Letter of Complaint

• Writing
• Vocational Education

Goals

Students will be able to write a structured, polite complaint letter about an equine-related problem. 

Students will be able to recognize and rewrite impolite or informal sentences into polite language

• Step 1: Read the statements
• Step 2: Discuss in pairs 
  What would you complain about?What would you say to the company/person?
• Step 3: Each pair quickly share one of their complaints in one sentence

“You go to a restaurant. You wait 45 minutes, but no food arrives.”

“You order a new laptop. When it arrives, the screen is cracked.”

“You book a hotel with a swimming pool. When you arrive, the pool is closed.”

Structure letter of complaint

part 1	opening	When you do know the recipient's name: Dear Mr (or Mrs, Ms, Miss, etc.) Surname. When you don't know the recipient's name: Dear Sir/Madam, or To whom it may concern.
part 2	introduction paragraph	In your first sentence draw the recipient’s attention to the matter you’re going to raise or discuss.
	body paragraph(s)	Provide some detailed background information; describe the circumstances that resulted in your dissatisfaction. Then, expand on the effects and consequences the problem had—show what damage you’ve suffered.
	final paragraph	In conclusion, you should state what your expectations are and when you want to receive an answer to your complaint.
part 3	the close	When you do know the recipient's name: Yours sincerely, When you don't know the recipient's name: Yours faithfully, Type your name underneath your signature.

Prompt

You booked a riding lesson at a local riding school. When you arrived, the horse you were given was clearly lame and not fit to be ridden. The instructor told you to ride the horse anyway. You were very uncomfortable and worried about the welfare of the horse, as well as your own safety.

Write the purpose of writing the letter.
(reason for writing)

Write two sentences to explain the complaint in detail.

Write a suggestion or an action to be taken by the recipient
(call to action)

How to Write More Politely in a Complaint Letter

1. Use indirect requests instead of commands

❌ “Give me my money back!”

✅ “I would like to request a refund.”

2. Replace negative adjectives with neutral words

❌ “This stupid phone is useless.”

✅ “Unfortunately, the phone stopped working.”

How to Write More Politely in a Complaint Letter

3. Focus on the problem, not on blaming

❌ “Your staff is terrible.”

✅ “I was disappointed with the service I received.”

4. Show understanding / stay constructive

❌ “You ruined my holiday.”

✅ “The issue with the hotel facilities caused inconvenience during my holiday.”

Rewrite to a more polite version:
The riding instructor shouted all the time and was completely useless.

Rewrite to a more polite version:
Your stables are filthy, and you clearly don’t care about horse welfare.

Rewrite to a more polite version:
I can’t believe you allowed such dangerous jumps in the competition. Someone could have died!

Rewrite to a more polite version:
Your vet is incompetent and has no idea what he’s doing.

Rewrite to a more polite version:
Your arena is a mud pit. How can anyone train in such a mess?

This week's work