When a customer takes the time to send a letter of complaint about your company’s product or service, it is critical to send an appropriate response. Most customers are probably upset when they write their letters, and if the response is not satisfactory, it will reinforce their negative feelings. These guidelines will help make your customer know that you—and the company—care about his or her feedback.
The customer will be wondering if the complaint letter arrived and that the correct person received it. However, you might need a little time to resolve the issue before you can respond fully. Send the customer an initial response by note, phone, or fax and then follow up with a resolution letter within 2 weeks.
The content of such letters is too uniform and predictable to sound sincere. Each letter should be personalized to meet the customer’s particular circumstances. This tells the customer that you understand the specific situation behind the complaint. Use a polite, understanding tone and never argue.
Let the customer know that you appreciate being made aware of the problem. Comment that this is an opportunity to improve service or correct a product failure, and explain in detail how you plan to make things right. Personally apologize for any trouble or inconvenience that the customer may have experienced.
Focus on what you can do to alleviate the problem. This helps you move from a negative situation to one in which the customer will give your company another chance to meet future expectations.
If you are addressing several different components of a problem, a single-page response may seem too abrupt and unsatisfying to a customer who has taken the time and effort to bring the problem to your attention. A personalized response letter of sufficient length will convey a sense of caring on behalf of your company.