How to write a letter of complaint in English
About course
How to write a complaint to get what you want? You need to formulate your claims correctly and choose the tone of your message. Especially when you are writing a letter of complaint in English.
With this course you will learn:
- how to exchange an item that doesn't fit,
- how to get a refund,
- how to express dissatisfaction with the delivery time;
We use the “bad and good husky” rule to choose the appropriate tone of complaint. “Bad husky” will teach you to demand. And “good husky” will teach you to stay within the bounds of decency and maintain a positive tone of correspondence with the manager. After all, you never know what will work best. That is why we have developed a course with the “bad and good husky” rule. Take our course and use this rule to always get what you want.
- Level: Intermediate
- 80 minutes
- 1 lesson
- Teacher's language: Ukrainian
Course program
1 LESSON
How to complain
The lesson consists of two parts: writing structure, and tonal and stylistic features.
Tasks
The block of tasks is designed to work out the topic. Interactive exercises will help you practice and check how well you have mastered the topic.
Bonus
We have also compiled all the important phrases from this topic into tables that you can download and print out if necessary. Thus, a useful squeeze from the course will always be at hand.
Who is this course for
For those who make online purchases and know that our expectations do not always coincide with reality.
If you are that conscious cutier-pie who leaves product reviews on the Internet, then this course is definitely for you.
Also, this course is for all managers who communicate with clients or customers at work.
The course will be useful for everyone who manages corporate social networks in English.
What will you get after the course
This course will teach you how to write complaints competently and persuasively, and adjust the tone of your letter - from friendly to assertive. You will stop being afraid to correspond with brands in English and you will know how to stand up for your rights and get what you want.
- Level: Intermediate
- 80 minutes
- 1 lesson
- Teacher's language: Ukrainian
We all play the role of a customer every day: we order coffee in the morning, have lunch in a restaurant, buy clothes, and occasionally travel and stay in hotels. And it's understandable that we always expect excellent service at a high level. But do we always get it? Morning coffee might be too cold, lunch might be tasteless, clothes might wear out quickly, and the bed linen in a hotel might just be dirty. Complaining or not is your choice, but if you decide to make a complaint in English, this course is definitely for you!
Important aspects of writing a letter of complaint in English
A customer can express their dissatisfaction either verbally or in writing – and we will be focusing on the second option. Expressing a complaint in English can be difficult not only for those who may not have a high enough level of the language, but also for shy and reserved customers who aren’t used to doing this. We will review the important aspects of writing such a letter in English, so you won’t be afraid of this process anymore.
What is a letter of complaint?
A letter of complaint is, as the name suggests, a negative review or feedback about a service or product that you received. Note that it’s not an emotional essay on a website forum, but a proper business letter to communicate with the brand.
Structure of a complaint
Such a letter has a specific structure that should be followed:
-
Greeting – Introducing yourself and addressing the person
-
Introduction – Why you are writing the complaint
-
Main body – Clear arguments and reasoning
-
Conclusion – Summary of what has been written
-
Ending – Your signature
You may find it hard to sit down and write a complaint in English right away. But we suggest thinking about these guiding questions:
-
What exactly upset me?
-
What exactly did I expect to receive?
-
What needs to be done to resolve my issue?
-
What will happen if my issue isn’t resolved?
-
How quickly should my problem be addressed?
These questions will help you understand how important your issue is to you and whether your complaint is justified. It’s possible that your complaint will even be useful to the brand and may help minimize similar issues for future customers.
Tips for writing a complaint
-
Truth and only the truth. Don’t make anything up or exaggerate. Write about your real experience with the specific situation. Stick to the facts.
-
Stick to the facts. Avoid unnecessary information or too many details.
-
Follow all rules of business communication and good manners.
-
Show respect for the brand even though you have a problem. This increases your chances of a successful resolution.
-
Always keep the receipt or official purchase document.
Useful Phrases for a Letter of Complaint
Here’s a list of useful phrases that will help you write a letter:
I am writing to you to complain about… |
I am writing to express my strong dissatisfaction with the product I received… |
The goods I received were damaged and in a very poor condition. |
I would like to exchange the goods I received or full refund as soon as possible. |
Learn how to write a complaint letter
If you want to dive deeper into this topic and write such letters in English like a pro, we offer you a course on writing a letter through our online marketplace. In this course, you’ll have just one lesson, but in it, you’ll find:
-
an interesting and clear explanation of the structure of a letter;
-
13 interactive exercises to practice the topic;
-
guidelines on writing a letter.
Take our course, and you’ll learn how to communicate with brands in English, write convincing and well-structured complaints, defend your rights as a customer, and most importantly – get what you want!
- access to all 184 courses on the platform, except for the English PRO series
- 3 - 5 new courses every month
- exclusive access to SUBSCRIPTION ONLY courses
- access to the Smarte+ - smart online tool for English practice
- unlimited studying for the selected period