Complaint and request letters: learn

In this lesson you will

Plan a complaint or request letter in four clear paragraphs
Describe a problem with facts: what happened, when and where
Say exactly what you want the reader to do, in a polite but firm way
Find every request in an email or task and answer all of them

Before you start

Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.

→Have you ever had a problem with something you bought or a service you paid for? What did you do?
→Is it better to complain by phone, by email or in person? Why?

Complaint or request?

Many exam letters and work emails have one of two purposes:

A complaint tells the reader about a problem and asks them to fix it.
A request asks the reader for information, help or permission.

In both cases, the reader must understand two things very quickly: why you are writing and what you want them to do. If your letter does not say what you want, the reader cannot help you.

A four-paragraph plan
Paragraph	Complaint letter	Request letter
1. Reason for writing	I am writing to complain about the laptop I bought from your website.	I am writing to ask whether I could change the date of my course.
2. Details	Give the facts: what you bought or used, when, where, the order number. Then describe the problem.	Give the background: who you are and why you need this.
3. Action	Say how the problem has affected you and what you want: a refund, a repair, a replacement or an explanation.	Make your request clearly and ask any questions you have.
4. Closing	I hope you can solve this problem quickly. / I look forward to your reply.	Thank you in advance for your help. / I look forward to hearing from you.

Polite but firm

A good complaint is polite but firm. Polite means no rude words, no CAPITAL LETTERS for shouting and no insults. Firm means you state the facts clearly and say exactly what you want.

Use facts, not angry feelings: The heater stopped working after two days. (not Your heater is rubbish!)
Use softening words: Unfortunately, … / I was disappointed to find that… / I am afraid that…
Be specific about the action: I would like a full refund of £85. (not Do something!)
Give a time if it matters: Could you please reply by the end of next week?

Asking for action
You want…	Useful phrase
your money back	I would like a full refund.
a new product	I would like you to replace it with a new one.
someone to fix it	Could you please arrange for someone to repair it?
information	Could you let me know whether…? / I would be grateful if you could tell me…
permission	Would it be possible for me to…?
a quick answer	I would appreciate a reply by Friday.

Too rude, too weak, just right

Too rude: Your delivery service is useless. Send my sofa NOW.
Too weak: Maybe, if it's not too much trouble, you could perhaps look at my order some time?
Just right: My sofa was due on 3 May, but it has not arrived. Could you please tell me when it will be delivered?

The task

You recently bought a coffee machine from an online shop, but there is a problem with it.

Write a letter to the shop. In your letter:

describe what you bought and when
explain what the problem is
say what you would like the shop to do

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear Sir or Madam,

Model letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about a coffee machine that I ordered from your website on 12 March. The order number is CM4471, and the machine cost £120.

The machine arrived on 15 March, and at first it worked well. Unfortunately, after only one week it started to leak water. Every time I make a coffee, there is a small pool of water on the kitchen counter. I have followed all the instructions in the manual and cleaned the machine carefully, but the problem has not stopped.

As you can imagine, this is very disappointing, because the machine is almost new. I would like you to replace it with a new one. If this is not possible, I would like a full refund. I still have the original box and the receipt. Could you please also tell me how to send the faulty machine back to you?

I look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Moreno

How a strong writer does it

Paragraph 1 covers bullet point 1. It gives the reason for writing and the key facts: the date, the order number and the price. The shop can find the order quickly.
Paragraph 2 covers bullet point 2. It describes the problem with facts (after only one week, a small pool of water) and shows that the writer has tried to solve it.
Paragraph 3 covers bullet point 3. The writer describes his feelings calmly (this is very disappointing) and then asks for clear actions: a replacement, or a refund if that is not possible, and information about returning the machine.
Closing: Dear Sir or Madam → Yours faithfully, because the writer does not know the reader's name.

The tone is polite but firm. There are no rude words, but the reader knows exactly what to do.

Asking for action
You want…	Useful phrase
your money back	I would like a full refund.
a new product	I would like you to replace it with a new one.
someone to fix it	Could you please arrange for someone to repair it?
information	Could you let me know whether…? / I would be grateful if you could tell me…
permission	Would it be possible for me to…?
a quick answer	I would appreciate a reply by Friday.

Matching

What is each sentence doing?

These sentences come from different complaint and request letters. Match each sentence with its job. There is one extra option.

Aclosing politely
Basking for action
Cgiving the reason for writing
Ddescribing the problem
Eexplaining the effect on you
Fgiving your opinion of the company

1.I am writing to ask about the evening classes at your college.
2.The lamp I bought from your shop on 2 October has stopped working.
3.Because of the noise, I have not been able to sleep properly for a week.
4.Could you please send someone to repair it as soon as possible?
5.Thank you in advance for your help.

Gap fill

Complete the complaint

Complete the letter with words from the box. There are two extra words.

Dear Mr Harris, I am writing to about the repairs to my flat at 14 Park Road. On 5 May, I told your office that the kitchen window was broken. , nobody has come to repair it yet, and the room is now very cold at night. I was to hear that your workers are busy until next month. I am that I cannot wait that long, because my young children use the kitchen every day. Could you please for someone to repair the window this week? I would also it if you could call me on 07700 900123 to confirm the day. I look forward to your . Yours sincerely, Laura Kent

Save words to review them later with flashcards.

complaint
a statement that you are not happy with something
“I sent a complaint to the airline about my lost bag.”
refund
money that is paid back to you
“The shop gave me a full refund for the broken headphones.”
replacement
a new thing that takes the place of a broken or wrong one
“They sent me a replacement the next day.”
faulty
not working correctly
“The charger was faulty, so I took it back to the shop.”
inconvenience
a problem that causes you extra trouble or difficulty
“We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the delay.”
disappointed
unhappy because something was not as good as you hoped
“I was disappointed with the service at the hotel.”
arrange
to plan or organise something
“Could you arrange for an engineer to visit on Monday?”
solve
to find a way to end a problem
“I hope we can solve this problem quickly.”
membership
being a member of a club or group
“My gym membership costs £30 a month.”
order number
the number a shop gives to something you have ordered
“Please include your order number in your email.”
delivery
the act of bringing goods to someone's home or office
“The delivery was two days late.”

Key points

Say why you are writing in the first sentence: I am writing to complain about… / to ask whether…
Describe the problem with facts (dates, order numbers, what happened), not with angry words.
Say exactly what you want: a refund, a replacement, a repair, information or permission.
Be polite but firm: Unfortunately… / I would like… / Could you please…?
In exam tasks, cover every bullet point or every request in the email.

Check your answers in the practice exercises to record a score.

Up next · Writing B1 Foundation

Describing people, places and experiences

Go to lesson

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Complaint or request?

Polite but firm

Quick check: polite but firm

The task

Model letter

How a strong writer does it

What is each sentence doing?

Complete the complaint

Email from a customer

Respond to a written request

Your turn: a General Training letter

Key points

Warm-up

In this lesson you will

Before you start

Complaint or request?

Polite but firm

Quick check: polite but firm

The task

Model letter

How a strong writer does it

What is each sentence doing?

Complete the complaint

Email from a customer

Respond to a written request

Your turn: a General Training letter

Key points