LESSON 29

HOW TO RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS ABOUT ERRORS OR DAMAGE IN DELIVERY?

怎样回复客户对发货中错误或损坏的抱怨？

I. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

1. How to start your letter?

1]I am sorry to learn about the damage to the fax machine that you purchased from us.

2]We are sorry to learn that the fax machine we sent you on July 15 arrived damaged.

3]We regret that we sent you a LP-300 instead of the LP-301 Laser Printer that you ordered.

4]Thank you for informing us about the damage to our consignment (Inv. No. 36542).

2. How to assure the customer that the problem will be solved?

1]We will ship the correct items to you immediately at our expense.

2]we will deliver a replacement to you as soon as possible.

3]We are now sending you a replacement and a refund check for the $45.50 handling expenses.

4]We will credit your account for all the shipping and handling charges.

3. How to apologize for the damage?

1]Please accept our apologies for this error.

2]Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this has caused you.

3]Please accept our sincere apologies. We hope the inconvenience to you is small.

4]We are sorry for the confusion and delays and will take effective measures to have your orders filled correctly in the future .

4. How to end your letter?

1]Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

2]Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to further business with you.

3]Thank you for your help and understanding. We truly appreciate your business and look forward to serving you again in the near future.

II. SAMPLE

Dear _________:

I am sorry to learn about the damage to the SD-7001 fax machine that you purchased from us. We are certain that the damage occurred in shipment.

I’ve ordered an exact replacement from the factory, and I’ve been informed that it will take at least two weeks to get here. I’ll call you as soon as the replacement arrives, and we will deliver it to you as soon as possible.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this has caused you. I’ll be in touch very soon.

Sincerely yours,

____________[name]

____________[title]

III. TIPS

1. Tell the customer that you have received his/her complaint.

2. Apologize for the error or damage.

3. Explain what caused the error or damage.

4. Describe HOW the problem will be handled.

5. Tell the customer that measures have been taken to prevent similar mistakes or damage.

6. Try to reestablish goodwill at the end of your letter.

IV. EXERCISE: WORDS, PHRASES AND SENTENCE PATTERNS

1. Choose the word or phrase that fits the sentence:

We are sorry to learn that the answering machine we sent you on Oct. 15 arrived _____.

(A) to be damaged    (B) damaged  (C) having damaged  (D) damaging

2]I’m sorry we sent you a 15″ monitor _____ the 17″ STV monitor that you ordered.

(A) except  (B) except for  (C) instead of  (D) instead

3] When we received your fax concerning wrongly delivered auto parts, we immediately checked _____ our shipping department.

(A) with  (B) to   (C) on  (D) at

4]We will ship the correct items to you today, via Federal Express, _____ our expense.

(A) with  (B) at  (C) from  (D) in

5]Please send the computer by Federal Express and charge the shipment _____ our account (#6003-57125).

(A) with  (B) at  (C) to  (D) on

6]Thank you for informing us about the damage _____ our consignment.

(A) on  (B) with  (C) into  (D) to

7]I don’t think that our insurance company needs to be troubled _____ this case.

(A) of  (B) for  (C) in  (D) with

8]We have plenty of AS-701 answering machines _____ stock and it would be no trouble to send you a replacement within the next fortnight.

(A) in   (B) out of  (C) on  (D) to

9]We are sorry your table arrived damaged. A replacement will be delivered Thursday, and the driver will _____ the damaged one at your store.

(A) transport  (B) take up  (C) pick up  (D) take in

10]Telephone companies need funds to improve the out-dated phone network in this country where only 1 ____ 10 people have phones.

(A) to  (B) in  (C) for  (D) with

2. Fill in the blanks with words chosen from the list below. Add capitalization when necessary:

refund, charges, by, inspect, wrongly, credit, reimburse, arrange, exact, justified

Please accept our apologies for sending you items you have not ordered. You are certainly (1)_____ in being angry about our blunder.

Would you please return the (2)______ delivered garments? You will receive immediate (3) ______for the returned merchandise and all shipping (4)______.

I’ve ordered an (5)______ replacement from the factory, and I’ve been told that it will take three to four weeks to get here.

Please return the fax machine to us (6)______ UPS; we will (7)_______ you for all shipping costs.

We will ask the shipping company to come and (8)______ the damage so that they can arrange compensation.

I am requesting our Accounting Department to issue a (9)______ check for 158 dollars.

We have received your claim forms for the transit damage. One of our representatives will call you within a few days to (10) ______an appointment to inspect the damage.

V. READING AND LEARNING

Read the passage below and learn to use the highlighted expressions:

In economic terms, Shanghai can be regarded as a late starter insofar as it did not join the ranks of Asia’s commercial-financial centers until well into the 1990s. Its status as the “Paris” of the Far East was lost long ago in the 1940s.

As the 21 century approaches, however, Shanghai is beginning at last to realize its potential.

Since the early 1990s, the city has experienced a wave of infrastructural construction and business start-ups. Old factories in traditional industries are being replaced by high-tech, service and financial industries. Large-scale re-building programs are changing the face of downtown areas, which until 1990 were almost identical to their appearance 40 years before.

Shanghai has been successful in attracting major multi-national corporations which have been drawn to the city for its highly skilled workers and good transportation and communications links. Industries with sound prospects for the future are attracting large amount of investment. Prominent among them are automobile, information technology, and medical technology.

Today’s Shanghai has the largest stock market in China and is home to a number of other currency and commodity markets. The Pudong Development Zone is growing into a new financial center. A large number of foreign and domestic banks have started their business here.

Shanghai’s fresh start in the last decade of the 20th century is indeed propelling it into the new millennium. It won’t be long for us to see the rebirth of a dynamic metropolis with a distinct infrastructural edge over other cities of mainland China.

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

join the ranks of: become a member of a group

status: n. rank or position

approach: v. move nearer

potential: n. the ability and possibility to develop

infrastructure: n. the basic structure on which a system is built (基础设施).

infrastructural: adj.

be identical to: be exactly the same as

prospects: n. possibility of success in the future

propel: v. drive or push

a dynamic metropolis: a large city full of energy and enthusiasm

with an edge over other cities: better than other cities; with an advantage over other cities