How to Write a Complaint Letter
A well written complaint letter will often get a business’s attention more effectively than a phone call or email message. There is something about a written letter that implies you are serious about your complaint.
First make sure you have the correct address to send the letter to an appropriate individual or office within the business. If you are unsure to whom the complaint letter should be directed you should call the company or check the company’s web page to identify the appropriate person or office to which a complaint letter should be directed.
A well written, courteous complaint letter should clearly state the purpose of your letter and the outcome or resolution you would like to see to rectify your complaint.
It is always a good strategy to begin your letter with a positive comment. For example, if you have had positive experiences with this company in the past mention those positive experiences.
State diplomatically, plainly and directly the reason or cause for your complaint and what you would like to see the business do to address your complaint including a reasonable timeframe for the suggested resolution. Avoid using sarcasm or threats. Keep in mind, in most instances, the reader of your letter will not be the person responsible for the problem you are complaining about so why insult or alienate them. Your chances for an amicable resolution are better if the person responsible for resolving complaints is on your side.
Make sure the facts in your complaint letter are accurate and legitimate. Include important dates, locations and other relevant information such as the specific product numbers or specific type of service and dates of service you are complaining about. Include with the letter copies of any relevant documents such as invoices or receipts (never send the originals).
Conclude your complaint letter by mentioning that you would like to continue doing business with the company and are looking forward to the company resolving your complaint in such a manner that it is possible for you to continue to have confidence in their product or service.
Emphasize in your conclusion why it is in the company’s best interest to grant your request. Usually mentioning how important it is to maintain the company’s good reputation for quality products or services is appropriate. Sometimes it may be appropriate to appeal to the company’s sense of fairness or justice. Close by thanking the reader in advance for taking the time to resolve your complaint.
Make sure your letter is dated, written clearly and concisely and signed. Type the letter on a computer that has a spelling and grammatical check. Nothing distracts from your message more than misspelled words or grammatical errors.
Keep a copy of the complaint letter.
If you do not receive a response within the timeframe you provided in the letter consider a second letter to the same individual or office asking them to follow up on your complaint and mentioning the next steps you are going to take if you do not hear from them in a reasonable time. A second option is to immediately send a letter to someone higher up in the organisation with a copy of your original complaint letter.
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Good day
I have a complaint agains Barclays Bank of England. How can I go about to lodge this?
I reside in South Africa
I would like suggest an almost foolproof addition to complaint letters. At the bottom, after your signature, write cc. name of solicitor
name of MP
It has worked for me with a large energy company.
Good day
I have a complaint against Barclays Bank of England,How do I submit such a complaint ?
I need to raise a complaint against london underground oyster system.
I have been penalised for not pasting my oyster card at a barrier, when there was no barrier at the exit.
I have been unable to locate an address to write to.
Pls can you help provide me with a department and postal address for forwarding a complaint to London Underground.
Booked family holiday with thompson for 50th birthday on line after booking realized booked wrong hotel so tryed to ring to upgrade spent a whole day on phone nobody answers there phones all of which are either 5p or 10p a minuate when i did get through on payments line they put me through to the same line i had been on all day realy dreading my phone bill will cost has much has the holiday./ i also rang the thompson shop to get told there was nothing they could do because they use same line has me and they use different computer site always went on holiday with thomas cook but thought have change for birthday/ i would cancel holiday but think i would lose a lot money because seven in are party i think they need to rethink there customer service of which there is none @also pay my phone bill .
I AM WRITNG THIS COMPLAINT BOUT A NEIGHBOUR WITH THEIR DOG THEY HAVE A STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER AND HE DOES ITS MESS ON THE BACK GARDEN AND I HAVE A 8 YEAR OLD SON AND WHEN THEY LET HIM OUT I AM SCARED FOR MY SONS SAFETY AND HIS FRIEND THAT ALSO COMES DOWN I WANT TO BE MADE SAFE IN MY OWN HOME.WHEN THE DOG DOES ITS MESS THEY NEVER CLEAN IT UP AND ITS A HEALTH HAZZARD AND ITS NOT ON AT ALL.THE PEOPLE WITH THE DOG LIVES AT 71,CLUMBER STREET,WARSOP,MANSFIELD,NOTTINGHAMSHIRE,NG20 OLS
Ellen,
A few tips from a serial letter writer to help you get your points heard.
Firstly, try typing with ‘Caps Lock’ off, this isnt an SMS message it is serious correspondence.
Secondly, please try and use punctuation to add flow to your email. Recall your English classes from school. What did they teach you about full stops and commas?
Thirdly, please use spell check or a dictionary to add credibility to your complaint.
Fourth, it is useful to give your own name.
Five, it is best to send the letter to the person you are complaining too rather than a forum. Could you not leave a post-it note on their door for example?
Finally, a potential solution, have you considered purchasing an air rifle? Dogs don’t like being shot and may think twice before shitting in your garden again.
Regards,
Abe Cambridge
Abe,
Obviously you take pleasure in belittling people, I wonder if this gives you a sense of importance that you otherwise lack in your daily life.
Best wishes
Janine
Dear Sir/Madame,
I am writing to let you know why from now on I will choose Tesco’s over Sainsbury’s after many years of loyalty of spending £100-£200 on monthly shops as well as in between shops and petrol.
Today, 22/6/10, I was disappointed at the arrogance of a girl sam on Customers Services and even further from her manager Dave’s arrogance. I mentioned a Hello Kitty vending machine on the Lordshill, Southampton Sainsbury’s branch was not working, I am not concerned about the £1 it took off me neither am I concerned about who is responsible but I am concerned about the way I was spoken too, this is not the first time that I have had this problem in this particular branch of rudeness but enough is enough so thought I would mention why I will no longer be using your store.
I know from experience that nothing will be done as everyone seems to look after their own so I expect no results from my complaint which will no doubt be ignored but I suggest that you remove these machines off your premises if you have no responsibility for them. I must point out though that if they are on your property then I feel that you should have some obligation and also may I suggest that some of your staff need serious training on how to treat customers, in this case the young lady Sam and the even more arrogant manager Dave who didn’t seem too bothered about helping in any way, they didn’t even put up a notice to inform future customers the machine was not working or at least to my knowledge they didn’t.
Anyway hello Tesco’s goodbye Sainsbury’s, I refuse to be treated in such an arrogant way and look forward to being treated as the loyal customer at Tesco’s as I have been to Sainsbury’s in the past.
I suggest you get an address from the machine that was not functioning as the shop as no jurisdiction over a machine that is not theirs it is the responsibility of the owners. I am sure that the staff at Sainsburys have enough on their plate dealing with the concerns of their own customers without having to deal with someone whose main concern is to try and get them in to trouble for the sake of their own self importance. Amongst the many suggestions I would advise you to get a job yourself and see how well you deal with dicks like yourself making trouble for you. I am a Tesco employee and the last 2 customers that mouthed off to me I very impolitely told them to get out of my face or I’d fuck them over. So bare this in mind just because we work with the public don’t think we are there to be abused and and spoken to like dirt by dicks like you.
Your reply is simple-minded, arrogant and ridiculous, and you’ve proven Mr Crowther’s point true regarding the stinking attitude currenlty possessed by some service employees. I do not have all the facts of his situation at hand enough to form a judgment and call him self important and a trouble maker, let alone a ‘dick’ who deserves to be fucked over. If he thinks he has a genuine concern for complaint at the way he was treated then it is his right to make it known to management, who will then decide for themselves the facts from both sides. There is a difference between mouthing off to a staff member and standing up for oneself in the face of rude, inadequate customer service. You seem eager to lump all into the former and wash your hands clean of bad service on behalf of every service person. You’ve obviously not been trained properly in customer service or are personally very bitter towards society due to your own inablity to rise above your humble station in life and education to pursue a more meaningful career. You might even be a psychopath, you sure sound like one.
I was spoken to rudely by a staff at Sainsburys who gave me attitude when I declined to donate on that particular occasion. She proceeded to ridicule me to the customer behind me. I am not a walking charity and money is not overflowing from my purse, but I do my bit by donating lots of clothing on a regular basis. Most importantly it is the height of bad manners and ineptitude to force charity and batter a customer into submission. I complained and guess what management agreed with me. I’d say from the sound of it you probably got pulled up about abusing customers yourself. Let’s see if you still have a job in a year’s time, in this economic climate.
I wish to complain that I sent in a complaint letter on the 8th July to this web site competition entitled, ‘A great holiday for insomniacs ‘ and had an email stating that I would hear shortly, but to date ( 28th July) none has arrived.
regards ,
Shirley
Shopping with my teenager in Tesco having what I thought was a joke and laugh with the check out boy to be accused of being Drunk !! At first I thought he was just joking with me but he was serious and asked his co worker if she thought the same ! I was so embarresed !
Is this what one gets for trying to cheer up obviously bored check out staff ! At least he has a job ! Not if it was up to me may I add!!!!!
Dear Sir,
I am one of the Tesco oversea customers. I have disability also. I go Tesco (salford precint
M6 5JP) every now and then( not always) for (big) shopping. (I can’t go for shopping regularly as cold weather bothers me badly and I go there as there is close to me)
On Friday afternoon 28/1/2011, when I was standing in front of cashier desk to pay money, one of the staffs took my card from cashier and she( the cashier) without asking me or any explanation, gave my card to her, I tried to follow her(the staff) with my trolley but she (the staff) ran in front of me and put my card in another machine without my attendance and delivered machine receipt.
I asked why did you do? she (Tesco staff ) told, impolitely, go and pay in cash!!!!!
I told but you have decreased from my account and what you asking me is illegal.
She denied and I insisted very much and I explained if my card is not acceptable why did you put it in machine and if it was invalid you could see on your monitor but you have taken your money, you have decreased from my account and tell me it is not acceptable and pay in cash, what does it mean?
If you don’t like I shop here give back my money I go another supermarket for shopping, then she (Tesco staff ) accepted to check it but tricked me again and put my card in machine again and received second machine receipt; in fact, she (Tesco staff) had two receipt:
one with my signature and the other with all of details of my card that she(Tesco staff) herself wrote on it.
When I protested again she (Tesco staff )seized both receipts and put in her drawer, I insisted but she(Tesco staff ) accused and cried at me so that all of the customers turned their faces toward me. When I told I am going to complain she (Tesco staff ) insulted and
made me ridiculous !!!!!!!
To explain you I am and oversea customer and have an international credit card (Master Card) if I am not allowed to make shopping from Tesco with this card your Tesco staff could explain politely and everything finished instead of accusing, insulting and making me ridiculous, sorry, but she intended to take money three times!!!!!
Could you please inform me how can I be ensured that your Tesco staff doesn’t misuse my card?
Could you please introduce me one of the responsible persons in Tesco (above address),
of course except that impolite lady,that I can follow my affair through him? if yes, is there any security that I go there? can I use my card for shopping from Tesco?
I am eagerly waiting to receive your replying as soon as possible, please, as I have been really depressed from your Tesco staff insulting.
with best regards
Having visited weaterspoons more that 3 weeks ago, I was horrified at the cold bowl of soup and the brown hard veg..
I complained on the day and the Team Leader was Very rude and a Manager was not available.
I have since complained to Head Offive and they assured me that this would be dealt with. Having waited weeks, still no apology.
Having called the V-SHED no one there had a clue what was happeneing.
I am not going to let it drop, and I suggest they get in touch because I am not a very happy person.
i would like to know how to make a complaint against dfs in carlisle
how to complaint about marksandspencor’s member of staff rude behave ?
i am a 42 yr old lady and have a son that is disabled so i have to do most of his shopping.on two occasions now i have been in the tescos store on cherry tree road at blackpool to buy him microsoft points for the xbox
The first time got refused for them because i had my 9yr old son with me and the assitant said i could buy them because how did they no i wasnt buying them for him and tis evening which is the 28th july i have just been in again with my older daughter who is 19 because it was 11.30 at night and she came with me cause dont like going out at this time of night i went to the self service counter and a man assitant came over never spoke to me and i went to hand him the case that he had to take the item out of he riped my cash card out of the machine without speaking to me still or explaining hiself then droped it on the counter the pointed at the silver tray next to the checkout still not speaking i said to him i just wont it taking out of the security case and then he looked at my daughter and said to her have you got id so i said why does she need id when it me that is buying it ,its not even alchol so yes at this time of night i was slightly stressed at the fact i have been refused yet again for someting that is so petty but i am more annoyed at the fact i spend so much money in your store because of where we live and the fact that my son is disabled and cannot shop hiself at this right momment in time i feel like saying i will never shop in this store ever again but i cant do this because it is my only shop near to me that we shop at but the man was very rude and ingnorant.i was that annoyed i didnt get chance to get his name but im sure u will no this man he has a very strange looking bearded,it wasnt as if we where buying alchol either…
i dont know how to complain about Aldi store in birmingham, Sparkbrook, England. pls. get back to me.
I just found a moth in my sainsburys (freshly washed in spring water salad)
how do I complain and who too
the idea of almost eating it was disgusting as the salad was on my plate.. good job I looked down.. doesnt make the salad vegetarian now does it ..
any help would be fab thanks
I know if I take it back they will refund me but somehow that just doesnt seem enough
You can find the e-mail address for the Sainsbury’s Chief Executive here:
http://www.ceoemail.com/#sainsburys
Hope that helps!
we have got to the point where we have get it off our chest.not only are we fed up keep takeing food back because date change we have now got fruite going off. this is from eastbourne depot (the leavals),we now find that the soup we buy which was chicken and sweetcorn, has been changed (nasty) we will not be buying this any more. after 19 yrs of shopping with we are serious considering to now go else where unhappy pair of shoppers . please take note this is no idle threat.
I read the complaints posted and can not help but smile. I have been to whetherspoons pubs all over the country and they are consistent Dirty poor service average beer, you always wait until
I have served my mates / mum / cousin / workmate. The food is cheap for one simple reason – it is cheap food. Not even a top chef can make a silk purse out of a pigs ear when all he has to work with is a microwave and a deep fat fryer.
They are not the tesco of the pub world. Tesco staff care about customer service
Either put up and save 50p a pint or use a decent pub and enjoy your bee
You get what u pay for
To shop in these supermarkets has become a nightmare.
It s usually overcrowded and unpleasant .
Especially unpleasant security which I noticed specially
enjoys watching me instead of other customers which
makes me feel inconvenient. I always wonder what makes
them to watch more than other customers? Even it goes
so far when I enter some of those shops they start to announce
my arrival in microfone which is unpleasant way to do shopping.
Customer service is as bad as ever. It is horrible it is nightmare.
I wonder why they even employ some of their stuff who can be
very rude,unhelpful and talk trash.
As much as I can I avoid shopping at tesco, I already stopped
with Asda but sainsbury has started same crap as well.
Never ever I have enjoyed shopping at any retailer,they
treat customers not as people who come to buy but rather
as thieves. I have been humiliated so many times by security
keeping an eye especially on me which has become annoying
to me. So the best thing is not to ever come to do shopping
to these places. I already stopped forever to shop at Primark
after I was beaten up by security and arrested even imprisoned
,just only because some security staff found it an unpleasant
fact me coming to their store.
Dear c2c,
I live in purfleet on Saturdays and Sundays , time table not meching on website and on paper!! I late for work because of wrong time table and I came on time and I have to wait at least 30 min !! It’s very bed and not profecional!!
i visited the weatherspoon in stoke on church street i ordered 4 pints of cider the glasses was dirty the cider did not tast right my mate took is back you the bar and had a word with them they was hostel towards him we where in your pubevery week but we shall not be coming in anymore
Booked 6 weeks holiday with Thomas Cook. I wanted to extend my stay. Rang them from Dominica to ask how do I go about doing it. I was given some phone numbers, but could not get through. Rang Thomas Cook again the day before my original flight date and was given yet more phone numbers, and was told they could not help me. During email correspondance, they say, “they would no abe able to help me as I am not in London to pay”, “had I rang up before my flight date they would have been able to assisst, and more things they could have done for me, had I rang them before my flight date. Which I did do 2 or 3 times. I had to buy 3 plane ticket for my 2 daughter and myself. I took my complaint to CAB, who told me I do not have a case. Thomas Cook needs to refund me the return tickets I had to buy. They are non-ABTA member, so don’t know who to contact regarding my claim.
I wish to complain about my cruise on the oriana world cruise (1st&2nd leg) in jan-feb 2012 and i dont know who to send the complaint to.
Please take Kay Burley of our screens pro Cameron (they are friends as she likes to admit)dislikes it when questions are raised about News International, rude to Labour MPs never Tory MPs. I watch Sky news but I feel that now I no longer can as they are very pro government and do not reflex a fair balance. Even the commentators are one sided. Very sad really. At the moment Kay Burley is on with one of the Sky commentators at 15.09 and are trying to justify why James Murdoch has stepped down. Pathetic.
I would like to make a formal complaint about the watch maker wetherspoons in prescot. I was refused to be served after showing vailid identification (passport) for myself because of the people I was with. The I’d I provided was for myself and I believe this was an act of discrimination.
I have a complaint about student finance, when I contacted them concerning tuition fees I was told that I qualified for them. After seven months they decided that I was not now I am stuck with over three thousand pounds worth of debt that I would not have had.
i strongly complain about the heating on at wetherspoons aka the king johns tavern in hartlepool it might be winter but have you ever seen anyone sat in their coats all afternoon after it has been warm for a couple of hours and the heating turned off about ten minutes later if not you turn up yourself and find out and if they want anyone in for christmas dinner they better reduce the price from £25 for adults and £10 for kids or there will no one in if the heating is not on come and inspect for yourself about he heating