3.2. Points to consider

• The nature (reason) of the complaint should be clearly stated in the first paragraph.

• Each aspect of the topic should be presented in a separate paragraph containing a clear topic sentence.

• Each complaint should be supported by clear justification.

• Mild or strong language can be used depending on the writer’s feelings and the seriousness of the complaint, but abusive language must never be used.

(Successful Writing. Proficiency. St’s book. p.101)

3.3. Sample letters

Dear Sir/ Madam, I am writing to complain about my dreadful experience traveling on the Eagle Airlines Flight 6048 from Gatwick to Rio de Janeiro on 26th March at 10.35pm. On arrival in Rio, we were told that our luggage could not be taken off the aircraft and that the plane was heading back to London with our luggage on it. We were given no explanation as to why this had happened. After several hours an Eagle Air representative finally appeared. We were informed that the cargo hold of the carrier had jammed and it had been impossible to open it. The representative was not at all apologetic and, to make matters even worse, we then had to wait over an hour in order to fill in the relevant forms. I was told that my luggage would arrive the next day and therefore decided to delay my departure for São Paulo. In fact, I was forced to wait five days for my luggage to be returned to me, causing me great personal inconvenience and expense. I had gone to Brazil to give a business presentation which, of course, I was unable to do as I was without my clothes and papers. Naturally, I have serious doubts about using Eagle Airlines again. I enclose details of the extra expenses which I incurred while waiting for my luggage. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, James Price James Price (First Certificate Star)

Dear Sir or Madam, I have just returned from a holiday in Florida, which was arranged by your company. Regrettably, the holiday did not meet my expectations. It was supposed to be a dream holiday, but in fact it turned out to be a nightmare. I feel that your company should accept responsibility, as much of the information in your advert was misleading or inaccurate. First of all, your advertisement offered a bargain price. It failed to mention all extra charges which were not included. It stated that there was a choice of moderately priced restaurants, but in fact they were very expensive. It offered budget rate car hire but, as it turned out, only expensive cars were available. As regards the hotel amenities, there was only one swimming pool, not three as claimed in your advertisement, and it was very dirty. The hotel was not ‘close’ to the beach, but at least two miles away. In addition, the air conditioning did not function properly and the fridge in my room was always empty. To make matters worse, the staff were rude and unhelpful, as well as badly dressed. On top of everything else, we were promised convenience transfers to and from the local airport, but, in fact, the airport was 200 kilometers away. I was exhausted before the holiday even started As compensation for what I have suffered, I feel that I am entitled to a full refund. I would be grateful if you would reply by return of post, letting me know what you propose to do. Yours faithfully, Angela Rogers Angela Rogers (Fast Track to CAE. T’s book. p.36)

Writing topics bank pp.79-84

3B LETTERS OF APOLOGY

If you have received a letter of complaint, it is polite to reply to it. We all make mistakes from time to time. When that happens, it is worthwhile to mend the situation. One way of patching things up is by writing a letter of apology to say you are sorry.

The purpose of writing a letter of apology is to explain the reason(s) for the problems stated in the letter of complaint and to ensure that the situation will be resolved/ improved. You may also offer some form of compensation. It can be written when someone has made a mistake, has failed to perform a duty or is not able to fulfill a promise.

You may need to write a personal apology or a formal or business letter of apology. In either case, send the letter soon to show that you really value your relationship with the other party. The only thing that could be worse than sending a letter of apology late or not at all is sending one with mistakes, because it will look like you really don’t care.

A letter of apology is written in a formal style (or in an informal style) and requires a dignified and polite tone.