Complaint Letter Format

Making a complaint about someone is always a difficult undertaking, and writing about it is even
more difficult because everything is documented. For example, if we order a product and it arrives
defective, we write a letter to the linked person or company, expressing our dissatisfaction with the
goods. As a result, the concerned agency will take appropriate action in response to the complaint.
In the article below, we will look at the complaint letter format as well as some sample letters.

Complaint Letter

A Complaint Letter is a type of formal letter that is written to address any type of wrongdoing,
offence, grievance, or anger that arises from a product, service, or other resources. There could be
a variety of reasons for submitting a complaint letter, including potholed roads, hospitals that do
not provide enough medical care to their patients, officials accepting bribes, and numerous other
flaws in our system. Every citizen has the right to speak out against these violations by sending a
complaint letter and bringing these matters to the attention of the appropriate departments.

A complaint letter is designed solely to anticipate rectification for a certain subject. However, if the
authorities appear to be unresponsive, the individual has the right to file additional lawsuits or
court cases against the firm provided the substance of the complaint is legitimate.

Guidelines to Write a Complaint Letter

 Be formal and prevent using harsh or offensive or abusive language.

 Concentrate on the most critical details. Provide no unnecessary background information.

 The objective of writing should be obvious.

 Do not stray from the topic and write concisely.

 It is critical to introduce the person authoring the letter.

 The date the letter was written, as well as the recipient’s information, should be included.

 The subject line should be mentioned clearly.

 Proofread your message to ensure that there are no grammatical or glaring faults.

 Make a great presentation and use straightforward language.

The following is the complaint letter format:

Sender’s Address

Date

Receiver’s Address

Subject: ____________ (Mention the reason for complaint)

Salutation

Body of the Letter: Introduction, Main reason to write the letter, Conclusion

Complimentary Closing

Signature

Name

Complaint Letter Samples

A complaint letter could be written for a variety of reasons. Here are a few complaint letter
samples to help you grasp the complaint letter structure and draft your own complaint letter.
Sample 1 – Complaint Letter for Poor Service

Flat 24, Sunshine Apartments,

20th July 2022

Customer Service Manager,

Dear Sir/Ma’am,

My name is Sachin Kadam, and I live at Sunshine Apartments. I’m writing to raise your attention to
the bad service provided by your broadband network in our building. Your company’s network is
inadequate, and it frequently produces fluctuations, resulting in network outages.

Many of our apartment occupants are currently working from home, and they rely greatly on
internet connectivity and speed. I had previously filed a complaint about the same issue. However,
no further progress has been achieved.

I hereby request that you remedy this issue as soon as possible, or we will be forced to discontinue
utilizing your services on an unsatisfactory note.

Yours Faithfully,

Sachin Kadam

Signature
Sample 2 – Complaint Letter for Incorrect Delivery of Books

XYZ School,
Delhi
10th January 2022
Oxford Publication House

Consumer Complaint Division

Subject: Complaint regarding incorrect delivery of wrong set of books

Respected Sir/Madam,

I ordered a book set (Order No. 001458) to be supplied to XYZ School in Delhi on January 1, 2022.
To my dismay, I did not receive the set I requested and instead received the incorrect book set. I
am quite disappointed.

To fix the issue, I would appreciate it if you could please replace the incorrect book set with the
one that was initially requested. Please notify me what action you intend to take as soon as
feasible. I hope to hear from you within the next ten days.

Copies of the transaction paperwork and the receipt are enclosed. I eagerly await your response
and a resolution to my situation.

Yours Sincerely,

Kapil Joshi
Librarian, XYZ School
Sample 3 – Complaint Letter for Delay of Salary

Employee Address
Date
HR Management Department

Employer Address

Subject: Complaint Letter for Delay of Salary

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is ________. I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with not receiving my June salary.

I’ve been waiting for my salary for over ten days, but there has been no update on the amount
credited to my account. It has been delayed by the accounts department, for which I have no
explanation.

As my attendance on the portal is evident, I have taken no leaves in the past month. You may
confirm this, and please look into it by cooperating with the accounts department.

Yours Faithfully,

Name

Signature
How to Write a Complaint Letter

Writing a letter of complaint can be difficult, especially if you've never done it before. The most
important thing to remember when writing your formal complaint letter is to be direct and
tasteful. If you simply rant and rave incoherently, your complaint isn't likely to be taken
seriously.

If you've been unfortunate enough to experience poor service and want to know how to write a
complaint letter, you're in the right place.

How to Start a Complaint Letter

Making the purpose of your letter clear from the get-go is paramount to delivering an effective
complaint letter. Consider introducing your letter of complaint with 'I would like to file a
complaint', or something of that nature. This will ensure that the reader processes the rest of
the letter in the way you intend them to. Also, don't forget to write your contact details on top.

Complaint Letter Format

A complaint letter format will typically begin with the sender's details, followed by stating who
it's addressed to, the date, and then the letter itself. The opening paragraph should state your
reason for writing, and the meat of the text will go into detail about the matter. At the end of
the letter, make it clear what you hope to achieve, and politely sign off.

Features of a Complaint Letter

For every complaint letter you write, you'll need to keep the following key features in mind. In
order to convey your message effectively, it's best not to skip over any of these.

 Clear and concise writing

An Example Complaint Letter

Take a look at this example complaint letter for ideas on how you should approach writing a
letter of complaint. Pay attention to the complaint letter format, the voice, and the use of
language.
My Name
My Address

Date

Recipient Name and Title

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing today to complain of the poor service I received from your company on June 12,
2020. I was visited by a representative of That Awful Company, Mr. Madman, at my home that
day.

Mr. Madman was one hour late for his appointment and offered nothing by way of apology
when he arrived at noon. Your representative did not remove his muddy shoes upon entering
my house and consequently left a trail of dirt in the hallway. Mr. Madman then proceeded to
present a range of products to me that I had specifically told his assistant by telephone that I
was not interested in. I repeatedly tried to ask your representative about the products that
were of interest to me, but he refused to deal with my questions. We ended our meeting after
25 minutes without either of us having accomplished anything.

I am most annoyed that I wasted a morning (and half a day's vacation) waiting for Mr. Madman
to show up. My impression of That Awful Company has been tarnished, and I am now
concerned about how my existing business is being managed by your firm. Furthermore, Mr.
Madman's inability to remove his muddy shoes has meant that I have had to engage the
services, and incur the expense, of a professional carpet cleaner.

I trust this is not the way That Awful Company wishes to conduct business with valued
customers—I have been with you since the company was founded and have never encountered
such treatment before. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss matters further and to
learn how you propose to prevent a similar situation from recurring. I look forward to hearing
from you.

Yours faithfully,

Signature
Name
Here's our example, all ready to be sent.
Ending a Letter of Complaint

Notice how the final paragraph of the complaint letter summarizes how the writer feels and
indicates what they hope to achieve. In this case, the writer is hoping to 'discuss matters further
and to learn how you propose to prevent a similar situation from recurring'.

They've made their desire clear; this not only makes it easier for the reader, but it's more likely
you'll achieve the result you want.