Low-quality services and unfair treatment are some of the most common issues in the modern customer marketplace. Most consumers are feeling irritated and confused when facing incompetency in any field. The fact is that we pay for the services and expect to get the best from what we purchase. However, reality often fails to meet our expectations. This way, writing a letter of complaint might become an excellent solution for the issue occurred.
A letter of complaint: the main concepts
A letter of complaint is a modern way to notify the company or provider about the low-quality product or service, the supply delays, and other issues. This type of letter is designed to ask for assistance in solving a particular problem you’ve faced with. It is also considered to be the first step of initiating a legal process against a company or an individual. The letter should contain all the details about the issue, the possible ways to solve it, dates, numbers, and other essential details. Furthermore, it must include your personal data, such as name and phone number to enable the respondent to reply to your complaint. Below you will find the best prompts on creating an effective complaint letter in minutes.
The best format for your letter
The formal letters of complaint should embrace lots of different types of information. In case you provide all the required data, you are likely to get your problem solved much faster. Moreover, you will not need to spend your free time replying to the company with extra details about the accident. So, what should an effective complaint letter include?
- The address of the receiver. Although this sounds obvious, many consumers fail to fill in all the required address details.
- The address of the sender. This is another must-have feature for any letter of this kind. It is necessary to point out your address to get feedback from the individual or organization you are trying to contact.
- The position of the receiving official. If you know exactly who you are writing to, it is better to specify their names and positions to get your letter of complaint delivered as soon as possible.
- Date. It is also important to note the time and date when an issue occurred, as well as the date at which the message is being written.
- The subject of writing. In case you are writing a complaint letter to a big company, it is highly recommended to point out the subject of your complaint in a brief and effective way. This way, your letter will be transferred to the needed service or team much faster. This simple trick will help you get through all the bureaucratic procedures in no time.
- Greetings. In case you know exactly, who you are going to contact, it is good to specify the details of this person in your letter of complaint. If you are trying to reach the company’s authorities, it is better to start your letter with Sir/Madam.
- Documents. In case the issue you’ve faced requires certain evidence, it is also better to provide all the documents and other proof of the problem that occurred. This might be copies of checks, invoices, etc.
Top hints for creating formal complaint letters successfully
When it comes to creating formal complaint letters, you will need to keep in mind that your main goal is to make your issues solved ASAP. You are not contacting a company to argue, dispute, or humiliate it. This is the main rule you always need to remember. Furthermore, there are also some unwritten rules that should be followed by all consumers.
Start positive
The best way to reach the company and grab the attention of the reader is to begin your letter of complaint positively. Most experts advise starting with the fact that you have been a company’s happy client for years or that you enjoyed using the service for a long time.
Describe all the details
Coming up with all the necessary details is vital for the successful complaint. It might be a good idea to specify all the data connected to the problem. Find a perfect balance - don’t stick to describing minor issues that are not related to the accident. At the same time, avoid missing anything important.
Underline the importance of solving the issue
Make sure to specify that you would like to continue using the service in the future. Be loyal and respectful to the company but don’t forget to focus on your problem.
Review
Always proofread both printed and hand-written letters. Make sure to avoid typos and mistakes in your complaint, as well as improve its readability if necessary. In case you are sending a hand-written letter, pay attention to your penmanship to make it clear and 100% comprehensive.
Add documents
When sending your letter, don’t forget to provide all the documents. Otherwise, you will need to resend it duplicating all the information mentioned before.
Here is a list of the most common mistakes when creating the formal letters of complaint:
- Avoid being aggressive. Although you might be feeling furious about a certain issue, always use a proper tone and voice. Being harsh will not give you any bonuses but will turn away the reader from your letter.
- Don’t blame anyone. Blaming someone is considered to be extremely impolite. Although the problem might be a fault of the company or organization you are writing for, don’t forget about good manners.
- Avoid dropping unreasonable demands. It is always great to know your rights and responsibilities. Don’t ask for something the company will not be able to give you (for example, a whopping 90% for the next purchase)
- Don’t include too many details. Provide only the information that is required for solving the issue. In most cases, your letter shouldn’t
Sample complaint letters: choose the one to your needs
Below we’ve created a sample of the letter of complaint you might use an example to create your own one.
Your address/name, surname
The recipient’s address/name, surname, position
Subject: Complaint: wrong textbooks delivered
Dear Sir/Madam,
I’ve been using your service to get the textbooks for several years and was completely satisfied with it until the recent issue occurred.
On October 5, 2020, I purchase a set of textbooks for my studies (order number 8774003) to be delivered to my doorstep (the address provided above) However, I’ve received the wrong set.
To resolve the issue, please replace the delivered set with the one I’ve ordered. I look forward to hearing from you in the next 10 business days. Please contact me by phone at 045XXXXXXX if more details required.
All the copies and the receipt are attached to this letter.
Sincerely, John Smith
This sample complaint letters can be easily used as a handy example of how you can describe the issues or problems regarding using a particular product or service. Remember that it should always be sharp, precise, and contain only valid information. Make sure your letter is not emotional but contains only rational arguments and solutions.
Most common topics for writing a letter of complaint
- Incomplete order
- Wrong order
- Failure to receive the order
- The delays in receiving the order
- The products arrived are damaged or broken
- Wrong number of products in the order
- Wrong delivery address
- Misbehavior of stuff/support manager/salesman
- The wrong sum in the invoice
- Bad packaging that caused product damage
- Others
Although writing a good complaint letter is not as easy as a piece of cake, you can easily write your own with the help of the tips above. Just focus on the problem, be patient, and try to use a proper tone to get your problem resolved in no time. Good luck and may all your issues solved in a blink of an eye!