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Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna

Complaint letters - gap fill :exercise 1Fill in all the gaps using the words
given: alternative
assured
circumstances
connection
consequently
convenience
faithfully
situated
therefore

hearing

inform

misleading

raised

refund

Dear Sir / Madam,


I am writing in

with the hotel accommodation at the Star Heights Hotel, Cebu

City, Philippines, which I booked through your Queen's Road office on 3 January.

I regret to

you that the information given by your sales assistant, Mr Terence

Chan, was completely

I was particularly concerned that the hotel should be in a quiet location and close to a
beach, as we have small children who cannot walk long distances. When I
point with Mr Chan, he told me that the hotel was

this

in private gardens and was

very close to the beach. I was etremely disappointed,

, to find that the hotel was

in fact next to a busy motorway and the beach was nearly three miles away.

I also asked Mr Chan whether there was a swimming pool, and he

me that there

was. In fact, he was particularly certain about this point as he claimed to have stayed at
the hotel himself the previous year. You might imagine my feelings to find that the
swimming pool was in a state of disrepair and, according to the hotel staff, had been in
this condition for the past three years.
, we were unable to swim at all during our stay at the hotel, while the constant
noise from
the motorway made sleep at nights difficult. In fact, we were eventually forced to find

accommodation elsewhere at considerable expense.


In the

, I think that it would be appropriate for you to

cost of the hotel accommodation in full.


I look forward to

Yours

from you at your earliest

the

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna

Complaint letter - exercise 2


Fill in all the gaps,

Dear Ms Smith
Faulty Ipsum C101x Colour printer
On 21 January 2010 I

an Ipsum C101x colour printer for $99.95 from your

King's Road branch. I have

[?] a copy of my

[?] for your

When I returned home and unpacked the Ipsum C101x, I

that the printer was

unable to load paper and therefore I could not print anything. I returned to the King's
Road branch and the sales assistant (Oliver O'Grady ) told me that you no longer
[?] the Ipsum C101x, but for an additional $19.90 I could upgrade to the Ipsum C200.
I

[?] to the sales assistant that I didnt want the extra expense of upgrading to

the Ipsum C200 and would

[?] to get a

purchased. He told me that it was not company


I believe that it is

my rights to

[?] for the faulty unit I had


to give

a refund for a

like to return the appliance to your King's road branch for a


purchase price. Please contact me

[?].
[?] product and I would
[?] refund of the

the next two weeks to arrange a convenient

time for me to return the appliance and collect my refund.


I can be

[?] at home on the phone number above or at 2461 8032

business hours. I look


Yours

[?]

to

from you if you wish to

[?]

[?] this further.

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna

Exercice 3 :Complaint letters - gap fill


Fill in all the gaps using the following words

agreed
Further

circumstances
Furthermore

unprofessional

connection
presented

consideration

provided

course

sincerely

worse

Dear Mr Simpkins,

to our telephone conversation earlier today, I am writing in


catering services which you

with the

on 12 December for our annual dinner.

You are aware that over twenty of our guests suffered food poisoning, caused directly by
the food you provided.

your staff were

and clearly had not been

properly trained for this type of work. The waiters were rude and slovenly while the
kitchen staff were dirty in appearance and did not wear the correct clothing stipulated in
government regulations relating to hygiene and public catering.

To make matters

, I was

with a bill which was $1,500 over the

and told to pay immediately. In the

, I think my refusal was quite reasonable.

Having taken all of the above into


you will be hearing from them in due
Yours

price

, I have now spoken with our solicitors and


.

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna

Exercise 4: Complaint letter: Arrange the paragraphs on the right next to the correct
paragraph descriptions on the left.
A

B
a) On arrival, the accommodation had not been cleaned, the

1. Introduction stating
the subject of the
complaint.
2. Precise details of the
complaint

air conditioning was not working and there was no hot


water. These problems were pointed out to your resort
representative David Kitchen, who was unable to resolve
them to our satisfaction.

b) I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the self


catering accommodation provided for my family at the
Palm Tree Resort, Rayleigh Beach, Thailand, from 10-24
October 2006.

3. Further details and


how the problem has
affected you.

c) I would appreciate it if you would look into this matter at


your earliest convenience with a view to refunding my
supplement and providing appropriate compensation for
the distress suffered.

4. Demand for some


form of compensation

d) We had no alternative but to accept another bungalow a

long way from the beach despite having paid a


supplement for a prime position next to the shore. This
detracted significantly from our enjoyment of the holiday
3

Exercice 5 : Complaint letter - basic structure: Arrange the letter section contents
A
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section

B
1
2
3
4
5

a) Give precise details of the complaint


b) Give further details if necessary; explain how you have been affected
(inconvenienced etc.)
c) Demand or request some form of action: action to resolve the problem,
compensation, apology, enquiry etc
d) If necessary, threaten whatever action you think appropriate (writing

to a higher authority; publicizing the case in the press; taking legal


action etc.)
e) Refer to any previous communication: phone call, conversation, emails
etc. if appropriate; state the main subject of the complaint.

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna

Exercise 6: Match test complaint: Match the pairs


A

Paragraph 1

a) I would be grateful if you could take whatever action necessary to


encourage Mr Phillips to show more consideration towards his
neighbours in future.

Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4

b) I am writing to draw your attention to the anti-social behaviour of


your tenant, Mr Jason Philips, who is currently renting your
property at 3/F Cage Street, Central.
c) In addition to this, Mr Philips insists on storing his bicycle in the
lobby area, which obstructs other tenants on their way to the lifts.
d) On three occasions in the past week, I have had cause to ask Mr
Philips to turn down his hi-fi player after midnight.

Exercise 7: Complaints organization: Match the pairs


A

B
1) Introduction stating the
subject of the complaint.

2) Details of the problem first part.


3) Details of the problem second part.
4) Effects of the problem how you were
inconvenienced.
5) Solution

a) Firstly, the room had not been cleaned when we


arrived, and the TV set was not working.
b) I am writing to complain about the accommodation
I booked at the Bala Lake Resort on 12 August.
c) I would appreciate it if you would look into the
matter,
and refund the supplement we paid for the lakeside
view.
d) Furthermore, although we had paid extra for a lake
view, the bungalow we were given was nearly 400
meters from the lake.
e) As a result my elderly mother could not enjoy the
lake at all.

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna

Exercise 8: Reorder the parts of a Complaint letter from a business customer to a


telephone company

a)

Yours Faithfully

b) This phone number was an established business line which I had been using for the last three
years. Obviously this meant that my clients were unable to contact me and it cost me many
hours of phone calls to resolve the matter with your support centre.

c)

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

d) However, in the first month of service you managed to cause me to lose two days worth of
business because of poor administration. The main problem was that you failed to provide
me with the correct telephone number, 9818 8747, that you had promised when I completed
the contract.

e) I would appreciate it if this situation could be resolved and a substantial rebate offered on my
first three month's account.

f)

Charlie Williams

g)

I am writing this letter to complain in the strongest terms about the poor service that I have
received from your company.

h) We signed up to your telephone and internet service package two months ago because your
advertising suggests that you are better than Telco. In addition, you promise to deal with
problems quickly and efficiently, something that Telco were unable or unwilling to do.

i)

Dear Sir,

Exercise 9: Reorder the parts of the complaint letter


a) The children, at the most impressionable age they will ever be, should learn the value of
money and demanding to get a lovely pair of trendy trousers as a prize for getting good
grades or eating right or simply as a Christmas present will not teach them this lesson.
b) I would like to request that this advertisement is removed from your commercial breaks
during the childrens zone. Its place can be filled in by messages about developing healthier
eating habits at a young age or simply by extending the air time of the educational shows on
the childrens TV. I have already made a written complaint to the advertising company,
indenting on their riddance of the fashion company concerned as their clients. I enclose a
copy of this letter for your reference.
c) I am writing to complain about the advertisement which I recently saw aired during the
commercials of the childrens weekend TV programme.
d) I look forward to hearing from you.
e) Dear Sir or Madam,

f)

Yours faithfully,

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna

g) To make matters worse, the impact that this advertisement is making on the childrens
morale and self-confidence, especially on those unpopular and introverted ones, is literally
crushing. Not only do they have to face challenges in the grounds of homework load at
school, but they now must go under even more peer pressure in and out of school.
h) I am referring to the advertisement which shows 6 beautiful, young children playing in the
school yard when a new-at-school child walks up to them and asks if she can play with them.
She immediately gets rejected owing to not wearing the specific brand of clothes advertised
which the rest of the children are all wearing. To begin with, this brands fashion line costs a
lot more than the average, employed householders can afford. It is common knowledge that
most families financial situations are tight and this is no time for lavishness.
Exercise 10: Reorder the parts of the complaint letter
a) Added to all this, the tourist guide included in your offer had fallen ill shortly before we
arrived and there was obviously nobody in charge to organise a suitable substitute. After
five days a courier tuned up who spoke only fragmentary English and we had difficulties
understanding only half of what he said.
b) (Mrs J Smith)
c) My husband and I have just returned from one of your special city tours in Amsterdam
(August 31 September 10) and I am writing to complain about the holiday we were
given.
d) 66 Trees Lounge,
Bemworth,
Devon CG4 5HZ
14 September 2002
e) Yours faithfully,
f) To begin with, the hotel was not at all what we had been led to expect from your
brochure. You advertise air-conditioned rooms with mini bar and private bathroom, but
what we got was a tiny room with none of the promised appliances. The room only had a
washbasin and we had to share the sanitary installations with five other parties on our
floor. The temperature was 90 every day, so you can imagine the comforts of a room
with nothing but the cold water tub for cooling. As for the hotel staff, whenever we called
down to the reception there was simply no one around. There did not even seem to be
any cleaning staff since our beds were made once during the whole of our stay.
g) Alltours,
342 Rich Road
Bemworth
Devon VF7 6JK
a) As you will realise, we are highly dissatisfied with the holiday your company provided and
we do not see why we should put up with it. We expect a letter of explanation as well as a

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna


substantial refund of our money. Unless this is forthcoming, we shall have to take matters
a step further.
b) Dear Sir/Madam,
Exercise 11: Fill in the gaps using the words given: return- failed- money -refund- defect
-Thomas- contact- hair dryer- replaced -Sincerely - hot - April 16, 2010
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432
April 25, 2010
Michael Jones, Sales Manager
ABC Enterprise
186 South East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432
Dear Mr. Jones,
If you will recall, I recently purchased a (1) .from your shop on April12, 2010. In fact,
you assisted me during my visit at your store. I shopped for the Ultra-Drying Series with a
model number UDS-8744. The product was shipped to my home (2) . with a transaction
number is 8755124.
Since then, it has(3) .to power up three times. After operating for an hour, it would just
shut down. The air it blows isnt (4) ., as stated in the product description. This item is
integral to my business and I havent been able to properly use because of this obvious (5)
.. This is not good, and has cost me a substantial amount of (6) ..
I would like to have this product immediately (7) . with a working unit of the same
brand or model within 3 days. If you cannot provide me with a replacement, I would like
to. (8) the unit I have and for you to(9) . my payment.
If you need to discuss more with me regarding this issue, please (10) . me anytime at
872-7777.
Thank you very much!
(10) . Yours,
.Matilde (11)
Exercise 12: Fill in the gaps using the words given: sitting the slowly- rudely -purchase
elsewhere- name - customer - on - company -behaviour
Josh Hamilton
Store Manager
G Mart Pvt. Ltd.
863, Main Street,
1423, New York City, New York
Dear Mr. Hamilton

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna


I have been a loyal (1) .............of your stores for the past 5 years, I have time and again
received great service at your mart which is one of the main reasons I shop at your store. But to
my surprise, on the date of 23rd August, 2010, I was at the receiving end of some very poor
service at your mart.
On the said date, I made the (2) ............. of my weekly groceries, and headed towards the
cash counter to pay for them. The person (3) .............at the counter, who was wearing the
name tag of Jen, was talking on her cell phone. When I asked her to make (4) ............. bill, she
said she would do it in 5 minutes, and resumed her conversation (5) ............. the phone. After
a good 10 minutes, she started with her work and did it very (6) .............. The bill, apparently
totalled up to more than I expected, so I asked her to recheck it. Instead, she talked to me very
(7) ............., and told me that if I did not like the prices, I could take my business
(8) ..............
I was shocked at such (9) ............., and have a good mind to take my business elsewhere as
suggested. I hope you would look into the matter, and make sure such an incident is not
repeated. Your (10) ............. has been known to provide good services, and such events
tarnish the company (11) ............., so please address this issue soon.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Sincere Regards,
Timothy Stark
Exercise 13: Fill in the gaps using the words given: Jane -Sincerely- hear -Please -always -was
-apology -wedding -satisfactory - because honeymoon -alternative - Honolulu -unable -get
-explanations -missed - Because -September -compensation- Airport flight- Sadly- terrible
confirmed- trip essential- lifetime- her-

111 Walnut Street


Avondale, PA 43211
717-555-7777
October 1, 2004
Mr. Shawn Gray
President
Gray Travel Agency
111 Main Street
Warren, PA 42111
Dear Mr. Gray,
After successfully using your agency for many years, I recently experienced a (1) problem. I am
writing to obtain (2) for a huge mistake for which I believe your firm is responsible.

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna


On (3) 1, 2000, I used Gray Travel to book my honeymoon(4) to Hawaii. Your agent, Carla
Drysdale, made all of the arrangements for us. She booked my husband and I on the American
Airlines (5) to Honolulu (Flight 444) on September 14, which was scheduled to arrive at 6 am on
the morning of September 15. Our timely arrival was (6), as we were scheduled to participate in
a tour group which began its journey on the afternoon of September 15.
Upon our arrival at the San Francisco (7), we discovered that our reservations had not been (8)
and the airline had overbooked the flight. (9), we were unable to (10) seats on the plane, which
was the last American Airlines flight to Hawaii that day. We were reluctant to book seats on
another airline, as we had already paid for this trip in full, using a Visa card (account #3374
7796 0039 0021). Our card was charged, yet we had no flight. Unfortunately, our credit limit
was inadequate to book a different flight on another airline.
The bottom-line: we (11) our flight to Hawaii, along with our tour group's departure in Honolulu.
Instead of lying on a tranquil beach, we spent our first married days in the Airport Hilton in San
Franciso, trying to sort out this mess. We were (12) to speak with Ms. Drysdale until Monday,
September 16, which was two days after our scheduled departure. She was extremely
apologetic, but could not explain what had caused the problem. She was unable to book us on
an (13) flight to Hawaii on such short notice, but did offer to clear our credit card of all charges.
She offered us no further (14) or compensation.
My husband and I are both livid. We planned this trip for over a year and were excited about
visiting Hawaii on our (15). Ms. Drysdales's mistake cost us our once-in-a-(16) chance to fulfill a
significant personal dream. In fact, we not only missed the trip; we are still fighting to recover
our deposits at the hotel in (17)!
(18) your agency caused the problems, we expect you to work with us to obtain a (19)
resolution.
Your agency can't give us back our (20) trip, but we expect you to provide a future trip
comparable to the one we were denied (21) of your booking mistake. We also expect a full (22)
from Ms. Drysdale and assurance that she takes responsibility for (23) error.
From our experience, this situation (24) a dramatic letdown from the superlative service that we
usually receive from Gray Travel. In fact, we have (25) been loyal to your firm because of the
exemplary treatment we have received from you and your attentive staff. We suggest that you
coach Ms. Drysdale in proper booking procedures and in customer relations. Her behaviour does
not reflect positively on Gray Travel.
(26) call me before October 15 with confirmation that our requests will be honoured. If I don't
(27) from you, I will report you to the appropriate regulatory agencies in California and Hawaii.
(28),
(29) Myers
Exercise 14: complete the dialogue
Unfortunately, mistakes sometimes happen. When this is the case, customer service
representatives need to handle consumers' complaints. It's also important for customer service
reps to gather information to help resolve the problem. The following short dialog provides some
helpful phrases to deal with complaints:

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna


Customer: Good morning. I purchased a computer from your company last month.
Unfortunately, I'm not satisfied with my new computer. I'm having a lot of problems.
Customer Care Representative: ..............................................................?
Customer: I'm having problems with my Internet connection, as well as repeated crashes when
I try to run my word-processing software.
Customer Care Representative:............................................................................?
Customer: Well, yes I read the instructions that came with the computer. But the
troubleshooting section was no help.
Customer Care Representative: .....................................................................?
Customer: Well, the Internet connection doesn't work. I think the modem is broken. I'd like a
replacement.
Customer Care Representative: .........................................................................?
Customer: I was trying to connect to the Internet! What kind of question is that?!
Customer Care Representative: I understand you're upset, sir. I'm just trying to understand
the problem. .......................................................................................................
Customer: I bought this computer with the software pre-loaded. I haven't touched anything.
Customer Care Representative: ..........................................................................
Customer: OK, that will work for me.
Customer Care Representative: ...............................................................................?
Customer: No, I'd just like to be able to use my computer to connect to the Internet.
Customer Care Representative: .....................................................................................

Exercise 15: Fill in the blanks with the following words to make the letter of complaint
meaningful. will-supposed-on-top-according-faithfully-how-refused-been-howeverboth-complain-as if-could-matters-receiving-between-even though-complaints-from
43 Railway Cuttings
Birmingham
The Managing Director
Club20-30 Holidays
26 Spratt Street
London W3
1st July 1989
Dear Sir,
Im writing to (1)...............about a Club 20-30 holiday I went (2)...............at the Karameli
between 14th and 28th June.
(3)................. to your brochure, accommodation was (4)........... to be in a small villa
(5)........., when I got to Karamelli, I was taken to a modern hotel a mile (6).............the sea.

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna


(7).................it had just been built, there were cracks everywhere and it looked (8)........it was
going to fall down. The walls were paper thin and you (9)...................hear everything from the
neighbouring rooms.
To make (10)..............worse, there were only two other young people in the hotel and they
were (11).............men. The hotel had been taken over by a package tour of old age pensioners
who insisted (12)...................playing bingo in the discotheque every evening. Where was the
nightlife I had (13)...............promised?
On (14).........................of everything, when I mentioned my (15)................ to your company
representative, she was extremely rude to me. She only reappeared at the end of my stay and
became abusive when I (16)................... to give her a tip.
You can imagine (17)..................upset I am at having spent a considerable amount of money
(18).................this holiday. In fact, I expect a full refund plus compensation for the
inconvenience and discomfort I suffered. I trust you (19)............give this matter your
immediate attention.
I look forward to (20)...............a satisfactory reply by return of post. If I do not receive
satisfaction, I am going to write to the TV programme Value for money and expose you
operation.
Yours...........................
Peter Carr
Exercise 16: Complete the following conversation. It takes place in a restaurant
Customer: Hi! I bought this cheese here yesterday, and its gone off. Its two weeks past the
sell-by date.
Cashier: Are you sure you bought it here?
Customer:.................................................................................................................
Cashier: Where is the receipt?
Customer:.........................................................................................................
Cashier: If you dont have a receipt, I cant do anything for you.
Customer:............................................................................................................
Cashier: The manager is out. He will be back in five minutes.Have a seat.
15 minutes later...................
Manager: Whats the problem?
Customer:...............................................................................................
Manager: Well, thats not really our fault. The supplier is responsible.
Customer:...............................................................................................
Manager: Sorry, we dont have refunds. Anyway, you dont have a receipt.

Complaint letter writing activities Khanfar Mouna


Customer:...............................................................................................
Manager: Calm down! Bet another block of cheese from the fridge, if you want.
Customer:...............................................................................................
Manager: Well, Im sorry you are not happy, but there is nothing more I can do for you.Yo will
have to excuse me, Im busy.
Exercise 17: Complete the following conversation. It takes place in a clothes shop.
Customer: Hello. I bought this shirt here three days ago and the buttons are already falling off.
Cashier: Alright. Do you have your receipt, sir?
Customer:......................................................................................................................
Cashier: Okay. If you dont have one, Im afraid I cant give you a refund.
Customer:......................................................................................................................
Cashier: Im sorry, but I really do need to see some proof of purchase.
Customer:........................................................................................................................
Cashier: Thats the problem. I will call my supervisor for you now.
1 minute later..........................
Manager: good morning. Sorry you had to wait. How can i help you?
Customer:....................................................................................................................
Manager: Can I have a look at the shirt?
Customer:....................................................................................................................
Manager: Thank you. Have you worn it at all?
Customer:....................................................................................................................
Manager: Okay, thats fine. It seems to be a fault in the stitching. Im very sorry about that.
Customer:....................................................................................................................
Manager: Of course. We will give you a full refund. Elaine will look after you .
Customer:....................................................................................................................
Manger: No problem. Please call again.

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