How do I write a complaint email in English?
State the reason and the facts in the first sentence: "I am writing to complain about order 4471, which arrived damaged on 12 March." Then show the impact in one sentence: "As a result, we had to postpone the installation." Finally say exactly what you want and by when — "I would like you to replace the monitors by 21 March" — and close with "I look forward to your reply."
- The three blocks: state the facts, show the impact, ask for a remedy with a deadline.
- "I would like you to …", not "I want that you …": object plus to-infinitive, no that-clause.
- A complaint about goods is a "complaint" — English "reclamation" means something else, such as reclaiming land or materials.
B2 · Business Writing · 10 minThe English complaint email, taught brick by brick.
A structured ten-slide lesson for B2 learners. Hear a complete complaint in context, meet the three building blocks from a tutor — state the facts, show the impact, ask for a remedy with a deadline — then practise them in the interactive drills before a final quiz. The whole arc is under ten minutes and nothing requires a signup.
- CEFR levelB2 · Upper intermediate
- Time to completeAbout 10 minutes
- SkillsWriting, Vocabulary, Listening, Business English
- Bricks10 blocks
01 / 06
What a complaint email has to do
A complaint email is not there to let off steam. It has one job: to get a specific problem solved by a specific date. That is easier when you think about the person who reads it. Often it is someone who had nothing to do with the mistake and who now has to find your order, understand what went wrong and pass it on to the right person. The email also stays on record: it may be forwarded to a manager, attached to a ticket or read again weeks later if the matter escalates. So build it from three blocks rather than writing whatever comes to mind. Block one states the facts: why you are writing, which order or invoice is concerned and what exactly is wrong. Block two shows the impact: what the problem has caused and, where possible, what had been agreed. Block three asks for a remedy with a deadline: what you want and by when. If necessary, it also states what happens next if nothing changes. In that order, even a single sentence does the whole job: "I am writing to complain about order 4471: two monitors arrived damaged, which has delayed our installation, so I would like you to replace them by Friday." Facts, impact, remedy — the reader knows at once what happened, why it matters and what to do.
02 / 06
Block 1: state the facts
The first sentence tells the reader why you are writing and gives them the reference they need to find the case. "I am writing to complain about …" is direct and leaves no doubt. "I am writing regarding …" or "I am writing with regard to …" is more neutral and suits a first contact when you still expect a quick fix. Follow the opener with the reference — an order, invoice or ticket number and a date: "I am writing to complain about order 4471, which we received on 12 March." Then describe the problem exactly. How many items are affected, what is wrong with them, and when did you notice? "Two of the six monitors arrived with cracked screens." "The invoice lists 40 hours, but our timesheets show 32." Precise facts are hard to argue with, while strong adjectives such as "terrible", "unacceptable" or "outrageous" add heat without adding information. If you have evidence — photos, a delivery note, an earlier email — mention that it is attached: "I have attached photos of the damage." The reader can then act without writing back to ask for details.
03 / 06
Block 2: show the impact
The facts tell the reader what went wrong; the second block tells them why it matters. Link the problem to its consequence with "As a result, …", "This has caused …" or "This means that …": "As a result, we had to postpone the installation at our client's office." Where you can, point to what was agreed, because an agreement gives your complaint firm ground to stand on: "According to your order confirmation, delivery was due on 5 March." "Our contract states that faults will be fixed within 48 hours." If you have already raised the matter, say so with the date: "Despite my email of 3 March, I have not yet received a reply." Watch the form here: "despite" is followed directly by a noun or an -ing form — "despite my email", "despite calling twice" — with no "of", whereas "in spite of" does take "of". For a whole clause, use "although": "Although I wrote to you on 3 March, I have not yet received a reply." Keep this block to one or two sentences. The impact should explain the urgency, not turn into a second complaint.
04 / 06
Block 3: ask for a remedy with a deadline
This is the block that decides whether anything happens. Say exactly what you want: a replacement, a repair, a refund, a corrected invoice or a credit note. A vague "Please look into this" gives the reader nothing specific to act on. The two most useful frames are "I would like you to …" and "I would be grateful if you could …": "I would like you to replace the two monitors." "I would be grateful if you could send a corrected invoice." Both are firm and polite at the same time — the request is clear, and the tone leaves room for cooperation. Then add the deadline with "by": "by 21 March", not "until 21 March". "By" marks a point in time by which something is done, while "until" describes how long something continues. If the matter has already dragged on, you can name the next step in a calm conditional: "If I have not heard from you by 21 March, I will have to cancel the order." That sentence works because it is specific, not because it is loud. Close with "I look forward to your reply." or "I look forward to hearing from you." and a sign-off that matches your greeting, such as "Kind regards".
05 / 06
The German traps: want that, reclamation, look forward to
Four places where German leads you astray. First, the that-clause: "Ich möchte, dass Sie die Monitore ersetzen" tempts you into "I want that you replace the monitors" or "I would like that you replace them". Modern English does not normally use a that-clause after "want" or "would like"; instead it puts the person in object position and follows with a to-infinitive: "I want you to replace them", or more politely, "I would like you to replace them". Second, the false friend: German "Reklamation" is a complaint about goods or a service, but English "reclamation" means something else, such as reclaiming land or recovering materials from waste. The words you need are "complaint" and, when you assert a right under a warranty or an insurance policy, "claim", as in "a warranty claim". Third, verb and noun: "complain" is the verb, "complaint" the noun. So "I am writing to complain about …", but "I would like to make a complaint about …". With prepositions, the person comes after "to" and the matter after "about": "I complained to the supplier about the delay", not "I complained the supplier". Fourth, "look forward to": the "to" here is a preposition, so it takes a noun or an -ing form — "I look forward to hearing from you", not "I look forward to hear from you".
06 / 06
Firm, not rude: getting the tone right
A complaint email can be clear without being aggressive. Compare "You must replace the monitors immediately!" with "I would like you to replace the monitors by 21 March." The second sentence also names a specific remedy, sets an explicit deadline and reads as more cooperative. A bare "You must …" or "I demand …" is grammatical, but in a first complaint it can sound harsher than you intend and invite a defensive reply. Capital letters, rows of exclamation marks and sarcasm have the same effect. Softening can go wrong in the other direction too: "Maybe you could perhaps look at this at some point?" is so tentative that it sounds optional. The aim is a polite frame around a clear message: what happened, what it caused, what you want and by when. If you need more pressure later, raise it step by step — first a firmer phrase such as "I must ask you to resolve this by Friday", then the conditional with the next step, then escalation to a manager. Each step stays factual, so your email history looks reasonable to anyone who reads it later.