How to Write a Letter of Complaint and Get Results

Nothing is worse than paying for a product or service and getting less than you are entitled to expect. In such circumstances, your best option for asserting your consumer rights may well be a letter of complaint. Writing a letter of complaint may seem rather old fashioned. After all, most companies have a web site and it is easier to go online and vent about your bad experience with their product or service. While that might feel good, when the momentary blush of satisfaction subsides, you still have your problem with a bad product or service. A good letter of complaint, however, should get some resolution. You may not get fully compensated for all your pain and suffering, whatever that might have been, but you can and should expect reasonable effort from the company to make you whole again - whatever that might entail.

Set Up your Letter

The first thing you need is a valid address for the provider of the goods or services. If the provider is local, you can check the phone book. If you have packaging, user guides, or a contract, you can usually find a good address there.

Online, always check www.yellowpages.com first. Another site, www.hoovers.com, offers addresses for hard to find corporate offices and some officers. For problems with cars and other big ticket items, if you have attempted to resolve the issue with the dealer, look for a regional office.

Next, create a simple letterhead for yourself on your computer. Keep your design simple and professional. Your letter of complaint is a business letter to a business. Even a simple letterhead puts you on a more even footing with the company and it puts your name and contact information up front. For a sample business letter on a simple letterhead, see www.cyberbee.com/science/letpart.html.

Following standard business letter form, enter the inside address and the date and a salutation. If you have a name for the recipient, use it here. If not, use "Dear Sir or Madam:"

Describe the Situation

In a new paragraph, begin a brief and factual description of the situation. This is the most important part of your letter and it is vital that you keep your description free of any and all emotional ranting.

Explicitly assign responsibility for the situation to the company using a clear, direct statement such as, "Clearly, this situation was caused by a defect in your product" or "Clearly, you over-booked this flight. Although I was booked through on another flight, I arrived in Philadelphia well after my connection had departed."

Ask for What You Want

Next, explicitly request a remedy. It is very important to ask for exactly what you want:

"Since my computer is less than 60 days old and key components have been replaced without resolving the performance problems I have described, I am requesting a complete replacement."

"Since my missed connection caused me to lose a full day of vacation time, I am entitled to compensation. I am willing to accept 500 travel miles with no blackout time."

The last thing in your letter is your remedy. Do not add anything else. Most importantly, do not thank the company for their time and attention or their prompt response, or any thing else. All of those things are within either the reader's job description or the company's responsibilities.

A Good Ending

Close the letter with a traditional closing such as "Sincerely."

If you are sending proof of damage such as pictures or copies of previous correspondence, list them as Enclosures after your signature.

Finally, review your letter again to make sure your description is as brief as possible, clear and factual, and free of all emotional venting.

What You Can Expect

Most businesses respond promptly to such letters. One friend received a case of candy bars for one she bought that had only one almond. Another got the regional office for Chevrolet to authorize full replacement for brakes that had been repeatedly repaired under warranty.

If consumer satisfaction is less of a priority the company, you may also get only a token resolution. One letter writer was told that the re-furbished mother board installed to replace the original defective one on her new computer was "as good as a new one." She was not satisfied. Yet, the response to her letter of complaint gave her a name and title she could use for her next step.

That might include a second letter restating her demand for a new computer. Or it might give her evidence if she decides to pursue the problem at a higher level.

Whatever the outcome, a good letter of complaint gives you the possibility of a fair resolution and some times, the results are spectacular. That makes it well worth the time and effort.