Complaint letters are difficult to write. However, reply
to one is more difficult. No matter how offensive the letter of complaint
is, you have to deal with it politely and tactfully. Sometimes it is not
possible to deal with the complaint right away; therefore, you should
send a letter acknowledging the complaint and offer an initial apology
or concern.
Below are some examples of real letter I received as reply to my complaints
:
From a bank :
Thank you for you letter of 15 January
2004, although I was sorry to hear that you have had a cause to
complain.
In line with Financial Services Authority
regulations, we will aim to get a full reply out to you within
28 days.
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From a train company :
We acknowledge receipt of your letter,
received on 28 December 2003.
Thank you for taking the time and trouble
to write to us. We realise how important it is to provide a quick
response, particularly if customers have had a bad experience.
Although we do hope to do so sooner, you
should receive a full response within 20 working days of receipt
of your letter. Please bear with us as due to a number of instances
of severe delays recently, we have experienced an increase in
correspondence and are taking longer than we would like to respond.
If you have any queries or concerns that
are of an urgent nature, please contact our Customer Service Team
on 08457 221 125. |
You may have noticed that replies to complaints are longer than other letters.
First of all, you should acknowledge the receipt of the complaint. As above, the expressions used are
Thank you for your letter on…
We acknowledge receipt of your letter, received
on…
Thank you for writing to us on….
Then you may offer an initial apology or sympathy and promise to investigate and reply as soon as possible.
You should get your full reply within…. Days.
Please bear with us.
I regret to inform you that our investigations
are taking longer than originally envisaged.
Please rest assured that your concerns continue
to receive full attention, and we will return to you as soon as possible.
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