Chapter 6  Adjustment and Refusals
In business world it is unavoidable to receive complaints and claims. How to appropriately resolve the matter becomes a tough and challenging task. It is said the most difficult business letter is to respond to complaints and claims. However, there are still some useful tips for writing it without damaging the company's image.
Adjustment
When you get a complaint or claim, you may either grant an adjustment or reject it depending on the circumstances. When you grant an adjustment, the situation is a happy one for your customer. You are correcting an error. You are doing what you were asked to do. As in other positive situations, a letter written in the direct order is appropriate. The direct-order plan follows these general steps:
1.Begin directly---with the good news.
2.Incidentally1 identify the correspondence that you are answering.
3.Avoid negatives that recall the problem.
4.Regain lost confidence through explanation or action.
5.End with a friendly, positive comment.
Refusal
Refusal of a request is definitely a bad news message; therefore, an indirect order is preferred. In the refusal letter, you have two goals. The main one is to say no; the other is to maintain goodwill. You could achieve the first goal by simply saying no ---plainly and directly. Maintaining goodwill, however, requires more. The following general pattern will help you better handle the tasks.
1.Begin with words that indicate response to the request and are neutral
as to the answer, and set up the strategy.
2.Present your justification or explanation, using positive language and
you-viewpoint.
3.Refuse positively.
4.End with adapted, goodwill comment.
The following two letters are written according to the
writing principles mentioned above. Now read the letters
and try to figure out how the writing principles are
applied in them. The questions after the letters might help
you accomplish the task.
Letter A  Letter of adjustment
Dear Mrs. Williams:
商务英语写作
Your repaired video game is being returned by UPS, and you should receive it within a week. Skilled engineers made your video game almost as good as new.
Recently Pace Electronic has acquired the assets of Four Star Games and has became responsible for repairs under warranties. Now you can be assured of prompt and reliable service. Any future repairs can be made by one of the dealers of our expanded network (see enclosed sheet).
Also enclosed is a brochure showing some of our exciting new products, as well as Four Star's old favorites. You can order by mail, using the order form in the brochure, or call 1-800-877-PACE. We look for-ward to helping you enjoy your video game.
Letter B  Credit refusal letter
Dear Mr. Sands:
We sincerely appreciate your interest in an account with White-Horton & Company. Whenever we can, we are always willing to serve you.
In determining what we can do for you regarding your June 8 request for credit, we made the routine checks you authorized. The information we have received permits us to serve you only as a cash customer2. But as
you know, cash buying here at White-Horton's discount prices can make a very real saving for your budget.
We hope to see you in the store again very soon, and we look forward to the opportunity of serving you.
Questions for Comprehension
1.What kind of order does each letter adopt?
2.How does the author of adjustment begin his/her letter?
3.Do the replies clearly state the problems?
4.How does each author arrange the body of his/her letter?
5.Is the tone of each letter polite and considerate?
6.How does each author end his/her letter?
7.What's the purpose of each letter?
8.Does each letter state clearly its explanation?
9.What's your impression on these letters?
10. Sum up the requirements for writing an adjustment and a refusal.
Sample Analysis1
Sample 6-1    Adjustment for the wrong materials
Dear Glenn Presley:
The correct consignment of the clothing material will reach you within 20 days.
I'm grateful for your letter dated September 1st. We're sorry to learn that the clothing materials don't match the sample. After careful examination, we found that we had misfilled3your order and another order that was different from yours with only one letter. We have arranged for the correct consignment and it would arrive at your place by September 24th.
As compensation for the wrong delivery, I would like to provide you a 5% discount on this consignment, and I hope such an arrangement is satisfactory to you.
Thank you for your letter of March 3rd and we will take care of your broken-down sewing machines.
It is our common practice to carry out a careful screening to ensure our machines functional and reliable before they are finally sent out to customers. We are so confident and proud of our quality that our warran-ties4 run for as long as the customers possess the products.
Your letter informing us of the problem has been handed to the Technology Department. The senior engineers will make a careful research to find out the potential problem areas. Simply send us the bill for the repairs and we'll reimburse you the costs.
For any problems arising with this or any other machines we produced, simply take it to your nearest Sharp Machine Distributor who will repair it at no expense for you.
Sincerely yours,
Sample 6-3  Refusal to claim on replacement1
Dear Mr. Mitchell:
We understand your concern about the software Model 4050 you mentioned in your letter of May 6. We are willing to do as much as we reasonably can to make things right.
From your description and our staff's careful research, we found that there was something wrong in the computer networks you adopted.
As it is stated in the operating instruction, this software is solely compatible5 with Windows XP, which is different from Windows 98. And before you use this software, you should have to install the starting sys-tem6 at the bottom of the box first. But you haven't installed it. Therefore, please install the starting system first and then try it with Windows XP. For other procedures, please follow the procedures strictly with our instruction brochure.
We hope the software will bring much convenience and profit to you.