Writing a letter of complaint

In the exam, they might ask you to write a letter of complaint. There are various situations they might ask you to complain about:

* You had bad service in a shop/restaurant/hotel
* You ate some dodgy food somewhere and got food poisoning
* Your train was delayed and you were late for work
* You saw a television programme/movie or played a video game that you found offensive in some way

Here is an example of a letter of complaint:

Mark Quillfeldt

12 Bishop’s Avenue

Fulham

SW6 6EG

12^th September 2015

The Manager

Vappio’s Restaurant

Fulham Road

SW7 8UP

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to express my disappointment about a bad case of food poisoning I recently experienced after visiting your establishment.

I visited with my family last week and, I have to say, overall, the experience was very pleasant. The food was excellent, the service was tremendous; the food arrived quickly and the waiter was very polite. I had the Lasagne, my wife had the veal and my two sons had the fish and chips. The next morning I was woken up extremely early by sharp, painful stomach cramps. Unfortunately there were no Paracetamols in the house to help soothe the unbearable pain that I was experiencing. I spent the rest of the day running in between my bed and the toilet (I’ll spare you the gory details, but let’s just say it was far from enjoyable). I also vomited on several occasions.

The most disappointing aspect of all of this, however, is that I ended up having to take the day off work, but, even worse than this, I had to miss my son’s play at school; I think you’ll agree, that is something no child should ever have to experience.

I would like to make it clear that I fully intend to visit your establishment in the future, as I have had many enjoyable meals there in the past, however, this would not be possible if there was not some kind of compensation for my unfortunate experience, such as a full refund or free meal for myself and my family.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours faithfully,

                                      Mark Quillfeldt

And here is some stuff to help you write your own letter:

Generic letter of complaint structure

Your address, e.g.: Mr Quillfeldt 12 Bishop’s Avenue London SW6 6EG

The date in long form, for example: 15th September, 2015

Start Dear Sir/Madam if you don’t know their name or Dear Mr or Mrs, followed by their surname if you do.

In the first paragraph write one or two sentences explaining why you are writing. This paragraph doesn’t need to be very long. You can start: I am writing to you to express my disappointment about …

In the second paragraph, start by being positive, but then go on to explain what it is you are complaining about. For example: Overall, I thought the programme was very good, however …

In the third paragraph, explain what the consequences of the negative experience were. For example: As a result of this, I had to spend several days in hospital …

In the fourth paragraph, outline how you think the problem should be resolved. For example: I am sure you will agree that some form of compensation in is order …

Sign off Yours faithfully if you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, or Yours sincerely if you do.

Write your full name.

Generic complaint letter prompt sheet

Key words
Nouns Outrage Disappointment Despair Inconvenience Annoyance Disruption Noise	Verbs Outraged Disappointed Shocked Appalled Annoyed Inconvenienced Offended Rectified	Adjectives Appalling Unacceptable Disgraceful Shocking Offensive Noisy Disruptive
Useful sentences I would like to express my annoyance/disappointment/outrage (choose one) at … As a concerned viewer/resident (choose one), I feel it is my duty to write to you … This is unacceptable/disgraceful/outrageous (choose one) … Imagine my shock when … I fully expect this situation to be rectified as soon as possible.