3．Adjustments 13理算

When you receive a complaint or claim of any kind，you will need to confirm the facts of the situation and answer the letter promptly．The reply to a letter of complaints is called a letter of adjustments．Like a claim，a letter of adjustments should emphasize the solution rather than the error and convince the customer that you understand and want to be fair．The content of an adjustment letter may be granting an adjustment，or granting a partial adjustment，or refusing an adjustment．Whether the complaint is justified or unjustified，a letter of adjustments should serve to:

(1)convince the complainant that you are dealing fairly with the problem;

(2)keep the goodwill of the complainant towards your company．

Writing Suggestions

Opening:The opening begins with a positive statement，expressing sympathy and understanding．

Body:　The body lets the reader know what is being done，and this news，good or bad，should be followed by an explanation．

Closing:　The closing ends with another positive statement，reaffirming the company's good intentions and the value of its products，but NEVER referring to the original problem．

Sample Letters

a．Granting an Adjustment

This letter should be cheerful，freely admitting errors and willingly offering the adjustment．It should express appreciation for the information provided in the claim．The letter may include an explanation of what went wrong;it should include an indication that similar errors will be unlikely in the future．Finally，it should reassure long-term cooperation and mutual benefit，perhaps by suggesting future business．See the following sample:

Dear Mr．Norton，

Of course you may return for full credit the microwave oven that was damaged in shipment．American Delivery Service will pick up the oven on Friday，June 17．If you would like us to replace the oven with another like it，the delivery service will exchange a new oven for the damaged one on June 17．However，if you would prefer，we will credit your account for $ 308，the purchase price of the oven plus regulatory tax14．Just write a note on the bottom of this letter telling us what you would like us todo．There is a postage-paid envelope enclosed so that you can send us the letter easily and quickly．

Thank you for telling us that the microwave oven was damaged when it was delivered．By letting us know when these things occur，we can correct problems and，we hope，keep you as one of our satisfied customers．We should like to serve you again soon．

Sincerely，

b．Granting a Partial Adjustment

This letter will be written when neither the company nor the customer is entirely at fault．It must express an attitude of pleasant cooperation．It should be based on facts and offer a reason for refusing the requested adjustment．As in the following sample letter，it should immediately make a counteroffer that meets the customer halfway．Of course，it should leave the decision to accept the adjustment to the customer and suggest a course of action．See the following sample:

Dear Mr．Patterson，

We are sorry that model 88b handsaws that you purchased have not lived up to15 your expectations．Frankly，we are surprised they have proved so fragile and appreciate your returning them to us．Our lab people are already at work trying to discover the source of the problem．

We are glad to assume the shipping costs you incurred，Mr．Patterson．But may we suggest that，instead of a refund，you apply the price of these handsaws to the cost of an order of model 78b handsaws．Your own experience will bear out their reliability，and we are sure your customers will be pleased with an Eterna-Tool Product．

If you will drop us a line okaying the shipment，the shipping note16 will be ready in no time and your 78b handsaws will be on their way within the week．

Sincerely yours，

c．Refusing an Adjustment

Like all refusals，this adjustment letter is most difficult to write，for you must try nevertheless to rebuild your customer's goodwill．It must say no graciously but firmly while convincing the customer of the company's fairness and responsibility．A letter refusing an adjustment should begin by expressing the customer's point of view．It should demonstrate your sympathy and desire to be fair．It should emphasize the careful consideration the claim received．When saying no，it is often tactful，moreover，to present the explanation before the decision and to include an appeal to the customer's sense of fair play．Also，an effective conclusion might suggest an alternative course of action the customer could take．See the following sample:

Dear Mr．Wilson，

We are sorry that you are not completely satisfied with your Atlas photocopier．You are entirely justified in expecting more than eighteen months of reliable performance from an Atlas office machine，and we are always eager to serve any product that does not for some reason live up to standard．

We appreciate your giving us the opportunity to inspect the malfunctioning copier．According to our service representative，two problems contributed to17 the unit's breakdown．It is apparently being used for a significantly higher volume of copying than it was built for(as indicated in both the sales material and user's manual18 with which you were provided)．Furthermore，there are indications that the cover is not being properly closed before documents are copied．The resultant“sky-shots”can lead to the burn-out of a number of mechanical parts．

Although we are not prepared to offer you a replacement copier as you suggested(indeed the one-year warrantee has been expired for six months)，we would be happy to take the damaged copier as a trade-in19 on another larger-capacity Atlas copier．We believe this arrangement would better meet your department's needs and be more economically advisable than additional repairs on the old unit．Please let us know if you would like to speak to a sales representative about the terms of a trade-in．

Yours truly，