‘q. Letters of Complaint 1° Gd You will hear two people discussing a letter which one of them is going to send. Listen to the cassette and answer the questions below. a) What is the main purpose of the letter? b) What complaints does Cathy make in her letter? ©) What does Cathy want the manufacturer tod 4) What is Cathy going to do if her letter is ignored? YY + sorrel letter of complaints written to complain about a problem which has arisen (@.g. fauity merchandise, rude staf, inaccurate information, etc). It should explain the reasons for the complaint, and usually includes a suggestionitequest/ demand conceming what should be done (ag. refund, compensation, et). ‘@ Mi or strong language can be used depending on the wrter’s feelings and the seriousnese of the complaint, but abusive language must never be used .9.Mild Complaint: ‘1am wring to complain about a factual eror in yesterday's rewspaper. |Lhope that you will give this matter your prampt attention. Strong Complaint: 11am wnting to express my strong disapproval conceming the offensive behaviour of {Introduction an employes at your company’s Winchester Road branch. Paragraph 4 | demand ful, writen apovogy or! wil be forced to take legal action. © The nature ofthe complaint should be clearly stated inthe fist paragraph. Each aspect of the topic should be presented in a separate paragraph containing a clear topic state reason(s) for writing sentence Each complaht shoul be suppored by cee bticaon, Moin Body Useful Language Paragraphs 2-3 : state complaint(s) with © To.begin letters: justification Mild complaint ram arte ta Empl abou daw your anton tthe prod) Paragraphs 4-5* 3 xpress my dsappainiment/issalstacton with suggest what should be Strong complaint done Tam wtting to express my annoyance/exteme dissatetacion wih anger at potest about rogram vm yus how apparel wae Coneiusion © Toend eters: Final Paragraph Mild complaint |e deat wthtesoWed as soon as possible. losing remarks hopertust his matter wi | recehve your media attrion, Full name not be treated light. | eel that you should [lam entited to compensationia refundla replacement ihe exact umber and GN sion of paragraphs will Strong complaint depend on the specitic I (must) inst on ./insst (hat) demand am you that instuctions for each letter Unless this materi resolved ..Uniess satisfactory compensation is offered iarking tok | wil have no choice but tol will be forced to take futherilegal action. 10Unit 7d Letters of Comptai 2 Read the instructions and the model letter below and find the topic sen- tence of each paragraph. Then, underline any phrases which you feel Linking Words are too informal for a letter of this kind, as in the example. (The num- ‘Complaints and justifications can be bers in circles indicate the lines which contain the informal phrases.) © linked together as follows: Replace these with the phrases from the list below. | purchased the camcorder only a month ago but the rewind button does not {uncton properly a) compensate me for, b) otherwise I will be forced to, ¢) 1 am writing to, express my exceme dissatisfaction with, d Tinsisthatyou,e) Despite my _ptchaseel the camcorder a month ago, objections, f) Having no other alternative, g) I therefore request that you, button does nat function property. by Contrary to what I had been told The rewind button does not function propely in spite of / despite the fact that | purchased the camcorder only a month You recently hired a car for a part of your holiday. However, there were ago. several problems with the arrangements, Write a letter of complaint to Although / Even though | purchased the the manager/manageress explaining the problems and requesting com- camcorder only a month ago, the rewind pensation. button does not function property 3 Match the complaints and justifica- ure cing this because I'm really upset about the service | received tions below, then join them using ~ when | rented one of your carson 20th July. appropriate linking words/phrases. Firstly, |had specifically requested @ fourdoor model, However, | Was iver aimaller two-door version which, apart from being too small for Complaints 7 needs, was clearly in need of extensive repair. | ‘moaned about it but The goods we ordered have not been Orne ‘cmplayees informed me that it was the only ear available and Dera assured me that it was in perfect order. | couldn’ do anything else, so! ‘3 Oui winnie ure luave Ueeinn Gull accepted the vehicle. 3 The batteries died after a few hours. © Although they sai The hotel was an hour's drive from the ! | things id there weren't, there were, in fact, several fact that | had driven it for only one Despite the , aoone rce to stop when the engine sowed signs of overeating a j Having added two res of water tothe radiator, | was cle to contin 5 The film was too long and very boring, ue although during the course of my journey a knocking sound from Merabelrabiadys doi snaiycainel the engine became increasingly persistent and the windscreen wipers ie 7 The mascara made my eyes water. stopped working My subsequent journey was most uncomfortable. Not only di | Rave i t roadworthy, but |also had to My daughter's wateh stopped after she swam orry of driving u cur which was one sopen He arvasion to rfl the radiator. Finally, I had no choice but fet to leave the car at your Oxford branch and continue my journey using ana wublic transport. : The label on the packet claims they are long f acted irresponsibly in issuing a car whick lasting ir loyees Le iain believe | am entitled to compensation for Tot safe w dive, and | bb We were tld they would not love their hin © te interuption to my haiday, 0 want you to send me the sum of eee dvi '£200 to cover the cost of my train ticket and to Ce me Jee etter aie de da Ges a ec aa reed to suffer as a result of your negligence, e were told it was within walking distance. afer the eae eter eh urgent attention, or else | really ¢ The manufacturer claims it is hypoallergenic. B witnave to take legal ection £ The tralr suid it would keep me on the edge of my seat a Jaithfully, The package label states that itis water 5. Mallison proof Hr. Hallison You said it was guaranteed to stay sharp for five years 102Unit 7d Letters of Complaint 4 Read the instructions and model I ea letter, and complete the paragraph ing the topic of each paragraph. Then, fill in the blanks in the letter wit | tint Sect te vordsan be wed mre tana hte words an res be reason for writing in the meant ; eating, therefore, not only... but also, while, neverthele ee 1s, furthermore, as a result, although, since cn i‘ You are a regular ct uustomer of a k You ae gy local restau Tower, you al he andres had copped sigh. ea , Write a letter explaining why y you were di fete expan wy yo u were disappointed and suggesing what coud vear mr seward, Zi tr ath regret that | feel | must write [0 express my - ésoppointment atthe quality of food and service | ‘sapped at your restaurant yesterday, vers Acces Your, food IS usualy of a very high gndard 1 felt that, on this occasion, the meal left a lot ie desired. The preparation and ‘presentation seemed furried and careless. (2) nn « miter my guest marr elt inclined to finish our med! (8) nes mene service was not wat | have cee expect from your establishment OM waiter was cae satentive and sto, (4) Mot Only «1 taking our vier. butt also .. in bringing the disres (6). oerreason for my visit was to entertai, & lent, | was vemenhat. disturbed at the apparent fail in standards. on commas of my previous experience of Yow restaurant, | tea promised my quest an especially memorable dinner, Med WS. (6) wnnnnnenee HEED ‘embarrassed to be proved entirely wrong might 1 suggest that, as the manage it would be advis- able for you to oversee the preparation of food person Gy, (2) mre realise the work qoked. in running @ restaurant iS Very demanding, | (8) e feel that the standard of the food served is of utmost importance t would recommend @).-- of utmom that. you give this matter Your Urgent attention. Regarding the service, 1 would 2v9geet that you speak tothe waiter concerned to ensure that other customers to ot siitarly inconvenienced. Ths would help your ore auront. maintain its welrdeserved reputation. stawrant gward to hearing from you as soon oy poss Ble, (10) nnn vem» ERope you will take my comments into consideration Yours sincerely, BA. Hogan PA. Hogan 103Unil 7d Letters of Complaint 5 Read the instructions below and the beginnings and endings from letters of complaint, Then match the beginnings and endings and say whether the language in each pair is mild, strong or abusive. Which level of language would be most appropriate forthe situation described? You recently travelled by coach and were very disappointed with the ser- vice provided by the staff, and the delays you encountered. Write a letter to the company to complain and to demand compensation. 104 SOAS discalsocton wih fe” appa tmp seve | exprtmet or 2 1 am writing to complain about the poor quality of the service | experienced on one of your coaches from Cardiff te Caventry on 2ath May. 3 1am writing to draw your atten: tion (if you have any, which | doubt) to the fact that the stati who ‘served’ us on your Carditi to-Coventry coach on 24th May are incompetent, idle fools. 6 Read the following situations, and say whether mild oF strong would be more appropriate for a letter conce nd write a suitable beginning and ending for a choose fwo situations letter of complaint about each Na AA TES A | hope that you will look into pany wilimprove B Organise your pititul company efficiently and stop cheating the public by charging outra Ge0us prices for fifth-rate ser. vice, € | insist that my wife and | re- ceive a full refund of the price Of our tickets, and must warn you that unless this matter is Tesolved at once | will not hes- itate to take legal action ig each one, Then, 1 your neighbour's dog barks at night — you can't sleep the hotel receptionist forgot to 1 your wake-up call — you over- slept, missed your flight and had to pay for another ticket 5 you found a piece of glass im a packet ot trozen tood — you nearly swallowed it 4 the TV guide always has inaccuracies concerning dates and times — you can’t be sure what programmes will be shown were extremely disappointed 6 there was no lifeguard on duty at the public swimmi child almost drowned the birthday cake you ordered wasn't delivered on time — the children 1001 — your 7 Look at the following writing task instructions and then answer the questions below. The questions apply to both tasks. a) Youare the manager of a supermarket which is losing customers because ‘employees of the company next door park their cars in the parking area. Write a letter of com- plaint to the company and suggest what should be done. 'b) You have noticed that students at your son's school are often left unattend- ed. Write a letter of complaint to the headmaster and ask him to ensure that the situation does not continue. © What greeting would you use? © What is the main purpose for writing the letter? © What is the additional purpose? © What paragraph plan would you use? © What useful expressions could you use as opening and closing remarks? # How would you sign the letter? 8B Choose ONE of the writing tasks above, and write a complete para- graph plan with notes. Then write the letter in about 300 words.P, Letters of Apology © Ifyou have received a letter of complain, i is polite to reply to it. The purpose for writing a letter of apology isto explain the reason(s) for the problems stated in the latter of complaint andl to ensure thatthe situation wil ha resolved/improved, You ‘may also offer some form of comcensation ‘© Aletter of apology is written in a formal style and requires a dignfed and polite tone. (© You should deal with each aspectof the complaint in a separate paragraph. Useful Language (© Opening remarks: Hain writing fo apologise for. joe my apologies fr Please accept my/our sincere/prof.se apologies for (the unavoidable delay, etc) | mustiwould like to apologise for (he unfortunate contusion, etc) (© To introduce new points: With regard to/As regards ‘As far as. isare concerned Firstly/Fist of allSecondly/Finally, (© Toemphasise what you say: Clearty/Obviously Needless to say. © To express reali In facts 2 mattor of fact/Actualyindood, © Making amends: Please allow me to offer/suggest .. as compensation (fr. insist on (+ ing) to make up for your lossiinconvenionce, ote © Closing remarks: Once again, my/our sincere(st) apologies for the inconvenience caused, | hope that you will accept my apologies/that my apologias will be accepted. ' nope that you can forgive/overlook this regrettable eror. 1 Fill in the correct words/phrases from the list below, Try to include them in your letters. inevitable, gift voucher, isolated incident, circumstances beyond our control, at your disposal, compliments, complimentary, oversight 1 Lassure you that this is a(n) .. (single occurrence which is, unlikely to happen again) 2 Unfortunately due 1 an altemative venue forthe concer. Gomethine Whi Failure to repair the equipment was due to a(n) {failure to notice something) 4 tis 3 Weare delighted to enclose by way of compensation. (free) 6 Accomplete refund cannot be given but a(n) for the amount has been enclosed. (token) ‘we will noc be able 0 often Shwe have no control over) ‘on our par. that our prices will rise periodically. (certain) . tickets for our forthcoming concert, invroauction Paragraph 4 state reason(s) for writing ‘Main Booy Paragraphs 2-3 give explanations Paragraph 4 suggest compensation Conetsion Final Paragraph closing remarks Full name 7 Please accept the enclosed with our ... - (regards) 8 Inlightof your previous expe- rience, 1 would lke to assure you that all computers will be + (available for use se whenever you like) i in the gaps suitable preposition. 1 This situation was due aan oversight, which resulted a breakdown in com- munication and led your losing the contract. 2° The company cannot be held responsible ...... any inconvenience caused as a result... bad weather. Unfortunately, our client is NO obligation o offer any ‘compensation according the terms of the contract, 10Unit 7e Letters of Apology 3 This letter of apology is a reply to the letter of complaint on page 102. Read the model letter and correct the punctuation errors in the sen- tences indicated by a number. Then, gi the topic of each paragraph. Finally, underline all exam- ples of useful lan- guage for apolo and replace them © Dear me Mallison, In response to your leer regarding the unstisfoc i ing the unstisfactory service that Le tacsned when rening a car onthe 20 uy 1 wold le to bean by 33 MY sincere apologies for the inconvenience that you @ Firstly, the problem of being given the wrong cor; needless to soy De smaler one; occured beccwse the orignal car ther had boon 10h for your had not been retuned by the time you arrived Unfortunatly, the perton who hod rented the cat prior 19 yon hed ot odd Yo the rl per egy ged nd ox oe @wos two doy's late in retuning i We were uncble. to contact him toed therefore hod to provide you with another vehicle. All of our @four door models were ot that time tented out, and rather than not Providing you will any cor at all, we wore forced ie piece smaller two-door model instead deta a8 regards the problems encountered with the engine ond the sereen wipers, these were unforti cpr ae oe unfortuncte mishaps that could no! have een foreseen before rental Eoch time @ car is returned to us, it crtomatically undergoes u rigoraus mspection before being given’ on inspection poss shest. Our records show that this porticular ‘car hed posses ech inspection stage successfully which leads myself and the tmochanics concerned fo beleve ‘hat the problems occured oles th car had been rented 10 you. - This is woly 9 regrettable occurence. Pease low me to offer you Ere by way of compensetion and to contribute towards the cost of your train ticket. in addition to this | would also like to offer @yov our newest model, o luxurious Fourdoor Rover for a sae ore Period af time most conenien for you. | hope this offer vil ce afr the sensing ey yo enainered ad wl your confidence in our Company as a ‘customer-friendly exgonization Moy | apologise again for thi M lier 2 is inconvenionce. Meanwhile, | look forward to hearing from you to arrange a suitable dete for ren ‘our courtesy car a Yours sincerely, B. Robins Mr J. Robins (Monager) Se ILE eee 106 4 Look at the following writing task instructions and answer the ‘questions below. The questions apply to all three tasks, a) As the owner of a gym, you have recently received a number of com- plaints concerning the state of the ‘changing rooms, the bad condition of equipment and overcrowded classes. Write a letter apologising for these problems, explaining the reasons and giving details of what you intend to do to rectify the sit- uation. 1) Write a letter of apology in reply to the letter of complaint on p. 103. © Asa sales representative of a large manufacturing company you have received several letters from a ‘customer complaining about a long delay in the delivery of goods on ‘order. Write a letter of apology to the customer explaining why the goods have not been delivered and giving information concerning dates and ‘means of shipment of a new delivery. © What greeting would you-use? © What is the main purpose for writing the letter? © What is the additional purpose? © What paragraph plan would you use’? © What useful expressions would you use as opening and closing remarks? © How would you sign the letter? 5 Choose ONE of the writing tasks above, and write a complete para- ‘graph plan with notes. Then write the letter in about 300 words.