How to write a Letter of Complaint?

(FCE, CAE, CPE)

Level: C1, B2, C2
Exam: B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficient
Writing

Article navigation:
Letter of Complaint: Definition
Letter of Complaint: Structure/Format
Letter of Complaint: Writing Guide
Letter of Complaint: Example Letters
Letter of Complaint: Writing Topics
Letter of Complaint: Tips
Letter of Complaint: Useful Phrases & Language

This article provides information on how to write a letter of complaint correctly and what
it consists of. Although its content is mainly aimed at Cambridge exams, it can also be
used for other purposes of learning English and writing letters of complaint.

Letter of Complaint: DefinitionA 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 a letter to
the related person or company, complaining about the product.

Letter of Complaint: Structure/Format

Please have a look at this letter of complaint layout template example:

1. Salutation
Dear Sir or Madam / Dear Manager

2. The Introductory Paragraph

Identify what the issue is.

3. The next paragraphs (the body)

Complaint 1 and justification
Complaint 2 and justification
Complaint 3 and justification

4. Closing paragraph
Suggested action to be taken
– sign off with: Yours faithfully
FCE, CAE, CPE

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Letter of Complaint: Writing Guide

Step 1: Salutation

Dear Sir/ Madam / Manager / To whom it may concern,

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 Mr Jenkins

If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms,
Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she
uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women.

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.

Step 2: 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.

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

Step 3: The next paragraphs (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.

Step 4: 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”)

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.

Letter of Complaint: Tips

1. Focus on the most important facts. Don’t give unnecessary

background information.
2. Make sure you include:
 the reason for writing (e.g. I am writing to …)
 what went wrong
 what you would like to happen now.
3. Complaint letters are usually written in a formal style.
4. Use passives to be less direct and more formal, e.g. I was served
quickly.
5. 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 or Madam, / To whom it may concern,
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
 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…
 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.
 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…
 Making Recommendations
 I strongly recommend that your organisation…
It would be advisable to…
I suggest re-evaluating your procedures regarding…
 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,


Letter of Complaint: Example Letters

Letter of Complaint: Product Damage

Letter of Complaint subject:

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.

Student’s Letter of Complaint Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my disappointment with the course of English

language CDs which I purchased from your company a few days ago. I
have a good theoretical knowledge of English grammar and I was
hoping that your course would help me to improve my conversational
fluency and my knowledge of business English, but I feel your product is
unsatisfactory and your advertisement is misleading in several
respects.

To begin with, your advertisement states that the course provides

English conversation for pleasure and business. This naturally leads one
to expect that there are commercial English conversations on the CDs,
and yet no such conversations are included. In addition, the student is
expected to listen and repeat the conversations, but there is not
enough time to do this without constantly pressing the “pause” button.
Finally, your advertisement gives the impression that the price for the
whole course is 20 euros, whereas in fact the CDs cost 20 euros each.
The total price is thus 120 euros. I feel this is, to say the least,
somewhat misleading.

For these reasons, I am most dissatisfied with your product. I am

returning the CDs and expect a full refund. I hope to hear from you
soon.

Yours faithfully
(your name)
 LETTER OF COMPLAINT- HOTEL

Letter of Complaint subject:

You recently took a self-catering holiday in a luxury apartment, but the

standard of the accommodation was very poor. The holiday company
that you booked with have offered you some vouchers as
compensation, but you have decided you would prefer a cash refund
instead. Write a letter to the company outlining the problems you
experienced with the accommodation and the action you want them to
take.

Student’s Formal Letter Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to complain about the bad standard of accommodation

during my last holiday. I booked this self-catering holiday last year in
your travel agency. When I returned from my two-week travel last
week, I immediately visited the agency to complain about my bad
experiences.

Had I known that the accomodation would be so poor, I would have

booked from the beginning a full-service holiday. What I expected was a
luxury apartment with a small oven. Not only was the room dirty and
full of bugs, but the shower was broken and unusable. To make matters
even worse, there was no oven as I ordered it. Never before have I seen
such a bad service at a self-catering holiday. You can imagine my anger
when I had to eat out, smelling like a … Not surprisingly, I booked
another room, though without oven but clean and with a working
shower. Therefore this room cost a lot more than the other one and I
had to go out eating.

My purpose in visiting the agency was to ask for compensation. The

young lady who served me offered some vouchers as compensation.
She advised me to take my time with the answer. I have decided to ask
your company for a cash refund. Would a refund about 500 euros be
too much to expect? I would like to ask you to have a look on my
enclosed accounts. Seeing how much money I had to invest additionally
will help you to decide what to do about the whole matter.
At the very least, I would like you to inform me of the action you will
take with regard to my extra invested money. Unless adequate action is
taken, I shall have no other option but to publish this letter in the local
newspaper.

Yours faithfully,
LIlona

LETTER OF COMPLAINT - HOLIDAYS

Letter of Complaint subject:

You recently had a short holiday organized by TravelWise. The manager

of the company sent you a letter asking to state the problems which
had occurred during your vacation. Write a letter to the manager,
explaining what the problems were and telling them what you want
them to do.

Write your letter. Don’t include any postal addresses.

Student’s Formal Letter Answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing with reference to your letter, where you politely requested

a feedback of my recent vacation organized by TravelWise. As you
already know I was displeased with numerous points.

Firstly, the hotel I stayed was located in a run-down and dangerous

neighbourhood, on few occasions I was approached by a drug dealer
and a beggar. When it comes to the room it was completely different
from what had been presented in your brochure. Dirt, darkness and rats
were my company throughout the stay, I actually changed rooms few
times, however it seemed all the rooms were in similar condition.

One of the reasons I had chosen your company was the free of charge
spa and trips organized by your staff. It turned out that I had to pay
extra for all of these services. And although it might be true that the
water sports provided were amazing it does not change the fact my
holiday was ruined by the above problems.

I must ask you to refund all the costs of my vacation including extra
charge for spa and trips please.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,
Sam Smith