1001 Business Letters for All Occasions

From Customer Service to Employees

Policy on handling of customer complaints

From Customer Service to employees

As a reminder, effective immediately all staffers in the Customer Service Department are now asked to immediately notify a supervisor if they are not able to resolve a complaint to a customer’s complete satisfaction.

As part of our Extra Mile program, we will be asking Customer Service representatives to make follow-up calls to all customers within three days after they call with a complaint. Although we realize that we’re not going to be able to make everybody happy every time, that is going to be our goal.

All of our jobs—in management, sales, manufacturing, shipping, and Customer Service—depend upon finding and satisfying our customers.

Memo regarding complaint about specific employee

Specific complaint from customer about employee

One of our customers, Copperhead Creations, has complained about the handling of a recent complaint she filed about the quality of a recent shipment of gadgets. According to Bob Zimmer, the sales representative assigned to this account, his contact at Copperhead said you were unwilling to make an adjustment to their order.

I have reviewed the records of the order and your handling of the complaint, and although I do not feel that you violated any of our established procedures, in the spirit of our Extra Mile program I think you should have asked for the involvement of a supervisor to seek a solution that would satisfy Copperhead Creations.

Please plan on meeting with me and with Bob in my office today at 2:30 P.M. to discuss a way to remedy the situation and to help you develop strategies to deal with this particular issue as well as any similar situation that might arise.

Memo regarding complaint about department

From Customer Service to specific department

We have received four complaints in the past two weeks from customers who ordered (and paid for) express overnight delivery of widgets required for emergency repairs.

In each case, the order was sent to the Shipping Department close to—but not after—our cutoff time of 4:30 P.M. That cutoff time was chosen because it still allows one hour to arrange for pick-up by our overnight delivery carriers, and the Shipping Department is also authorized to make special arrangements to bring packages to overnight carriers at their airport hubs as late as 6:30 P.M.

When we let down a customer in this way we are not only hurting our own business but also our clients who make promises of their own.

Effective immediately, any salesperson who books an order that includes express overnight delivery is instructed to confirm by telephone or e-mail that the Shipping Department has made proper arrangements for shipment.

At the same time, the Shipping Department is reminded that it is company policy to guarantee overnight delivery anytime an order is placed by 4:30 P.M. The department is instructed to make all such orders its top priority; under no circumstances is an express order to be put off for a day without approval from the Shipping Department head, following notification to the Sales Department head.

Policy to employees on handling customer requests

From Customer Service to employees

At Consolidated Intergalactic our customers run the company. There is no such thing as a bad idea when it comes in the form of a request from a client.

It is our policy to treat every request for a new product, a modification to an existing product, or a new service as the best sort of market research available.

If a current or potential customer asks for a product or service we currently do not offer, please pass along full details to our Marketing Department: the company, the name of the caller, telephone number, and information about the request. Please tell the customer that we will respond within one business day to discuss ways in which we can meet their needs.

Obviously, we cannot guarantee that every idea will be adopted by CI; some ideas are brilliant but not practical or affordable. However, we always want our first response to questions from customers to be: “Yes.”

Policy on handling praise from customers

From Customer Service to employees

When a customer or client has something nice to say about you, we want to hear about it.

If you receive a phone call praising your work, please do not feel shy about asking the caller to pass along the same comments to the Chairman’s Office. You can transfer the call to extension 3333 or suggest a written comment be sent.

If you receive a letter or e-mail thanking you for your work, you can send a copy to the Chairman’s Office.

We do this for two reasons: We want to know when our customers are happy, and we want to reward employees who go the extra distance. All comments are included in our decision making for the Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year awards.

From Customer Service to Customer

Thank-you to new customer

From Manufacturing Department or Customer Service to customer

On behalf of all of us in the Manufacturing Department—the men and women who build the fine products of Consolidated Intergalactic—I want to welcome you and your company as a new customer.

Although this may be the first and last time you hear from those of us on the factory floor, I want you to know that we appreciate your business and promise our best efforts.

Response to customer complaint about quality of product

From Manufacturing Department or Customer Service to customer

We are sorry to hear of the difficulty you experienced in using a recent supply of chromium-plated wind shifters. We aim for 100 percent satisfaction for all of our customers, and in this case we have to admit that we missed; two lots of product produced earlier this month have fallen short of our quality standards because of problems with the quality of lubricant in gearbox assemblies.

I know that you have already been contacted by our Customer Service Department to alert you to the expected shipping date for a full set of replacement products. In the meantime, please accept my personal apology for the inconvenience we caused.

Letter to customer regarding RTM (return to manufacturer) policy

From Customer Service or Shipping Department to customer

We have received your request to return an order to Consolidated Intergalactic. We apologize for any inconvenience.

In order to allow for proper credit for returns, we ask that all customers request an RTM (return to manufacturer) number from the Shipping Department and display that number prominently on all shipping labels as well as on the packaging itself.

Acknowledgment of merchandise returned for credit

From Customer Service, Shipping Department, or Repair Department to customer

We have received your returned merchandise (RTM #6SJ7) and will be issuing a credit in the amount of $2,348 within the next seven days. We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused, and look forward to future orders from you.

Acknowledgment of merchandise returned for repair

From Customer Service, Shipping Department, or Repair Department to customer

This is to confirm the receipt of a CI Model 50 impresser, returned for repair. Our technicians have begun analyzing the unit and will prepare an estimate for parts and labor; we will contact you within seventy-two hours to discuss the cost.

In some situations it may be more cost-effective to replace a failed unit that is out of its warranty coverage with a new model. Depending on the estimated cost of repair, your sales representative may offer special pricing on a replacement unit.

Announcing recall of product

From Customer Service, Sales Department, or Marketing Department to customer

Consolidated Intergalactic has issued a voluntary recall of its entire current line of Nickel-Dedoo nickel-plated reverse-screw filbert widgets because of a defect that could result in an uncontrolled acceleration in certain rare circumstances.

All customers are advised to stop using recalled products immediately.

The only products affected by this recall are those produced between December 1, 2007, and April 12, 2008. The widgets are marked with a lot number that ends with the four letter code of ABBA.

Older Nickel-Dedoo widgets and those produced after April 12, 2008 are not affected by this quality issue.

Consolidated Intergalactic will be contacting all affected customers to arrange for replacement of the defective units with re-engineered substitutes.

There have been no known incidents of failure of devices related to this defect, but CI has chosen to make this recall out of an abundance of caution. We apologize to all of our customers for any inconvenience caused by this recall.

Acknowledging receipt of recalled product

From Customer Service, Sales Department, or Marketing Department to customer

We have received your shipment of Nickel-Dedoo units, returned to Consolidated Intergalactic because of the current recall of these widgets.

Your replacement order of re-engineered widgets was shipped to you three days ago and should arrive today. An engineer from our Quality Control Department will be contacting you this week to find out if there is anything else we can do to assist your company at this time.

Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this recall.

Apology and replacement for damaged goods

From Customer Service, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Shipping Department to customer

We have shipped a full replacement of your recent order (#ABEL2345).

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by damage in shipment. The freight carrier will be contacting you to pick up the original order; please retain all packaging, packing material, invoices, and damaged items for collection by the trucking company.

Apology for damaged goods, partial credit issued

From Customer Service, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Shipping Department to customer

Please accept our apologies for the problems with your recent order (#ABEL2345). Several of the items were not properly assembled or were lacking attachment points.

We understand that your company was under deadline pressure and there was not enough time to allow us to ship a replacement order. You were forced to make your own repairs and adjustments to some of the chromium inverse involuters.

As we discussed, we have issued a credit in the amount of 50 percent of your total order before shipping.

We value you as a customer and hope not to disappoint you again.

Apology for delay in shipment of goods

From Customer Service, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Shipping Department to customer

On behalf of all of us at Consolidated Intergalactic, please accept our apology for the delay in shipment of your recent order.

Quite frankly, we dropped the ball. We greatly underestimated the response to our special free shipping offer to valued customers and our production line was overwhelmed even as we worked round-the-clock.

One thing on which we will never compromise is the quality of our product. We were pushing the widgets as fast as we could, but unfortunately there were a number of customers whose orders were delayed five to ten days past promised shipment dates.

Requesting advice on shipment method, split order

From Customer Service to customer

Thank you for your recent order, number 6SJ7-309408.

Most of the items you ordered are ready for shipment at this time, but there will be a delay of two to three weeks before we are able to ship your orders for nonmetallic inverse wind shifters.

If you would like to reduce the cost of shipping, we can hold your order until all of the items are available.

Otherwise, we can ship the available items now and the back-ordered items when they are ready. This will add approximately $365.30 in shipping costs.

Please advise us of your preferred shipping method.

Requesting advice on shipment method, express option

From Customer Service to customer

Thank you for your recent order, number 6SJ7-309408.

Your items are being packaged now and will be ready to ship on March 1.

Standard shipping costs for an order of this size are $212.50, and you can expect delivery within five to eight business days.

We also offer an express shipment option, which would deliver your order within two to three business days after it is shipped. The cost for express shipping is $296.

Please advise your preferred shipping method; if we do not hear from you before March 1, we will send your order by standard shipping.

Requesting advice on shipment method, nonstandard shipping company

From Customer Service to customer

Thank you for your recent order, number 6SJ7-309408.

Your items are being packaged now and will be ready to ship on March 1.

We note that you have requested express delivery by United Big Box Service. We do not ordinarily use that company for deliveries. However, if you have an account with UBBS and would like to arrange for pick-up at our loading dock and direct billing for shipping, please contact me at extension 2398, and we would be happy to work with you.

Offering credit for delay in shipping

From Customer Service to customer

Regarding your recent order, number 6SJ7-2348983, we apologize for the delay between shipping from our factory and arrival at your business.

You paid for express delivery and the packages should have arrived within two to three business days. According to the delivery company, the packages were misdirected in their system resulting in a delay of ten days.

At this time we are crediting your account with a full refund for the shipping costs. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this late delivery; we hope you understand that the problem was not of our making.

Acknowledgment of letter of praise from customer

From Customer Service or Executive Office to customer

Thank you for your letter about the exceptional service you received from the Consolidated Intergalactic installation team. We are very happy that you were pleased; our corporate mission statement puts the customer at the center of our universe.

Response to praise about quality of product

From business organization, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Customer Service to customer

Thank you for your comments about the new and improved nickel-plated screw reverser. We’re always looking for ways to make our products better, and it is very gratifying to hear from our customers when they are pleased with our efforts.

Response to praise about quality of service

From business organization, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Customer Service to customer

Thank you for passing along your appreciation for the work of Paul W., one of our best maintenance engineers.

He was just doing his job . . . but we are very proud of our team.

Paul is a regular contender for Employee of the Year, and we will keep your letter—and others—in our files for consideration for that important award.

Response to complaint about quality of hotel

From travel agency to customer

Please accept our apologies for your disappointment with one of the hotels we booked for you on your recent twenty-one-day trip to China and Tibet.

As I’m sure you can understand, sometimes the information we are provided by hotels—especially when it comes to far-distant places—is not always completely accurate. That certainly seems to be the situation here.

We have e-mailed the management company for the hotel and have requested a credit for your four-day stay; we have informed the company that we will no longer book our clients at that hotel or any other they manage if we do not receive a satisfactory response.

As of today, we have not received a reply from the management company, but we want you to know how much we appreciate your business. Therefore, we are issuing you a credit in the amount of $525— the full cost of the four nights at the Happy Golden Fortune—that you can use on the next trip you book through our agency.

I hope this is satisfactory, and we look forward to the next time you plan to go away.

Response to complaint about service not provided

From travel agency to customer

We were very disappointed to learn that one of our travel providers did not meet its obligation on your recent cruise from London.

We contacted Black Watch Cab Company, and they told us their driver had become stuck in traffic coming to the airport to pick you up; they claim that he arrived at 8:30 A.M. and could not locate you.

We have credited to your charge card the $150 cost of the prepaid transfer.

Please accept our apologies; we hope you understand that this was a situation beyond our control.

Follow-up to response about service not provided

From travel agency to customer

I have received your second letter about the problem you encountered at Heathrow Airport on your recent cruise from London.

We very much value you as a customer and hope you will continue to book trips through our agency. We are therefore offering you a credit in the amount of $100 that you can apply toward your next booking with us; this is in addition to the refund to your credit card in the amount of $150 for the airport transfer that was not delivered.

Thank you again for the opportunity to help you plan your vacations.

Asking for comments on service

From travel agency to customer

Welcome home. We hope your trip exceeded your expectations; thank you for the opportunity to assist you in making arrangements.

To help us help you, and other clients, in making plans for future trips we would appreciate any comments you might have about airlines, hotels, and excursions we set up. Did anyone deliver exceptional service? Did anyone disappoint you?

As a token of our appreciation, please accept the enclosed atlas to help you plan your next vacation.

Response to detailed complaint about quality of product

From business organization, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Customer Service to customer

First of all, on behalf of all of us at Consolidated Intergalactic, please accept my apologies for the substandard quality of your recent shipment of reversers.

We are committed to the highest level of quality in all of the products and services we provide. I wish we could claim 100 percent success, but that would be unrealistic; all of our products are highly complex in design and manufacture, and despite our best efforts, some less-than-perfect units manage to get out our doors.

We have assigned one of our quality control engineers to investigate the history of your particular order and to recommend steps we can take to improve the quality of that product.

In the meantime, I have issued a credit to your account for the full purchase price of your recent order. Please use the reversers that meet your own standards; we will arrange to pick up any that you reject.

I will personally oversee your next order from Consolidated Intergalactic, and you have my promise that we will try even harder to meet your needs.

Response to complaint from customer with courtesy adjustment without accepting liability

From Customer Service to customer

We have received your request for a credit related to the performance of some specialty parts produced for you by Consolidated Intergalactic.

At the time of your order, we advised you that we did not endorse the use of nickel-plated inverse expellers in your particular industrial application. Our Engineering Department recommends instead the use of chromium alloy coatings.

As a courtesy to a valued customer, we are issuing a credit for the parts that failed and for the unused items returned to us under RMA #1170BYA.

Response to complaint from customer, denying refund for cause

From Customer Service to customer

We have received your request for a credit related to the performance of some specialty parts produced for you by Consolidated Intergalactic.

We are sorry for the problems you encountered. However, we hope you understand that we cannot warranty performance of products that are not used as recommended by our engineers.

We are unable to refund the purchase price of any parts that have been put into service by your company. However, as a courtesy to a valued customer, we will accept for credit any unused parts still in their original packaging. Please return such parts marked under RMA #1199BYA.

Response to complaint about quality of service

From business organization, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Customer Service to customer

As I said on the phone earlier today, please accept my deepest apologies for the unacceptable level of service you received from Consolidated Intergalactic recently.

I trust that the repair crew we dispatched today met your expectations. I spoke personally with the director of Repair Services, and he informed me of the work that was performed to bring your machine back up to standards.

We have credited your account for the full cost of the first repair call and will not be charging you for the make-up visit.

I hope you will consider this incident a one-time problem and continue to put your trust in Consolidated Intergalactic.

Response to complaint about treatment by Customer Service

From business organization, Sales Department, Marketing Department, or Customer Service to customer

On behalf of Consolidated Intergalactic, please accept my apologies for the poor Customer Service you received in your call to inquire about pricing on Order #2344-6SJ7.

Although it is a fact that any price that is quoted is subject to change until an order is actually placed, our valued customers deserve better treatment than you received, and I will personally speak to the agent involved.

Unfortunately, because many of our products require use of natural commodities from some of the far corners of the planet, our prices do change from to time. We try to absorb minor fluctuations, but in the instance of the chromium-plated detanglers our costs for damiana extract have quadrupled since the start of the year because of a crop failure in Mexico.

In fairness to other customers, we are unable to adjust the price on orders placed after a price increase. However, as a courtesy to a valued customer I have credited your account $250, which can be used on your next purchase of products or services from CI.

Declining future orders

From Sales Department to customer

We apologize for your recent problems with orders from Consolidated Intergalactic.

We have issued refunds and credits five times in the past two months for problems you have encountered. It is our company policy to always do everything possible to meet the needs of our customers.

However, it is our opinion that the complaints you have made about our products are not reasonable. Unfortunately from time to time there is a mismatch between a supplier and a customer, and at this time we have decided that we can no longer accept future orders from your company.

From Customer Service to Customer, Repair and Warranty Issues

Letter to customer regarding warranty service policy