1. October 5, 2015
Business Writing Basics
Training and Knowledge Management
Centerline, MI
October 5, 2015

2. Objectives
2October 12th, 2014CX initiatives
 Outline a business letter writing process
 Review basic business letter format
 Explain how to represent FCA well in writing and why that matters
 Demonstrate how to read customer or Better Business Bureau (BBB) letters
for information to tailor messages
 Practice using positive messaging in letters
 Explain best practices for proofreading
 Review new templates for BBB letters

3. October 5, 2015
Writing Effective Business Letters

4. 4January 28, 2016
Business Letter Writing Process

5. 5January 28, 2016
 The writing that we send to customers or other entities is a permanent
record of our interaction with them
 The first step in establishing credibility is following business letter
conventions
 Handout: Review basic business letter structure and content
Business Letter Format

6. Planning and Writing Letters
Improving the Content of Your Letters
Training and Knowledge Management

7. 7January 28, 2016
 What do you think about before you:
● Call a customer?
● Write a letter?
● Write an email?
 For all writing, including business letters, it is important for you to consider:
● Purpose—the reason for writing the letter
● Audience—who will read the letter
● Stakeholders—who may be affected by the letter
● Context—the background of the situation
Pre-writing Basics

8. 8January 28, 2016
 We have all been upset customers
● Why did you become upset?
● What did you want to see happen?
 Why are customers writing FCA? the BBB?
 What do you think they are feeling when they do so?
 When a customer buys one of our products, we are automatically 100%
responsible for the experience, now and later
Start with What You Know

9. 9January 28, 2016
 Good reading is the key to good writing
 Read the letter or case notes carefully
● Be sure that you understand the customer’s complaint
 Consider why we received the letter
● We all know what it’s like to have car trouble
● We’ve all had a disappointing sales or service experience
 Next, imagine yourself in the customer’s situation
● Use these feelings to incorporate empathy in the letter
 Use the AERs when planning your writing. Include these in your
letters
● Acknowledge the customer’s concern
● Empathize with the emotions expressed
● Reassure the customer
Plan the Letter

10. 10January 28, 2016
Re-read the customer letter on the handout.
Write down at least one statement for each of the following areas:
1. Acknowledge/express appreciation for the feedback
2. Show Empathy
3. Reassure the customer
Activity

11. 11January 28, 2016
 Remember to incorporate the ISMs in your letters
● First things first
● Make it easy
● Keep commitments—ALWAYS
● Affirmative always. Yes before No
● Reaffirm the customer’s purchase decision
Practice: Responding to Customer Complaints

12. 12January 28, 2016
How do customers respond to the following phrases?
 We can’t…
 We won’t…
 We are not able to…
 It’s not my decision…
 That’s not my department…
How can we rephrase without changing the meaning?
 Using positive language incorporates two of the ISMs:
1. Affirmative Always. Yes before No
2. Reaffirm the customer’s purchase decision
Using Positive Phrases

13. 13January 28, 2016
Using Positive Phrases
Original Phrasing Sample Revised
Phrasing
I cannot make any guarantees. I will look into your request.
You do not qualify for a rebate. Rebates are available for
customers who meet the
following criteria:
It’s up to the dealer. The dealer is in the best
position to look into your
inquiry.
Your warranty doesn’t cover
repairs due to customer
negligence.
Your warranty covers parts that
have manufacturer’s defects.

14. 14January 28, 2016
Read the statements on the handout.
Write down at least one positive way to rephrase each of the statements.
Activity: Using Positive Phrases

15. 15January 28, 2016
 Always proofread your work before sending
● Letters with errors make you and FCA lose credibility
 Understand that spellcheck is a good tool, but it has limits
● Spelling the wrong word correctly will not be picked up by spellcheck
 Do the following:
1. Use spellcheck
2. Set the letter aside for at least a few minutes and come back to it for a
proofread OR
3. Have a colleague proofread before sending
Finishing Touch: Proofreading

16. 16January 28, 2016
 Read the following letter
 Find the seven errors
Practice: Proofreading

17. 17January 28, 2016
 Write a response to the BBB based on the customer letter provided
 Remember to read the situation for information you can use to personalize
the letter
 Remember to incorporate AER and the ISMs
Activity: Write a Letter

18. Revised Templates for BBB
Improve the Content of Your Letters
Training and Knowledge Management

19. 19January 28, 2016
 New templates for the following BBB situations:
● Dealer complaint-sales
● Dealer complaint-service
● Vehicle problem
● Vehicle quality complaint
● Parts complaint
 Templates can be modified as needed to tailor them to the situation
● Remember, the more specific the letter is to the customer’s situation,
the more likely it is to leave the customer with a good impression of
FCA
Template Review

20. 20January 28, 2016
 The writing we share with customers is a permanent reflection of their
experience with FCA
● Keeping our writing professional, personalized, positive in tone, and
error-free will go a long way toward maintaining our credibility
● Regardless of what prompted the customer to contact the BBB, the way
we handle the situation can leave the customer with a positive feeling
about FCA
● Remember to fully understand the customers’ situations and their
experiences when writing.
● You have personal experience as a consumer to draw upon. Use it to
write better letters
● Proofreading is more than spellcheck. Give your work a read-through
before sending
Summary