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How to Write a Good Customer Service Letter

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Here are some tips for how to write a customer service letter that will help you resolve issues with a company. Whether it’s a bank, a fast food chain or a cell phone company, the following tips will apply, and better your chances of resolving your customer service matter.

Remain Calm

You’ve just slammed the phone down in frustration after speaking with customer service at XYZ company. Before you pick up your pen, or turn on your computer to write that letter, sit down for a moment and take three deep breaths. Inhale, exhale; three times. Yes, that’s better.

Trust me, I know the rage that has built up when you have just gotten off of the phone with snotty Ryan, the 23-year-old kid who hates his job, has too much attitude, and refuses to help you. It is particularly infuriating when the situation directly involves a loss of money; your blood is boiling and you want to curse everyone out in sight. But you don’t want this to be reflected in your letter.

Address Your Letter to Customer Relations

Once you have taken a chill pill and are ready to write your letter, it’s time to get information about the company. You will probably easily be able to find the address of the corporate office online, or by calling their 800 number. In my opinion, it is always best to send a letter via snail mail rather than emailing, because when you have taken the time out to physically write, print, and spend 41 cents postage to send your complaint, the company sees that you are very serious. They will realize that you will probably not forget and go away so easily.

One point you don’t want to forget is to address the letter to “Customer Relations” both in the address at the top of the letter, and on the envelope you are sending the letter in. This way it won’t be routed to the wrong department and buried somewhere, most likely in the round file.

Don’t Talk in Slang and Curse

Depending on the size of the company, Customer Relations departments probably receive thousands of letters each week. So they are very used to reading people’s complaints. Cursing at them in the letter, calling them stupid, or ranting on and on about the bad customer service personnel you had an exchange with will most likely make them less willing to help you. They will assume that the customer service person you dealt with was probably right being that you are being so disrespectful to them in the letter.

So be nice and get to the point. Customer Relations didn’t sin against you — give them a chance to make it right. Write your letter in a reasonable yet firm tone describing your situation in detail, and include any figures, account numbers, names, and dates they would need to process your request. Your letter shouldn’t be over one page long.

End the Letter With a Specific Request

You didn’t really write this letter just to vent and complain, did you? Probably not, so make sure you are clear about what you want the company to do to resolve the matter. Give them your name and contact information so that they can get in touch with you to discuss the matter. They usually will call or send you a personal letter in response.

As someone who has written probably a hundred customer service complaint letters in her lifetime, I can firmly attest to the value of following this process. I would estimate that over 90% of the time I got what I wanted from the company, and we were able to resolve our differences based on the letter alone. So take your time to write a good letter with a request at the end, address the letter the appropriate department, and most of all, be nice.

Here’s one last tip: customer service departments almost always receive negative feedback in the mail. Once in a while, take the time out to write a letter of thanks or positive feedback when they’re doing a great job. You may be surprised when you receive a letter back thanking you with free coupons and other goodies for your gesture!

Posted by Jade

Panera Bread Restaurants: The Unspoken Rules of Using Panera Bread Free WiFi

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What you need to know before using the free WiFi at Panera Bread Restaurants.

Panera Bread Restaurants first came on the scene in 1981. Today they’ve grown to over 1200 locations in the USA and Canada. I personally love going here to work and study because it has such a nice, relaxing family atmosphere. Here are some unspoken rules and guidelines to follow when you are using the Internet at Panera Bread Restaurants.

Buy Something!

When you come to Panera Bread restaurants, laptop strapped to your shoulder, your first stop should be to the counter to order something. Whether it be something as small as a coffee or as large as a delicious Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich platter, you’ve got to buy something before you settle in for a long stay while using their Internet service. Their food is so good and hearty that I’m almost always tempted to buy lunch while working on my computer.

Respect Panera Breads Lunch Rush

If you’re gonna be there pretty much all day, you have to take a lunch break between the hours of 11:00am-2pm…. elsewhere! Those are Panera’s busiest hours. Many Panera Bread Restaurant locations do not even allow you to access the Internet for more than a half hour in that time period. So give Panera Bread Company some respect and appreciation for allowing you to use their facilities as a pseudo office for an entire day. Pack up your laptop and go elsewhere for lunch, then return after 2pm.

Find an Outlet

Don’t just sit anywhere when you come to Panera Bread restaurants. Sit near an outlet so that you won’t end up running out of battery power on your laptop. If you only plan to stay for an hour or so, there is no need to take up an outlet. Leave it for someone else who may need it.

Find a Small Table

Panera Bread restaurants literature asks that you find a small table if you’re by yourself using the Internet, so that you won’t deprive a large party of dining patrons access to a large table. So just grab a two-seater table instead of a 6 to 8 person table.

The Laptop Buddy System

You will find that there may be several other laptop users at your Panera Bread location. Kind of like a circle of surfers, freelancers, and students. One last unspoken rule of the Panera Breads circle is to never leave your laptop unattended. So when you have to get up to use the bathroom, ask someone else with a laptop to watch yours. When you come back, be sure to thank them. At some point, after drinking all of that coffee, they are going to want to get up also to use the bathroom, and guess who they’ll ask to watch their laptop? That’s the laptop buddy system.

The next time you visit a Panera Bread restaurant, keep these unspoken rules in mind. Like any other arrangement, there has to be some rules and respect. Following these guidelines will allow the environment at Panera Bread to remain functional and efficient.

Posted by Jade

Tips for Reeling in Out-of-Control Spending Habits

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We live in a society that has become accustomed to buying lots of unnecessary material things. That includes expensive cellphones, clothes, televisions and other non-essentials. The exact reasons behind this buying behavior vary from shopping addictions to the desire to “keep up with the Joneses.” But there comes a time when you must take a hard look at your spending habits and how they may be affecting your financial future.

Time is money
© Pryzmat | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Record Your Purchases

Carry a little journal with you when you go out of the house for anything. If you stop and make a purchase, write down each item that you bought and its cost. At the end of the month review the list of items to get a snapshot of exactly where your money is going. Add everything up in Microsoft Excel to get a grand total of the non-essential items. Think about the fact that the money you spent on all of that stuff could have gone into a savings fund or invested in a business idea. You may be a little surprised and upset at what you bought and how much it cost you. That is a good thing—that list should motivate you to make a change.

Write a List of Needs vs. Wants

Sit down and write two lists. One list is of your needs, like food and gas money. Then start writing down your wants, like brand new clothes, trips to the nail salon and outings to movie theaters. Chances are your list of wants will be much longer than your needs. Once you have these lists, buy everything that you need first and then if you have the extra funds available, you can pick one to three items from the “want list” each month.

Cash and Carry

Start carrying around cash and leave your credit or debit card at home. Using a card for purchases makes it too easy to overspend. Budget a reasonable amount that you need each month to cover your everyday expenses, such as food and toiletries. Withdraw that amount from your bank account and put it in a safe place. Each time you leave the house, withdraw just enough cash from your stash to get what you need during that outing. If you run out of cash, then your day of shopping is over—time to go home. Even if there is still something out there that you really wanted, going home will give you time to really think about whether or not you really need the item at all. This is how you prevent impulse purchases.

In order to change your out-of-control spending habits, you must change your learned behaviors and your mindset about what is a need and what is a want. Write lists, limit your shopping trips, avoid browsing around in stores without a specific goal and carry cash to get what you need instead of using cards.

How to Purchase an Oufit for Pennies on the Dollar

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Don’t count thrift stores out.

Woman squatting with shoulders exposed
© Sorsillo | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Buying a new wardrobe is a necessity, for many people. Many people are re-entering the work force and are required to have proper. So many Americans are forced to find employment in completely new fields due to the economy. For many, it is not possible to afford the prices for a new wardrobe at the mall. I have some ideas that can help you find more affordable clothing.

Have you every been to a thrift store? Check it out!! It is an eye opening experience. My favorite thrift store is the Salvation Army. Every Wednesday they offer a half off sale on all clothing in the store. Here’s an example of one of my purchase’s at the store. The average cost for a pair of dress slacks at the store is $4.99. A ladies blouse on average is $3.99. A blazer is approximately $5.99. That all adds up to $14.97. Remember, half off Wednesdays and your total is now amazingly $7.49 for basically a complete outfit!!!!

There are a lot of misconceptions about shopping at a thrift store. I have found them to be false. Over the years I have been able to find high end clothing for just a few bucks. It’s actually amazing that some of the clothes have been dry cleaned and/or still have the price tag attached. I highly recommend that you first carefully inspect the clothing for any rips, stains or for alterations. The next best aspect of the store is that they provide you with a fitting room. I most assuredly suggest that you try on all clothing that you like before purchasing them. I usually purchase neutral colors and stylish scarfs to enhance my outfit. It’s stunning that I bought a work outfit at a thrift store for a mere portion of what the mall or boutique would cost.

Another great place to shop is at the Goodwill store. I rather enjoy this thrift store because all prices are set. For, example, in my area, all jeans are $4.99 and the all t-shirts are $2.49. How great is that, when shopping on a budget. The staff keeps the store organized, helping you quickly locate the desired type of garment. There are clear sections in the store for ladies dress wear and casual wear. Keep in mind they also provide fitting rooms to all. So, on my. last visit to this store, I found a pair of high end designer dress slacks for $3.49 and a ladies designer blouse for under $4.00. How amazing is that!!!

Trust me! Research your area for your local thrift stores, you won’t regret it. Even if you find one item per visit, you will grow your wardrobe with stylish like new clothing, that will not cost a lot of money. Remember, to call or ask when visiting if they have any weekly specials.

 

Posted by Eve

Direct Mail Marketing “Tricks” — Coupons Linked to Your Information

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I received a mailing from a new supermarket in the area offering $10 off of a $20 purchase for four weeks in a row. Nice deal huh? The only catch is that you have to use your rewards card (and the scannable coupon of course).

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But here’s what you need to be aware of — as soon as you use that coupon and your rewards card it will likely be automatically linked to your physical address. So now the retailer knows:

– that you are the resident at that mailing address
– that you like/answer direct mail ads (get prepared to get a whole lot more)
– what the people at your house shop for so that they’ll know who to sell your information to / how to set prices

Basically, you’re giving up a whole lot of information for $10!

You might be perfectly fine with all of that, but it’s still good to understand the complexities of marketing in this digital age. Once you open up a door for direct mail marketing offers it’s hard to get it back closed.

Happy and smart shopping!

Posted by: Kristina