International Business
Correspondence 6
SGU

Complaint letter

Time to think…!
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Have you ever complained about something?
What did you complain about?
Who did you complain to?
Did you explain the problem?
Did you use 'angry' words when complaining?
How did you send the message of complaint?
How did you feel then?
How was the matter solved? Were you happy with the
solution?
9. Have you ever been complained about?
10. How did you deal with the mistake?

Complaint Letter
Letters of complaining about delays, wrong
shipment, damaged goods, missing parts, defective
merchandise, billing errors, late deliveries, faulty
equipment, and commercially problems are usually
written by dissatisfied, indignant or angry
customers.
Writing such letters, you must provide a clear
description or explanation of what is wrong with the
delivery, product or service.
The language and tone in a letter of complaint
should be firm, reasonable and courteous.

Principles of complaint letter writing
1/ Complaint concerning wrong products
2/ Complaint concerning non-delivery
3/ Complaint concerning quality
4/ Complaint concerning goods not to sample
5/ Complaint concerning uncompleted work
6/ Complaint concerning delivery changes
7/ Complaint concerning damaged goods
8/ Complaint concerning quantity
9/ Complaint concerning bad service

If you want to ensure that your letter will be
receiving a quick response, guidelines for
success are:
1/ keep cool
2/ write to the right person
3/ summarize the problem
4/ present the background details
5/ ask for adjustment

Justified complaints
Errors are unavoidable occurrences in
business. These usually lead to complaints.
There is no need to be rude in dealing with it,
especially with the company or customers
who had committed the mistake. There is
always a proper way of relaying your
complaint. Here are some pointers to help
you.

1. Making general complaints
When you want to inform the supplier regarding a
problem or dissatisfaction, complaint starts here:
The language of complaint
There is a proper language to use in expressing your
complaints. Terms such as disgusted, infuriated or
amazed are not appropriate to use.

Here are points where you need to avoid in
expressing your complaints.
+ Do not be impolite, rude or personal

+ Your fault, our fault, or blame should not also be
used. Instead you may better rephrase it as below.

+ Do not blame your own employee
Specify the problems
You probably have known where the mistake was
made, then, you politely state this to your supplier.

Suggesting a solution
You can offer help to your supplier by suggesting a
solution to the existing problem. Always remember
to give your suggestion in a polite manner.

2. Principles of complaint letters
Complaints from customers may deal with one of the
following areas:

3. Guideline for complaint letter
The following discussion will guide you in making a
formal complaint letter. There are three parts:
Opening
The opening of your complaint letter should not
allow the reader to be agitated, rather, it should
alarm them in a way that there is a problem that
need an attention and will allow them to know the
real issue.
You may begin with regretting the need to complain.
Then mention the date when the problem happened
or maybe a reference number if there is.

Contents
After stating the problem in the opening of your
letter, you can now specify the reason for being
dissatisfied and ask for an explanation. You may also
state the inconvenience it has caused you or it will
cause if the mistake will not be corrected.

Closing
You can end your letter with a suggestion on how to
correct the mistake. You may add a request of
prompt response so as not to cause prolonged
inconvenience for you.

4. Guideline for handling complaints
4.1 Asking time to investigate
As earlier mentioned, complaints should be
addressed quickly; however, if you think you cannot
deal with it immediately, as the issues need time for
investigate, inform your customer about it. Quickly
reply to them that you have received their complaint.
Your customer should not be left waiting, inform
them that you are looking into it and you just need
more time to investigate.

4.2 Explaining the mistake
After you investigation and verification, give details
on how the mistake took place and if it is coming
from you, inform the customer that you are
responsible for the errors and ready to correct them.

4.3 Solving the problem
After admitting your mistake and informing your
customer about the source and cause of the
problem, provide a solution to correct the mistake.

Unjustified Complaints
For customers, complaints are irritating. On the other
hand, for suppliers, complaints without good reasons
are also infuriating. Knowing how to deal with
complaints is a very difficult skill to master.
How to identify an unjustified complaint
We label complaints without an actual ground for
error as unjustified complaints. Here is an example of
an obvious unjustified complaint:

Points to remember
(1) Is the customer always right?
(2) Keeping it friendly.
(3) Don't apologize when you don't need to.
(4) What should you tell your customer? Thank and
explain.

Rejecting the complaints
Unjustified complaints can be rejected. But again, do
it firmly with care and politeness.

Complaint Expression

Complaint Vocabulary
Faulty equipment
Mistake
Unsuitable goods
Delayed delivery
Non delivery
Misunderstanding
Seriously damaged
Inferior quality
Incorrect statement
Invoicing errors
Misplaced in transit
Misinterpreted order

Sequencing sentences
• In your group, sort scrambled sentences
into 2 letters, one referring to a
complaint and the other replying to that
complaint.

4 (1) Because of the rummaging in the boxes, quite a few other

garments were crushed or stained and cannot be sold as new
articles in our shops.
6(2) You will find a list of the damaged and missing articles
attached, and the consignment will be put to one side until we
receive your instructions.
2 (3) The boxes in which the sweaters were packed were damaged,
and looked as if they had been broken open in transit.
5(4) As the sale was on a CIF basis and the forwarding company
your agents, we suggest you contact them with regard to
compensation.
3 (5) From your invoice No… we estimate that thirty garments
have been stolen to the value of ￡ 150.00.
1 (6) I am writing to you to complain about the shipment of
sweaters we received yesterday against the above order.

A COMPLAINT ABOUT DAMAGE

(6) I am writing to you to complain about the shipment of sweaters
we received yesterday against the above order.
(3) The boxes in which the sweaters were packed were damaged,
and looked as if they had been broken open in transit.
(5) From your invoice No… we estimate that thirty garments have
been stolen to the value of ￡ 150.00.
(1) Because of the rummaging in the boxes, quite a few other
garments were crushed or stained and cannot be sold as new
articles in our shops.
(4) As the sale was on a CIF basis and the forwarding company
your agents, we suggest you contact them with regard to
compensation.
(2) You will find a list of the damaged and missing articles
attached, and the consignment will be put to one side until we
receive your instructions.

Opening

A problem

Writing a complaint

Explaining the
problem

Suggesting a
solution

Opening
Writing a
complaint

Explaining
the problem

Suggesting
a solution
Opening

A problem

Dealing with
the mistake

Asking for
time to
investigate the
mistake /
problem
Explaining the
mistake

Answering a
complaint
Dealing with
a solution
Closing

Solving the
problem
Rejecting the
complaint

Exercise 3

Dear Sr Mendez,
Opening 

Thank you for your letter of 15 October concerning the damage to
a consignment of garden furniture against invoice No. G3190/1.

Explaining I can confirm that the goods were checked before they left our
the mistake warehouse, so it appears that the damage could have occurred

during the shipment.
Solving the Please could you return the goods to us, carriage forward? We
problem
will send a refund by banker's draft as soon as we receive them.
In your letter, you mention two further crates. Could you let me
know whether you have received these safely?
Closing 

Please accept my apologies for inconvenience caused.
Yours sincerely,
Brian Harrison

EXERCISE 5:

EXERCISE 6:

EXERCISE 9:

+ TRUE-FALSE
1_____ Terms such as disgusted, infuriated or
amazed are appropriate to use in a complaint letter.
2_____ You should not be impolite, rude or personal
in writing a complaint letter.
3_____ Your customer should not be left waiting.
4_____ After admitting your mistake and informing
your customer about the source and cause of the
problem, you should not provide a solution to correct
the mistake.
5_____ Knowing how to deal with complaints is a
very easy skill to master.
6_____ Your fault, our fault, or blame should not also

7_____ We label complaints without an actual
ground for error as unjustified complaints.
8_____ You cannot offer help to your supplier by
suggesting a solution to the existing problem.
9_____ In a complaint letter, you should present the
background details.
10_____ Complaints from customers may deal with
damaged goods.
11_____ You should not mention the date when the
problem happened in a complaint letter.
12_____ Complaints should be addressed quickly.

+ Fill in the missing words:
reasonable agitated business correct mistake polite
delivery cool problem summarize complaint proper
1. In complaint letters, you must provide a clear description
or explanation of what is wrong with the ________, product
or service.
2. When you write a complaint letter, you should _________
the problem.
3. There is a _________ language to use in expressing your
complaints.
4. You probably have known where the _________ was
made, then, you politely state this to your supplier.
5. The language and tone in a letter of complaint should be
firm, ________ and courteous.

6. There is always a proper way of relaying your
___________.
7. If you want to ensure that your letter will be receiving a
quick response, you should keep _________.
8. Errors are unavoidable occurrences in _________.
9. Always remember to give your suggestion in a _________
manner.
10. The opening of your complaint letter should not allow
the reader to be ______.
11. After stating the _______ in the opening of your
complaint letter, you can now specify the reason for being
dissatisfied and ask for an explanation.
12. You can end your complaint letter with a suggestion on
how to ______ the mistake.

Good luck!