Business Writing: Tips For Writing Complaint Letters

Sooner or later just about every consumer will have occasion to send a complaint letter to a company or vendor, thus making this kind of letter is one of the most common forms of Business Communication.

That said, companies are inundated by formal complaints, so unless your letter is focused, firm, and logically constructed, the chances of it being read and quickly acted upon will be greatly diminished.

It goes to reason that when someone feels compelled to formally complain via letter, strong emotions are at play, and these can easily make any legitimate complaint seem like a rambling rant. This will likely relegate the letter to a "slush pile" of crank mail.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of your complaint letter, keep the following tips in mind:

*Be professional and unemotional.

The first order of business in constructing a complaint letter is for the writer to get his or her emotions in check. Coarse language, sarcasm and idle threats will get you nowhere.

Be mindful that Human Nature being what it is, someone reading your letter will not be inclined to affect a helpful attitude if the tone of the letter is construed as being personal and insulting.

*Carefully state your argument or issue.

By the time you feel a letter is your only option, you undoubtedly have tried to rectify your complaint either by telephone, email, or perhaps in person. This being the case, include references to all of your previous efforts to resolve your issue.

An effective approach is to include a time-line which outlines all the actions you've taken to-date as well as any conversations or communications, positive or negative, you may have received from the company regarding the complaint.

*Address the letter to the appropriate person or authority.

It is usually best to exhaust all complaint avenues at the lowest level. However, should you feel your issue is being ignored, not taken seriously, or has been relegated to a low priority, then it's time to move up the chain-of-command.

You may decide to bring the matter to the attention of a higher authority either directly or by copying someone. This could be a Customer Service Manager, Department Head, or the Company President. Research this information and get the proper name(s), title(s), and mailing addresses.

*Spell out precisely what you want.

Are you expecting a return, exchange, cancellation of the order, or something else? Be specific and reasonable even if your perception of the company's reaction to your initial complaint has been anything but reasonable in your mind.

*Be specific about follow-up.

Indicate when you expect a response. Is it within a few days, a week, or some other time frame? Do you want a phone call, letter, or both?

It is also important to articulate possible actions on your part in the event your letter goes unanswered. Will it mean the cancellation of subsequent orders, a complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau, or in extreme cases, legal action?

Let it be said that most legitimate businesses take Customer Service seriously, and legitimate complaints will be dealt with in a timely manner. On the other hand, there are occasions when mistakes, misunderstandings, and ineptness can turn Customer Service into a nightmare.

In such instances, customers need to control the situation by being honest, assertive, and dogged in resolving their complaints. A well-crafted complaint letter and subsequent follow up is usually the most effective way to get satisfaction.


Jack

*Be specific about follow-up.

Business Writing: Thoughts and Tips On Using Form Letters

Granted, there's nothing more impersonal than receiving a Form Letter. But for all the negatives associated with these types of letters, they persist as common communications for companies both large and small.

Negatives aside, not all Form Letters are necessarily bad. For routine announcements, transmittals, and sign-up activities, a standardized communication ensures consistency in language, style and tone. The caveat being the subject and content of the communication should be unquestionably routine or general in nature.

It should be noted, that Form Letters, regardless of the subject, should still be individualized, thus giving recipients some semblance of an original communication. Fortunately, with Word Processing, form letter blanks can be saved as templates. These , in turn, can be called up and addressed and mailed as needs arise.

By and large, these kinds of Form Letters can be effective; however, problems arise when they are used inappropriately. These would include subjects where a non-standard letter is called for, such as Human Resource Actions, Sales Letters, and Customer Service Issues, to name a few obvious misuses.

In these instances, an original letter will be better-received in that it will be customized to address a specific circumstance or individual. That said, it may still be useful and productive to use an existing template as a draft and edit accordingly.

Whether you or your company uses Form Letters is usually a matter of personal preference or philosophy. Surely most individuals will react more positively to original communications, but if staffing or operational issues make this impractical, then Form Letters can be viable communication devices.

As a final word, it is good practice to view all written communications as original and as unique as the addressess themselves. And while Form Letters can serve a useful purpose, be mindful that overusing or misusing such devices can lead to reader apathy as well as credibility problems for the writer.


Jack

Business Writing: Formatting Letters, Memos and Email

Writing Style and Grammar aside, what distinguishes an effective Business Communication from one that is largely ignored is the manner in which the communication is organized or formatted.

That said, a Business Communicator may be a talented Wordsmith, but if words, thoughts, and ideas are not presented in a recognizable format, most readers will neither be inclined nor able to identify the purpose and importance of the message.

On the contrary, this should not be viewed as an argument against writing creatively. In fact, it takes a great deal of creativity to write well and effectively within a particular framework. In this context, "framework" should not be viewed as limiting or confining in so much as content should always drive the creative process.

As such, be mindful that the central message of a communication, regardless of the format chosen, must always be obvious and evident to readers. In the Business World, conventional and customary writing formats are still the best way to get the reader's attention.

Nevertheless, there are many Business Communicators today who feel compelled to experiment with non-traditional writing formats. But writers who sacrifice convention in order to appeal to a few more potential readers usually end up alienating even more readers. The upshot is that communicators must format their writing with care and purpose.

Of all the many types of Business Communications, the letter, memo, and email message are the most common. And while these communication are often used interchangeably, writers should be aware that each of these communications convey a different level of formality, and thus require different formatting.

Business Letters are the most formal correspondence, and deserve the utmost attention to formatting as they are usually addressed to a specific individual either inside or outside the company.

Obviously, there are many types of Business Letters, running the gamut from formal announcements to customer relations. Likewise there are many formatting options for Business Letters. A good Word Processing Program can automate many of the more common formats in use today. Become familiar with them and you may discover some new ways to organize and invigorate your writing.

Memos, while less formal than letters, should still follow a recognizable format. Usually, this includes a "To" line, a "From" line, a "Subject" line, and a "Date" line. It is also a good idea to include headings, and a summary.

The body of the memo contains the detail, but make an effort to use short paragraphs in order to break up text blocs. In other words, make things easy to read and follow.

Email is the least formal communication. And even though it is fast and convenient, writers need to understand that when email is used in a professional environment, it should be treated as a Professional Communication in every sense of the word.

This means being careful with formality, word choice and format. In this regard, try using a memo format for Business Email. It is a tried and true format that is universally recognizable.

For specific help on formatting common business documents, check out the many desktop and online resources available on this topic.