Tourism Correspondence

Session 5
Letter of Complaint

• This type of letter is mainly written to show your discontent about

staff treatment, a product, an order, and so on.
• You should be specific in your letter and mention why you are
dissatisfied by explaining thoroughly.
• Start your letter with a complete description of the situation, or the
damaged goods.
• Ask for an action on the part of the receiver ( a company, a store, etc.)
 Letter of Complaint: A Sample
Dear Sir,

I’m writing to complain about the way a member of your staff treated me in Fly-By-Night
Travel last Monday.
I went to alter a flight booking to London (your ref. AST.3625B) as a result of a mistake your
office made in issuing my ticket.
I tried to explain the situation to the travel clerk, but he was extremely rude to me. He
suggested that I was wrong and told me that I have to pay a supplement to upgrade my
original ticket. In the end I had to pay an extra $40.
I often fly to London and always use Fly-By-Night, but if I do not receive a satisfactory reply
to this letter, I have to change my travel agency.

Yours faithfully,
Sarah Ashton
Replying to Letters of Complaint

• It is important to deal quickly with letters of complaint. A prompt and

satisfactory reply may save a customer.
• First, establish whether the complaint is justified.
• If you are quite sure the customer is at fault your reply should
politely point out what the facts are.
• If there is any doubt about responsibility for the mistake, it is often
wiser to assume the customer is right.
 Replying to Letters of Complaint
• Below is a guide to the content of a typical reply to a letter of complaint.
1. Begin your reply by acknowledging that you have received the letter and
refer to the complaint.
2. Apologize for the mistake, explaining why it happened. Avoid blaming
members of your staff.
3. Explain what action you are taking. This may mean replacing or repairing
damaged goods or refunding the customer’s money.
4. Finally, apologize for the inconvenience caused and indicate that you hope
your business relationship can continue.
 Replying to Letters of Complaint

• Useful phrases:
1. Show sympathy
We are very sorry to hear that you did not enjoy…..
2. Apologies
We apologize for any inconvenience caused, but….
3. Give explanation
We are writing to explain a few points.
Firstly, we are afraid that we are not responsible for…
Secondly,
Thirdly,
4. Offer compensation when necessary
Please accept our apologies and an offer of…
 Replying to Letters of Complaint: A Sample
Dear Mr. Petersen,
We were very sorry to hear that you were unhappy with the Safari Experience Hotel. We
always try to make all our guests feel comfortable and to provide a quality service at all
times.
We have spoken to the staff involved and it seems that we were fully booked at the time
you stayed. We apologize for any inconvenience. Our usual safari guide was unwell, but has
now returned to work. In addition, a number of our staff were not on duty because of the
local holiday. We also take note of the fact that we need to improve our facilities.
Pleased find enclosed our new brochure with the correct prices and times for Safari
excursions. We would like to offer you a double room for one night for free in
compensation. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience and hope you will stay at
the Safari Experience Hotel in the future.

Yours Sincerely,
Paula Morgan
Manager
 Assignment
• You have bought a pair of trainers which are faulty – the sole
of the trainer has become unglued after one day. Write a
letter of complaint to the company/shop from which you
bought it, giving all the details and asking them to replace or
refund your money.
• A customer have recently bought a stereo set from your
store, Murphy Electrical Store. The CD part has broken down
and your customer has complained about it Write a
response to your customer’s letter of complaint.