10 Ways You Can Write Fail-Proof E-mail Replies To Complaints
By Bes on Oct 10, 2009.
It has happened to you before. You get a complaint through an e-mail. Things look bad. You end up spending a lot of energy figuring out an appropriate answer. Sometimes you reply to complaints immediately. Sometimes you distance yourself from the complaint e-mail, for a little while, in order to come up with a better reply.
With complaint e-mails, if you do not address the direct concerns of the e-mailer in your reply, you may actually worsen a situation. The best way to respond to an e-mail is to actually think of letting the e-mailer know how you will solve a problem and also comforting the e-mailer, whether directly or indirectly.
Today we are going to focus on 10 ways you can write amazingly simple and fail-proof e-mail replies to complaints. Any of these 10 ways below will help you get one step closer to both solving a problem and making the dissatisfied e-mailer happier.
Ten ways you can reply to complaints via e-mails more efficiently
- In questions, stick to the points being discussed.
- Focus on the content and purpose of the message, instead of just the content.
- Respond in a timely fashion.
- If possible, always keep the other person up to date.
- Avoid any existing unpleasant atmosphere, instead of completely ignoring it.
- Acknowledge difficulties.
- Focus on solutions.
- If an immediate response is required, try to focus solely on the points in the e-mail.
- If an immediate response is not required, feel free to take your time to send a reply by letting the e-mailer know that you will need some time to find a solution for them.
- Follow up on time without making the other person impatient.
Any of the above points can help you write better e-mail responses to dissatisfied e-mailers who are complaining to you about something.
You should always keep in mind that if the purpose of your reply to any complaint e-mail is to either solve the issue or make the other party happier, you have to focus solely on the existing points and emotions that the original e-mailer has already expressed. Avoid adding anything new or focusing on things that do not concern both the points and the e-mailer at the same time.
How do you reply to complaint e-mails?
What are some of the ways you respond to complaint e-mails? Have you complained about something in an e-mail and gotten a response you were satisfied or dissatisfied with? Please share in the comments below.
Thank you!
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Pingback by Tweets that mention 10 Ways You Can Write Fail-Proof E-mail Replies To Complaints | The Reader Appreciation Project -- Topsy.com — October 11, 2009 @ 2:19 pm
Very informative article. I really like how you put emphasis on the major points by highlighting them in bold. Great job as always!!
Comment by Katie — October 11, 2009 @ 3:19 pm
Doing it as soon as possible is I think the best way for people to do it. A customer who took the time to send you an email means he or she needs solution and it is your duty to assure them that their problem is being looked upon. Even if you do not have the solution yet to their problem, you can drop them an email saying that you would work on the problem and as the post said, acknowledge if you are having difficulties. This is better for the customer than hanging on thin air not knowing if their problem is being looked into or not.
Comment by Terry — October 11, 2009 @ 4:56 pm
These 10 Ways You Can Write Fail-Proof E-mail Replies To Complaints are really good, but there are some cases that you cannot really have the answer for your complaints due to the technicality of it. Sometimes we always get a discrete reply but no certain action for your complains.
Comment by Hailey — October 16, 2009 @ 11:43 am
Great article!!! I’ll always keep it handy as I’m sure it will be very useful for me. I agree with Hailey… some times, it’s difficult to provide a solution to the e-mailer because it’s either out of our range of action or because it is something that cannot be done any other way. Patience and smiles make wonders at those times.
Comment by Amalia — October 16, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
The 10 ways how you can write a fail proof e-mail replies to complaints really helped me a lot. I was always confused when writing replies to complaints. Now I think I am much better than before after reading this post.
Comment by Oriont — October 25, 2009 @ 2:56 am
Complaints – whether received via email or another medium – are really an opportunity in disguise, specifically for businesses and marketers. Many studies suggest that a complaint that is handled appropriately and swiftly can actually increase loyalty from the consumer toward the brand or company in question. The tips that you mention will help to turn a potentially damaging interaction into one that strengthens a personal or commercial relationship. Also, on a side note, if the sender specifies that he or she can be reached in a manner outside of email (e.g., phone or face-to-face), the personal touch involved can sometimes be more effective than an internet-based communication.
Comment by TJ@New York Cable — October 26, 2009 @ 7:31 pm
Replying to complaints is never easy whether you do it by e-mail or face to face. Diplomacy, politeness and providing a solution _even a temporary one_ makes wonders.
Comment by Diana — October 29, 2009 @ 7:01 am
Your “recipe” for coping with complaint emails is absolutely fantastic. THanks!
Comment by Jill — October 29, 2009 @ 8:54 am
very good article
Comment by Dirk Motz Blog — November 4, 2009 @ 2:19 am
this is a great article about 10 ways how you can write a fail proof e-mail replies to complaints. thank you
Comment by Karl Karriere — November 6, 2009 @ 4:52 am
Excellent post and having valuable information. Thanks
Comment by Bethany — November 13, 2009 @ 12:39 pm
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Pingback by Hvernig á að svara kvörtunum sem berast í tölvupósti? — November 19, 2009 @ 5:21 am
thanks for the advice, it’s really helpfull
Comment by streaming — December 5, 2009 @ 11:54 pm