|
|
|
Are Writing Exercises Effective?
It was reported that the great American author Sinclair Lewis was once asked to give a lecture on writing to a group of college students: "Looking out at this gathering," he said to the assembled students, "makes me want to know how many of you...
Improve Your Writing
None of us will be brilliant writers the moment we first pick up a pen or hit the keyboard. It’s a fact. We’re beginners and while some will be beginning with better skills and understandings than others, none of us will be the best writer we can...
Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work
You can turn your $200 fee to write a press release into $2,000 to carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing clients to invest in campaigns, instead of individual assignments. Campaigns achieve better results and cost less in the...
Web Writing: Create Writing Flow With Four Uncommon Connectors
Web Writing: Create Writing Flow With Four Uncommon Connectors Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers to process information promptly by creating balance and relationships between sentence parts. The...
Writing Article (Important tips)
1. Select your audience. 2. Try to be brief and clear (300-500 words). DON'T write a topic which you don't know by yourself. 3. Start your article with a sentence that grabs your reader's attention. People are bombarded with information on the...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 Secrets For Writing Killer Complaint Letters
10 Secrets For Writing Killer Complaint Letters
Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need
to be written. Often, if people don't complain the problem
agency (i.e. company or government) won't even know that the
problem even exists. Here are 10 strategies for writing
complaint letters that I have developed that are guaranteed
to get you attention and action.
1.Write to the senior person responsible.
It is important that you get the name and detailed mailing
address of a very senior person responsible for the product or
service that you are complaining about. I generally try to
write to the V.-P. level. Never go below Director level if you
want a serious response. Name and address information can be
obtained from the organization's Web site or by calling the
company and asking for the name and title of the senior person
who you should write to.
2.Don't send an e-Mail.
When it comes to sending a serious complaint to a company,
don't send an e-mail, regardless of what it may say on their
Web site. E-mails are usually handled dismissively by low
level "customer service" people. If you want serious attention
and action, the formal written complaint letter is the only way
to go. (yes, by snail mail!). When it arrives in the V.-P.s
office, it triggers a bureaucratic process that ensures that
the right people will see your letter, and will act on it.
3.Keep it as short as possible.
Preferably no longer than one page, two at the most. When
drafting a complaint letter there can be a tendency to go on
and on just to make sure the recipient gets the point. Keep it
as short as possible, but without diluting the facts of your
message too much.
4.Give it a heading for identification.
Place a heading at the top of the letter with information that
the company or agency will relate to, such as your account
number or customer number. Make it easy for them to find you on
their computer filing system.
5.Clearly explain the situation.
Make sure that you give all of the specific details needed so
that the company/agency can verify your claim without you
having to get into an endless game of telephone tag with them.
Include specific dates, times and places, as well as the names
of people you dealt with. If you're not sure of these when
composing the letter, call them back and ask for the specifics.
(You don't have to say it's for a complaint letter).
6.Use a positive and respectful tone.
I have found that the best approach is to use a positive upbeat
tone. Remember, you are writing to a senior person who probably
sympathizes with what happened to you. Your tone should convey
the message that you are the innocent victim and you understand
that the company wouldn't have done such a thing deliberately.
7.Send copies if
appropriate.
There can be cases where it is wise to send a copy of the
letter to other parties just to make sure that you will get
some serious action. For example, in a case where you have been
told to write to a Regional Manager of a program, it is often a
good idea to make sure that someone in head office also gets a
copy. I sometimes send a copy to customer services or customer
relations, offices at the national level.
8."Shame" them as much as possible.
Companies that claim and advertise high levels of customer
focus and service do not like to be criticized in those areas.
If you have a strong case that makes them vulnerable in one of
these areas, use as much ammunition as you can to embarrass
them in these sensitive areas. Modern marketing terms such as:
customer relationship management (CRM), one-to-one marketing,
most valuable customer (MVC), and customer-centric focus, all
tend to get their attention. Also, using such terms makes you
sound like an authority.
9.Imply you might take your business elsewhere.
I always do this near the closing. Companies don't like to lose
customers, especially long-time customers. Senior marketing
people are well aware that study after study has shown that it
costs five to seven times as much to recruit a new customer as
it does to hold on to an existing one.
10.Ask for an early reply.
In the closing paragraph of your complaint letter, state
specifically that you are expecting an early reply. Make sure
that you follow-up by phone or e-mail if you have heard nothing
in three weeks. Some companies will send you an acknowledgment
letter stating that they are working on your case and will get
back to you within a week or two.
Use the above strategies and you are sure to get action from
your complaint letters. And, don't forget the old truism "the
squeaky wheel gets the grease"!
================================================================
By Shaun Fawcett from his new one-stop writing help e-book
"Instant Home Writing Kit". Full of tips, tricks, and secrets
on how to write personal and business letters, resumes, cvs,
papers, e-mails, essays, and business reports. Includes dozens
of formatted downloadable real-life templates. Check out this
time and money-saver at: http://www.instanthomewritingkit.com/
================================================================
About the Author
Shaun Fawcett M.B.A., is a Canadian-born and based writer, consultant, journalist, and publisher who has worked in many professional capacities over the years. He is also the Webmaster of the one-stop writing help Web site: www.writinghelp-central.com. Every week, thousands of people visit that site to obtain tips, advice, and resource information on everyday writing including: personal and business letters, resumes, cvs, reports, essays, and term papers.
|
|
|
|
|
| Writing.Com: Writers, Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing, Fiction ... |
| An online community dedicated to fostering writing skills. With a free membership anyone may read, write, rate, and review works. |
| www.writing.com |
|
| Welcome to Writing-World.com! |
| Writing articles and resources. Tips about how to become a better writer, get published and find writing markets. From Moira Allen. |
| www.writing-world.com |
|
| Guide to Grammar and Writing |
| The Guide to Grammar and Writing contains scores of digital handouts on grammar and English usage, over 170 computer-graded quizzes, recommendations on ... |
| grammar.ccc.commnet.edu |
|
| Purdue University's Online Writing Lab - The OWL Family of Sites |
| Writing lab and resources. Email newsletter available. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
|
| OWL at Purdue University: General Writing Concerns Handouts |
| This page contains important links to the writing: planning/writing/revising aspects of the OWL website. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
|
| Writing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| The original Mesopotamian writing system was initially derived from a system of ... If it is deemed to be a written language, writing in China will predate ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Writing.org - Advice for Freelance Writers |
| Articles to help you launch a freelance writing career, from a former literary agent and PLAYBOY editor. |
| www.writing.org |
|
| Writing HTML |
| More than just an HTML reference, this is a structured approach for learning how to create web pages, designed by specialists in learning at the Maricopa ... |
| www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu |
|
| National Novel Writing Month - National Novel Writing Month |
| NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world. |
| www.nanowrimo.org |
|
| Poynter Online |
| Apply by Dec. 11 Reporting and Writing the Untold Stories Apply by Dec. 11 ... Reporting & Writing for Multi-Platform Newsrooms. Apply by Jan. 10 ... |
| www.poynter.org |
|
| Pages tagged with "writing" on del.icio.us |
| This short online course provides a practical introduction to writing fiction. During the course you will be expected to write two short pieces for ... |
| del.icio.us |
|
| BBC Get Writing |
| The BBC's online resource for writing drama and comedy for television, radio and film. |
| www.bbc.co.uk |
|
| TOC About Writing |
| Menu of articles on writing written by professional SF/F writers. |
| www.sfwa.org |
|
| 11 Rules of Writing -- a concise guide to important grammar ... |
| A concise guide to some of the most frequently violated rules of writing, punctuation, and grammar. |
| www.junketstudies.com |
|
| NAEP Writing Subject Area |
| NAEP assesses student performance in writing periodically in grades 4, 8, and 12 for the nation, and in grades 4 and 8 for the states. |
| nces.ed.gov |
|
| Writing: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
| See all blog posts tagged with writing on Technorati. |
| www.technorati.com |
|
| IPL Teenspace: A+ Research & Writing |
| Includes step-by-step instructions on researching and writing, how to find information online and offline, as well as links to useful resources. |
| www.ipl.org |
|
| Dictionary.com: Writing Resources |
| Free online English dictionary and reference guide. List of sites writers can use. |
| dictionary.reference.com |
|
| WritingFix: Home of Interactive Writing Prompts and 6 Trait ... |
| Daily and interactive writing prompts. |
| www.writingfix.com |
|
| Advice on Academic Writing |
| Includes articles on critical reading, planning, researching, style and editing, grammar and punctuation. |
| www.utoronto.ca |
|
|