Have you ever bought something and then found that it was fake or that it was damaged? Have you been to a restaurant or a store where the staff was unprofessional and customer service was very poor?

It can be so frustrating when this kind of thing happens to you, especially when you have spent money on something that is so disappointing. In these circumstances, most of us would like to write a really effective letter of complaint, but that can be harder than it seems. Worry not, as these email templates will tell you exactly what to say when you’re writing a complaint.

Illustrations courtesy of Shutterstock.

Illustrations courtesy of Shutterstock.

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Email Template 1 | Fake Product Complaint

Dear [Insert Name],

I am writing to you to let you know how disappointed I am with a product I purchased recently. Last week, I bought your new [insert product], from your store in [insert location], after I’d read great reviews of it online and I really liked the look of it.

I was so disappointed when I got home and took the item out of the packaging, as it was immediately obvious that it was a fake product. The quality was poor and it was nothing like the genuine product that I assumed I was buying.

I am surprised that such a well-known and respected company could allow fake products to be distributed in this way. Of course, I would like a full refund for my purchase, as it is not a genuine product. I would also like an explanation of how this fake product was allowed through your quality controls, and an assurance that this will not happen again.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss this matter and to outline how to intend to rectify the situation.

Best regards,

[Insert Your Name]

This template is specifically for complaints about products that are not genuine. If the item you bought was damaged, you could amend the template to reflect this or use template 4.

Email Template 2 | Unprofessional Employees Complaint

Dear [Insert Name],

I have been very fond of your beauty salon and have been going there for the past year, because of the exceptional, budget friendly services you provide for your clients.  It’s been a very long time since I last visited, I couldn’t help but notice at my appointment today that you had a lot of new staff, because I saw many new faces I hadn’t seen before.

I came to your salon around 1pm, and I had limited time. Luckily, there weren’t many customers, so I asked a new staff member [Insert Name] to cut my hair the way I wanted it. She started cutting my hair but then her phone rang and she moved to the side to answer the call. I kept waiting for her to come back, but I could see her standing around and giggling on the phone.

My appointment took far longer than it should have done because of this, and I was very late back to work. My stylist’s attention was not on the job in hand, even after she finally finished the phone call.Your employees shouldn’t be allowed to answer their phones while they’re on duty and this highly unprofessional attitude  has left me completely speechless. Your staff should always put the customer first, and they should always be polite. I am so very disappointed in this attitude and I don’t think I can come back to your salon again.

I hope you will take this complaint seriously and take some action against the rude and unprofessional behaviour of [Insert Name].

Yours faithfully,
[Insert Your Name]

Email Template 3 | Poor Delivery Service Complaint

Dear [Insert Name],

I was so excited when I learned that your food brand ‘[Insert Name]’ had introduced a home delivery service. Your company’s pizzas are my favourite and since your restaurant is quite a distance from where I live, I  haven’t been able to enjoy your food as often as I’d like.

As soon as your delivery service launched, I placed my first order by phone, and was told that it would be delivered in 30 minutes. In fact, the order didn’t arrive for more than two hours. I called twice to check the progress of the order. Initially, I was told that the driver was on the way, but the second time, I was told that my order had been cancelled and that I would have to order again. All of this was very unprofessional, and I was left to chase my order myself, rather than being kept informed of the issues.

Despite this poor service, I did place another order. This was delivered an hour late, and when I opened it, I found that it was cold, and that the wrong pizzas had been delivered. The whole experience was a complete waste of time and money.

I trust that you will take my feedback on board and investigate this matter thoroughly. I am sure you will agree that it falls far short of the levels of service that customers should expect from your company.

I look forward to hearing from you shortly, to let me know how you plan to address the issue.

Best regards,
[Insert Your Name]

This template explains in detail how your experience fell short of your expectations. It sticks to the facts and does not exaggerate or get carried away. By remaining calm and professional in your contact, you stand the best chance of getting a positive outcome.

Email Template 4 | Damaged Product Complaint

Dear [Insert Name],

I recently purchased an item from your company, which was damaged, and I’m writing to you to arrange for a refund to be issued Last week, I bought a DSLR Camera from your store and I took it home to unpack it. To say I was very excited would be an understatement, but my excitement was short-lived, as I immediately saw a crack on the screen.

The camera was brand new yet it still had a crack on the left side of the screen. I was shocked, but still I carefully picked it out and tried to switch on the camera. The power button took longer than usual to switch on and when it did, it made a strange sound.  I put the product back in the box and repacked it. I didn’t even use it to see if there were any other faults..

As this item was damaged before I bought it, I would like a full refund. I have attached pictures of the damaged camera and a receipt for  my purchase. I hope you are able to identify what went wrong at the packaging stage, and I can return the camera to your store once my refund has been agreed.

Yours faithfully,
[Insert Your Name]

Email Template 5 | Incorrect Charges Complaint

Dear [Insert Name],

I had the pleasure of bringing my partner to your restaurant yesterday for our anniversary dinner, and where we ordered 2 steaks, a plate of mozzarella sticks and 2 drinks. We ate our dinner and enjoyed the meal, and then I called for the bill. When I checked, I noticed I was being charged for three drinks instead of two and the price of the steaks was  more than what was shown on the menu. Thinking that this must be a human error, I politely called the waiter and asked him to recheck the prices written on the bill. He came back and said that the menu had been revised and there was nothing he could do.

I then went to the cashier and explained everything, and he said that he’d look into it and get back to me. He then ignored me completely and served two other people.Slowly losing my patience I called for the manager, and after 20 minutes of waiting, the waiter came and said that the manager had left the restaurant as his shift had ended.

I had no choice but to pay the full bill and leave. The cashier on duty was called [Insert Name] and the waiter for our table was ‘[Insert Name]. This unfair treatment has completely left us both amazed, and we would ask you to kindly look into this matter and see why we were over-charged. We would also like you to refund the amount that was over-charged. We are really disappointed and hope that you will take this matter seriously and find out what went wrong.

Yours faithfully,
[Insert Name]

After these complaints are sent, you need to give the recipient time to investigate and reply. Don’t be tempted to fire off another email if you don’t hear back within an hour, as you are more likely to become angry if you do. Most businesses want happy customers and are more than likely to be attentive to your needs so long as they are aware of the issue.

At Never the Right Word, our aim is to give you practical examples of how to handle life’s difficult conversations. If you have an awkward situation that you’d like example templates for, request a topic here.  

If you’re interested in further reading, we’ve also included links to our trusted resources and related posts below. To find out more about NTRW and our recommended tools, you can do that here.

Lastly, if you found this content helpful or want to share your own examples, let us know in the comments. We’d also be delighted if you shared this article and joined us on social media too!

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