Keep a Customer Up to Date on Progress • Example Letters, Guides and Samples

Guides

This can be a good public relations letter and can update a client or customer on a long-term project or it can serve as a reminder of the value he or she receives from your service. The letter should be brief, offer specific details, and avoid a sales pitch.

How to write this goodwill letter:

  1. Briefly explain your reason for writing the letter.
  2. Give specific details that describe the work you are doing for the client or the value he or she has received from the work you have done in the past.
  3. Close with a look toward the future, an invitation for the client to contact you, or a time when the client may expect another report.

Example Letter #1

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During our last meeting you expressed your concern about keeping in touch with our progress. This letter is in response to your request for weekly progress reports.

Over the last week we have confirmed lecture times with all the speakers, received 1,354 RSVPs and made accommodations for each participant. John has secured a team of receptionists and ushers for the event and hired a team to handle miscellaneous setup tasks.

Please set your mind at ease. Although much remains to be done, we have every reason to believe that we still have time to focus thoroughly on each detail before the seminar. I will contact you at the beginning of next week to discuss what we still need to accomplish and how we propose to do so.

Example Letter #2

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We have exciting news! Doe Dry Cleaning has just received exclusive rights to a new dry cleaning process that is safe for virtually all fabrics. You will find that all your suedes and silks will look and feel like new and metal buttons will not tarnish. The other good news is that the new solution is friendly to the environment. We know you will be pleased the next time you have your finest fabrics cleaned at Doe's.

Example Letter #3

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During our visit last spring you expressed an interest in further progress at Doe Woods. We are now in Phase IV of the development, which includes a comprehensive recreation center. We have also begun construction of a new section of colonial style town houses with six different elevations and floor plans to meet any family's needs.

I have enclosed a brochure and would welcome a call from you for any further information. Please feel free to stop by and see what's happening at Doe Woods.

Example Letter #4

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Doe Corporation is pleased to enclose your new account statement for the period ending December 31, 2018.

Based on the comments we received from many of you during the past year, we designed a new statement that is easier to read, provides more detailed information about your plan account, and presents investment information in a simpler format. All of the information you need is conveniently located on the front page of the statement, with additional details on the succeeding pages. In addition, we have included a glossary of terms, which appears on the back of the last page.

We hope you find this statement to be a useful tool in monitoring your retirement program. As always, if you have any questions, please call your plan's toll-free number during regular business hours.

Write Your Letter Step-by-Step

1 Briefly explain your reason for writing the letter.

Sample Sentences for Step 1
  • Enclosed is a summary of the projects Doe Insurance has worked on for your company in the past year.
  • I appreciated meeting with you Monday to discuss the possibility of buying electronic circuits through us.
  • I wanted to inform you of our work to update your computer tracking system.
  • I thought you would like to see "before and after" pictures of our technical writing seminar last week.
  • Thank you for your phone call last week regarding our progress on developing the Doe Whipper.
Sample Phrases for Step 1
  • am sure you would like to see these
  • appreciated the opportunity to discuss
  • appreciated meeting with you on
  • are certain you will be interested in
  • concerning our progress on
  • enclosed is a summary of
  • have prepared a list of
  • have been examining the possibility of
  • here is the summary you requested
  • here is the report we discussed
  • how the project is progressing
  • in response to your query about
  • interim report on
  • just to keep you up to date on
  • regarding our progress on
  • thank you for your call
  • the projects we have worked on
  • thought you might find this valuable
  • want to let you know
  • wanted to inform you of

2 Give specific details that describe the work you are doing for the client or the value he or she has received from the work you have done in the past.

Sample Sentences for Step 2
  • As you will note, your overall insurance costs were down this year by ten percent. I am especially pleased that our new efforts to track the progress of injured workers have reduced absenteeism from injuries by an average of two weeks.
  • I have faxed your specifications to our Springfield office. Because they will need to obtain a government permit, negotiate an agreement with an independent manufacturer, and establish a per item price, I don't expect to hear from them for a month.
  • As we discussed in our preliminary meeting, the updates are so extensive that they require us to rewrite the code for your current system. The code is now rewritten so that it supports all the functions you currently use. We expect the updates to be completed by August 31.
  • For a week before and after the seminar, each engineer kept a log of his writing by type, time, number of revisions required, and level of difficulty. The results are tabulated on the attached report. As you will note, the number of revisions have been reduced for every type of writing, resulting in a decrease in the writing time required--sometimes by as much as one-half. In addition, the perceived level of difficulty decreased in almost every case.
  • Research and Development informs me that they have not yet made their final selection for "Best New Toy." The Whipper is still a serious contender, but the team won't be announcing the winner until the Spring Toy Fair.
Sample Phrases for Step 2
  • am especially pleased that
  • are very proud of having
  • as we discussed
  • as you will note
  • by an average of
  • can expect further progress within
  • expect this phase to be completed by
  • has been modified in keeping with
  • have not yet made a final selection
  • have kept a log of
  • is a serious contender for
  • is now up to code
  • it was necessary for us to
  • more extensive than was at first thought
  • need to establish an agreement concerning
  • overall costs were down by
  • resulting in a significant reduction in
  • results are tabulated on
  • tracked the progress of
  • will need to obtain a permit for

3 Close with a look toward the future, an invitation for the client to contact you, or a time when the client may expect another report.

Sample Sentences for Step 3
  • We are proud of our record this year. If you have questions regarding any part of the report, please don't hesitate to give me a call. I am excited about starting another year working together to make your insurance costs the lowest in the industry.
  • I will phone you as soon as I hear from John. In the meantime, if I can be of any further assistance, please call me. I am excited to be working with you on this project.
  • I will phone you next month to set up a time to demonstrate the new system to your department. Any future updates will be added to the code very easily. I look forward to seeing you in September.
  • These figures represent a substantial savings to your company. With such results, I am confident you will want to continue to use our writing courses. I will check back with you next week regarding your needs for this winter.
  • I hope to see you at the Fair. If your design wins, it will be a pleasure to work out the production details with you. If for any reason it does not win, I hope you will continue to send us your excellent designs.
Sample Phrases for Step 3
  • am confident that you will want us to
  • are sure you will agree that
  • arrange for future updates
  • as soon as I hear from
  • be happy to hear from you
  • continue to work together
  • demonstrate the system for
  • don't hesitate to call
  • hope to see you at
  • if you have questions about
  • if I can be of any further assistance
  • mutually profitable association
  • project is important to both of us
  • reduce your costs still further
  • represent a considerable savings
  • set up a time to
  • trust that you are as satisfied as I am
  • will continue to use our
  • will check back with you on
  • your needs in this regard

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