Begin with this assumption: Every complaint letter merits an answer, as long as the writer supplies a signature and an address.

Yes, this holds true even with letters reflecting uncontrolled temper, sarcasm, personal attacks, inappropriate language, threats of taking business elsewhere, claims of influence with company executivesÍÏame the problem, the letter still calls for a reply.

Consider that one reason for the letter may be the customerÃÔ feeling of being ignored. To ignore the customer by silence fans the animosity.

Assume, too, the complaint letter deserves a prompt answerÍÑrompt as within a week of receipt. The letter may question the companyÃÔ efficiency. We donÃÕ want to support the writerÃÔ argument by delay.

Our reply has to be personal. From experience, I know how aggravating an impersonal reply can be. About ten years ago, I wrote a letter to the president of a major university, expressing my unhappiness because he decided two academically ineligible students should play in the upcoming football bowl game. When his reply came, I was sure the letter I received was a replica of one sent to every other complaining constituent. A few months afterward, one of the presidentÃÔ staff people told me, Å°h, yes. Everybody got the same letter. How do I know? Because I wrote the letter for his signature.¡¦lt;br />
Since the complaint letter you received originated from an individual, your response must give the reply a personalized touch. Any letter smacking of ÅÕo whom it may concern¡¦dips in credibility the instant the reader opens the page.

Which brings me to the next point. The reply ought to address every specific complaint the customer made. The university presidentÃÔ letter to me floundered about in generalities. I had made at least a half dozen observations worthy of his comments. Among them: I was a former faculty member there, my wife had worked at the university, both daughters graduated there. The president acknowledged none of these connections.

Obviously, taking a defensive positionÍóYouÃÓe mistaken, weÃÓe notÇ÷creates more hostility. The complainer reacts by feeling accused of lying. Questioning a writerÃÔ accuracy, and with even poorer judgment lambasting his motives, alienates the customer. The wise manager apologizes for inconvenience, poor quality, rudenessÍØhatever the perceived mistreatment.

For the next step, the manager offers reasonable compensation and courtesy: űlease accept the enclosed gift certificate.¡¦ Ÿe are crediting your account with the refund.¡¦ Ū invite you to come to my office the next time you visit our store.¡¦lt;br />
The letter signifies who is getting a copy. The reader thinks, Ũood, the manager is contacting those who were involved directly.¡¦lt;br />
On the day you send the letter, mark your calendar (which may exist as computer software) or tickler file to follow up with a letter or call two to three weeks later. Following up reflects your continuing concern. Continuing concern, IÃÎ sure you know, results in continuing customers.

All this sounds good. But do organizations really follow these suggestions? I am happy to say that they do, quite frequently. In my experience, the letter from the university president was not typical. A few years later, my wife and I encountered a series of mishaps while we were guests in a well-known hotel in a major city. Without hostility, but with thoroughness and candor, we wrote the manager about our problems. When I teach Customer Care seminars, I like to include a copy of his letter as a model for answering unhappy clients and customers.

His letter, itÃÔ important to note, came as a follow up to his courteous phone callÍÎade the day he got my letter. In that call, he mentioned that he wanted to express his apology in writing as well.

The managerÃÔ letter began: Ū extend my sincere apologies for the deficiencies of service and especially for our inability to provide you with the room type you requested.¡¦ Right away, his tone was conciliatory. Clearly, he wanted to make amends.

Part of my complaint related to what I considered excessively high charges at the hotelÃÔ health club. In fact, as I pointed out, the hotelÃÔ promotional material didnÃÕ even hint that guests would have to pay anything to use the exercise facility. Once more, the manager gave an empathetic response: źour issues will be reviewed and we will consider changing the amount charged at the health club.¡¦lt;br />
His closing paragraph eliminated my animosity. After stating that Ÿe take comments such as yours very seriously and care about the quality of service given to our guests,¡¦he suggested: Ūf your travels bring you back to Dallas, please accept my offer to complimentary upgrade you to our best available suite, so that we can show you the true meaning of our hotel service.¡¦lt;br />
Would my wife and I return to that hotel? Definitely, even without the offer of the upgradeÍÃecause the manager listened to our grievance, answered immediately, apologized, and promised corrective action.

Follow that response pattern, and youÃÍl turn even the most disgruntled customers into ardent advocates for your organization.

Bill Lampton, Ph.D.

Bill Lampton, Ph.D., president of Championship Communication, works with organizations that want to "break down barriers. . .build bridges." He wrote The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication, Change Your Life! Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur, Investor's Business Daily, and other publications quote him reguarly as a communication expert. Bring Bill to your next event drbill@commlampton.com or www.commlampton.com Feedback Be sure to include the article title in your comments.

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