[tab name=’Guidelines’]
Guidelines : Correspondence
Correspondence
Guidelines
- Quality, professional service at a hotel or meeting facility should be noted. A short letter to the manager can help assure that your company will receive outstanding service in the future.
- Conversely, poor service should be brought to the attention of a facility’s management. Displeasure should be expressed in a non-confrontational, factual manner.
- Cite specific examples of poor service. Include the names and titles of specific personnel if possible. If you or your company is a regular customer, state this at the beginning of the letter.
- If you expect action to be taken as a result of your letter, state your wishes up front. Provide the opportunity for the facility to make good on the situation. This gives them a chance to retain a valuable customer and alleviates your concerns.
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[tab name=’Example 1′]
Example 1: Appreciation letter for service
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Ms. Freeburg:
We would like to commend you on the excellence of your events planning staff. And in particular, we feel special thanks should go to Elena Martinez, Helen Forbes, and Ted Erickson.
Last week we hosted a very large conference at your Austin Convention Center site. We had approximately 2,000 people in attendance, all of whom were moving from room to room as they listened to the different speakers.
Your staff thought of everything. They made a point to check with each speaker before the conference began to ensure that each room had been properly prepared, and to offer complimentary beverages to the speakers throughout the day. They had several well-posted maps of the conference room with an enlargement of the day’s schedule beside it. Furthermore, they cheerfully answered all questions concerning restaurants and sightseeing and directions—your staff went beyond the call of duty!
Such efficiency and willingness to help made the conference an enjoyable one, even for those of us who planned it. We look forward to doing business with you again soon.
Cordially,
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[tab name=’Example 2′]
Example 2: Thank you for letter hosting event
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Ms. Chou:
On May 12, our company celebrated our 100th year in business. We had engaged your restaurant to cater the event, and we were extremely pleased with the service we received.
Your caterers arrived early for the set-up. When we informed them that we had ten extra “surprise” guests, they quickly called back to the restaurant to increase the number of meals, at no charge to us. Available seating for the additional people turned out not to be a problem either—your employees’ were smart to remember to bring an extra table and chairs for such emergencies.
It seemed that for every possible problem we presented to your staff, they answered with quick, friendly service.
This attitude continued throughout the evening. We received flawless service, and the meal was delicious. We will be recommending your company to all of our colleagues. Thank you for making a special evening perfect.
Regards,
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[tab name=’Example 3′]
Example 3: Appreciation letter to customer service
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Ms. Green:
We would like to offer our sincere gratitude to Jane Bluett, a member of your wait staff.
On March 16, our company was having a business luncheon at your restaurant. One of our employees began to choke on a piece of roll that he was eating. Ms. Bluett quickly and calmly made her way to the employee and successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver. Her actions averted what could have been a tragedy.
Please ask Ms. Bluett to accept the enclosed gift certificate as an expression of our appreciation for her heroic deed.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 4′]
Example 4: Appreciation to Hotel Staff
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Mr. Walker:
We would like to compliment your staff on the exceptional job they did modifying a conference area during an electronics class for one of our employees, Grace Sims, who is in a wheelchair.
Upon arrival at your facilities, Ms. Sims found that although her wheelchair could move easily though the hallways, there were some problems, such as no automatic doors, and a steeply inclined conference room to contend with. Not wanting her to have to be dependent upon others during this class, the staff made a point of ensuring that all doors were locked into an open position so that Ms. Sims could easily get wherever she needed to go. They also found a heavily grooved plastic mat to put down in the aisle of the classroom, providing her chair with much needed traction.
We appreciate the attention your staff gave to Ms. Sim’s needs.
Cordially,
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[tab name=’Example 5′]
Example 5: Complimentary service letter
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Graphic Ink:
We would like to thank your organization for the exceptional work you did on the visual displays and handout packets we used in a large corporate presentation on the 18th.
The quality of the printing was phenomenal-—we ended up giving your name and number to several corporate representatives who plan to make use of your company in the future. But even more importantly, your service was beyond compare.
Any time we called with a question, or a change to be made, you responded instantly. Never once were we put off, nor were we ever treated rudely. You finished all projects a week ahead of the deadline we had given, thus allowing us extra time to check over the materials. During every step of the process, you were helpful, courteous, efficient professionals.
We look forward to working with you on several upcoming projects. We’ll be calling.
Cordially,
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[tab name=’Example 6′]
Example 6: Restaurant complaint letters
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Mr. Carrino:
On June 24, 1997, my company hosted a weekend conference at your hotel. We arranged not only for conference facilities and catering, but also for room reservations for our speakers and for many of our conference participants. Unfortunately, we had several problems with Karen Ames, your weekend reservations clerk.
Ms. Ames incorrectly informed several of our most important speakers that they did not have room reservations. When the two speakers produced confirmation paperwork, she became verbally abusive. At this point, our conference director Chris Amberly intervened. Ms. Ames continued to be profane and abusive, until at last another employee took the situation over. While we appreciated the sincere apologies of Taylor Wilson and her prompt efficiency, we were appalled at the treatment of our conference director and distinguished guests at the hands of an employee who appeared to be intoxicated.
We would strongly suggest you take appropriate measures concerning Ms. Ames and her irresponsible behavior.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 7′]
Example 7: Complaint service
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Ms. Langenstein,
Last weekend we hosted a conference at your convention center. We had been planning the conference for some time. In fact, we booked the reservations for conference room 603 on July 18, six months prior to the conference. Susan Rioux, the reservations clerk at that time, assured us that the 600 seat conference room was available, and that the staff at the convention center would prepare the facilities for us.
You can imagine our unhappiness, then, at discovering another conference scheduled in our room when we arrived to check the arrangements that morning. Apparently, another employee had booked the reservation for the second company, Day & Jones, without first consulting the booking schedule.
While the staff corrected the problem as quickly as possible, it was still a great inconvenience for our 600 conference participants to have to wait for two hours until we received a room. Furthermore, we were forced to cut several speakers due to the delay in being able to start. Though we were unable to let these speakers present their papers, we were still obligated to pay them for the time they had invested at our request. We lost not only money, but also valuable information due to the gross negligence of one of your employees.
We are not sure what steps can be taken to ensure this does not happen again, but we felt that as the general manager of the facility you should be informed of the situation. It is highly doubtful that we shall make use of your facility again.
Yours Truly,
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[tab name=’Example 8′]
Example 8: Complaints letter for staff
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Mr. Seinfeld:
On July 16 I presented an important business investments report for several members of the board of directors for my company. I had reserved the conference room two weeks in advance, and had requested an overhead projector and screen. Your staff assured me that they would procure both visual aides for my presentation.
On July 16, however, there was no visual support for my presentation, nor could anyone on your staff track down an available overhead. It seems that they were all in use. This forced me to hand my slides around the room as I was giving my talk, something I found very embarrassing, as well as distracting for my listeners.
After questioning your staff, I discovered (to my surprise) that they had known about the situation since July 15, but had not attempted to contact me so that I could make alternate arrangements. I find this lack of service on the part of your staff extremely unprofessional. Please let me know how you plan to rectify this lack of service?
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 9′]
Example 9: Complaints about Facilities
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Ms. Kelly:
On July 19, we reserved your party room for a business luncheon consisting of a group of approximately forty people. We were told that three members of your wait staff would be assigned solely to our party, and that there would be a 15 percent gratuity added to each bill. We agreed to this, and were in your lobby at 1:00 p.m., our reservation time, ready to be seated.
Unfortunately, the party room had not been prepared for our arrival. After a twenty-minute delay we were seated, only to discover that we had only two wait people rather than three. This perhaps would have been acceptable if the waitress, Mary, had been more polite. Instead she was surly and rude, and actually stood pouting over by a door while the waiter Kurt ran tray after tray of food to our tables. When Mary was asked to refill water glasses, she spilled water on several of the diners and didn’t bother to apologize. When we received the checks, everyone who had their order taken by Mary had a 20 percent gratuity added to the total of their bills. Most of these same people, after having paid their checks, also gave a tip to Kurt, simply because he was the one person in the establishment besides the cooks who seemed to realize he was at work.
We feel that everyone who had to pay gratuity to Mary should receive a full refund for their meal. They received some of the worst service we have ever seen. Enclosed is a copy of each person’s receipt.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 10′]
Example 10: Complaints letter about services
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State, Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Mr. Timmons:
On April 8, our company rented a portable PA system for our company dinner. After we set it up, we ran several test runs and were assured that it was working properly. Jim Raimes, our employee who set up the system, is a trained audio expert, and we have every confidence that the small fire which occurred during dinner was not through his error or negligence. The fire inspector has indicated to us that the probable cause of the fire was faulty internal wiring in one of the speakers. We therefore feel it is reasonable for you to assume responsibilities for the damages.
Yours Truly,
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