500 Letters for Difficult Situations
Easy-to-Use Templates for Challenging Communications
Published on 18. May 2010
256 pages
978-1-4405-0714-4 (ISBN)
Description
Giving difficult news clearly and sensitively is no easy task. However, there are ways to say the right thing at the right time. 500 Letters for Difficult Situations offers helpful templates for when you need to say something tactfully and gracefully. Inside, you'll find letters to guide you through the most challenging communications, including how to:
- Express sympathy for the bereaved
- Explain why a relationship isn't working
- Offer condolences for those who are going through a divorce
- Give a notice of termination from employment
- Reprimand an employee for poor performance
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Corey Sandler
500 Letters for Difficult Situations
Easy-to-Use Templates for Challenging Communications
Book
06/2010
Adams Media Corporation
€33.61
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Person
Corey Sandler, considered one of the pioneers of computer journalism, was the first Executive Editor of PC Magazine and one of the founding editors of several other national publications. He has written more than 200 books on computer, business, history, sports, and travel topics.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part 1. Person to Person
- Chapter 1. Sympathy and Condolences
- Expression of sympathy to friend
- Expression of sympathy for death of child
- Thanks for expression of sympathy
- Making contribution in memory of friend
- Thanks for support in time of mourning
- Sympathy for death of pet
- Support for ill former friend
- Best wishes on return from hospitalization
- Saying goodbye to neighbor who is moving
- Announcing death of executive
- Notice of death of employee
- Condolences to spouse of employee
- Sympathy to company on death of executive
- Chapter 2. Health Issues
- Offering support in time of illness
- Thanks for support in time of illness
- Asking friend for advice on medical issue
- Seeking special wheelchair accommodation
- Inviting special-needs family to join a group
- Asking assignment of different doctor
- Asking medical records be transferred
- Asking medical records be transferred for cause
- Notification of medical power of attorney or proxy
- Offering to help neighbor recovering from hospitalization
- Inquiring about health of acquaintance
- Helping friend dealing with ill spouse
- To friends about acquaintance in grave health
- About deteriorating health of acquaintance
- Changing address to nursing home
- Acknowledging difficulties in personal life
- Declining invitation because of mourning
- Chapter 3. Final Arrangements
- Telling friends of an illness
- Telling friends of death in family
- Notification of death of young person
- Inviting guests to memorial service
- Thanking doctor for care
- Making prearrangements for funeral
- Asking cost of funeral arrangements be reduced
- Accepting proposal for funeral arrangement
- Asking about safeguards of prepayment plan
- Seeking change to prepaid funeral arrangements
- Changing name on subscription because of death
- Canceling subscription for deceased relative
- Asking property owned by siblings be sold
- Offering donation of home to society
- Part 2. Family Affairs
- Chapter 4. Family Matters
- Seeking an end to family estrangement
- Warning about college grades
- Asking for reduced gift giving
- Asking family assistance for holidays
- Ending family holiday party
- Defusing family argument
- Alerting family to awkward situation at upcoming party
- No gifts because of economy
- No children at adult party
- Chapter 5. Money and Possessions
- Telling family of decision to sell summer house
- Asking family involvement in financial decisions
- Asking family assistance for elders
- Asking family to consider care for parent
- Seeking family assistance for parent
- Asking end to requests for money from parents
- Asking siblings to help parents with landscaping
- Asking for family support for tag sale
- Family cell phone limits
- Ending financial support to family member
- Asking relative for money
- Declining to offer loan to family member
- Response to offer by relative to perform repairs
- Divorced parent asking for more money for child
- Asking for return of item after death
- Disposition of possessions
- Partial disposition of possession
- Asking to purchase item from estate
- Part 3. Friends and Neighbors
- Chapter 6. Neighborhood Issues
- Introduction to new neighbor
- Asking neighbor to cut tree
- Declining to split costs of landscaping
- Offer to buy shared equipment
- Apologizing for family argument at dinner
- Asking parents to supervise dog
- Complaint about neighbor's dog
- Asking for cleanup after dog
- Complaining about teasing of dog
- Second letter to parents about teasing dog
- Declining request to care for dog
- Declining request to house sit
- Objecting to loud parties
- Withdrawing offer to help move
- Asking for return of loaned item
- Asking for return or purchase of loaned item
- Reporting damage to loaned item
- Complaint about condition of returned item
- Asking replacement of damaged item
- Telling of breakage of loaned item
- Apology for damage and offer to pay
- Returned item not the right one
- Declining to lend vehicle
- Asking for more time with loaned item
- Declining more time with loaned item
- Canceling trip because of financial difficulties
- Asking former roommate to remove items from apartment
- Chapter 7. Helping Friends
- Estrangement from friend
- To an estranged friend
- Seeking to renew estranged friendship
- Thanks for friend's concern
- Thanks for help in caring for family
- Thanks for help in time of crisis
- Offering help to friend with personal problem
- Telling of loss of job
- Support for someone who lost job
- Couple tell of divorce
- Telling of divorce
- Supporting a friend going through a divorce
- Support to parent of divorcing couple
- Dealing with a divorced couple at event
- Telling friends about new relationship
- To friend marrying after the death of a spouse
- Telling friend of hurt feelings
- Apology for not helping
- Asking end to political dispute among friends
- About friend's elder parent as driver
- Apology to group for being in a bad mood
- To friend about inappropriate words
- Telling of move to be with family
- Seeking intervention for friend
- Chapter 8. About the Children
- Asking for return of child's possession
- Objection to transporting child
- Telling neighbor of child's reckless driving
- Concern about child's allergies at party
- Asking parents to control children
- Second request about children trespassing
- About inappropriate Internet use
- About child's excessive visits
- Asking parents to pay for damages by child
- Asking neighbor to supervise children at pool
- Complaint to mother about actions of babysitter
- About request to take care of friend's children
- Chapter 9. Social Engagements
- Apology for missing party
- Apology for missing anniversary
- Apology for missing social event
- Apology for serving allergenic food
- Declining dinner invitation because of dispute
- Asking for change in dinner club policy
- Withdrawing from weekly dinner group
- Opting out of anniversary gift
- Unable to attend reunion because of costs
- Unable to attend reunion because of illness
- Response to request about visit
- Informing friends about unavailability of summer cottage
- Asking friend to make other arrangements for visit
- Declining request for long-term visitor
- Declining request for friend's child to stay
- Asking visitors to not bring pets
- Limiting number of dinner guests
- Apologizing for overbearing guest
- Asking for vegetarian meal at reception
- Part 4. Personal Business
- Chapter 10. Money, Contracts, and Credit Cards
- Canceling an insurance policy
- Asking renegotiation of loan terms
- Asking payment plan for utilities
- Asking hospital to set payment plan
- Asking payment assistance from hospital
- Asking special short-term contract
- Canceling membership because of expense
- Canceling service and asking for refund of prepay
- Asking for reduction in cost of caretaking services
- Asking for reduced services from landscaper
- Asking new bid from caterer
- Asking cable company to review bill
- Asking reduction in size of project
- Declining downsized project
- Postponing plans for renovation project
- Asking payment for consultation services
- Declining request for free consulting
- Setting rate for making repair
- Justifying bill sent to friend
- Declining to extend loan
- Declining to invest in company
- Credit card return protection guarantee
- Credit card extended warranty
- Credit card purchase protection
- Credit card auto rental loss and damage coverage
- Credit card baggage insurance
- Credit card event ticket protection
- Complaining about substitution of product
- Asking for refund because of reduced price
- Chapter 11. Disputes and Complaints
- Insufficient funds from friend
- Response about insufficient funds
- Informing relative of default notice
- Asking repayment of loan
- Asking detailed descriptions in bill
- Asking caretaker for itemized bills
- Disputing legal bill
- Objecting to service overcharge
- Asking removal of late fee from credit card bill
- Objecting to bill for photo proofs
- Asking refund for class cancellation
- Asking for scholarship payment
- Complaint about tutor
- Complaint about discrepancy in hourly wages paid
- Asking removal of name from mailing list
- Seeking removal from marketing list
- Chapter 12. About the Service We Received
- Asking credit for service not used
- Asking for reduction in restaurant bill
- Complaint about restaurant service
- Complaining about being rushed at restaurant
- Complaining about quality of linen rental
- Questioning landscaping bill
- Complaint about lawn mowing service
- Dismissing lawn mowing service
- Objecting to rude service person
- Second refusal to pay landscaping bill
- Faulty repair
- Threatening legal action for shoddy repair
- Referring action to a lawyer
- Asking refund from repair shop for improper work
- Complaint about failed auto repair
- Asking for accounting of home care services
- Dismissing domestic caregiver
- Asking details of childcare needs
- Complaint about trash pickup
- Problem with quality of home repair
- Questioning automatic charges on Internet bill
- Seeking credit for cable outage
- Asking removal of missed appointment fee
- Restaurant special event room not available
- Chapter 13. About the Product
- Complaint about flat soda
- Complaint to manufacturer about work by authorized dealer
- Objecting to price rise on florist bill
- Returning product under unconditional satisfaction policy
- Complaining about restocking fee
- Complaint about substitution of ingredient
- Returning photograph to be reframed
- Complaint about deceptive product packaging
- Complaint about quality of food product
- Asking reimbursement for repairs under warranty
- Complaint about handling charge for gift card
- Chapter 14. Dealing with a Store
- Asking store for discount
- Asking store for quantity discount
- Asking store to stock brand
- Asking store to restock product
- Complaining to supermarket for lack of sufficient help
- Returning product because of price
- Notice of availability of store credit for return
- Refusing store credit and demanding full refund
- Item not returnable to store
- Refusing return of item
- Reducing hours at business
- Chapter 15. Traveling About
- Complaint about travel arrangements
- Asking travel agency to reduce price
- Asking refund from travel agency
- Complaint to travel agency about unexpected fee
- Complaint about missing hotel reservation
- Complaining about condition of hotel room
- Objecting to noisy room at hotel
- Seeking price adjustment on hotel rate
- Asking refund for hotel overcharge
- Asking airline to pay for unexpected hotel charge
- Complaint about cleanliness of airplane
- Chapter 16. Landlords and Real Estate
- Asking return of security deposit
- Asking reduction in apartment rent
- Asking landlord to trade services for rent
- Asking landlord for early snow removal
- Asking landlord to complete repairs
- Complaint to landlord about safety
- Follow-up complaint to landlord
- Notifying renter of nonrenewal of lease
- Landlord not renewing lease
- Landlord threatening to terminate lease
- To landlord about barking dog
- Landlord threatening eviction
- Response to landlord warning about trash
- Landlord claims damage by renters
- Informing landlord of death of tenant
- Asking to break lease because of illness
- Notifying renter of transfer of ownership
- Offering to sell home to tenant
- Informing family of decision to sell home
- Advising work required before real estate closing
- Part 5. Community Organizations
- Chapter 17. Membership Matters and Events
- Inviting new members for civic organization
- Accepting invitation to join club
- Accepting nomination to executive board
- Asking suggestions for projects
- Declining offer of chairmanship
- Resignation from community group for political position
- Resigning from community board
- Resigning as club president because of family obligations
- Apology for missing meeting
- Resigning as association officer because of illness
- Withdrawing from committee because of workload
- Resigning from volunteer position
- Canceling engagement of speaker
- Declining invitation to speak at event
- Accepting invitation to speak in opposition
- Calling on committee members to show more dedication
- Objecting to political actions by organization
- Complaining about ticket price
- Requesting newspaper coverage of show
- Complaining about factual errors in newspaper coverage
- Chapter 18. Fundraising, Donations, and Volunteers
- Fundraising letter
- Seeking volunteers for fundraising phone bank
- Open letter seeking sponsors
- Announcing scholarship bequest
- Seeking additional contribution to community organization
- Making memorial donation of books
- Accepting donation with thanks
- Declining donation because of terms
- Clarifying items loaned not donated
- Returning donated items
- Response about ownership of items on display
- Objecting to fundraising plans
- Complaining about listing of donor amounts
- Complaining about aggressive fundraising
- Objecting to professional fundraiser
- Declining request for contribution
- Declining request for contribution for cause
- Declining to offer donation because of disagreement
- Withdrawing corporate support
- Withdrawing funding for cause
- Complaining about use of donation
- Asking proper allocation for endowment
- Seeking sponsors for hockey team
- Seeking coaches for hockey team
- Seeking to arrange car pool for hockey team
- Offering to volunteer at library
- Complaining about scheduling for volunteers
- Chapter 19. School Days
- Withdrawing child from preschool for cause
- Sick children in daycare
- Complaint about supervision on class trip
- Seeking votes in election for PTA president
- Resigning presidency of parent teachers association
- Complaint about teacher
- Follow-up about complaint about teacher
- Complaint about disruption by other student
- Asking teacher to separate friends
- Asking teacher to separate squabbling friends
- Asking attention to healthy diet at school
- Declining to coach team
- Asking school to scale back holiday trip
- Objecting to spending student funds on speaker
- Asking recognition of students with single parent
- Divorced parent asks to be on mailing list
- Complaint to principal about continued teasing
- Complaining of change to advanced placement course
- Complaining of poor judgment in holding event
- Asking for change in bus stop
- Objecting to the initiation of user fees
- Supporting user fee for sports in schools
- Objecting to increase in student fee
- Complaint about course fees
- Requesting more college aid
- Chapter 20. Church Business
- Asking help for fire victims
- Thanking members of church for support
- Changing churches
- Church not meeting fundraising goal
- Opposing new construction plan
- Objecting to political content of sermon
- Objecting to use of church hall for political rally
- Part 6. Politics and Government
- Chapter 21. Political Intrigue
- Remaining neutral in election
- Declining involvement in campaign
- Declining to support candidate
- Conceding election
- Declaring opposition to school expansion
- Calling on politician to step aside
- Calling on politician to resign
- Calling for investigation of politician
- Objecting to public facilities used for political purpose
- Objecting to involvement of school employees in ballot issue
- Asking political mail to stop
- Complaint about corporate sponsorship of political organization
- Chapter 22. Government Affairs
- Unable to accept gift because of conflict of interest
- Complaint about cleanliness of community pool
- Protesting closure of town facilities
- Ending community service
- Protesting closure of town facility
- Complaining about cutbacks to library hours
- Objecting to closure of local motor vehicle registry
- Unhappy about end to swimming lessons
- Complaining about bus route
- Objecting to new recycling fees
- Complaining of unlicensed dogs
- Asking oversight of handicapped parking spots
- Objecting to partisanship at town observance
- Objecting to actions of elected official
- Part 7. Business
- Chapter 23. Dear Boss
- Resignation without explanation
- Simple resignation for advancement
- Leaving job for higher-paid position
- Resignation to return to school
- Resignation because of spouse's transfer
- Resigning job because of illness
- Resigning job because of family responsibilities
- Notification of retirement
- Courtesy letter to employer about retirement
- Requesting change to part-time employment
- Declining internship
- Request for information about vacation time
- Chapter 24. Employee to Employee
- Seeking alternative to layoff
- Establishing guidelines for holiday gifts
- Declining invitation to retirement party for cause
- Laying out the rules of the coffee club
- Objecting to delay in work schedule
- Withdrawing offer to take friend's work shift
- Chapter 25. Money Matters
- Asking payment of invoice
- Second letter asking for payment
- Third request for payment
- Placing overdue account with attorney
- Denying discount because terms not met
- Questioning invoice from supplier
- Questioning invoice from service supplier
- Telling provider to submit bids for service
- Rejection of bid for services
- Notifying company why they did not get business
- Asking change to contract before services delivered
- Dismissing service company for budget
- Asking renegotiation of fee for services
- Ending agreement with provider because of economy
- Sadness at closing of longtime business
- Chapter 26. Customer Service
- Announcing delay in shipping
- Offering discount program to customers
- Adding customer loyalty card
- Ending discount program
- Canceling free craft classes
- Landscaping business raising prices
- Reducing offerings at store
- Adding charge for delivery
- Adding fee for service
- Discontinuing delivery
- Apology for unavailability of product
- Chapter 27. Hiring and References
- Apology for missing interview
- Apology from interviewer for missing interview
- Asking for more information from applicant
- Asking about discrepancy on job application
- Explaining gap in resume
- Follow-up after job interview
- Suggesting additional training for job applicant
- Unable to offer job
- To former colleague about hiring relative
- Making counterproposal to job offer
- Declining to offer job
- Declining to rehire associate
- Unable to offer a job to friend'Äôs family member
- Declining to call about job for friend
- Declining to respond to reference check
- Asking for reference
- Declining to allow use of name as a reference
- Asking end to use of name as a reference
- Chapter 28. Employee Affairs
- Policy on accepting gifts
- Informing employees of policy regarding gratuities
- Notice of dress code
- Reminder to department heads about summer dress code
- Policy on bereavement leave
- Policy on holiday schedule
- Policy on religious observances
- Policy on display of political material
- Policy on office relationships
- Objecting to party on company time
- Directive from executive to change party time
- Advisory to employees about flu outbreak
- Notification of smoking ban
- Total ban on tobacco use by employees
- Advisory on updates to alcohol and drug possession policy
- Policy on cell phone usage in workplace
- Ban on personal music players
- Asking clarification of liability coverage
- Response to question about liability
- Ending company support for holiday party
- Change in policy regarding snacks for night staff
- Asking timely delivery of meeting minutes
- Suggesting tighter agenda for staff meetings
- Chapter 29. Workday Matters
- Questioning item on expense report
- Denying expense on travel reimbursement form
- Asking resubmission of travel expense form
- Disapproving attendance at conference
- Declining request for time off
- Denying vacation time request
- Violation of sick day policy
- Declining to grant paid day off
- Memo about excessive lateness
- Notification about absence from training sessions
- Reprimand for refusing overtime
- Failure to meet deadlines
- Reassigning employee
- Reducing hours from full time to part time
- Requesting return of company equipment
- Discrepancy on hourly rate
- Chapter 30. Firings, Layoffs, and Cutbacks
- Annual letter to employees in difficult year
- Addressing rumor of layoffs
- Announcing closing of office
- Asking supervisors to curtail overtime
- Cutting salaries across the board
- Notification of layoff
- Advising of company-wide layoffs
- Notice of salary freeze
- Reducing work week for employee
- Canceling bonuses
- Notifying employee of elimination of job
- Notice of termination
- Asking for resignation
- Adding fee for childcare benefit
- Discontinuing vision care benefit
- Announcing increase in health insurance cost
- Suspending tuition reimbursement program
- Announcing closure of business
- Seeking alternative to letter of resignation
- About the Authors
