Members:

Nguyễn Ngọc Thanh Trân

Phan Nguyễn Quỳnh Tâm
Võ Quang Hưng
Write a response to the following complaining letter you have received from your customer.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inform you of my dissatisfaction with a five-day tour to Beijing.
On 29th October 2015, I joined the five-day tour as I was impressed by the description in your
travel brochure. I desired to spend my time on a fancy vacation. However, my enjoyment of
the trip was spoiled and shattered by a number of problems, and consequently the tour did not
live up to the claims made in your travel brochure.
First of all, the hotel accommodation was awful. It was not the five-star hotel as promised.
The interior décor was horrible --- lacquer was peeling off from the walls and there were
spider webs everywhere. The lights were mostly broken and the floor was filthy. More
importantly, I found a rat crawling around my room. I couldn’t sleep well because of its
squeaky sounds.
Secondly, both the quantity and quality of food was poor. Honestly, there was no variety of
food. Each table was served with only 4 to 5 dishes in every meal and the food was tasteless.
Furthermore, the restaurants were unhygienic! I remember once I found a cockroach inside
my bowl of congee! That was completely opposite to your claims that those restaurants are
‘prestigious’.
The third point I want to make concerns the tour guide. The tour guide, Mr. Chan, was one
hour late for our schedule due to his personal matter, but he offered no apology when he
arrived at noon! Your tour guide did not elaborate for us the attractions of any of the scenic
spots. Instead, he just gave a brief introduction and told us to go on our own activity. This
showed his idleness and unprofessional attitude. In addition, he was rude and hot-tempered.
He told us to get back immediately or he would leave us behind when we spent a bit more
time watching the scenery. In case we were walking too slowly, he would even swear at us. I
was extremely upset by his threatening remarks. Not only was his behaviour unacceptable, but
his condescending manner really got under my skin.
Last but not least, I did not understand the surcharges of the tour. Your brochure said there
would not be additional charges in the trip, but I found that there were tons of hidden charges
in the tour. For instance, we had to pay the entrance fee to the Beijing Zoo. Your tour guide
also told us to pay the guide fee of $50 per person when we were on our way back to the hotel
for arrangement of free activity. It happened at short notice and that confused us a lot.
I am most annoyed that I wasted my five-day vacation on this trip. My impression of your
agency has been tarnished. What I experienced on your tour was far from the claims made in
your travel brochure.
I do seriously hope your agency will take this case seriously and investigate this matter as
soon as possible. You should cover areas that include accommodation, food, tour guide and
hidden charges. I believe this is not the way your agency wish to serve customers. I would
welcome the opportunity to further discuss these matters and to learn of how you propose to
prevent similar situations from happening. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Pat Chan
OUR ANSWER
Dear Mr./Mrs. Chan,

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the
disappointing experience you had during your recent five-day tour to Beijing. Your feedback
is valuable to us, and we regret that the tour did not meet your expectations.

Firstly, regarding the hotel accommodation, we deeply apologize for the subpar conditions
you encountered. We understand the importance of comfortable lodging during a vacation,
and we are investigating the issues you mentioned to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
Rest assured that we will take immediate action to address the concerns with the hotel
management.

We are equally concerned about the quality and variety of the meals provided during your
tour. Your feedback on the unhygienic conditions and the presence of foreign objects in the
food is unacceptable, and we will be working closely with our restaurant partners to rectify
these issues and improve the overall dining experience for our customers.

Regarding the conduct of our tour guide, Mr. Chan, we extend our sincerest apologies for his
tardiness, lack of professionalism, and inappropriate behavior. We are conducting a thorough
investigation into the matter, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. We assure you
that this incident does not reflect the standards we set for our tour guides, and we are
committed to ensuring that our customers receive the high level of service they deserve.

As for the unexpected surcharges, we acknowledge the confusion and frustration this caused.
We are reviewing our communication processes to ensure that all potential charges are clearly
outlined in our tour information. Additionally, we will take steps to prevent any last-minute
surprises and provide more transparency regarding additional fees.

We understand the impact this experience has had on your impression of our agency, and we
sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Rest assured that we take your feedback
seriously, and we are committed to making the necessary improvements to prevent similar
situations in the future.

We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your concerns further and gather additional
details to aid in our investigation. Please let us know a convenient time for you, and we will
arrange a discussion to address any remaining issues and outline the corrective measures we
are implementing.

Once again, we apologize for the shortcomings you experienced during your tour. Your
satisfaction is our top priority, and we are dedicated to taking the necessary steps to ensure a
more positive experience for our customers in the future.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We look forward to hearing from you
soon.

Yours sincerely,
Võ Ngọc Thanh Tâm
Customer Services Manager