An adjustment letter is a company’s response to a complaint letter. The textbook provides pretty thorough information about adjustment letters. My presentation outlines the main points made in the text, but here are a few key points to remember:
-Look at adjustment letters as an opportunity to build goodwill
-Avoid sending a noncommittal letter. This says that you haven’t taken the time to investigate their claim and are not taking it seriously. Instead, investigate their claim and get back to them with an answer as quickly as possible
-It’s important to be sincere. Complying begrudgingly or overdoing an apology will make the company look bad and destroy any potential to build goodwill.
-Maintain a positive and friendly tone
-Don’t make a promise you can’t keep. Furthermore, watch your wording to avoid sounding like you could give the customer what they want but are choosing not to (avoid the words “grant”, “claim”, and “reject”)
-Always be customer-centered
Most of the information I was able to find online about adjustment letters reiterated what the book stated. Here are a few useful websites I came across:
Colorado State University's website provides a lot of the same information as our text (it stresses the opportunity to build goodwill and the importance of a positive approach), but it includes helpful information about how to draft and revise an adjustment letter with focus on objective and scope. It also provides sample letters.
Businesswritingblog.com features a post about "waging peace" in business writing. Lynn Gaertner-Johnston provides techniques for connecting with the reader, communicating negative messages kindly, and apologizing for mistakes.
Businessweek.com has an article that refers mostly to interacting with customers over the phone, but it provides some insight that is useful in dealing with cranky customers in general. This article stresses the customer-centered approach and provides a real life example of the difference good customer service and building goodwill can make.
Ehow.com Provides seven basic steps for dealing with customer complaints. It stresses that customers want to feel heard, complaints can help you learn to improve your business, and not to take complaints personally.
Customers can be tough cookies. However, when it's your job to deal with them, there's no reason to act in the same way. Indeed, one must do their best to accommodate the customer and solve the problem. That's the way of the pro and the method to develop a good attitude in running a business.
ReplyDelete-Ruby Chelmsford