Letter # 7

Letter writing topic for January 7, 2010:

Is there something that's been bugging you lately? Is there a store that always has the "express lane" closed during the busiest time of the day? A restaurant you haven't been to lately because the service is always so slow? A company whose helpline is always busy? Today, try writing a complaint letter. Now, I don't mean to turn this project into a negative one, but if you write a good letter of complaint, you will resolve your issues and help the business remedy a problem that they might not even know about. And, you can do it nicely.

Make sure you send your letter to the right person at the right address. If it's a big problem, I usually go straight to the top and address my letter to the owner or CEO; often that information is available online. Secondly, let the letter recipient know who you are (a long-time customer, a first-time customer, etc.), what the problem is and when it happened. Then, be sure to tell him or her what you want (a refund, the problem fixed, an apology, etc.). Additionally, offer some advice. As a customer, you can help the business by telling them what would make their service better (checking to see if customers need more tea or coffee, opening the express lane between 5 and 6 p.m., etc.). Be friendly and polite. In the end, you will feel better that you took a step toward remedying a situation that's been bothering you and you will have helped a business keep more customers and maybe even gain some new ones.