International Business
Correspondence 7
SGU

Adjustment letter

The writing of courteous and reasonable
adjustment letters to respond to letters of
complaint must be done with care, tact, and
restraint in order to keep the customer happy.
FUNDAMENTALS OF ADJUSTMENT LETTER
Experts from the business world are very much
aware that they must satisfy their customers to be
able to have a good business partner and referrals,
which will act as advertising.
An adjustment letter should have the following:
1. Opening
(a) Begin directly, identify the error or mistake.

(b) Provide the specific details of the item, give a
reference number if there is any.
2. Body
(a) Explain the facts – enough to permit a
decision.
(b) Seek corrective action by stating what you
want or letting the reader decide what to do.
3. Closing
(a) End positively, friendly but fair.
(b) Always remember to address your reader
politely. A successful claim letter does not accuse,
but it provides an explanation of the needed data.
As an old saying goes, Do not do unto others what
you don't want others to do unto you.

Below are sample format and an actual example of a
claim letter:

What is an adjustment letter?
A complaint or claim letter will be responded by the
supplier with an adjustment letter. If the supplier
made a check and the fault is with them, then they
will send an adjustment letter to grant their claim.
Aside from that, an adjustment letter should also
give an apology and will try to re-establish the trust
of the customer to the company. An adjustment
letter must be handled carefully, especially when the
requested compensation cannot be granted. Refusal
of compensation tests your diplomacy and tact as a
writer. Here are some suggestions that may help you
write either type of an adjustment letter:

1. Begin with a reference to the date of the original
letter of complaint and to the purpose of your letter.
Take note that, if the claim will not be granted, do
not state the refusal right away unless you can do so
tactfully.
2. State your concern about the writer's issue and
your appreciation that he has written you. Sincerity is
a factor in giving your apology.
3. Don't refer to the complaint as such, call it a
“request” or “misunderstanding.”
4. Never delay your reply to the customer's letter. If
you need more time, then write them and tell them
you need time to investigate and inform them how
soon they can get a reply.

5. If you deny the request, explain the reasons why
the request cannot be granted in as cordial and nonargumentative manner as possible. If you grant the
request, don't sound as if you are doing so in a
begrudging way.
6. If you deny the request, try to offer some partial or
substitute compensation or offer some friendly
advice (to take the sting out of the denial).
7. If the claim is not in your policy, then don't be
afraid to refuse a claim or request. Explain to them
the policy you have, the customer has the right to
know why he is denied.

8. Conclude the letter cordially, perhaps
expressing confidence that you and the writer
will continue doing business.
The absolute task of an adjustment letter is to
restore the customer's trust in the company.
In doing so, do not make claims that you may
not be able to satisfy just to please your
customer.

Example of an adjustment letter

Principles of adjustment letters
The below topics will help you more in how to
manage your adjustment letters and how to deal
with your customer's claims appropriately.
Proper attitude towards complaints
Proper attitude towards complaints is very
important. Here are two reasons why complaints
should not be taken lightly or negatively, but view it
in a positive way:
(1) It provides a way of finding out the loopholes in
your service or defective in your goods and
correcting it.

(2) It provides an opportunity to prove to your
customers that you can be trusted in any way as a
business partner. Not only during the good times, but
whenever an error or mistake comes out, you can do
something about it.
Analysis of claims and complaints and how to
address it
When a complaint letter reached you, there are two
things that you need to identify after investigating all
the necessary data. One, identify if the complaint is
justified or unjustified. Second, identify if an
adjustment could be done or not. In an analysis of
these two, it will greatly help you on how to address
the complaint.

Here is an example of a reply to be given from the
above example of complaint and informing the
customer that their claim cannot be granted:

Here is another example of a reply indicating about
the company's policy informing the clients that their
claim cannot be granted:

Giving the appropriate adjustments
After analysis, you can now identify that the claims to
be granted are those that are justified. In conferring
an adjustment, it may involve.
+ Money refund or discount
+ Replacement or providing a new merchandise
+ Extended service
+ Just simply admitting your mistake and give an
assurance of not letting this mistake to happen again.

The following guidelines will help you to make your
letter sincere and plausible:
(1) Addressed the complaints immediately
The customer is dissatisfied that's why he sent a
complaint. If you are going to let him wait for a
period of time, his dissatisfaction may be further
added and become irritated. A prompt reply will
pacify your customer and make him feel that you are
looking into the issue and you are not ignoring his
letter. If you think the adjustment to be done needs
more time, then inform your customer about it and
you may specify a date when it will be given.

(2) Give clarity to the issue
Provide details of how the error had transpired. You
may start from your side then going to the
customer's side. With this, you can clearly see on
which area the mistake started. Also, by doing this,
the customer will know that you are working on the
problem and making sure that things will be checked
properly and soon in the future, the same issue will
not happen again.

(3) Accept the mistake gracefully, do not be defensive
Most customers will pardon suppliers if he admits
the blame for the mistake readily. Rather than
blaming your subordinates or any employee, admit
the mistake if it really is and offer an apology.
(4) Be sensitive and discreet
Upon receiving the complaint letter, reply to your
customers, informing them that you understand the
problem and again, offer an apology.

Here is one good example of a very apologetic and
sensitive supplier:

Making and keeping your relationship in good terms
In the business world, no company can be expected
to
achieve
precision
and
perfection.
Misunderstanding and error will come one way or
another. It is therefore a good idea for companies to
always have a way of keeping and maintaining their
good relationship with their customers.

Principles of adjustment letter writing
Goods may be damaged or unsatisfactory; order may
be
filled
improperly
or
incompletely;
misunderstanding may arise over discounts, bills,
credit terms, and exchanges. The letters written to
bring these errors to the attention of those who must
take the responsibility for them are known as claim
letters; those written to take action on such claim are
called adjustment letters.

Principles of responding to any kind of complaint are:
(1) Answer it promptly
(2) Gather the facts and state them
(3) Admit your mistake, if wrong
(4) Don't argue with the customers
(5) Emphasize with the customers
(6) Be courteous
(7) Specify action to be taken

Suggestions to reply to the complaint letters are:
(1) Acknowledge that you have received the
complaint and thank your customers for informing
you.
(2) Getting time to investigate the complaint
(3) Explaining the mistake
(4) Solving the problem

Adjustment letters deal with the following topics:

ADJUSTMENT EXPRESSIONS

+ TRUE-FALSE
1_____ If you deny the request, explain the reasons
why the request cannot be granted in as cordial and
non-argumentative manner as possible.
2_____ Proper attitude towards complaints is not
very important.
3_____ A successful claim letter does not accuse.
4_____ When a complaint letter reached you, there
are three things that you need to identify after
investigating all the necessary data.
5_____ Suppliers must satisfy their customers to be
able to have a good business partner and referrals,
which will act as advertising.

6_____ Adjustment letters must be done with care,
tact, and restraint in order to keep the customer
happy.
7_____ A prompt reply will not pacify your
customers.
8_____ Adjustment letters are written to take action
on the claims.
9_____ An adjustment letter should not give an
apology.

10_____ Refusal of compensation tests your
diplomacy and tact as a writer.
11_____ You write an adjustment letter so that you
and the customer will not continue doing business in
the future.
12_____ In the business world, no company can be
expected to achieve precision and perfection.

+ Fill in the missing words:
Business adjustment compensation mistake analysis
attitude customer claim reply relationship happy apology
1. A prompt _____will not pacify your customers.
2. The written to take action on such claim are called
________ letters.
3. It is therefore a good idea for companies to always have a
way of keeping and maintaining their good _________ with
their customers.
4. In the _________ world, no company can be expected to
achieve precision and perfection.
5. The writing of courteous and reasonable adjustment
letters to respond to letters of complaint must be done with
care, tact, and restraint in order to keep the customer
________.

6. Upon receiving the complaint letter, reply to your
customers, informing them that you understand the
problem and again, offer an ___________.
7. If you think the adjustment to be done needs more time,
then inform your _________ about it.
8. A successful ______ letter does not accuse, but it
provides an explanation of the needed data.
9. An adjustment letter must be handled carefully,
especially when the requested _______ cannot be granted.
10. You Just simply admitting your mistake and give an
assurance of not letting this _______to happen again.
11. Proper ________ towards complaints is very important.
12. After_______, you can now identify that the claims to
be granted are those that are justified.

Good luck!