How to Write a Certified Letter
How to Write a Certified Letter
If you look at postal mail from an individual or personal point of view, it might seem redundant in today’s world. We now have a whole generation that has never had to send postal mail in their lives. Sending a Christmas card is the closest thing to sending a letter most of us have got. But, even that only happens once a year.
However, from a business perspective, postal mail is far from redundant. It still plays a significant role in various business operations. Certified letters are the perfect example to show precisely how relevant direct mail still is for businesses.
The certified letter is a prevalent choice as a communication channel among financial institutions. It’s because the certified letter is the ideal medium of communication for urgent and accurate communication.
For example, a certified letter is perfect for communicating with people who owe your business money. Now, you must be wondering what makes certified letters the ideal communication channel for such situations.
Well, to learn that you will have to read the rest of this article. Here, we will explain what a certified letter is, its salient features, and what makes it ideal for business communications. More importantly, we will teach you how to write a certified letter and even show you a certified mail sample letter.
What is a Certified Letter?
You can call any direct mail piece that requires a signature from the recipient a certified letter. However, these are not the same as registered mail. The USPS will leave a delivery notice at the recipient’s address if they can not make the delivery.
Usually, USPS can’t deliver a certified letter because there is no one home/at the office to sign for the mailer. The notice issued by the postal service provider informs the recipient that they must collect their certified mail from the Post Office within 5 to 7 days.
What Happens If The Addressee Does Not Pick Up The Certified Mail?
Suppose the addressee doesn’t go to the Post Office and pick up the certified letter after 5 to 7 days of receiving the delivery notice. In that case, the USPS will leave another delivery notice. It is the second and final delivery notice from the USPS.
Now, let’s say that the recipient still doesn’t go and collect the certified letter even after 5 to 7 days of receiving the final delivery notice. At this point, the USPS will make the last delivery attempt. The USPS gives the recipient another 5 to 7 days before returning certified letters, even after the final attempt to deliver the mailer.
Note: The return mail will include proof that the USPS made multiple attempts to deliver the certified letter.
What Is The Content Inside a Certified Letter?
To say that the certified mail contains a crucial letter is nothing but a gross understatement. Nonetheless, it is still true. However, the most significant difference in the content of certified mail from regular postal mail is the letter format.
The letter format you use on your certified letter can make a big difference in the results you are hoping to achieve. Additionally, you should try to maintain a stern but polite tone in your letters, especially if your goal is to make the reader complete an action.
Banks and other financial institutions mostly used to send something that’s called a demand letter. Hence, it might be a good idea for legal attorneys to use the letter as the first step before filing a legal action.
In such a case, the letter is not elaborate and only describes the problem and outlines the steps for a feasible solution. Furthermore, you can also include the steps you will have to take if they can not successfully resolve the existing issues.
Understanding Demand Letters & Certified Mail
Demand letters are the most common type of certified letters you can see, and banking institutions mostly use them. However, any business or individual can write a demand letter as long as they have something to demand from the recipient.
Demand letters serve a wide range of purposes. For example, suppose you made a bulk purchase from a B2B seller only to find that they have sent you a product with the wrong specification. Although you could try calling or emailing them sometimes, that is not enough.
Sometimes, you even end up calling or emailing a supplier for days and even weeks and still not getting a satisfactory response from them. In such situations, your best bet is to use a demand letter as they can achieve surprising results.
Of course, you could always get an attorney to give them a legal notice, but on-demand legal services are not cheap. Furthermore, there is a good chance that the lawyer you approach might want you to retain them for the entire process.
How To Write a Demand Letter
Writing a formal demand letter is not as complicated as you might think, and you don’t have to be an expert at it either. All you need is a well-written demand letter template which you can quickly get from the internet. However, a few quick tips can help you write a unique demand letter for your business.
Start By Stating Facts About Your Concern
Stating the facts such as the invoice number, purchase date, etc. gives authenticity to your demand. Now, let’s consider the example of the bulk purchase from a B2B supplier we used above. The supplier sends you a product of the wrong specification that you can’t use.
Explain How They Failed To Keep Their End Of The Agreement
You must specify the details of your order, including the invoice number, date of order, order amount, and so on. Provide enough data on the agreement with the supplier and explain how they failed to keep their end of the deal.
Mention Your Previous Attempts To Resolve The Issue
Next, you should try and explain how you tried to resolve the issue before. You can explain how you tried to reach out to them through different communication channels, including phone and email. Additionally, you should state that their response was poor, which is why you’ve had to write the demand letter.
Describe Your Demands
After explaining the issue and your attempts to solve the problem, you can state your demands. In this case, your demand would be either a full refund or a free product replacement. However, the demand can vary depending on the type of business you do and the transactions it involves.
Certified Mail Sample Letter
Below, we will show you how to write a certified letter sample. Analyzing this sample will help you understand how your certified letter should look like. The purpose for sending a certified letter may vary depending on the unique nature of your business.
However, the certified letter template should help you get a broad idea of creating a certified letter.
Date
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
*Name of Company*
*Street address*
*City, State, and Zip Code*
RE: Outstanding Credit Card Payment For June
Dear Dwayne James,
Our records indicate that we have not yet received the payment of $1,300 for Invoice #1408, which is overdue by two weeks. I urge you to please check this from your end.
I request you to make the payment no later than July 30th. You may get in touch with us to discuss your repayment options. If you do not respond to this letter, the company will be forced to explore all legal rights. It may include but is not limited to legal proceedings per state and federal laws.
This demand letter for payment serves as an official notice. It may be tendered as evidence for your failed payment in court. We hope to sort this issue out at the earliest and implore you to reply to the letter as soon as you can.
You may disregard this notice if you have already made the said payment.
Sincerely,
*Name and Signature*
What Happens After Sending a Certified Letter?
The best-case scenario you can hope for after sending a certified letter is that you get the result you wanted. In that case, all is well, and you can get on with your life. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Sometimes you may not get a response, and other times the customer may refuse to work with you or resolve the issue. It is also possible that the recipient of the certified letter tries to negotiate your demand. At this point, it becomes necessary for you to explore your options.
Some of the options you can consider under such circumstances include the following.
Small Claims Court
When someone resists a demand letter, the most common action is to approach the small claims court. This option is most convenient if both parties live in the same locality. If not, then you or your representative may have to travel to the defendant’s city on the date appropriated by the court.
Pursue Collections
Suppose a customer or partner owes you money for a transaction. In that case, you can pursue a collections service. Several service providers specialize in fund collection for small businesses, such as Rocket Receivables and Summit AR. However, you will have to turn to legal recourse if the debt collection is personal.
Hire An Attorney
Hiring an attorney is often the last option, mainly because their services don’t come cheap. However, you are likely to get the best outcome for your problem if you hire an attorney. If you decide to hire an attorney, ensure that the attorney receives a copy of your demand letter and any other correspondence. It will not only make the job easier for the attorney but also reduce your billing hours.
Notice Of Intent To Sue
If you fail to negotiate and have your demands met even with the help of an attorney, then the next step is to send a notice of intent to sue. Sending such a notice implies that you are moving legally, and the defendant will have to take their case to court and hire an attorney of their own.
How To Optimize Your Direct Mail Process With PostGrid?
It can be a challenging task to send all types of direct mail, including certified letters for your business communication. Several processes are involved in the postal mail process to ensure that it runs smoothly, and it can become significantly time-consuming.
Additionally, an in-house direct mail process also includes manual processes that can increase the chance of error. PostGrid uses a fully automated direct mail system to ensure fast and accurate direct mail processing.
It automates everything from personalization, printing, and direct mail delivery so that there is no scope for error. You can even schedule to send out the direct mail automatically to your customers and use templates for a speedy postal mail delivery process.
Conclusion
Writing a certified letter is not too hard as long as you have a good understanding of it. The article explains what a certified letter is and how you can use it for business communication. Unlike personal communication, business letters are much more challenging as they are often much higher in number.
Therefore, companies must consider adopting a software solution like PostGrid for sending their certified letters. A system like PostGrid can use a certified letter template to personalize and print your certified letter.
You can also have your mail delivered to the addressee without even having to spend a minute on it. PostGrid’s fully automated direct mail system ensures fast and accurate delivery of all your direct mail and not just your certified letter.
Therefore, if you are still relying on a manual direct mail delivery process, it is high time that you switch to PostGrid’s advanced system.
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