In business transactions, terms and conditions of purchase and sale are settled in advance in writing. Yet, differences of opinions frequently occur.
Business people, of course, do not make deliberate mistakes. None wants to annoy his customers.
But there are occasions when a customer or a business house feels displeased and dissatisfied, and makes a complaint or write a complaint letter.
See Also: Principles of Writing an Order Letter
How to Write a Complaint Letter
There may be several causing of the grievance, of a customer, some of the most common causing of complaints are the following;
- Defective supply of goods
- Supply of wrong goods
- Defective packing of the goods supplied
- Delayed supply of goods
- Variance in prices
- Delay in making payments
- Disagreement over terms of credit
- Any other reason
One of such mistakes necessitates issuance of claim or complaint letters. In other words, we may say that a claim or a complaint letter is the one which is written to bring a discrepancy that has occurred in the transaction, to the notice of the other party and request for an amicable settlement of the dispute.
Objectives Of Complaint Letter
The chief objective of a claim letter is to get an adjustment. First reaction of a customer to a clumsy mistake or a defective supply is likely to be of anger or frustration.
He may even get furious. His immediate interest will lie either in getting the defective goods replaced or in getting a compensation for the wrong done to him.
But he should not forget the fact that the person reading his letter had probably nothing to do with the problem, and that no businessman or business house wants to damage its reputation by making deliberate mistakes.
His objective should, therefore, be to get an adjustment and not to accuse or abuse the other party by holding them responsible for something that has occurred by chance.
Principles Of Writing a Complaint Letter
Writing of a claim/complaint letter is not easy. If not handled properly, a disagreement of opinion may develop into a serious and irreparable dispute.
See Also: Types Inquiry of Letters
Making a complaint means filing a claim, or requesting for some kind of adjustment.
To meet the desired end of adjustment, the writer of the complaint/claim letter should adopt the right attitude.
To write a good and effective claim/complaint letter the writer should keep in his mind the following points:
Make the Complaint Promptly
To be fair to the seller and the buyer himself, the writer of the complaint letter should file it promptly.
Delay in writing of complaints and claims not only weakens the right of claim but sometimes deprives of the right of adjustment.
Follow the Direct Approach Plan
The writer of a complaint letter should follow the Direct Approach Plan. He need not make any buffer statement or involve himself in any unnecessary introduction. Instead, he should state directly the main idea of the message.
State and Explain the Facts of the Problem
The writer of the complaint letter should then proceed to state and explain in necessary details the facts of the problem which he desires to be adjusted.
He should do in a clear manner, putting the things in their proper order and sequence.
Should Not Exaggerate Things
In no case the writer of a complaint letter should exaggerate the problem or the loss occurred to him.
He should be very honest and exact in bringing the problem to the knowledge of the reader. He should also not hold anyone responsible for the cause of his grievance,
Provide Back-Up Information, if Needed
If needed, necessary back-up information and material be provided to the reader to strengthen the claim of adjustment.
In certain cases, it becomes necessary to give additional information to the reader to justify the writer’s point of view and to prove the truth of the fact.
Conclude the Complaint on a Polite Request for Adjustment
Finally, the writer should come to the specific action that he believes the other party should take on his request.
It is very Important that he clearly mentions what adjustment he seeks to settle the matter amicably. The request for adjustment should, however, be made in a friendly, courteous and persuasive manner.
Avoid being Negative and Threatening
It is very imperative for the writer of a complaint letter that he avoids being negative and threatening.
He should keep in mind that every action has a reaction, and an ill-worded complaint is bound to have an equally strong reaction.
He should neither make any accusations nor should he give any threats to the reader.
He should use befitting tone that not only matches the objective of the complaint but also appeals to the fairness of the reader.
