Complaint to a company

How to use it well

• →Lead with the reference number and date — the person reading triages by whether they can pull up the order in ten seconds, not by how aggrieved you sound.
• →State the remedy you actually want (refund, replacement, credit) rather than just the problem; unspecified complaints get generic apologies instead of resolutions.
• →Put a real but reasonable deadline in writing — it gives you a clean point to escalate from if nothing happens, without reading as a threat.

Part by part

Complaint regarding order {{order_number}}

The subject carries the order number, so the message routes correctly and can be found later without searching the body.

placed on {{order_date}}

Establishes the timeline immediately, which is what determines whether a return window or statutory right applies.

To resolve this, I'm requesting {{remedy}}

States the remedy you want. A complaint without one invites an apology, which resolves nothing and starts a second exchange.

I'd appreciate a response by {{deadline}}

A stated date creates a checkpoint. It also establishes a record of reasonable notice if the matter escalates.

Common mistakes

• I'm really unhappy with my recent order.

  No order number, no date, no requested remedy. Support cannot act on it and will reply asking for all three, which adds a round trip before anything begins.

• This is unacceptable and I want it sorted immediately.

  Anger without specifics gives an agent nothing to work with and often nothing they can escalate. The detail is what gets a case moved; the tone rarely does.

• Leaving out what you actually want.

  Companies resolve to the cheapest acceptable outcome. If you do not name replacement, refund or repair, you will be offered whichever they prefer.

Questions