greeting
General Outline for letters/emails of complaint
sign off
Paragraphs 2, 3:
complaint(s)
with
justification
Paragraph 1:
reason(s)
for
writing
Paragraph 4:
closing
remarks
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing on behalf of the pupils at Faraday Secondary
School to express my strong dissatisfaction about the way your
company organised our ‘School Fest’ on Sunday, 2nd March.
Firstly, you had promised top quality, state-of-the-art sound
systems but, in contrast, the equipment that was brought was
outdated and inadequate to the task. A further complaint has to
be made about the music. We had asked for contemporary hip
hop, rap and rock music but all the DJ played was 80s music,
which was hopelessly inappropriate.
Your company had also promised full catering which would
include at least three types of hot meals, side dishes and a wide
variety of soft drinks. Instead, all we got was fast food (hot dogs
and hamburgers) and cola drinks. To top everything, although
we had agreed on a reasonable price, we received a very
high bill because, as you said, the party lasted longer than
expected.
We consider your company to be totally unreliable and
incompetent. We expect a full apology for the service
received as well as a 50% discount on the amount we had
agreed on. Otherwise, we will be forced to take further
action. We expect to hear from you promptly.
Yours faithfully,
Kyle Leek
The purpose of a
letter/email of complaint
is to
complain about a specific problem. The style is normally
formal and the letter should be written in a dignified style.
The reason for the complaint is stated in the first sentence.
The language used depends upon whether you want to
complain in a mild or strong tone.
e.g.
MILD
-
I am writing to complain about a fridge I
purchased from your shop last June.
STRONG
-
I was shocked by the inferior quality of the
fridge which was sold to me at your shop last June.
Linking words are used to give reason(s) for a
complaint.
e.g.
Even though
the control switch is at its
highest setting, the freezer does not keep food frozen.
A suggestion or request (which can be mild or strong)
is included in the conclusion.
e.g.
MILD
-
I hope this matter will be resolved.
STRONG
-
I insist that you replace the item at once.
• Letters/Emails making a complaint
Useful language for letters/emails of complaint
Opening remarks:
•
(Mild)
I am writing to complain about/
regarding/on account of/because of/on the subject
of …/I am writing to draw your attention to …/I
am writing to you in connection with …, etc
•
(Strong)
I was appalled at/I want to express my
strong dissatisfaction with/I feel I must protest/
complain about …, etc
Closing remarks:
•
(Mild)
I hope/assume you will replace …/I trust
the situation will improve./I hope the matter will
be resolved./I hope we can sort this matter out
amicably …, etc
•
(Strong)
I insist you replace the item at once./I
demand a full refund./I hope that I will not be
forced to take further action …, etc
I am writing to draw your attention to the quality
of service in your hotel where I was not only disappointed
by the staff’s attitude, but also by the standard of
accommodation offered.
2
I want to express my extreme dissatisfaction with
your company. I ordered a DVD from you six months ago
and, despite numerous conversations with unhelpful staff,
I have still not received my DVD.
3
There is no way that I will be using your appalling
services again and I demand that you return all of my
money immediately or I shall be forced to take legal action.
4
1
Read the following extracts and say which of
them are beginnings (B) and which are
endings (E). What tone has the writer used in
each?
3
Replace the underlined phrases in the letter
with the ones given below. How does the tone
change?
•
surprise
•
we did not really like
•
I trust I will not have to take this matter further
•
rather disorganised and inefficient
•
not working very well
2
Read the letter of complaint below. Is it
strong or mild?
MODULE 1
32
I hope you will replace the item in question or
compensate me in some way for the problems I have
experienced. Thanking you in advance for your cooperation.
1
