Complaint Letter : Definition, Types and Format

People complain when they do not receive the things as per they desire or want. Generally, in businesses, people prefer to write a complaint letter when they feel dissatisfied towards a particular product or a company. Some of the people avoid writing a complaint letter because they don’t feel good to be argumentative about their desires. Understand that in such letters you don’t have to express your anger or show any kind of negativity. What you can do is what we are going to show here.

Definition of a Complaint Letter:

Before that, let’s learn what a complaint letter is. The letter which contains a request for an adjustment is called a complaint letter. In this letter, you basically describe the errors or any kind of problems that you have faced in the past. Mistakes often happen in our day to day life. You have to first identify them then start rectifying; and in this case, have others rectify it for you. But you must know the right way to do away with it. If you are incurring losses or getting bad services then you have the right to complain. If it is your fault, then complaining to the company about their faulty product is not a good idea.

Anyway, you have to use a polite tone while writing a complaint letter no matter the purpose.

Types of Complaint Letters:

There are different kinds of Complaint letters. They are:

1. Complaint Letter to Reform Deed of Trust
2. Late/Mishandled Delivery Complaint Letter
3. Builder’s Complaint Letter
4. Police Complaint Letter
5. Item Defect Complaint Letter
6. Contractor’s Complaint Letter
7. Pricing Complaint Letter
8. Violation of Terms and Conditions Complaint Letter
9. Medical Complaint Letter
10. Business Correspondence Complaint Letter
11. Bank Loan Complaint Letter (sample)
12. Food Quality Complaint Letter
13. Landlord Complaint Letter
14. Harassment Complaint Letter
15. Complaint Letter about Radio/TV Broadcast
16. Service Complaint Letter (sample)

We will be discussing here the format of a basic complaint letter.

Format of a Complaint Letter:

Your complaint letter should be written in the following manner:

1. Firstly mention your name, address, city state, zip code, email address and phone number as part of your contact information so that they can write you back if they reply to your query and respond to your charges on them.
2. Then add the date of writing the letter.  After that mention the company name, company address, the name of the division. Mentioning the name of the company alone is not sufficient because it hinders clarity. You must have received service from one branch only so your complaint should be directed towards them and not the company in general unless there are no division or branches.
3. Then add a proper subject line.
4. Give a proper salutation like, “Dear Manager”. You can mention the name of the manager if you know him/her personally, but without being stern.
5. In the first paragraph, define your problem and add the location of where it happened as well as the date of occurrence.
6. In the next paragraph, explain the details regarding the problem. What went wrong, how it happened, is it replaceable or you will be refunded, etc. should be discussed here.
7. If there are any enclosed documents, inform about those too in this section.
8.  In the last paragraph ask or suggest what to do or what will be best for you.
9. Close the letter with a proper salutation and in a good tone.

Tips to Remember:

1. State your expectation after describing the problem, not before that.
2. Dates related to purchase of goods and services should be mentioned.
3. Don’t forget to mention the date when the problem occurred as well.
4. Include a time by which you want the problem to be solved by the authorities.
5. Write the letter with a good tone. But don’t be over-friendly. A cooperative and complementary tone is well preferred.
6. Write the letter in a concise manner so it becomes easy to understand for the reader.
7. The letter should emit a vibe of confidence and convincing because it looks professional that way and professional letters are taken more seriously.
8. Give realistic information so that the reader can resolve your problem easily.
9. Proofread your letter to make it error free.
10. Don’t make the letter too descriptive.