1. Claim and Adjustment Letter

2. To err is human; to forgive is divine.
However efficient an organization may be, mistakes are likely to be made owing to human frailty or misunderstanding. Important services are sometimes unsatisfactorily rendered, goods are consigned to wrong destinations, sometimes too late, sometimes in less than the required quantities. Occasionally, they reach their destination in damaged condition because of faulty packing or improper handling in transit.

3. Claim or complaint letters
Letters written to bring these mistakes to the notice of those who must own the responsibility for them are called claim or complaint letters and those written to take action on them are known as adjustment letters.

4. Making claims
When you have to pay because of somebody’s mistake, your immediate and natural reaction will be anger. If you draft a letter in this mood, it may contain sarcasm, accusations, and threats. A second thought will reveal to you that these explosive reactions do not help. You must realize that all of us are liable to make mistakes and a tolerant attitude towards the realities of life achieves more than hasty and ill-conceived reactions.

5. Purpose of writing a claim letter
Surely your purpose in writing a claim letter is not to accuse someone but to sort out the problem and to secure the services or products that you need and that are due to you. To achieve this objective, you should be courteous, forthright, precise and clear. Let your temper cool down before you write a claim letter. If you have written a claim letter in anger, hold it back for some time. Have another look at it. You will then be in a better position to make it business-like and restrained. A letter so written greater chances of eliciting the desired response from the reader.

6. Your claim letter should generally contain the following four elements.
A clear explanation of what has gone wrong. Give full information for quick identification of the defective product or faulty service. In case of a product, details such as the exact date of purchase and arrival, the amount paid, order number, colour, size, model number, make, etc. are helpful in making a re-check by the supplier easier.

7. A statement of the inconvenience caused or the loss suffered as a result of the mistake or defect.
An appeal to the reader’s sense of fair play, honesty, reputation or professional pride with a view to motivating him to take necessary action promptly to rectify the situation.
A statement of what adjustment you would consider fair.

8. To secure a prompt and satisfactory response a claim letter is usually written to the head of the unit or the department responsible for the mistake.
Two examples of claim letters are given below.

9. Claim Letter- Model 01 Dear Madams/Sirs,
We had ordered kg tins of Nihal Baby Food Powder under our order No. M-4006/FP dated 4 July Today when the consignment arrived we checked its contents and found only 1500 tins, out of which 45 were badly damaged. It seems one of the cases was not packed properly or some heavy load had been placed over it in transit.

10. There is a great demand for this powder in the town at this time of the year and we expected to clear the whole stock during the next two months. But it appears some of our customers will have to be disappointed.
With enormous resources at your command we hope you can save the situation by sending 500 tins immediately by quick transit service.

11. As regards the damaged tins, we want your advice
As regards the damaged tins, we want your advice. There are two alternatives: either you allow us to sell them at reduced price in which case we shall send you the total amount realized after deducting our usual commission of 7 per cent or permit us to return them to you at your cost for replacement.
We would very much appreciate an early reply.
Yours faithfully,
M R Rahman
Purchase Manager

12. Claim Letter- Model 02 Dear Madams/Sirs,
Thank you for your letter No. TP/463 of 4 July 2017 forwarding Bill No. M 437 dated June In it you have included two items which we did not buy. They are:
Punching machines 6 Nos. BDT
Gum bottles (big) 1 Doz. BDT

13. It seems there has been some mistake in copying from our personal account maintained by you. Will you please get it checked and send us another bill? I am returning them with your bill No.437. according to our calculation only BDT are due from us.
Yours faithfully,
A Alam
Office Manager

14. Exercise
1. As the purchase Officer of an organization you had ordered 12 dozen bed sheets after examining the samples sent by the wholesaler. When the consignment arrives you find neither in texture nor in shades do the sheets confirm to the samples you had approved. Write a claim letter demanding their replacement.
Source: Business Correspondence and Report Writing
By R C Sharma, Krishna Mohan

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