Granting Requests for Adjustment An adjustment letter is the reply to a complaint (called a claim letter). In general, the best attitude is to give the customer the benefit of the doubt. Most persons are honest in their claims, and it is usually better to make the desired adjustment than to risk losing a customer
Even though your firm's adjustment policy may be generous, the ultimate success of your good-news adjustment letters depends not only on what you say but also on how you say it. Always Choose neutral or positive language in referring to a complaint. Whether or not your company is at fault, even the most annoying or demanding claim should be answer politely. An adjustment letter should NOT be negative or suspicious; it must NEVER accuse the customer or grant any adjustment grudgingly. Remember, your company's image and goodwill are at stake when you respond even to unjustified claims. There Can be Three types of adjustment letters. 1. When the seller is at fault 2. When the buyer is at fault. 3. When the third party is at fault. The following organizational plan is suggested for answering claim letters. A. Initial Statement of the Good News or Main Idea 1. State immediately your willingness to honour the reader's claim. 2. Accept your reader's account as entirely accurate unless good business reasons demand a different interpretation of some points. 3. Adopt a tone of consideration and courtesy; avoid being defensive. 4. Thank the reader for taking the time to write. B. Middle, Informational Section 1. Minimize or, if possible, omit any disagreements with your reader's interpretation of events. 2. Maintain a supportive tone through such phrases as "Thank you for," "May we ask," "Please let us know," and "We are glad to work with you." 3. Apologize only under extreme circumstances; then do so crisply and without an overly apologetic tone. · Admit your firm's faults carefully. · Avoid blaming any particular person or office. · Avoid implying general company inefficiency. · Avoid making unrealistic promises about the future. · Remind the reader of your firm's quality controls. C. Warm, Courteous Close 1. Clarify any necessary actions that your reader must take. 2. Remind the reader of how you have honored the claim. 3. Avoid negative information. 4. Encourage the customer to look favorably on your company and/or the product in question (resale information). 5. Encourage the customer to continue buying other goods from you (sales promotion), but avoid seeming greedy