We goofed. Now pay up.

Letters from insurance companies are, for a pundit, the equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel. They simply make it too easy.

Take, for example, the following missive:

“In doing an audit of this account, it has come to our attention that this claim was overpaid to you. Therefore, we are requesting a refund in the amount of $3.50. Please forward this amount, along with a copy of this letter to: (the address where they need this king’s ransom sent).

“PLEASE REMIT $3.50 AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. (Yes, it was in bold and ALL CAPS.) A corrected EOB will be sent to you upon receipt of this refund. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the number listed above. Sincerely, Robyn S.”

Where to begin?

First, the letter has a definite fish or fowl (and foul, for that matter) issue. They can’t seem to decide whether they should be laying on the mea culpas, or being stern so that the recipient will hustle up with that $3.50.

Second, even though it is their error, they expect the recipient to spend money and time copying the letter, using his or her own envelope, writing the address on that envelope, and adding a stamp. All for $3.50 – a sum that could easily be added to the next monthly statement.

Third, the dreaded “feel free to contact me” line. Folks, customers should be encouraged to contact you with questions, not given permission. The correct line is “please contact me.”

Said letter is a perfect example of forgetting that every contact – no matter how insignificant it may seem (such as seeking $3.50....) – either builds a brand or diminishes it. Add in the fact that this tome came from an industry whose press clippings rank it just above disgraced lobbyists and the like, and it gets even worse.

How can you make certain your communications to customers are wince-free?

• Let a communicator do the writing. All too often, organizations let anyone with a computer craft communication that goes out to customers and prospects because they consider the subject matter innocuous. Such thinking produces letters like this one. If it’s impossible to count on a communicator for every bit of customer writing, insist on templates and a style book to guide those whose skill sets lie elsewhere.
• Remember your manners. The aforementioned letter would have been significantly less offensive had the “author” thrown in a line or two such as, “We really appreciate your help with this situation,” and “Thank you for being our customer.” No matter what the subject of your communication, go overboard on being polite.
• You’re communicating with a person, not an account, etc. In an effort to be efficient, it’s easy to slip into jargon and start using language that screams “form letter.” Run your communication by a disinterested party and heed his or her advice. Even if you feel savvy in this area, do it every once in a while for a spot check.

The message? There is no such thing as an insignificant piece of communication. If you wouldn’t want to receive it, don’t send it.