All professional business are keen to introduce reforms in business, since this gives more credibility to their business. Thus prompt action on a complaint is a must.
Some do’s while handling complaints
Always try to have an unbiased attitude to the error pointed out.
Courteous attitude is a must.
Besides inconvenience to the customer, loss of money is also involved sometimes.
Even if your customer is sometimes only partially right, and not fully justified, you have to be helpful and sympathetic.
Same don’ts while handling complaints
Never try to be unethical by saying our rules do not allow it, or anything like that because the customer has a right to get satisfactory service.
Never express surprise over the customer’s complaints. Be sincere and patient in actual handling of complaint letters.
Do not try to make someone else a scapegoat by shifting the blame.
At the same, never be excessively apologetic.
Never give an impression that you are doing that customer a favour while making adjustments.
Adjustment letters
The main purpose of an adjustment letter is to value the feeling of the customer and to restore his shaken confidence in you and your products or goods. Thus, you need a right attitude to the error pointed out.
You need to keep in mind the following points when writing a letter of adjustment-responsibility of fault. Your business relations with the customer and his earlier dealing records.
Keeping the above points in mind, adjustment letters may be grouped as follows:
Apologetic Letters : Through which you own up your mistake and grant an adjustment.
Explanatory Letters : Through which you deny acceptance of complaint thus refuses for adjustment.
‘Please wait’ Letters : Through which you request the customer to wait, so that you can investigate the matter.
Compromisory Letters : Through which you offer a compromise.
Partially Compromisory Letters : These depend on the extent of error owned up by you.
1. Letter for complaint of late delivery:
Dear Sirs,
I regret to inform you that the goods reached us four weeks after the requested date of supply. We have noticed that, of late, such delay on your part have become more frequent. The goods have arrived after the customer has cancelled the order. As a result of which we have incurred substantial loss. We feel there must be some explanation for this delay and await your reply with interest.
With regards
Yours faithfully
Badri Prasad
2. Reply of complaint letter:
Dear Sir,
This refers to you letter dated 3rd February, complaining about the delivery of a hundred Mysore Silk Sarees on 31st January instead of the 15th. We are very sorry that our efforts to give punctual delivery were disturbed by delay in transit. We apologize sincerely for the trouble caused to you and will take all steps possible to ensure that such a mistake is not repeated.
With regards,
Yours truly
Kamal Mehta
3. Letter of complaint about non-delivery:
Dear Sir,
As per our order No. C-1956 dated 16th July 2004, we had placed a on order for 1000 crown wheels of standard size. But till today, we have not received the goods. Please ensure a fast delivery to enable us to keep our commitments and maintain our image in the market. We shall be glad if you take an urgent step in this regard.
With regards,
Yours faithfully
Kamal Khan
4. Reply of compliant regarding Non-Delivery
Dear Sir,
From your letter, we learn with much regret that the shirts ordered from us at the end of the last month have not yet reached you. We assure you that your order was completed with on the same day as it was received. On receipt of your letter, we have immediately taken up the matter with our transporters here.
With regards,
Yours truly
Gaurav Sharma
5. Letter of complaint for short supply:
Dear Sir,
We regret to report a shortage in the shipment of gold-plated bracelets which we received from you today. Please let us know about the reason for this short supply. We still need the rest of the goods. Kindly let us know how soon you can despatch them.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully
Narendra Tiwari
6. Letter of reply about complaint for short supply:
Dear Sirs,
We are sorry to learn of a shortage in the consignment of gold-plated bracelets, as reported in your letter of August 27, 2004. Since all precious metals sent out from our factory are triple-checked, we are at a loss to understand the discrepancy. We are despatching the articles today by express mail prepaid. We hope they will reach you in time. Thank you for your patience in this matter. It is a pleasure to serve you, and we hope to have many more opportunities do so in the future.
Yours truly
Ramesh Chandra
7. Letter of complaint for inferior goods:
Dear Sirs,
We regret to inform you that your consignment of goods of July 21st 2004 has not been at all satisfactory. We hardly need to stress that the mistake on your part will result in disappointment to our dealers, which in turn will disappoint their customers. We are, therefore, returning these goods today, and shall appreciate your substituting them with better ones, as early as possible.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Nathu Lal
8. Reply to complaint regarding inferior goods
(1st type) :
Dear Sir,
We are sorry for all inconvenience caused to you. We thank you for promptly reporting this to us. Since the goods ordered by you were out of stock, our sales department took the liberty of substituting them with those of a different quality. As soon as the fresh supply is ready, we shall replace the goods. We hope this will now settle the matter to complete satisfaction.
With regards
Yours faithfully
Ram Singh
9. Reply to complaint regarding inferior goods
(2nd type) :
Dear Sirs,
This refers to your complaint of March 20, 2004, expressing dissatisfaction over the bedsheet quality supplied to you on 25th March. We have gone through your complaint but regret to say that we cannot entertain it. Therefore, we shall have no option but is refuse to accept the goods, if returned.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully
Musaddi Lal
10. Letter of complaint about damaged goods:
Dear Sir,
On 10th July, as per our order, we received a consignment of 15 packages of nylon sarees from you. But, at least fifteen sarees are in a damaged condition. So please despatch the replacement at the earliest, at your expense, and take up the matter with your transporters.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Narayan Sahu
11. Reply to complaint regarding damaged goods:
Dear Sir,
We are sorry indeed, that you are dissatisfied with your order for our acrylic flower vases, but we are equally pleased that you are giving us the opportunity to make a prompt adjustment. We have decided to switch over to another transport company for despatch of goods. This, we feel, will ensure safe delivery. Kindly send the estimate of the damaged goods at the earliest, so that adjustment can be done in the next bill.
Yours truly
Ganesh Ram
12. Letter for complaint about over charging:
Dear Sir,
On 4th August 2004, we received your letter offering up you building material free of transport charges, and also allowing us a rebate of 25 per cent if our order exceeded Rs. 25,000/-. But we regret to note from your Bill No. 79/04, dated 16th August that not only have you charged us for transport, you have allowed us a rebate of only 20 percent to clear the consignment, we reserve the right to ask you to let us have the credit for the extra charges we are paying in good faith. We are sure that these mistakes must have occurred due to oversight of your billing and despatch departments.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully
Raj Kumar
13. Letter of complaint against poor service:
Dear Sirs,
Last Friday, your Service Engineer, Mr. Anand Raj, had come to check the faults in our refrigerator. Since he could not detect the fault, due to the lack of equipments, he left with a promise to come back the next day. Since the refrigerator has been lying like that, we are greatly inconvenienced. Thus, it is requested that you take immediate action for bad service of your engineer, in this regard and send your engineer at the earliest.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Mukesh Jain
14. Letter of complaint against incomplete work:
Dear Sir,
On 15th April, I had left my defective radio with you for repairs. When I played the radio yesterday, I found that the old defect was still persisting. I did not understand why your mechanic left it incomplete. I shall request you to kindly do the needful.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Raghuveer Sharma
15. Letters of reply about complaining of over charging:
Dear Sirs,
We have just received your complaint about packing charges and rebate. At the same time, we have to say that it was by mistake that we mentioned free packing and forwarding. While we shall be happy to continue business relations in future also, we would like to clarify that in future, packing and forwarding charges will have to be borne by you. You will appreciate that after allowing you these concessions, we have hardly been left with any profit which is hardly a fair business practice.
With regards,
Yours faithfully
Munni Lal Chabra
16. Reply to complaint about bad service:
Dear Sir,
We are in receipt of your letter dated 19th April 2004, and apologize for the carelessness of our service engineer. In fact, he has reported sick then. However, we are instructing Mr. Rajnikant to visit you and rectify the defect in your refrigerator.
With regards
Yours faithfully
17. Letter of reply for complaint about incomplete work:
Dear Mr. Sharma,
We regret to learn from your letter dated 26th April 2004, that the defect for which you had sent your radio to us, has not yet been rectified. As far as we are aware, nothing leave our workshop without a thorough check up. There is a possibility that during the transit the radio got damaged. We look forward to extending our service to you in future.
With regards Yours faithfully
Sunder Lal
Some General Complaints
1. Letter concerning worthless cheque received:
Dear Mr. Dube,
Your Cheque No. 449933 dated May 15, drawn in my favour for Rs. 47,504/- was deposited by me in ‘Dena Bank’ on May 18. Today the cheque was returned me by the bank marked “Insufficient Funds”. No doubt this has occurred due to some oversight on your part. On receipt of your certified cheque, I shall adjust the matter with my bank and return the protested cheque to you.
Very truly yours
Madhur Tiwari
2. Letter of complaint from customer concerning about an accident:
Gentlemen,
As I have been a well-satisfied patron of your restaurant for the last year. It is with great regret that I address this letter of complaint to you. Last Saturday evening, May 15, when I was dining with my friends, your waitress accidentally tipped the dal platter such that some of the hot dal splashed on the table and spilled over on my lap. I sincerely trust that the young waitress will not be penalised in any way for what was a sheer accident. However, you can understand my desire to be compensated for the damage to my saree. I have been informed that restaurant are usually insured against such a loss.
Yours truly
Miss Ruchi Verma
3. Letter from customer for notice to take legal action:
Dear Sirs,
A month has elapsed since a representative of your agency visited my home on Jan 14, 2004, to investigate the damage done to my refrigerator on June 1st by the use of your point. I have not yet heard from either the representative or you with regard to my request for adjustment. Please see that my claim receive your immediate attention. Otherwise, my only recourse will be to have my lawyer instigate proceeding against you.
Yours sincerely
Mahesh Sharma
4. Customer’s inquiry concerning delay in adjustment:
Dear Sir,
More than three weeks have passed since you wrote to me October 5th, informing me that an adjudicator would be sent to determine the damage done. Surely by this time the company has been able to test the faulty varnish and to render its report. Since the company has made no attempt to verify my claim it is now up to you to take whatever steps are necessary.
Yours truly
Chunni Lal Sahu
Some General Replies
1. Letter of reply for settling claim:
Dear Madam,
We are very pleased to enclose a credit memo for Rupees 4970/- as payment in full of your claim for damage of three water tanks supplied by us. That we cannot make up for the inconvenience caused to you. We realise it too well, but it will be our endeavour to satisfy and please you in every future transaction. We again assure you of our appreciation of your patronage and we are sure that our friendly relations will continue as in the past.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely
Jagan Lal
2. Letter of reply to a customer:
Dear Mr. Shantanu,
We regret very much the trouble you have had with the varnish you purchased. We are communicating immediately with the distributors of the varnish, requesting that they send one of their experts to examine the vehicle. Until the experience your report, we have sold hundreds of bottles of the varnish, and have had no reason to question their excellence. Thank you for your patience in this matter and for giving us an opportunity to look into the matter.
Thanking you,
Yours truly
Ramji Lal
3. Letter of reply to an enquiry:
Dear Mr. Jeevan Lal,
That there has been so great a delay in the adjustment of the reported damage to your vehicle, has been a source of deep regret to us. In matters of this kind, we have found it best to have a representative of the country, which manufactures the product, to investigate the reported damage. Naturally, we would be guided by his report in effecting an adjustment. We hope that we shall be able to bring this matter to a speedily conclusion.
Thanking you, Yours sincerely
Ravi Sharma
4. Letter of reply giving assurance to a customer:
Dear Sir,
We note with regret that you have not extended to us any fresh order for the last six months. As you had expressed no dissatisfaction last time with our quality, value or service, we can only presume that you were able to get your requirements in accordance with your order. Should this not be the case, you will be rendering us a great service, if you let us know any deficiency in our dealing with you. We may clearly state that we value greatly the patronage of a long-time customer like you, rather than would be looking forward to an opportunity to rectify our errors, if any, and trust your disinterest in us must be for cause other than our quality, price or service.
Thanking you, Yours faithfully
Kunal Verma
5. Letter of reply to a complaint of wrong consignment:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your letter dated April 3. We are glad to know that the consignment was delivered promptly, but it is a matter of great regret, that you did not receive the goods you ordered. On going into the matter, we found that a mistake was indeed made in packing due to a clerical error, and we have arranged for the right goods to be despatched to you at once. Please accept our apologies for the trouble caused to you by the error.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Veer Singh
6. Letter from wholesaler answering a complaint and refusing to accept returned goods:
Dear Sirs,
We have received your letter dated July 29, and have investigated the complaints you made. With all due respect, we do not think they are justified. The variations in quality are not more than usual, and indeed unavoidable, in this class of goods. The terms of your order have been fully complied with. We thus cannot admit that this justifies your returning the goods. We, therefore, refuse to accept the goods and shall have no settlement in full in due course.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully
Munna Lal
7. Letter refusing to grant refund:
Dear Sir,
We regret that we are not able to allow you the credit of
Rs. 525/- on the pair of jeans returned by you on February 20. Examination shows that jeans have been worn, and the policy of our store does not admit the return of good under these circumstances. We are, therefore returning the merchandise to you.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Rahul Saluja
8. Letter granting refund:
Dear Sir,
In accordance with your request, we are returning your money, including the transportation charges you paid. This is in accordance with our guarantee to give you full satisfaction. Naturally, we would like to convince you that we can fill you order. If you still need these goods we shall be glad to rush them to you, Please use the enclosed order form for ordering them.
With regards,
Yours truly
Rashim Hussain
9. Letter of reply to a complaint on mistake:
Dear Sirs,
We are grateful to you for pointing out the unfortunate mistake regarding the despatch of an old paid bill. We apologize for the trouble our mistake may have caused you.
With regards,
Yours faithfully
Madan Dhingra
