Hurrah Airlines - Reply to a letter of complaint

[Glizdka]

I found this writing task in Market Leader Upper Intermediate, page 103. Because I've already done a similar wiring task on this forum in the past, I thought I'd give this one a shot as well. I'd like to ask you to help me correct any mistakes I might've made and evaluate my writing.

In this task, I am supposed to write back to a dissatisfied cutomer's email as an employee of the Customer Service Department of Hurrah Airlines, a fictional budget airline company based in JFK International, New York. The original source material, the letter from dissatisfied Mr. Danson, is direcly below. Then, my reply.

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I've flown with your airline several times and have never had any problems. You have to pay for your food and extras, but I expect that. You get what you pay for in this world.

However, l didn't expect what happened to me last Sunday. I got to the airport, went through departures and checked the departure board for the flight to Philadelphia. Delayed! One hour later, delayed! Then the flight was cancelled. I stood in line with a lot of other unhappy passengers for about three hours at your desk. When my turn came, you refused to put me on a later flight. The earliest flight you offered me was 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday. That was too late for me. I tore up the ticket and went home.

I've heard nothing from your company about a refund. I should point out that the taxi to the airport cost $38, the hotel room near the airport was $100 and the ticket $220 return.

I look forward to hearing your comments with interest.

Yours sincerely,

Kirk Danson

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Dear Mr. Danson,

Please take our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you have experienced because of your flight being canceled. We much appreciate your understanding of the way we operate as budged airlines and we highly value you as our regular client.

You are entitled to receive a full refund of all the expenses you had to cover as a consequence of the flight cancellation. As per the standard procedure in such cases, please kindly provide us with a photocopy of the receipt or invoice for the taxi to the airport and for the hotel room near the airport that you stayed at. We are also going to need your flight number to identify which exact flight to Philadelphia you are referring to, as multiple flights to Philadelphia were canceled on Sunday due to bad weather. If you no longer have a paper copy of your ticket, please retrieve your flight number from its electronic copy on our website: www.notatallfictionallink.scam.

Because you are our regular client, we could offer you a $400 voucher for your next flight with our arlines on any connection of your choice, redeemable within 365 days, instead of the sum of $358 in cash as stated in your email. If you decide to choose the voucher instead of cash, please let us know.

For any further inquiries regarding this case, please reply directly to this email message to maintain conversation continuity.



Kind regards,

Jerry Anonymouse
Customer Service Consultant
Hurrah Airlines

 

[Tarheel]

Say: "Please accept our sincerest apologies...."

The rest looks good. (I'm in a hurry to get to Dunkin, so I might have missed something.)

 

[emsr2d2]

Because I've already done a similar wiring task on this forum ...

I didn't know you were an electrician!

 

[tedmc]

Dear Mr. Danson,

Please take accept our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you have experienced because of your flight being canceled cancellation. We much appreciate your understanding of the way we operate as budget airlines and we highly value you as our regular client.

You are entitled to receive a full refund of all the expenses you had to cover (have incurred) as a consequence of the flight cancellation. As per the standard procedure in such cases, please kindly provide us with a photocopy of the receipt or invoice for the taxi to the airport and for the hotel room near the airport that you stayed at. We are also going to need your flight number to identify which exact flight to Philadelphia you are referring to, as multiple flights to Philadelphia were canceled on Sunday due to bad weather. If you no longer have a paper copy of your ticket, please retrieve your flight number from its electronic copy on our website: www.notatallfictionallink.scam.

Because you are our regular client, we could (are pleased) to offer you a $400 voucher for your next flight with our airlines on any connection of your choice, redeemable within 365 days, instead of the sum of $358 in cash as stated in your email. If you decide to choose the voucher instead of cash, please let us know.

For any further inquiries regarding this case, please reply (email) directly to this email message (the undersigned) to maintain conversation continuity.



Kind regards,

Jerry Anonymouse
Customer Service Consultant
Hurrah Airlines

See my suggestions.

 

[Tarheel]

Two things. One, I would keep "your flight being cancelled". Two, I would say, "Because you are a regular customer" .

I agree with "the expenses you have incurred ".

 

[tedmc]

I would replace "to maintain conversation continuity" with "for expedience".

 

[Glizdka]

I'm not familiar enough with the word expedience, but it sounds like something is being done out of laziness and convenience rather than necessity. At least that's the context I usually see the word used in.

I'm not sure that's what I'd want to communicate here. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[tedmc]

I'm not familiar enough with the word expedience, but it sounds like something is being done out of laziness and convenience rather than necessity. At least that's the context I usually see the word used in.

I'm not sure that's what I'd want to communicate here. Correct me if I'm wrong.

It is something that is efficient and result-oriented, which can be used in a positive or negative sense.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/expediency

 

[Tarheel]

Perhaps:

Please respond directly to this email to avoid confusion.

 

[tedmc]

A check with ChatGPT yields the following:

Q. Does the word "expedience" always have a negative connotation?

The word "expedience" doesn't necessarily always have a negative connotation, but it often does lean towards a negative meaning. "Expedience" refers to the quality of being convenient, practical, or advantageous in achieving a particular goal or outcome, often with a sense of efficiency or speed.
In some contexts, "expedience" can be used neutrally or positively to describe actions or decisions that are made for practical reasons, to achieve a desired result in a timely and efficient manner. However, it can also carry a negative connotation when it implies that someone is prioritizing their own interests or short-term gains over ethical considerations or long-term consequences.
The negative connotation arises when "expedience" is used to describe actions that are taken solely for personal gain or advantage, even if those actions might be unethical or not aligned with principles or values. It can imply a lack of ethical considerations or a disregard for the potential negative impacts of the actions taken.
In summary, while "expedience" can be used in a neutral or positive sense to describe practical and efficient actions, it often carries a negative connotation when it suggests a lack of ethical considerations or a focus on personal gain at the expense of other important factors. Context plays a significant role in determining whether the word is being used positively, neutrally, or negatively.