10 Tips for Writing Customer Service Complaint Letters

In a dream world, things do not break down just when we need them. Or better still just as the warranty runs out. As it stands, we live in the real world and indeed whether it is the car or the toaster, things will invariably break down.

I am against extended warranties. My friend and I usually have a disagreement on this issue; sometimes he wins and there are times I am able to say I told you so. To me it seems a waste of money to purchase an extended warranty, when the way I figure it, any manufactured item should be made to last for a year at least and longer according to the expense of the item.

I won’t prolong the point as the idea of the blog today is tips on writing letters of complaints. By writing letters, we do not have to deal with language barriers that we run into on the phone.

It stands to reason there is a department of any manufacturing or service company that handles complaints.

Getting your complaint to the right person and for sure the correct department will hopefully hasten a response. Typing your letter will be better than hand written, however if you are not equipped to type then make extra sure your handwritten letter is legible and free of muss.
Date the letter
Name of the Company
Address it as you would any letter with city, state, zip. Adding: ATTN: (name of person or department to whom the complaint is addressed)
Give the date of purchase and having a copy of the receipt and where you purchased the item is of great value, as well as the serial number and model. Be brief and to the point of what you perceive the problem to be. Also let them know what you expect them to do about it. It isn’t necessary to be sarcastic or rude, there may be time for that later, but to this point you have not dealt with anyone rude. Realistically you have a malfunctioning product you want replaced, repaired or refunded. So tell them about it.
Let them know how much time you will reasonably give them to handle the problem. Include your contact information and your hours available to take their call.
You might want to ask if the item should be returned for exchange.
Make copies of all the receipts, and other pertinent information that goes with the product.
Don’t send your originals. Send copies.
I am old fashioned enough to still sign my letters with “Sincerely Yours”, or “Yours Truly”. It exudes professionalism on your part. It is a tried and true closing to a business letter.

Hopefully you will not have to write a complaint letter. Nevertheless, should you find yourself with that necessity, you can use this simple list to get your letter on the way to the proper person, and hopefully get a response within a reasonable time. Until later remember, remember things will break and can most time be repaired or replaced. So don’t sweat the small stuff.