Session 5

Handling Complaints

1
 Session objectives

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Follow the basic rules for writing good business letters
• Explain what to do when you are required to apologize
• Write a letter of handling complaints

2
Basic rules of writing business letters

• Answer promptly – within three business days

• Show that you are genuinely interested

• Don’t be too short, brief, or curt

• Give everyone the benefit of doubt

• Never send off an angry letter

• Appreciate humour

• Be careful with form (standardized) letters

3
When you are required to apologize

• Take the complaint seriously

• Explain what happened and why
• Don’t shift the blame
• Don’t just write, do something

4
 Speak when you write

• Write with personal pronouns

- Use we, us, and our when speaking for the company
- Use I, me and my when speaking for yourself
• Use contractions occasionally (I’m, we’re, you’d, they’ve, can’t, don’t, let’s)
• Reach out to your reader occasionally by asking questions
- Is the conference still scheduled for February 21st?
• Keep sentences short, about 10-15 words on average
(ear test: read your writing aloud and break apart any sentence you can’t finish
in one breath)