COMPLAINTS AND ADJUSTMENTSTask 1 Read the text and retell it: Minor complaints can be emailed, but use letters when dealing with more serious ones. Before you complain, make absolutely sure your facts are right. If you have to respond to an unjustified complaint, be polite and remember that anyone can make a mistake. Do not delay. Complain as soon as you realize a mistake has been made; delay weakens your case and can complicate the matter as details may be forgotten. There is no need to open by apologizing for the need to complain (We regret to inform you...Jam sorry to have to write to you about...) as this also weakens your case. Do not be rude or personal. In most cases correspondence between companies takes place between employees in various departments. Nothing is gained by being rude to the individual you are writing to. Never blame your own staff, and finally, while writing the complaint remember that complaints are not accusations. They are requests to correct mistakes or faults. They should be written remembering that the supplier almost certainly wants to put things right. If you think you know how the mistake was made, you may politely point it out to your supplier. Sometimes, when a mistake occurs several times, you may be able to work out why it is happening more quickly than the company you are dealing with. When answering a complaint, thank your customer for pointing out the problem. Sometimes you cannot deal with a complaint immediately, as the matter needs to be looked into. Do not leave your customer waiting but tell them what you are doing straight away. In this case, an email message is appropriate as the customer then knows immediately that you have received the complaint and are doing something about it. If the complaint is justified, explain how the problem occurred and how you intend to deal with it. But do not blame your staff, you employed them, so you are responsible for their actions. So, having acknowledged your responsibility and explained what went wrong, you should put matters right as soon as possible, and tell your customer that you are doing so. If you think the complaint is unjustified, you can be firm but polite in your answer. But even if you deny responsibility, you should always try to give an explanation of the problem. It is useful when closing your letter to mention that the mistake, error, or fault is an exception, and it either rarely or never happens. You should also, of course, apologize for the inconvenience your customer experienced.
Task 2 Study the sample letters and answer the questions: 1. Why did Mr Hughes receive a wrong delivery? 2. What will Mr Clif do about it? 3. Why is Mr Cliff not going to send a credit note? 4. How will Mr Cliff help Mr Hughes not to make the same mistake again? 5. Which words in the email have a similar meaning to the following: a) investigated, b) told, c) collect, e) lost?
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