How to Write Complaint Letters

Letters of complaint usually include the following stages:

Background
Problem - cause and effect
Solution
Warning (optional)
Closing
Background
This section describes the situation; e.g.
I am writing to inform you that the goods we ordered from your company have not been supplied correctly.
I attended your exhibition Sound Systems 2014 at the Fortune Hotel (22-25 January) and found it informative and
interesting. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the event was spoiled by a number of organisational problems.
I am a shareholder of Sunshine Bank and I am very concerned regarding recent newspaper reports on the financial
situation of the bank. Your company is listed as the auditor in the latest annual report of the bank, so I am writing to
you to ask for an explanation of the following issues.
I am writing to inform you of my dissatisfaction with the food and drinks at the 'European Restaurant' on 18 January
this year.
Problem
Cause:
On 19 December 2014 we placed an order with your firm for 12,000 ultra super long-life batteries. The consignment
arrived yesterday but contained only 1,200 batteries.
Firstly, I had difficulty in registering to attend the event. You set up an on-line registration facility, but I found the
facility totally unworkable.
You sent us an invoice for $10,532, but did not deduct our usual 10% discount.
We have found 16 spelling errors and 2 mis-labelled diagrams in the sample book.
Effect:
This error put our firm in a difficult position, as we had to make some emergency purchases to fulfil our
commitments to all our customers. This caused us considerable inconvenience.
Even after spending several wasted hours trying to register in this way, the computer would not accept my
application.
I am therefore returning the invoice to you for correction.
This large number of errors is unacceptable to our customers, and we are therefore unable to sell these books.
Solution
I am writing to ask you to please make up the shortfall immediately and to ensure that such errors do not happen
again.
Could I please ask you to look into these matters.
Please send us a corrected invoice for $9,479
I enclose a copy of the book with the errors highlighted. Please re-print the book and send it to us by next Friday.
Warning (optional)
Otherwise, we may have to look elsewhere for our supplies.
I'm afraid that if these conditions are not met, we may be forced to take legal action.
If the outstanding fees are not paid by Monday, 5 January 2015, you will incur a 10% late payment fee.
Closing
I look forward to receiving your explanation of these matters.
I look forward to receiving your payment.
I look forward to hearing from you shortly.
Politeness
The tone of complaint letters should not be aggressive or insulting, as this would annoy the reader and not
encourage them to solve the problem. In addition, questions such as 'Why can't you get this right?' should not be
included.
Content
The content should contain enough details so that the receiver does not have to write back requesting more.
Legal action is not normally threatened in the first letter of complaint, unless the situation is very serious.

Example - Complaint Letter

Fortune Goods
317 Orchard Road
Singapore
26 December 2014
Attn: Mr David Choi
Sales Manager
Everlong Batteries
171 Choi Hung Road
Hung Hom
Hong Kong
Dear Mr Choi
I am writing to inform you that the goods we ordered from your company have not been supplied correctly.
On 19 December 2014 we placed an order with your firm for 12,000 ultra super long-life batteries. The
consignment arrived yesterday but contained only 1,200 batteries.
This error put our firm in a difficult position, as we had to make some emergency purchases to fulfil our
commitments to all our customers. This caused us considerable inconvenience.
I am writing to ask you to please make up the shortfall immediately and to ensure that such errors do not happen
again. Otherwise, we may have to look elsewhere for our supplies.
I look forward to hearing from you by return.
Yours sincerely
J. Wong
J. Wong
Purchasing Officer
______________________________________________________________________________________
Sample Letter of Application
July 23, 2018
Acme Investments, Inc.
Attn: Thomas Burgin
4634 W. Industrial Dr., Ste. 24
Houston, TX 45987
Harold Waybird
586 Main St.
Brighton, TX 45965Phone: (555) 555-1212
Email: hwaybird@[Link]
Dear. Mr. Burgin,
I write to apply for the Office Manager position at Acme Investments, Inc. I am an excellent fit for this position, as
demonstrated by my extensive background in office management and proven success as a corporate administrator.
In my previous role, I successfully supported an office of 100 personnel. In this position I honed my interpersonal
skills through customer service, clerical responsibilities (in-phone, telephone, and electronic correspondence), and
by assessing and responding to the various tasks a vibrant work environment brings. I look forward to learning the
needs of your organization and providing quality service for clients and employees alike.
I believe that I possess the temperament and experience to excel in this position. Not only am I well organized but I
have a passion for creating positive and productive work environments. Through observation and asking detailed
questions I believe that I will have a significant impact on the daily operations of Acme Investments.
I look forward to hearing from you about the progress of my application. If you have any further questions or
require any additional documentation, please contact me using the above information. Thank you for your time and
consideration.
Respectfully,
Harold Waybird

Sample Formal Letter of Apology

Dear Ms. Wallace,
I write to formally apologize for my actions at last weeks staff meeting. When I heard that the company was
planning to layoff over 200 employees at the end of the quarter, it struck me on a deeply emotional level. Of course
this is a sensitive situation that impacts many of the workers I manage, however, my outburst during the
announcement was unprofessional and simply uncalled for. As a Senior Manager I strive to be a leader within my
department. I know that my actions (and reactions) reflect broadly on the company that I serve. I should have better
contained my response.
I hope to be a positive force during this transition period. Letting members of our community go, is always a
difficult endeavor to navigate, I hope to make that transition as peaceful and productive as possibile. Please let me
know how I can best serve during this time.
Sincerely,
Edward Miller
______________________________________________________________________________________
Business Email
Dear Joan Doe,
Thank you for your interest in a trading with partnership Ray International. However, we are mainly looking for
trading partners in Europe, so we are unsure about how to make the right fit with your offer at present. You can call
me in a month to talk further about possible deals.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Robert Neat
CEO
Ray International