ADJUSTMENT LETTER

Adjustment letter is a letter which aims at replying a complaint letter. The

objective is to inform the reader that their complaint has been received. It is also a

legal document recording what decisions were made and what actions have or will

be taken.

Writing an adjustment letter is not an easy matter. It must be handled

carefully when the requested compensation cannot be granted. Therefore, here are

some suggestions that may help you write either type of adjustment letter:

1. Begin with a reference to the date of the original letter of complaint and to the

purpose of your letter. If you deny the request, don't state the refusal right

away unless you can do so tactfully.

2. Express your concern over the writer's troubles and your appreciation that he

has written you.

3. If you deny the request, explain the reasons why the request cannot be granted

in as cordial and non-combative manner as possible. If you grant the request,

don't sound as if you are doing so in a begrudging way.

4. If you deny the request, try to offer some partial or substitute compensation or

offer some friendly advice (to take the sting out of the denial).

5. Conclude the letter cordially, perhaps expressing confidence that you and the

writer will continue doing business

ADJUSTMENT LETTER: GOOD NEWS

Begin by expressing regret over the problem or stating that you are

pleased to hear from the customer, or both.

Adopt the “you”-attitude; maintain a positive, cheerful tone.

Explain the circumstances that caused the problem.

State specifically what the adjustment will be.

Handle any special problems that may have accompanied the letter; then

close.

ADJUSTMENT LETTER: BAD NEWS

Begin with a friendly opener—establish common ground; express

regret over the situation.

Avoid being discourteous, even if the customer has been downright

abusive.

Explain the reason for the refusal (and at some length, which

indicates that you've considered the problem seriously).

After the explanation, state the actual refusal (and inoffensively as

possible).

If possible, offer a partial or substitute adjustment.

Close the letter in a friendly way.

Green Tree Freight Co., Inc.Columbus, Ohio 45453

(315) 565-6789

March 26, 19XX Mrs. Phoebe F. HughesComplete Table, Inc.P.O. Box 3132Austin, TX 78703

Subj.: March 24 letter about damaged freight

Dear Mrs. Hughes,

I have just received your March 24 letter about the damaged shipment you received through Green Tree Freight and regret the inconvenience that it has caused you.

From your account of the problem, I am quite sure that your request for the $240 adjustment on the damage to the 2 crates of Valjean Cristal stemware will be granted. A certain amount of breakage of this sort does unavoidably occur in cross-country shipping; I am sorry that it was your company that had to be the one to suffer the delay.

I must remind you to keep the damaged crates in the same condition in which you received them until one of our representatives can inspect them. That inspection should take place within 2 weeks.

If all is in order, as it sounds to be in your letter, you can expect the full reimbursement within 2 weeks after our representative's inspection. I hope this unfortunate accident will not keep you from having merchandise shipped by Green Tree Freight in the future.

Sincerely,

David F. Morgan, Customer RelationsGreen Tree Freight Co., Inc.

Columbus, Ohio 45453(315) 565-6789

[name][street address]

[city, state/province, zip/postal code]

[date]

[name][street address][city, state/province, zip/postal code]

Dear [name], We received your letter of [date]. Thank you for advising us of [nature of problem/claim]. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we plan to address the situation by [action to be taken].

Sincerely,

[sender’s name]PresidentGreen Tree Freight Co., Inc.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

Acknowledging receipt of a complaint letter

Thank you for your letter of … regarding / concerning / in connection with …

I refer to your letter of … about / relating to …

Apology for the error or fault

We must apologise for …

We sincerely apologise for …

Please accept our apologies for …

I would like to apologise for the error made by our company in (verb+ing)

Accepting the Complaint

We agree that the usual high standards of our products / services were not met

in this instance.

A short explanation of the fault

Introductory phrase

o As a result of our investigation, we found that... (Not: After our

investigation...)

Causes

o The error was caused by … / was due to …

o Apparently, the problem was the result of … / resulted from …

o The cause of / reason for the mistake was …

Effects

o As a result …

o This led to …

o Consequently …

Solutions

o We have modified / changed our ...

o We have implemented a system to...

o To prevent re-occurrences we have set up a verification procedure.

Assurances

o We assure you that this will not happen again.

Investigation to be made

We are currently investigating the cause of ...

We will investigate the cause of...

Proposal to settle the difficulty

As a gesture of our regret, we are prepared to …/ we are willing to …/ we

would like to …

To show goodwill, we will …

An offer to take goods back, make a replacement, give a discount etc.

We have dispatched the new items by express courier. They should arrive by

Monday, 28 May 2012.

To show our goodwill, we would like to offer you a 5% discount on your next

order with us.

Regret at dissatisfaction

While we can understand your frustration, ...

We understand how disappointing it can be when your expectations are not

met.

Rejecting responsibility for the problem leading to the complaint

I regret to inform you that …

I am afraid that …

Unfortunately, I must point out that …

Reasons for the rejection

This is because the guarantee period has expired.

This is due to the fact that the guarantee period has expired.

If a third party (another person or organisation) is to blame, direct the

complainer to that party

We therefore suggest that you contact...

A concluding paragraph aiming at retaining the goodwill of the customer

We look forward to receiving your further orders, and assure you that they

will be filled correctly / promptly.

REFERENCES

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/business_writing/business_letter/

adjustment_letter/

http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eiw/adjustmentletters.htm

Hartley, Paul. 2005. German English Business Correspondence. Routledge.

London