a letter of complaint

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Formal

•  You should always be polite and respectful, even if you complain. A useful way to achieve it, especially in formal letters is to use ‘modal verbs’, i.e., would, could or should.
• Do not use any contractions ( he's -> he is  I 'd -> I would)
• Do not use street language, slang or any other forms of informal language.

A letter of complaint

engxam.com

What is a letter of complaint?

A complaint letter is a letter written to concerned authorities if we are not satisfied with the service provided by them. These letters are usually formal in nature. Sometimes when we order a product and it is received defective then we write the letter to the related person or company, complaining about the product

Lay-out of a letter of complaint

Salutation

Dear Sir/ Madam,

 

If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to find out a name.

Dear Ms Jenkins,

Dear Mr Brown,

If you know the name, use the title (Mr  or Ms) and the surname only. 

 

The Introductory Paragraph

You should identify what the issue is and any relevant information that you believe is important. Include more details if it’s applicable to the situation.

example:

I want to express my strong dissatisfaction with the service I received during a visit to your restaurant on…

The body

You can extend your thoughts and feelings further. Yet, be sure to stick with the facts and avoid putting emotions into your letter.

Include the time of the issue, location, people involved and what the problem was.

Any complaint should be supported with a justification:

Complaint: I still haven’t t received the goods.

Justification: I sent you a cheque three weeks ago.

The closing paragraph

Write how you want this problem to be solved. You can also throw in some compliments about something you liked about their company’s product or service.

 

Yours faithfully,

{You name}

 “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully”?

“Yours sincerely” is typically employed in English when the recipient is addressed by name (e.g. “Dear John”) and is known to the sender to some degree, whereas “Yours faithfully” is used when the recipient is not addressed by name (i.e., the recipient is addressed by a phrase such as “Dear Sir/Madam”)

Linking words

 TIP: Remember about “linking” in the letter!

Between paragraphs:

Firstly, I had booked table […]

Then, the waiter brought us the wrong starters […]

To make the matter worse, the cake was stale […]

Within a paragraph:

My wife and I will not […]; however, […]

In spite of the fact that […], the waiter brought the wrong starters.

Tips

• Focus on the most important facts. Don’t give unnecessary background information.

Make sure you include:

• the reason for writing (e.g. I am writing to …)
  
• what went wrong
  
• what you would like to happen now.
  
• Complaint letters are usually written in a formal style.
• Use passives to be less direct and more formal, e.g. I was served quickly.
  
• Use Yours faithfully to sign off if you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to.
  

Also:

• Always proofread your letter after writing it, check for sentence structure, grammar, spelling mistakes…
  
• Proofread your letter again (and again) after you have revised it.
  
• Be respectful when you write, even if you are writing a letter of complaint.

Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

Opening

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my disappointment with/dissatisfaction with the service I received in…

I would like to lodge a formal complaint against your company for the reasons outlined below:

I feel compelled to write to you in order to describe the ....

Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

Listing Problems

First of all,

Not only was there a hair in my wife’s soup, but the main course also arrived cold.

On top of that…

As if that was not enough…

To top it all off…

My first complaint is

 The first problem is

 The first thing I would like to draw your attention to is

 My first concern is

The straw that broke the camel’s back was…

Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

Complaining Expressions

The standard of the… was not up to scratch.

The… was not up to the expected standard.

The… left a lot to be desired.

The… failed to live up to our expectations.

We were left bitterly disappointed by…

The quality of the customer service we received was woefully inadequate.

The… was an absolute disgrace. (v.strong)

Overall, our visit to your (restaurant) was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish.

Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

Requesting Action

It seems only fair that you should… (offer a full refund)

I would appreciate it if you…

I would be grateful if you…

I suggest that you replace the item

I therefore suggest that I be given a full refund

I would be grateful if my money was refunded

I would be grateful if you could give me a full refund

Should these demands not be met, you will be hearing from my lawyers.

I expect to receive compensation to the tune of (€2000) for the…

Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

Making Recommendations

I strongly recommend that your organisation…

It would be advisable to…

I suggest re-evaluating your procedures regarding…

Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

Sign off

I look forward to receiving your reply.

I look forward to hearing from you

I look forward to receiving a full refund

I look forward to receiving a replacement

I look forward to receiving your explanation

I expect to receive a prompt reply to this letter.

Yours faithfully,

Assignment: letter 1

You recently stayed at one of a chain of large hotels and encountered a number of problems during your stay. Write a letter to the company’s head office detailing the problems you had, describing what happened when you complained to the hotel staff and suggesting ways the company could improve its service.

 

(220-260 words )

Assignment: letter 2

You and a friend, Sam, bought some CDs to help you improve your English. You were not happy with the CDs and have decided to write to the publisher, CD World. Read the email from Sam and the advertisement for the CDs below, on which you have made some notes. Then, using the information appropriately, write a letter to CD World explaining why you bought the CDs, why you are dissatisfied and saying what you would like the company to do.

(220-260 words)

Assignment: letter 3

You recently travelled to work by train, and were appalled because the train was dirty and the canteen facilities were poor. Due to work on the tracks, your train failed to arrive at its destination on time, which made you late for work. You have decided to write a letter of complaint to the railway company, expressing your views and stating what you expect them to do about the problem.

(220-260 words)

Assignment: letter 4

You recently had a short holiday to Greece organized by the company TravelWise. There were some downsides to the trip, which you posted about online and tagged the company in. The manager of the company sent you an email asking to state the problems which had occurred during your vacation. Write an email to the manager, explaining what the problems were and telling them what you want them to do. Use 220-240 words. Write your letter by hand.

Keep in mind:

• What kind of problems can you encounter on a trip? Think about transport, hotel, restaurants, daytrips you booked, etc.
  
• Make a writing plan first.