Formal Complaint Emails or Letters

One of the tasks in IELTS Writing Task 1 is a formal complaint letter or email. Have a look at some example complaint situations:

Problem at a restaurant
Problem with neighbour
Problem with colleague/ co-worker
Problem with shop or service
Problem with roads or transport
Problem with local authorities

In a complaint letter you should use formal or neutral language. For more tips on how to avoid informal language when writing look here (the same rules apply to writing a formal essay in IELTS Writing Task 2).

In formal complaint letters you generally need to do some of the following:

Say why you are writing
Describe the problem
Describe the consequences
Say how you felt/ were negatively affected
Request or suggest action to fix the problem

Below you’ll find some useful phrases which you can use in your formal complaint letters. If you’d like to see some model IELTS complaint letters containing such phrases you can look at the following:

What phrases can you use in formal complaint letter writing?

Introduction:

I am writing with regard to…
The reason I am writing is to express my dissatisfaction with…
I would like to complain about the poor quality of…
I would like to draw your attention to…
It has come to my attention that…
I am writing to express my concern over…

Describing a problem:

there was an issue with...
I reported the problem to…
…did not live up to expectations
I was rudely told…
There has been a noticeable deterioration in…
I was dismayed to discover…

Describing the consequences:

…could have a negative impact on…
…poses long term risks to…

Saying how you felt:

I was offended/ shocked/ upset by…
I was very disappointed by…

Requesting action:

I kindly request that…
I sincerely hope that in the future you will…
Please look into this problem immediately.
Please address this issue as soon as possible.
Please take action to rectify this problem.
I implore you to take measures to address this issue.
…could significantly alleviate the problem

Closing statement:

I trust you will address this matter immediately
I sincerely hope that you will improve…
I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to a swift resolution.

Exercise 1

Match the words and phrases in A with their corresponding definitions in B:

A

1. dissatisfaction

2. draw attention

3. live up to expectations

4. dismayed

5. offended

6. shocked

7. look into

8. address

9. rectify

10. alleviate

11. prompt

B

a. Hurt or upset due to perceived insult or disrespect.

b. Deal with or give attention to a particular issue or situation.

c. To meet or fulfil the expected standards or hopes.

d. Quick or on time.

e. The feeling of being unhappy or displeased with something.

f. Relieve or make a situation less severe or more bearable.

g. Investigate or examine closely.

h. Attract notice or focus towards a particular thing or person.

i. Correct or fix a mistake or problem.

j. Extremely surprised by something unexpected, especially something bad.

k. Feeling disappointed.

Exercise 2

Complete the letter with appropriate phrases from below.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

1______________________ a meal I had at your restaurant on Wednesday evening. 2______________________ both the food and service I received.

I was recommended to eat at your restaurant by a friend who told me about the fantastic ambience, mouthwatering food and impeccable service. My wife and I were really looking forward to enjoying the fine dining experience, but 3______________________. Firstly, 4_____________________ the chicken in my wife’s main course. 5______________________ it had not been adequately cooked and was partially raw. We would have let this pass as a mishap, had my wife been offered an immediate replacement. However, when 6______________________ the waiter, not only did he refuse to replace the dish, but he rudely told me to stop complaining.

7______________________ a full refund for the meal, as my wife was unable to eat her dish, and we were both offended by your waiter’s rude behaviour. I’d like to remind you that raw chicken is not hygienic and potentially dangerous if eaten. 8______________________ your kitchen standards, as well as your customer service in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Jeffries

a. I reported the problem to…

b. I would like to request...

c. it did not live up to expectations

d. we were dismayed to discover that...

e. I am writing with regard to...

f. there was an issue with...

g. I would like to complain about the poor quality of...

h. I sincerely hope that you will improve...

Model Answers by Topic

Answers For Speaking Parts 1, 2 & 3, & Writing Tasks 1 (GT) & 2: