SHAREHOLDER CORRESPONDENCE NQR assesses written communication quality by evaluating letters written in response to customer requests. The randomly selected sample can also include e-mail responses. Quality Criteria Customer correspondence is reviewed for Timeliness, Content, Grammar, Typographical Accuracy, Reading Level, and Clarity. Letters must address all of the customer's concerns and contain accurate, complete, and relevant information. Letters must be clear, personalized, and specific to the situation. Typographical accuracy is used to note spelling, capitalization, and punctuation exceptions. Examples include capitalizing proper nouns and using periods after initials or titles. The Grammar category is used to note exceptions that have been identified by grammar review software. Examples include incomplete sentences, incorrect use of tense, and run-on sentences. Notes are used to identify items that management may want to consider revising. Examples include the use of "&" rather than "and" or the use of stock phrases such as, "Please be advised." Notes are also used to identify areas where a service center's operating policies appear to be substantially different from general industry practices. Correspondence Quality Index Competitive comparisons are provided using NQR's Correspondence Quality Index. The Correspondence Quality Index is a mechanism for comparing individual company performance to similar measures in the NQR competitive database. Using a 5-point rating scale, each service component is assigned ratings based upon Average, Best-In-Class, and Lowest performance results. Return to "Products & Services"