Complaint Letter

IELTS Complaint Letters:

There are situations in our life when we need to complain about something, like, when we are not happy about a product or service, when we are disturbed by a noise created by a neighbour, a situation in our neighbourhood and so on. In such a real-life scenario, we write a complaint letter (sadly sometimes more than one letters!) to inform the concerned authority so that they understand the problem or situation and take steps to address the issue. Just like this, you need to write a complaint letter if your IELTS GT Writing Task 1 or the letter topic is a complaint letter.

Some common situations when to write a complaint letter:
1. Complain to the Mayor about a dangerous road in your neighbourhood.
2. Complain to the manager of a store about a faulty product or dissatisfactory service.
3. Complain to the landlord about a noisy neighbour.
4. Complain to the manager of a hotel/restaurant about meal/service quality, and so on.

How do you know that the question is a complaint letter?
Sometimes, the letter question will directly instruct you to complain about something and include the word "complain". It is a sure sign that you are asked to write a complaint letter.

Example 1: You were hurt in a minor accident inside a supermarket, and you wish to complain to the supermarket. Write a letter to the manager of the supermarket.

Write a letter to the manager of the supermarket. In your letter,

say who you are
give details about the accident
suggest how the supermarket could prevent similar accidents

Write at least 150 words.

Example 2: Write a letter to the Mayor, the head of a municipal government, complaining about a situation in which some adolescents let their dogs run wildly causing a dangerous situation.

Other times, the word "complain" may not be in the question but the letter topic will give hints that you are not satisfied/pleased with a situation/service or product. Think what you would perhaps do in real life when you end up purchasing a faulty product, can not sleep at night due to noise from a neighbour, feel unsafe because dogs are unleashed in your neighbourhood, or receive terrible room service at a hotel. Well, you write a complaint letter. This is exactly what you will do in your IELTS exam if such a topic is given.

Example 1: You recently stayed in a hotel in a large city. The weather was very unusual for the time of year and the heating/cooling system in the hotel was quite inadequate. Write a letter to the manager of the hotel.

Example 2: You have recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen but it did not work. You phoned the shop but no action was taken. Write a letter to the shop manager.

What to include in a complaint letter:
» When writing a complaint letter, respond to all the bullet points (three bullet points) given in the question. This will make your response complete.
» Clearly describe your problem and the outcome you want. You can briefly write about the problem and what you want to be done about it in your introduction, and then give details in the following paragraphs.
» If this is a complaint letter about a faulty product or poor customer service, include key dates, such as when you purchased the product or services, when the problem occurred and what the problem is.
» Mention what actions you have already taken to fix the problem and when.
» Clearly and politely mention what you will do if the seller cannot resolve the problem. Also, give a timeframe for the solution.
» Ask for a response within a reasonable time.
» Mention that you have attached a copy of any supporting relevant documentation such as a receipt, invoice or warranty paper.

Finally, a worth reading article on How To Write a Complaint Letter.

Complaint Letter Topics with Links to Model Answers:

Complaint Letter Topic & Sample # 1:

You took your family to a nearby restaurant. You were disappointed with the meal and wish to complain to the manager.

Write a letter to the manager of the restaurant.

IELTS Complaint Letters:

Complaint Letter Topics with Links to Model Answers:

You took your family to a nearby restaurant. You were disappointed with the meal and wish to complain to the manager.

You recently had your computer fixed at a local computer store, however, you are not pleased with the service you received.

You have bought a new mobile phone and in a few days of purchase, it has stopped working. You have spoken to the company representative a week ago but it has still not been repaired.

You travelled by plane last week and your suitcase was lost. You have still heard nothing from the airline company.

Write a letter to the Mayor, the head of a municipal government, complaining about a situation in which some adolescents let their dogs run wildly causing a dangerous situation.

You recently stayed in a hotel in a large city. The weather was very unusual for the time of year and the heating/cooling system in the hotel was quite inadequate.

You recently bought an item of clothing from a shop. You discovered that it had a fault and returned it to the shop for replacement or refund. However, the assistant told you that this was against the store's policy.

You ordered a new chequebook from your bank two weeks ago but you have received nothing.

You have recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen but it did not work. You phoned the shop but no action was taken.

You have been living in a rental apartment for the past year. Recently a new neighbour moved in and has been making a lot of noise, which disturbs you.

You and your family are living in rented accommodation in an English-speaking country. You are not satisfied with the condition of some of the furniture.

You were hurt in a minor accident inside a supermarket, and you wish to complain to the supermarket.

Your neighbours have a dog that is noisy at night. You can’t sleep due to this.

You booked a two-week holiday to Sydney with a tour agency. You are not happy with the holiday – the flight was delayed, the hotel was noisy, and so on.

Write a letter to your college’s administration department complaining about the college facility.

You rented a car from a car rental company. The air conditioner has stopped working. You phoned the company a week ago but it still has not been repaired.

You recently went shopping at the local supermarket. When you got home and noticed your bill, you found that you had been charged for items you did not purchase.

You went to the local hospital’s Emergency Department with your young child who had severe stomach pains. You had to wait for almost four hours before your daughter was treated by a doctor and, while you were waiting, you were constantly ignored by the other staff.

The road in front of your house got damaged a long ago and nothing has been done about it. Write a letter to the municipal authority complaining about the damaged road.

The system used for rubbish/garbage collection in your local area is not working properly. This is causing problems for you and your neighbours.

Some construction work is being done on the street where you live for the last couple of days. The noise from the work is loud and it disturbs you.

You are studying a short course in another country. Your accommodation was arranged by the course provider. But there is a major problem with the accommodation.

You are living in a University residence, and you have a problem with the high levels of noise from a new campus restaurant which is open until midnight.

Your next-door neighbour often listens to loud music late at night. Because of the loud music, you often have problems sleeping.

You visit a sports centre regularly, and there is a problem with the changing rooms in it. You have complained about it several times but with no success.

You have just returned from a holiday. You are unhappy with the quality of the hotel you stayed in and want to complain to the travel agency that arranged the holiday.

You recently bought some train tickets for a journey a week in advance. When you went to the station to catch the train, you were told you could not use the tickets and the staff were very unhelpful to you.

Report