Choose an incident from your own experiences and write a claim letter as an email, asking for a refund, repair, replacement, or other adjustment. You'll need to include all the details of the transaction, plus your contact address and phone number. If you can't think of such an experience, make up details for an imaginary situation. Please review the checklist for writing routine requests on page 258 as well as the examples of effective and ineffective claims on page 263. CHECKLIST V Writing Routine Requests A. State your request up front. Write in a polite, undemanding personal tone. Use the direct approach because your audience will probably respond favorably to your request. Be specific and precise in your request. B. Explain and justify your request. Justify the request or explain its importance. Explain any potential benefits of responding. Ask the most important questions first. Break complex requests into individual questions the are limited to only one topic each. C. Request specific action in a courteous close. Make it easy to comply by including appropriate contact information. Express your gratitude. Clearly state any important deadlines for the request. CHAPTER 9 w ve IVZORY Pove Messages 263 OPTIONS FOR U have been at our present location only three months, and we don't understand why December electricity bill is $815.00 and our Januarybais $817-50. Businesses on s of us, in offices just like ours, are paying only an average of $53 5o and boss for the same months. We all have similar computer and office equipment, so $545.67 for the something must be wrong (a) The opening has an eme tional tone and burdens the reader with too many facts to Quicy ll businesses are helpless against big utility companies. How can we prove that you Small the meter wrong or that the November bill from before we even moved in here got d to our December bull We want someone to check this meter right away. We can't afford to pay these big bills. This is the first time we've complained to you about anything, and I hope you agree that The body continues with the emotional tone and includes helpful statements that will only put the reader on the defensive we deserve a better deal. Sincerely, Laura Covington Proprietor (c) The close Includes irrelevant information and fails to make a dear request activ George PESERT Eiel ERT - 14- OPTIONS FORMAT TOIT REVIEW -1. 43 Clipboard Basic Text v ocity.org Neem Send Subject Referenc e Dear Customer Service Representative: A comparison of our electricity bills with those of our neighboring businesses suggests that the utility meter in our store may not be accurate. Please send a technician to check (a) The opening clearly and calmly states the problem. The European Connection opened at our current location on December 1, and we have received two monthly bills since then. In both instances the amount of our bill was nearly twice what neighboring businesses in this building were charged, even though we all have similar storefronts and equipment. We paid $815.00 in December and $817-50 in January. In contrast, the highest bills that neighboring businesses paid were $543-50 and $545.67 for those two months. (b) The body presents details clearly, concisely, and completely If your representative would visit our store, he or she could do an analysis of how much energy we are using. I understand that you regularly provide this helpful service to customers, and I would appreciate hearing from you this week. You can reach me by calling (805) 979-7727 during business hours. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Laura Covington Proprietor (c) The close requests cific action and provide contact information to responding easy