10 Ways You Can Write Fail-Proof E-mail Replies To Complaints
10. Oct, 2009 
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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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Very informative article. I really like how you put emphasis on the major points by highlighting them in bold. Great job as always!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Your “recipe” for coping with complaint emails is absolutely fantastic. THanks!
very good article
this is a great article about 10 ways how you can write a fail proof e-mail replies to complaints. thank you
Excellent post and having valuable information. Thanks
thanks for the advice, it’s really helpfull
Great Article… Ive been reading up a lot lately on different ways to manage complaints be they in emails or posted on forums.
This advice is true for personal friendships and romantic relationships as well. Responding when emotions are triggered is never a good idea – nothing good comes out of reacting…but thoughtful, solution oriented responding is the key to successful communication. Thanks for the succinct post.
Regarding this advice, “Avoid any existing unpleasant atmosphere, instead of completely ignoring it,” could you expound on this? I’m not sure exactly what you mean.
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.
Thanks for the helpful article. I’ve received my fair share of complaints via email over the past 4 years that I’ve operating my website. And to be quite honest, there’s nothing I dread more than having to reply in a courteous way that will address the person’s concern while not offending them. Your article is appreciated, and I’ll put your advice to good use!
Yes, I have written some complaint emails, but never got the reply.
Hi thanks for tips it think it will work it will be of great help to me as my telephone line is not working and I have made lot of complaint and on one took it up I think it is time to use your tips and I think it will truly done.
Interesting indeed. I recently wrote complaint to a local department store and things didn’t turn out as well as I thought it would. This article certainly would have helped though. Thanks a bunch. Cheers
A really well written posting. Thankx.
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hi, thanks for the post..i am working as a customer support in our company and i have to reply to mails daily.. i gt some help from you regarding
A very informative article that helps a person to write his e-mail fail proof. The 10 ways described in this article are very impressive and following these points one can manage his e-mail reply effectively and without confusion.
Good advice. Looks great. But I would like to know how the effectiveness of these methods.
It is good to follow your tips. thanks
Excellent guide. For me it is very useful and important.
I always find #7 on your list to be very effective. Focusing on solutions keep everybody hopeful & on the positive.
I know the “hard” way: just tell my concern and wait for a positive response
Great topic, I knew almost all, but for those who have difficulties is wonderful, Thanks for sharing.
Excellent step by step description. I would use.
Very interesting article, thanks for sharing!
Love your tips on how to reply correctly to complaints, helped me a ton.
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This is a fine post, but is common sense. How would you like to be treated if you complained.
Look as a complaint as a chance to improve your operation. Imagine you paid a management consultant thousands and thousands of pounds to tell you how to improve your business, guess what he’d be telling you, exactly what your complainers are saying. So treat a complaint as free advice. Bend over backwards to please them.