Successful Complaints Resolution – How To Write An Effective Complaints Letter

As consumers it is inconceivable that we will never have cause to complain about shoddy service, unfair practices or sub-standard products. It’s just a fact of life that, at some stage, we will get the sticky end of the stick and have to do something about it. Whether or not the issue is resolved satisfactorily often depends on your ability to write an good letter of complaint .

The first step in creating an effective written complaint is establishing whom the complaint should be addressed to specifically. Generic “to whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir” letters have a way of finding their way into the trash. Addressing the complaint to specific person forces accountability and shows you are serious about the issue.

Even if the event you are complaining about was a clear cut case of negligence or lack of interest or commitment try and kick the letter off on a positive note. The person you are addressing the letter to is very seldom the person who was responsible for the issue at hand and setting a tone that is conducive to resolution is important.

This is an extremely important point and the value of setting of on a positive note can not be overemphasised. You want to draw the person reading the letter into positive dialogue not get their back up and alienate them at the get-go. Once this groundwork is established you can lay out your complaint.

When doing this attempt to be clear concise and to the point. Never drag unrelated or old grievances or concerns into the issue in an attempt to add emphasis. This just clouds the issue and tends to destroy your credibility before you get out of the blocks. Only use past events if they are directly relevant to the present issue.

Another no-no is becoming rude, aggressive or abusive. Although you may feel like spouting off it will do no good in the end as anger tends to breed anger and that’s not where you want to be. Be civil yet firm so that you leave no doubt in the readers mind that you are in control of your emotions and not to be trifled with.

Copies of supporting documents must always be included with the letter. Ensure that you send copies and keep the originals in a secure place. These should include invoices, register slips and any previous letters you may have sent. These are vital as most vendors will not entertain claims without them and you don’t want to create any handy bolt-holes ideal for a speedy escape.

The complaints letter should be closed off by making your expectations clear regarding a resolution. Just keep it real as unreasonable demands are likely to get the complaint written off as being nothing more than opportunistic chance taking.

These simple points should ensure that you can produce a killer complaints letter that will go a long way to getting you joy even if you have to wear a wig for 6 months!