Customer Complaint

How To Craft A Killer Complaint Letter

Each year, hundreds of millions of people jot a letter of complaint. Since you are one of the crowd, you'll want your letter to gain attention. Place yourself in the position of the person getting your letter and recall that your goal is not to vengeance or to vent your righteous anger, but to get win-win results.

The best way to get a desired outcome is to make your letter concise, factual, and reasonable. Oh and yes- rib-tickling humor doesn't hurt either. Write a letter of complaint about:

1. collection/financial/ordering errors
2. kids and/or pets: misbehavior/damage by
3. neighborhood problems: unkempt property/ loud noises/disturbance
4. holdup: late reply/shipment/refund/merchandise/supplies/ payment
5. staff: incompetent/rude/inappropriate behavior
6. governmental problems: high taxes/unfair laws/pending bills
7. goods: defective/damaged/dangerous/missing parts, instructions, or warranties
8. blunder, misunderstandings, personal errors
9. policies: unfavorable/restrictive/discriminatory
10. institutional: undeserved reprimands/undesirable programs
11. alleged fraud, misleading advertising, unfair practices, discrimination

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty on powerful letters of complaints

1. Assert the problem plainly, concisely, and reasonably: what it is, when you observed it, how it has hassled you, what you have done, and what needs to be prepared to correct it.

2. Provide all vital facts: date and place of acquisition, sales slip number, thorough account of product or service, serial or model number, amount paid, name of clerk who performed the service or sold you the item/gave you the wrong information, your account number or credit card number, account of previous communication.

3. Present inclusive and accurate names and addresses, both your own and the person to whom you are writing. Also incorporate your home and work phone numbers.

4. Incorporate appropriate documentation such as sales slips, warranties or guarantees, previous communication, copies of pictures of damaged item, repair or service orders, canceled checks, contracts, paid invoices.

5. Inform why you think it's key that the complaint be taken care of and affirm plainly what you require from the person or company. Demand a reasonable, possible resolution.

6. Propose a deadline for the action demanded.

7. Should your complaint involve an incident with an impudent sales clerk, another driver, a cantankerous or intimidating stranger, include the date and time of the incident, the name of person involved, where it occurred, names of witnesses, and any other noteworthy particulars.

9. In finishing, articulate your assurance that the matter will be taken care of to your satisfaction.

10. Shun derision, finger pointing, abuse, recriminations, blaming, crass remarks, and emotional outbursts. You will only provoke the very person who is in the best position to help you. Off-putting letters are not only futile, they also make you look silly.

11. Never threaten to sue. Blustering is generally recognized as a bluff; people who are really going to sue leave this declaration to their lawyer. You might say that you will elevate the case to small claims court. This is one probable way of achieving a swift, inexpensive resolution.

12. Never hint for freebies or "compensation" beyond your dues.

About the Author - Joseph Plazo is a renowned success coach. He teaches NLP techniques and negotiation skills while helping people find great jobs in the Philippines.

Writing Complaint Letters

When you are wanting a quick, fast resolution to a problem you are experiencing, one of the most tried and proven methods to achieve this is by writing a complaint letter to the individual or organization concerned. There are many reasons as to why complaint letter writing is so powerful. The key is the way it is written. It is eloquent and to the point. It carefully lays out in detail what the problem is, and what must be done to rectify it. A consumer complaint letter has been compared to a ticking time bomb. It suggests to the individual or organization concerned, that unless the issue is resolved to your satisfaction, other consequences could be on the horizon for them. Yet a successful complaint letter is never threatening, it must instead appeal to other sensibilities of its recipient.

Perhaps words are no more powerful than when laid down in the form of complaint letters. As the Bee Gees once noted, 'words are all I have' - and while the purpose of complaint letters is seldom to take someone's heart away, the words contained within them can be a powerful force nonetheless. A carefully crafted complaint letter will frequently result in a long running issue being resolved. Whereas email and phone complaints can often fall on disinterested and deaf ears, complaint letters will usually find their way to the person who can actually fix the problem. A carefully worded complaint letter will more often than not result in a positive outcome for you. Some of these include:

 in the form of a refund
 replacement of defective merchandise
 a much faster response and resolution to the problem you are encountering.

Experience tells us that when it comes to lodging a complaint, emailed or phoned complaints will seldom be actioned. This is because the individual or organization concerned frequently and very simply ignores these types of complaints. In comparison, a carefully worded complaint letter, can be just what you need to resolve the issue in a rapid, appropriate manner. If you don’t know how to write a customer complaint letter, then it is recommended that you get an expert to help you to create it.

There may be certain times that a strongly worded complaint letter would be ideal for getting an ideal response. Complaint letters are ideal in the following situations:

 after receiving lousy customer service
 defective merchandise
 to dispute bills and charges
 when you wish to lodge a formal complaint with a government agency
 when an individual or organization has failed to meet their obligations

If you are unsure exactly how to go about it, we recommend you get a professional to draft the complaint letter. It is essential that your complaint is clearly laid out, logically formatted, chronologically correct, and perhaps above all - entirely accurate. This goes for both detailing the events, which led up to the complaint, as well as spelling and grammar.

About the Author - complaintguide.com