It’s very common to have grievances in your workplace. You need to express them to the concerned manager or the human resources for an amicable resolution. To present it formally, you need a complaint letter template. Composing this letter can feel daunting but the most important thing you should note that the letter should be both tasteful and direct with your intent.
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Complaint Letter Templates
What is a complaint letter?
You would create a complaint letter template with the purpose of addressing any offense, wrongdoing, resentment, or grievance resulting from an event, service, or product. You use the letter to raise concerns about unfair occurrences and to seek a positive outcome.
The most common use of complaint letter formats is to express how you feel about your negative experience. It is your fundamental duty and right as a citizen to seek justice from any injustice and the first step towards this is a complaint.
Therefore, this letter is the initial step towards your rights as a consumer. It can influence the concerned individuals towards proper actions to make the offenders more liable, responsive, and responsible. The offenders have to remember that nonresponsive behavior will make them liable to a Punishable Court Proceeding or worse, a costly lawsuit.
It is your responsibility to initiate the writing of this letter. The receiver shouldn’t take the writing of this letter as a threat or pre-warning but as a chance for them to deal with the injustice in a timely manner.
Contrary to general perceptions, these letters aren’t just intended for defective services or products but also for injustice occurring in a society that needs resolution. Anybody can write this letter but there has to be a justifiable reason behind it.
For instance, you can write a letter to your local government office about the pollution of water supply, electricity shortage, traffic problems, and so on. You don’t have to be a person of influence or a lawyer. All you need is to learn how to write the letter using a proper format while including all of the significant information.
Customer Complaint Letters
Types of complaint letters
There are several types of letters of complaint, which address different situations. You would use the complaint letter template to raise a concern about unfair situations with the goal of seeking redress. Also, each type of complaint has its own complaint letter format:
- Formal Complaint Letter
You write this with the intent of communicating your concerns and express your issues to authorities. This is usually supported by legal documentation that outlines the legal reasons and facts to back up your claims against a party.
This entitles you to a remedy for the damages you incurred. This is one of the most effective ways to complain about something like a service or product so that those involved will take the necessary actions. - Product and Service Complaint Letter
You write this letter and addressed it to a retailer or manufacturer regarding an issue with their service or product. Here, you will write a letter to the concerned authorities in the organization. The letter informs them about the poor performance of their service or product. You can also use it to complain about the delivery of damaged or defective goods.
When drafting this letter, you should make it straightforward and brief. State what you want them to do about the issue and how long you’re committed to waiting for the solution to the problem. For this letter, here are some tips:
Mention the product you purchased with the purchase date, warranty, and other specifications.
Explain the issue you have with the product.
State if the issue persists or if it’s a one-time thing.
Requesting that the concerned authority either replace the product or fix it.
If you aren’t satisfied with the repairs, bring up the warranty of the product. - Employee Complaint Letter
You write this letter either as an employer or an employee. As an employee, write the letter if you want to make a formal complaint about something that transpired at the office. In such a case, you should file a grievance. Here are some tips to help you out:
Identify and describe the harassment that occurred.
Include the details about the event.
Introduce yourself.
State your purpose.
Present the facts.
Explain in detail how you reacted or responded.
Suggest a solution to the problem.
Don’t use offensive language.
Complaint Letter Formats
What to include?
When it comes to filing complaints in companies, the Federal Trade Commission gives the following reasons why it’s recommended to mail your customer complaint letter:
- So they can place your complaint on record with the involved company.
- So they can help you preserve your legal rights in the situation
- So the company know how serious you are about pursuing your complaint.
Moreover, you can request proof of delivery from the post office. This way, you have a record of your complaint letter template arriving at its destination. Before writing your own complaint letter formats, you must know what to include:
- Start with your address and the date when you wrote the complaint.
- Next, add the name and the title of the person you’re addressing your letter to. If you don’t know their name, you can add the name of the company and its business address.
- After the salutation, you can start composing the body of your letter.
Although you might be emotionally upset while writing the letter, the tone should remain constructive and respectful. You have to consider that the person reading your letter might not be directly responsible for the issues you have.
Moreover, the reader will most likely want to help you if you show courtesy and professionalism. Remain concise while including all significant details. Then include the following information:
- The name of the store.
- The location of the store.
- Your account number.
- Relevant dates like when you purchased services or goods.
- When the problem started.
- Name of the seller, customer service representative, or manager with whom you have spoken to about the issue previously.
- Serial number of the product.
- Model number of the product.
- Copies of invoices, warranties, and receipts.
- Copies of previous correspondence like chat logs, letters, or emails.
- Your contact details
The first sentence of the body of your letter should identify your complaint. Then add an outline of the actions you already have taken to resolve the complaint and how you expect the company to respond. For your conclusion, use a simple but professional close.
Complaint Letter Examples
How do I write a complaint letter?
A complaint letter example gives a company the opportunity to rectify a situation and resolve any hard feelings. A complaint letter format is pretty straightforward. As long as you remain focused on the experience you had, you can get your point across. Hopefully, this will help the company improve. Here is how you can prepare a concise complaint letter template:
- Record all of the details of the event
Write down any specific details where an individual or a company acts in a way that prompts this letter. Do this while the incident is still fresh in your mind. Make sure to include the date, time, and place where the incident occurred.
Also, include the name of the employee or salesperson and other important details. Doing this prevents the information from getting lost. Also, make sure that when recording the facts, you adopt an objective stance by placing things into perspective. - Find out to whom you should address the letter
You need to know the person who will receive your letter. Most companies have customer service agents who take charge of these written complaints. You can also send the letter directly to the owners or managers in the case of shops. Usually, you can find the names or addresses you need either on the website of the company or through online directories. - Compose your letter
Most companies show more concern with written complaints than verbal ones. Any of their employees can complain verbally, but those who take the time to write this letter often mean that they feel dissatisfied. Here are some tips to help you create the most effective letter possible:
Keep your letter simple, short, and to the point.
Make sure your language remains neutral. Focus on the main goal, which is to explain your negative experience. You don’t need to go into details with commentaries about the company, unnecessary details about the person who offended you, or any other unrelated things. Curses or rants aren’t required and will not be well-received by the recipient.
Explain the situation objectively using facts.
Include details about the experience or product along with the time, date, and location or the store branch.
Include specific information about the product like the serial or model numbers.
To make sure your letter isn’t just a rant, provide an explanation for how the company can resolve the situation. The company will most likely make more of an effort to help if you present reasonable suggestions.
Include your contact details like your name, phone number, and email address in case they want to reach out to you.
Make copies of warranty information or receipts to send along with your letter.
Give the company enough time to acknowledge and fix the situation before following up.
