Letter of Complaint

Organizational Pattern: REAL

• R = Reason for Writing
Start your letter with a brief summary of
what you want to complain about.
• E = Explanation and elaboration
Explain the situation/problems in
more detail
 Organizational Pattern: REAL

• A = Action
Demand or offer action to solve the
problem
• L = Letter Ending
Always give a final sentence or
paragraph to conclude the letter
 Letter of Complaint

• Letters of complaint usually include the

following stages:
• Background
• Problem - cause and effect
• Solution
• Warning (optional)
• Closing
  
Sample Letter of Complaint
 Flat 18 C, Fullview House
Address
Fullview Estate
Address is at the
top right hand corner. 16 Winner Street
Los Angeles
USA

Date
Date is under the address March 25, 2004
Dear Sir, Start the letter with “Dear”
Dear

I am writing to you regarding an experience I

had when I recently went for a barbecue in the Dahana
Country Park.
1st paragraph
R
Reason for Writing
2nd paragraph: Explain the situation
Date
Date

On Saturday, March 24th, my friends

arrived at the Dahana Country Park barbecue
site at around lunchtime.
Place
Place
Time
Time
 1st problem

We had been looking forward to the

barbecue for several days, but we were
horrified to discover that the whole area
was full of rubbish. It was clear that the
barbecue area had not been cleaned for
several days.
 2nd problem DISCOURSE
DISCOURSE MARKER
MARKER

To make matters worse, there was only

one rubbish bin in the whole area, which
was already full of litter, and there
were mosquitoes everywhere.

3rd
3rd problem
problem
 Disappointing Result
The area was so filthy that we decided to
cancel our barbecue and instead we ended
up going to my flat where we cooked our
barbecue food in the kitchen, instead of
enjoying a nice day out as we had originally
planned.
 3rd paragraph : demand action
Use
Use of
of “Would”
“Would”

In view of these problems, I would be

grateful if the following measures could be
taken to ensure that in future everyone can
enjoy the country park.
 1st action
First of all, the barbecue site should be
cleaned daily, especially during the peak
barbecue season of October-December.
 2nd action

It would also be best if more rubbish bins

were placed at the barbecue site, as it is
clear that one litter bin is not enough for so
many barbecue pits.
 Letter Ending

I hope that you will take action quickly

to resolve this situation.
 
Don’t know the
Yours faithfully, recipient’s name

John Brown signature

John Brown typed version of the name

Formal Letter

When we write a formal letter we should

remember the following:
– No contractions, e.g. I’m, can’t, we’ll
etc…
– Use of “would”
– Formal sentence structures
 Note the following discourse
markers :
• (a) To make matters worse ( + clause)
• (b) As if this were not enough ( + clause)
•
• Both are used to connect a series of
• negative points or criticisms.
 (c) In view of these problems…
(d) In light of these problems…

Because of these problems

e.g. In view of these problems, I would suggest

that you take the following measures to
improve the situation.

suggestion or recommendation
Now : PRACTICE
Topic 1: Writing a letter of complaint
about a pop concert you attended

Situation:
Recently, you went to a pop concert. The tickets for
the concert cost $50 each. However, you were not
very happy for number of reasons:
1. the sound system was very bad
2. people in the front rows stood up and
blocked your view
3. the air-conditioning system was not
working
4. people in the next row were smoking and
no one stopped them
5. the concert started one hour later than
advertised and finished half an hour early 
Task:

Write a letter of complaint to the

organisers, explaining what happened
and demanding a refund and other
action.
 Work in groups
Complaint Letter for Poor Service
• Write a complaint letter about receiving poor service during a hotel stay.

Complaint Letter on a Purchase

• Write a complaint letter regarding a purchase you are not satisfied with.

 Complaint Letter to an Airline

• Write a complaint letter to an airline regarding lost luggage on a flight.

 Complaint Letter on a Car Repair Problem

• Write a complaint letter example written to a car repair shop requesting
reimbursement for an additional tow expense.
 Complaint letter about Poor Service, Defective or Inferior Products
• Write a complaint letter, summarize the problem briefly, specifically, and
clearly. Include all information basic to the problem.