Analyzing Sample Customer Service Letters

To prepare for our class discussion, please read the following three letter examples, written by students from a previous class. Complete the grid, below, with your analysis of each letter. You might consider the following criteria: Approach and Audience Perspective Content and Development Organization Writing Style Editing and Format What grade would you Suggestions for improvement give this assignment?

Strengths 1) ALK Restaurant and Pub

2) The Delta Room Restaurant

3) Royal Park Cafe

Customer Service Letter: Example 1

Jill Student Cornell University 555 Donlon Ithaca, NY 14853 September 1, 20xx General Manager ALK Restaurant and Pub 19 Walters Avenue Newark, NJ 08661 Dear Ms. Kaufman: This past August I dined at the ALK Restaurant and Pub for the first time. While the food was excellent, I was disappointed with my overall dining experience, specifically the service. I would like to point out why I found it to be unsatisfactory. I felt the service was inadequate for the following reasons: Upon being seated, my guest and I were not served water, even though other patrons who arrived after we did received water in a timely fashion. My guest asked the waitress for water with lemon, and we were served water with no lemon. My guest had to ask the waitress twice more and the hostess once, before we received the lemon. Our meals took an unnecessarily long time to be brought out, considering they were relatively simple: a hamburger cooked medium-rare and a salad with chicken. We did however receive an apology from the waitress for the excessive delay.

I am a native of Newark, and I dined at the ALK because of its stellar reputation. Hopefully my experience was uncommon because I would like to return to the restaurant sometime in the future. I appreciate you taking the time to read this letter, and would be grateful if you could reply. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,

Jill Student Cornell University School of Hotel Administration

Customer Service Letter: Example 2

Cornell University 555 Donlon Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 September 1, 20xx Chef Mac Torres The Delta Room Restaurant 524 First Street Huntington, NY 11753 Dear Chef Torres: I am writing to compliment your establishment for its impeccable service and genuinely friendly staff. Currently, I am a freshman at Cornell Universitys Hotel School where, as a class assignment, we were asked to identify an instance of outstanding service we had personally received in the hospitality industry and to compose a letter of thanks to that establishment. And, in my opinion, a recent dinner I had at the Delta Room could not be a more perfect example. I live on eastern Long Island, and my family and I have dined at the Delta Room on several occasions. The recent instance of outstanding service I well remember took place not too long ago, in June, where special attention was given by your staff to making the dining experience a very memorable event. As I stated earlier, I have dined at the Delta Room on several occasions but always with my family. This time, I decided to take my girlfriend to my favorite Long Island restaurant, the Delta Room, to celebrate our high school graduation. What impressed me the most that evening was simply the overall quality of service that we received during our dinner. To make an already incredible dinner even more outstanding, the wait staff went to special effort to take our evening to the next level. For example, the wait staff took the time to learn our names, even though the room was full of crowded tables. By the end of the evening it seemed that every wait staff member was addressing us by name. Such little extras that the wait staff did to make it special were both unexpected, and completely unnecessary, but made the event that much more significant for my date and me. Not only did the special touches impress my girlfriend, but they made the dinner experience an evening that I am sure we will both remember for years to come. Ill bet that this is not always the level of service that a high school kid receives, even from some of New Yorks finest restaurants. It is a reflection of the quality of your wait staff that they treat everyone with equal respect

I have worked in restaurants before and am currently going to school for hospitality management. As a result, perhaps I more carefully note the quality of service than a typical customer would. I realize that restaurant wait staffs often times get annoyed when they have to serve kids after all, kids can not order an expensive bottle of wine with dinner, and they do not have limitless wallets. As a result of these limitations, service can suffer noticeably especially when the restaurant is crowded with many other high-paying guests, as was the Delta Room the evening my girlfriend and I were dining there. Yet, the service we received was absolutely impeccable. Again, I would like to commend your staff for their wonderful service, and to thank the Delta Room for an overall incredible dining experience. You have certainly gained a life-long customer and a friend. Sincerely,

Joe Student

Customer Service Letter: Example 3

September 1, 20xx Cornell University 555 Donlon Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 Melanie Lim General Manager Royal Park Cafe 157 Rondado Street Los Angeles, CA 20799 Dear Ms. Lim: I am writing to thank you for a delightful dining experience at your restaurant. As a student in the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, I understand how helpful feedback can be, and Id like to express my gratitude for a wonderful meal. I began the evening feeling slightly apprehensive, as Id chosen to bring friends to Royal Park Caf even though Id never dined there myself; I was not disappointed. The service offered by the wait staff was both composed and personable, and it allowed the evening to flow flawlessly. The food itself was outstanding, and the dcor and ambiance provided the perfect balance to the cuisine. The wait staff was both attentive and friendly. The table was unobtrusively cleared between courses and we did not need to ask once for our water glasses to be refilled. I dined at your restaurant with friends from overseas who were not particularly proficient in English. Yet our waiter explained all that they needed to know comprehensibly and answered each of their questions in a kind and courteous manner. He took a genuine interest in our satisfaction and made sure that we were enjoying our meal. The food was absolutely delicious and the presentation was impeccable. The thought of the grilled miso marinated duck breast still makes my mouth water. Though we were all satisfied after the main course, we could not resist the enticing dessert menu (nor did we want the meal to end!), and I found the chocolate, pecan, and caramel tartlet to be a delectable end to my meal. The food was a perfect demonstration of the New American cuisine that I was looking to offer my international friends. I thought the dcor and ambiance provided the perfect setting for the meal. The room carried an air of casual elegance, which mirrored the mood of the entire evening. The soft lighting and striking floral arrangements made the room inviting and graceful without being overbearing. My friends and I felt at home while still aware that we were treating ourselves to a nice meal. The atmosphere was effortlessly matched by the understated grace of the food and the service. I most certainly plan on returning to your restaurant, and have already recommended it to numerous friends. I hope my feedback has been helpful, and Id love to know how your staff responds to it. Thank you again for a marvelous evening. Yours truly, Jonathan Student