Unit 9 replies to complaints

Letters in business correspondence should always be polite. Even if the subject of the letter is serious or even acrimonious, the tone throughout the letter should always be courteous. Replies to complaints should be prompt and courteous; even if the sellers think that the complaint is unfounded they should not say so until they have good and reliable grounds on which to repudiate the claim. All complaints should be treated as serious matters and thoroughly investigated.

If the sellers are the first to discover that a mistake has been made they should not wait for a complaint, but should write, cable or telephone at once to let the buyers know, and either put the matter right or offer some compensation.

On receiving the complaint the sellers will make investigations, and if the complaint is justified they will at once apologies to the buyers and suggest a solution. If the buyers have offered to keep the goods, the sellers will probably agree to this and to a price reduction. The amount of the reduction will depend on how bad the mistake is, and in some cases a substantial reduction, even with consequent loss, is of more advantage to the sellers than the expense and trouble of having the goods returned to them, and of causing inconvenience to their customers. However, if the value of the goods in question is high, it may be advisable to have them returned, although even in this case the added risk of damage in further transport may not he worth incurring.

There is no need for the sellers to go into a long story of how the mistake was made. A short explanation may be useful but, generally speaking, the buyers arc not interested in hearing how or why the error occurred but only in having the matter put right, in receiving the goods they ordered – or at least value for the money they have paid – or in knowing when they may expect to receive the delayed consignment. In no case should the sellers blame their staff; their sole aim is to put the trouble right and restore good relations with their customers.

Figure 39

A letter of adjustmentin reply toFigure 34, Unit 8