Crew Lounge
10 Ways to Get More Respect
Tip One: Learn to Write a Business Letter
Some people may think me crazy for putting this at the very top of the list, but you will be amazed by what a simple business letter can accomplish. The nature of our job demands constant write-ups, follow-ups, and keeping track of information.
Here's an example of two different ways to write a cover letter to include with your hotel transportation expense report.
Example #1: The Terrible Way
To the payroll department, Our crew had to wait for 1 hour and ten minutes last week on our maui trip. So finally we took a taxi to the hotel and now we want to get paid back for having to wait for a hotel van that never showed up. Here’s my receipt and we spent $74.80 on our cab ride. sincerely, Joan Smith #954473 LAX |
Example #2: The Professional Way
October 06, 2004
United Airlines
c/o WHQAP
In re: Taxi reimbursement of $36.00
Employee: Joan R. Smith (#954473)
Trip ID: 6246/21SEP2004
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am enclosing herewith an original cash receipt for the cost of taxi transportation from Maui’s Kahului airport to my assigned layover hotel, The Maui Coast on September 21, 2004.
It was necessary to obtain taxi transportation as sufficient hotel transportation was not provided by the hotel within thirty-five (35) minutes after our block arrival time of 8:23 PM. This was due in part by Crew Scheduling failing to notify the hotel of our larger inbound crew consisting of 10 flight attendants and 2 pilots arriving from Los Angeles on a 767D aircraft. Only one small van was sent, which did not provide enough seating/room for the entire crew, forcing the remainder of us to utilize taxi transportation at my personal expense.
Please issue me a reimbursement for $36.00, as required by our AFA-United Airlines Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 6, Paragraph C.4.c. dated December 31, 2003.
Sincerely,
Joan R. Smith
enc.
cc: Robert Blake, Supervisor, Onboard Service LAXSW
The above letter took all of 5 minutes to write. All you need to do is write a good letter once. Then, simply use it as a template or model for your next letter. In other words, just plug in the trip details, keeping the rest of the wording the same.
Make sure you keep a copy of both the letter and the taxi receipt for yourself, as well as give a copy to your supervisor. You don't need to see him/her to do this, simply put the copy in their domicile mailbox (ask the coordinator where it is). And use the copy machine in your domicile. After all, this is UAL company business.
The point, folks, is that a letter like this will be taken much more seriously than the letter in the first example. You also have a detailed record of the date/time/trip/amount in case there is an error in your payment processing.
Whether you are logging a cab expense or writing up a detailed Aviation Accident Report, the letter writing principles remain the same.
BOTTOM LINE: Professional business writing separates the people who 'get things done' from the people who 'hope that things get done.' Putting something in writing makes it permanent and indisputable. And writing it professionally will get you results, I guarantee it.
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