Have you ever had a problem with your car insurance policy? Of course you have. Whether it's questions about your policy coverage or a problem you've had filing a claim, at some point or another all of us have to reach out and contact a qualified company representative. Nine times out of ten a phone call will do the trick; however, every once in a while you just have to get things in writing.

Believe it or not, writing a "complaining" letter isn't as easy as it sounds. Why? Because when you call a company and ask to speak to their representative there's some give and take, and the two of you can go back over any information you missed when you first contacted them and fill in the gaps. You don't have that with written communication like letters and emails, so it's important to make sure there ARE no gaps. Here are some tips from the country's masters of business communication on how to write an effective letter designed to get the results you want with as little fuss as possible:

Make Sure You've Mastered the 5 W's

When you write a letter to your car insurance company you want to make sure you've clearly outlined who was involved, what happened, when it happened, where it happened, why it happened and how it happened. Without these details your insurance agent doesn't have all the information they need, something that's either going to delay your resolution or stall it altogether.

Get Straight to the Point

It's tempting when we're upset to ramble on and toss in details you don't really need. This might be permissible when you're on the phone or working with an agent face to face, but it's not going to accomplish anything when you're dealing with written communication. You want to get straight to the point and trim out all the fat. Car insurance companies talk to thousands of customers a day. You want your letter to leave an impression, and to do that you need to make sure every word of your communications count.

Avoid Pointing the Finger

This is the hardest part for most people. When you're upset with your car insurance provider it's easy to tell them how they made a mistake and why you're incredibly offended by it; however, tossing blame around isn't going to do anything but put the agent you're speaking with on the defensive and throw roadblocks up in your way. Instead of saying, "Your agents made a mistake" say, "The terms of my coverage policy extend farther than the $10,000 in repairs that were authorized." The agent your speaking to will get the picture (somebody made a mistake), but they'll be grateful to you for not turning it into the blame game.

The single most important thing to remember is that car insurance companies love to deal with calm, level headed clients who know what they want and know what needs to be done to make it happen. If you can use those effective communication skills to do precisely that with your letter you'll have a best odds chance of seeing the resolution you're looking for become the reality you deserve.