La carta de reclamación

Sofia arrived at the Valencia office at eight thirty with a coffee in her hand and a doubt in her head: how to draft a complaint letter without sounding aggressive. Her boss, Mr. Gallardo, had passed the case to her the night before: an important client had been waiting three weeks for an order that never arrived complete. The client was right: he had paid in advance and the material not only arrived late but three boxes were missing. Sofia opened the word processor and wrote: 'Dear client, we regret to inform you...' She deleted everything and started again. 'The problem,' her colleague Marta told her, 'isn't acknowledging the mistake, but proposing a solution without seeming weak.' Sofia thought about using the conditional: 'We would appreciate it if you would accept a fifteen percent discount on your next order.' It sounded respectful, not submissive. But the boss wanted something firmer. 'We can't give away discounts every time the warehouse makes a mistake,' he said. Sofia adjusted the tone. She explained the facts objectively, offered apologies without overdoing it, and proposed a meeting to review the internal process. Mr. Gallardo read the letter, nodded, and said: 'Now that's it. Firm, but polite. The client knows we take the problem seriously.' Sofia smiled. She hadn't won or lost; she had simply found the right words. Sometimes well-used courtesy is more powerful than pressure.