Claims are requests for companies to compensate for or correct the wrongs or mistakes they have made. As with other requests, you should immediately state what the claim is and what you expect the company to do for you. You also will provide a rationale for your claim in the body of the message and close with a call to action a specific request.
Typical components in a claim are the claim, a rationale, a call to action, and a statement of goodwill. As you write claims, keep in mind that your goal is to have your claim honored. Focus on facts first and emotions second, if at all. Lay out a logical, reasonable, and professional explanation for your claim. Emotional claims are far more likely to be rejected. Also, remember that you will often work with the same people again and again. So, be polite and focus on the long-term working relationship.
In this exercise, you will identify components of claims and evaluate whether they are effective.
Match each phrase to its role in the message and if it is effective
1. Rationale/Effective
2. Goodwill/Ineffective
3. Goodwill/Effective
4. Call to action/Ineffective
5. Rationale Ineffective
6. Claim/Effective
7. Claim/Ineffective
8. Call to action/Effective