5. Use a non-argumentative tone to show your confidence in the reader's fairness.
6. If necessary, refer to documentation (invoices, cancelled cheque, confirmation letters, etc., but mail
only photocopies.
7. Ask the reader to propose fair adjustment, if appropriate.
8. If appropriate, clearly state what you expect as a fair settlement, such as credit against the next
order you place, full or partial refund of the purchase price of the product, replacement or repair of
the defective merchandise, or performance of services as originally contracted.
9. Do not return the defective merchandise until you have been asked to do so.
10. Avoid uncertainty or vagueness that might permit the adjusters to prolong the issue by additional
correspondence or to propose a less-than-fair settlement.
C. Courteous Close with Request for Specific Action
Summarize desired action briefly.
·  Simplify compliance with your request by including your name, address, phone number and hours
of availability.
·  Note how complying with your request will benefit the reader.
·  Consider another example that how the writer conveys his message of inconvenience in calm
manner.
Dear Sirs,
On March 1, we ordered and subsequently received one case of handsaws, model 88b. We paid for the
order with our cheque no. 7293, a photocopy of which is enclosed.
When we decided to order these saws instead of model 78b, it was at the urging of your sales
representative, Mr. Ali Naeem. He assured us that the new saws were more durable and efficient than the
older model.
However, we have now had the saws on our selling floor for three weeks, and already six have been
returned with broken teeth by extremely dissatisfied customers.
We are therefore returning the entire order of 88b saws and would like to be refunded for their full
purchase price plus shipping expenses.
Yours truly,
Here is a well-written letter requesting an adjustment. Notice that this writer reverses the order of the
three steps, but the letter gets the job done just as well.
Gentlemen,
Please repair or replace my calculator watch, Model C863, and send it to me at the address above.
After six months of use, the musical alarm has quit working.
Enclosed is my watch, a copy of the sales receipt showing the date of purchase, and your warranty,
which guarantees material and workmanship for one year.
Yours Sincerely,
Granting Requests for Adjustment
An adjustment letter is the reply to a complaint (called a claim letter). In general, the best attitude is to give the
customer the benefit of the doubt. Most persons are honest in their claims, and it is usually better to make
the desired adjustment than to risk losing a customer.
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Even though your firm's adjustment policy may be generous, the ultimate success of your good-news
adjustment letters depends not only on what you say but also on how you say it. Always Choose neutral or
positive language in referring to a complaint.
Whether or not your company is at fault, even the most annoying or demanding claim should be
answer politely. An adjustment letter should NOT be negative or suspicious; it must NEVER accuse the
customer or grant any adjustment grudgingly. Remember, your company's image and goodwill are at stake
when you respond even to unjustified claims.
There Can be Three types of adjustment letters.
1. When the seller is at fault
2. When the buyer is at fault.
3. When the third party is at fault.
The following organizational plan is suggested for answering claim letters.
A. Initial Statement of the Good News or Main Idea
1. State immediately your willingness to honour the reader's claim.
2. Accept your reader's account as entirely accurate unless good business reasons demand a different
interpretation of some points.
3. Adopt a tone of consideration and courtesy; avoid being defensive.
4. Thank the reader for taking the time to write.
B. Middle, Informational Section
1. Minimize or, if possible, omit any disagreements with your reader's interpretation of events.
2. Maintain a supportive tone through such phrases as "Thank you for," "May we ask," "Please let us
know," and "We are glad to work with you."
3. Apologize only under extreme circumstances; then do so crisply and without an overly apologetic
tone.
·  Admit your firm's faults carefully.
·  Avoid blaming any particular person or office.
·  Avoid implying general company inefficiency.
·  Avoid making unrealistic promises about the future.
·  Remind the reader of your firm's quality controls.
C. Warm, Courteous Close
1. Clarify any necessary actions that your reader must take.
2. Remind the reader of how you have honored the claim.
3. Avoid negative information.
4. Encourage the customer to look favorably on your company and/or the product in question (resale
information).
5. Encourage the customer to continue buying other goods from you (sales promotion), but avoid
seeming greedy.
Writing Letters Granting Adjustments
When granting a request for an adjustment, follow these four steps:
1. Tell the Reader That Full Adjustment Is Gladly Granted
Give the good news in the first sentence. Don't let the reader feel you are doing him or her favour,
even if you feel that you are making a special concession. Instead, convince the reader that goodwill and
friendship are more important to you than the money involved and that your organization always wants to
take good care of its customers.
2. Express Sincere Appreciation for the Reader's Adjustment Request
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Acknowledge your reader's inconvenience in writing the letter and waiting for the adjustment.
Emphasize that you welcome this opportunity to set things right. Let the customer know how his or her
letter has helped the organization to improve its products or service.
3. Stress Your Organization's Effort to Prevent Further Customer Dissatisfaction
Accept the blame and apologize if your organization is at fault. If appropriate, explain what caused the
problem, but don't blame the computer. Most people know that computers don't make errors only the
operators do. Don't make the mistake of telling your reader "This will never happen again." No one can
promise that. If appropriate, explain what your organization is doing to prevent a repetition of the problem.
4. End the Letter Positively
Don't end with a negative phrase, such as "We hope you do not have any more trouble with your
washing machine." The best ending for a letter granting an adjustment makes no reference to the original
problem. End on a note that implies future dealings, and don't overlook the possibility of doing some
effective sales promotion for related products or at least some reselling of your organization.
Consider the following example:
Dear Mr. Ali,
Your new lawn umbrella is being shipped prepaid today It should arrive in a few days.
Thank you for returning the torn one. Because a mended umbrella might not be water-resistant, we
are sending you a new one, so that you can keep your new lawn table protected.
You will notice that the
new umbrella is made of vinyl-coated nylon, which has proved superior to the polyester and cotton one you
bought last year.
When you need lawn furniture and accessories, you will find everything from small tables to
foundations in our latest catalog. You can rely on our guarantee of high quality and "satisfaction or your
money back."
Yours sincerely,
Note the organization of the letter to Mr. Ali. First comes the news he wants to hear that is a new lawn
umbrella is on its way. Next comes the writer's appreciation for the customer's calling attention to the
defect. Then the writer explains the change in materials, an explanation owed to the reader, and one that in
this case can make the organization look progressive and concerned. The final appeal for another sale is
appropriate because the adjustment has been granted and the reader will be satisfied.
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Table of Contents:
  1. COMMUNICATION:Definition of Communication, Communication & Global Market
  2. FLOW OF COMMUNICATION:Internal Communication, External Communication
  3. THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION:Electronic Theory, Rhetorical Theory
  4. THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION & MISCOMMUNICATION:Message
  5. BARRIERS IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION /COMMUNICATION FALLOFF
  6. NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION:Analysing Nonverbal Communication
  7. NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION:Environmental Factors
  8. TRAITS OF GOOD COMMUNICATORS:Careful Creation of the Message
  9. PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:Clarity
  10. CORRECTNESS:Conciseness, Conciseness Checklist, Correct words
  11. CONSIDERATION:Completeness
  12. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
  13. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION:Education, Law and Regulations, Economics
  14. INDIVIDUAL CULTURAL VARIABLES:Acceptable Dress, Manners
  15. PROCESS OF PREPARING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES
  16. Composing the Messages:THE APPEARANCE AND DESIGN OF BUSINESS MESSAGES
  17. THE APPEARANCE AND DESIGN OF BUSINESS MESSAGES:Punctuation Styles
  18. COMMUNICATING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY:Email Etiquette, Electronic Media
  19. BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS:Writing Goodwill Letters
  20. LETTER WRITING:Direct Requests, Inquiries and General Requests
  21. LETTER WRITING:Replies to Inquiries, Model Letters
  22. LETTER WRITING:Placing Orders, Give the Information in a Clear Format
  23. LETTER WRITING:Claim and Adjustment Requests, Warm, Courteous Close
  24. LETTER WRITING:When The Buyer Is At Fault, Writing Credit Letters
  25. LETTER WRITING:Collection Letters, Collection Letter Series
  26. LETTER WRITING:Sales Letters, Know your Buyer, Prepare a List of Buyers
  27. MEMORANDUM & CIRCULAR:Purpose of Memo, Tone of Memorandums
  28. MINUTES OF THE MEETING:Committee Members’ Roles, Producing the Minutes
  29. BUSINESS REPORTS:A Model Report, Definition, Purpose of report
  30. BUSINESS REPORTS:Main Features of the Report, INTRODUCTION
  31. BUSINESS REPORTS:Prefatory Parts, Place of Title Page Items
  32. MARKET REPORTS:Classification of Markets, Wholesale Market
  33. JOB SEARCH AND EMPLOYMENT:Planning Your Career
  34. RESUME WRITING:The Chronological Resume, The Combination Resume
  35. RESUME & APPLICATION LETTER:Personal Details, Two Types of Job Letters
  36. JOB INQUIRY LETTER AND INTERVIEW:Understanding the Interview Process
  37. PROCESS OF PREPARING THE INTERVIEW:Planning for a Successful Interview
  38. ORAL PRESENTATION:Planning Oral Presentation, To Motivate
  39. ORAL PRESENTATION:Overcoming anxiety, Body Language
  40. LANGUAGE PRACTICE AND NEGOTIATION SKILLS:Psychological barriers
  41. NEGOTIATION AND LISTENING:Gather information that helps you
  42. THESIS WRITING AND PRESENTATION:Write down your ideas
  43. THESIS WRITING AND PRESENTATION:Sections of a Thesis (Format)
  44. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:Studies Primarily Qualitative in Nature
  45. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:Basic Rules, Basic Form, Basic Format for Books