There comes a time in all of our lives where we have to be the bearer of bad news. No one wants to be that person, but it is inevitable. Even though it is awkward and uncomfortable, there are many ways you can make the best out of the situation.
1. context. Begin your letter with a "buffer". State the subject clearly and keep a professional tone.
2. Explanation. State how you have reviewed the facts that lead to your decision.
3. Bad News. State your decision quickly and without apology.
4. Goodwill. In your closing paragraph wish them well and give them thanks for their interest in your company or your product.
A great example of a refusal letter is from colleges. They begin every rejection letter with their thanks in the students interest in their university, state they have reviewed all of the paperwork, and are sorry to say that they student will not be attending their school in the fall. They wish the student the best of luck in the future and then they make their closing comments.
Complaints
A good complaint letter consists of five sections: Background, problem, solution, warning, and a closing. The secret to a great complaint letter however, is your tone. Never under any circumstances write a complaint letter while you are still upset about what has happened. The best way is to give it a day, cool off, and then calmy state your problem. The most effective complaint letters follow this pattern:
1. Clearly state the problem, the more specific the better. Include dates, names, reciepts, invoice numbers, anything that you think will help state your point.
2. Thoroughly explain what the problem was. If it was a problem with a employee be extremely specific since there will be two sides to this story.
3. Explain what you expect the reader to do after reading your complaint letter.
4. Send several copies to different supervisors around the office. You will find you will get faster results. If more people recieve your letter, there will be more people trying to find a solution to your problem.
Giving someone bad news is never fun. But with these helpful pointers maybe it won't be so hard!
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eiw/complaint_letter_constructor.htm
http://www.hartwick.edu/x3290.xml
Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, Gerald Alred. Writing That Works. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007
This was very helpful in understanding how to write a complaint letter. I think the rejection letter section was done well, too, but I could relate more to the section on the complaint letters. I think you hit all the important things right on the nose.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Emilee. A job well done! The complaint section was really good. Only have one constructive criticism... watch your spacing. good job!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll have to agree with Zeke. I would watch your spacing. :) But, great info!
ReplyDeleteYes, watch your spacing and incorporate some visuals or a video next time to liven things up and reinforce your important message about sensitive and negative messages.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to know the correct format on how to write a rejection letter. Good information and I am sure I will use the format in the future.
ReplyDelete