Complaint

emails
CONTENTS
Here’s what you’ll learn for this topic

● Definition Complaint Letter

● Purposes of a Complaint Letter

● Types of Complaint Letter

● Writing a Complaint Letter

● How to write an effective customer complaint response

what is a
complaint A written letter in which someone reports
a bad experience or situation.

letter? • When writing an email or letter of complaint,

where there are set phrases to express both your
discontent and describe what has happened.

• Nowadays, emails are as commonly used to

complain as letters.

• The phrases used in both emails and

letters are the same.
 Purposes of a
complaint letter
TO INFORM A DISSATISFACTION
Some of the common situations include reporting a missing item from your
order, receiving an expired or a broken product.

TO REQUEST A REMEDY TO A PROBLEM

The main objective of a complaint letter is to prompt an action that resolves a
conflict. You ought to stay away from threats and allegations while giving the
subtleties of your complaint.
 TYPES OF
COMPLAINT
LETTER PERSON
AL written by consumers to get
PROFESSI refund, replace a product etc.
written in behalf of ONAL
an organization.

ROUTINE
PERSUASI written in the case when mistakes
VE
written in the cases where there
need for the consumer to convince
is a are considerable and by nature, a
routine.
the seller to correct the mistake.
WRITING A
COMPLAIN
T LETTER
 Information you may want to
•
include
Store name and location
• Your account number
• Relevant dates, such as when you bought goods or services and when the problem
began
• Names of sellers, customer service representatives, or managers with whom you
have addressed the issue previously
• Serial and model numbers
• Copies of receipts, invoices, and warranties
• Copies of previous correspondence (emails/chat logs/letters)
• Your contact information
 Examples of phrases used in a
complaint letter
I WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO
This phrase is used to point out your discontent
towards their services or products.
ALTHOUGH, I APPRECIATE THAT
This phrase can be used to show some
sympathy, even though the company or the
service provider made a mistake, it shows that
you are still considering to solve the problems
in a good way.
TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE
This phrase is used if there is anything else
that you are not satisfied with. In other words,
to add on something that bothers you.
UNLESS THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED
PROMPTLY, THEN UNFORTUNATELY, WE
WILL BE FORCED TO TAKE FURTHER
ACTION.
This phrase is to highlight that you are
taking this matter seriously and hoping
for a response soon.
WRITING AN
EFFECTIVE
CUSTOMER
COMPLAINT
RESPONSE
 OVERVIEW OF EMAIL
CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGE THE CUSTOMER’S
FRUSTRATION
Be understanding, there is no point trying to convince a customer they have got this wrong. If you need
to point out where they are wrong to provide a solution, start by empathizing with them and go on to
say something akin to “This should not normally be happening, so I would be happy to look into it” or
“Sorry, we have been amiss in communicating about this, here is an updated article you can check out.”

AVOID NON-
APOLOGIES
This often happens with brands that give half-hearted apologies and then get slammed for them
online. It is easy to fall in this trap, especially if the customer is not completely justified in
their complaint. So, avoid phrases like “We are sorry you feel this way” or “We apologize if
we caused problems.” Opt for “We are sorry we inconvenienced you” or “You are right, we
take full responsibility for what happened.”
 OVERVIEW OF
OFFEREMAIL
EXPLANATIONS
But without sounding defensive. Focus on helping the customer understand why something happened

CONTENT
instead of refuting their complaint. This could include a reason that was outside of your control or
taking full responsibility for a mistake.

SUGGEST REDEEMING
ACTIONS
If you can provide immediate help on a problem or even offer a discount, coupon, or other benefit to the
customer, go ahead. It’s important to show your customer that you take their complaint seriously and
want to alleviate their concern, but also that you’re actively trying to solve the problem instead of just
apologizing.

SHOW CALMNESS AND

RESPECT
Customers are not always right, but it is never a good strategy to antagonize them – do not forget they
could well spread the word and damage your brand. Staying calm might be difficult if the customer is
aggressive, so try to step back and look at the situation objectively (this will be easier to do if you’re
communicating via email or live chat, rather than on the phone).
SAMPLE OF
COMPLAINT
EMAIL
Thank
you !
Prepared by : Nur Ain Farhana Binti Anuar 