Business and Consumer Complaints and Requests Essential elements: Keep the door open to goodwill by including: 1. A thank-you for the invitation to donate. 2. An acknowledgment of the good work the organization does. 3. A statement of decline, with regret. 4. A statement keeping the door open to possible donations in the future. 5. A wish for success. Sample: Dear Mrs. Mintzer, We carefully study all requests for contributions we receive and we thank you for inviting us to donate to the Anytown Symphony Orchestra. Although we all unanimously agree that the Anytown Symphony Orchestra contributes much to the community--as well as to the performers themselves--we can't, unfortunately, provide financial support at this time. I do hope that in the future we will be in a position to provide some funds for the Symphony. In the meantime, we wish you success with your efforts on behalf of this excellent organization. Sincerely, Business complaints As a businessperson, you not only get complaints from customers, you may often find yourself in a position to be making a complaint. The following letters will help you find the words you need when things aren't going right and you want to tell someone about it. Business-to-business complaint Background: This is a complaint letter from one business to another. Avoid e-mail for this correspondence because of its potential to incite an immediate, defensive response from your correspondent. Additionally, using a printed let- ter will help you better document your complaints and their outcomes. Essential elements: There are a thousand reasons you might write to com- plain to another businessperson. Use this sample as a guide to make sure you include: 181