An official letter of complaint about a superior should be formatted in formal business letter style. An employee pointing out an area of dissatisfaction may worry that such a letter may create negative repercussions to his/her career. Nonetheless, writing and sending such a letter when it is appropriate serves as official documentation of a genuine complaint.

It is usually given only after initial discussion with the person occupying the higher position has failed. The letter of complaint for a superior must be short, factual, courteous and professional, and may be coursed to the head of the Human Resources and Administration Department.

A letter of complaint for a superior must state the details of the complaint but should stick to the facts and avoid being emotional.

Sample Letter

17 June 2010

Mr. David McKenna
Human Resources and Development Manager
Norfolk International, Inc.
555 Anton Blvd., Suite 900
Costa Mesa, CA

Dear Mr. McKenna:
As per Norfolk International, Inc.’s policies, please consider this letter a formal complaint against Mr. Santi Picornell for Verbal Harassment.

On several occasions that included January 15, 2010 and May 20, 2010, scenes at the Executive Boardroom included Mr. Picornell repeatedly telling everyone present sexually-oriented jokes and using degrading words while referring to parts of the female anatomy. In both of these occasions, he would direct his comments at me. These instances of using of sexually explicit language to ridicule me were made within hearing distance of others.

Throughout this event, Mr. Picornell also repeatedly told everyone within earshot that he would have his way with me in no time at all. Mr. Thomas Albrecht and Ms. Mae Torres also witnessed this incident. The aforementioned incident has brought me mental anxiety.

It is my opinion that such behavior does not conform to Norfolk International, Inc.’s policies of appropriate workplace behavior as set out in Chapter Five of the Employee Handbook. I feel violated by Mr. Picornell’s behavior and believe that I have been harassed. I am aware that lodging a complaint against Mr. Santi Picornell will require a formal investigation and I am prepared to participate as needed.

Sincerely,

signed
Lesley Seymour

A letter of complaint intended for a subordinate can be a sensitive matter. As a superior, you may be unfairly judged. Written carefully and respectfully, though, the letter of complaint to a subordinate may produce a positive outcome. As a higher-up, you can do this by not treating the subordinate in a condescending manner.

Try not to keep alluding to your position. The subject of your letter of complaint may be the sloppy work execution, habitual tardiness or absenteeism, or misbehavior of the employee under you. In any case, you can use the letter of complaint as a clear way of effectively giving orders that can help correct the situation or spur positive change/compliance on the part of the subordinate.

Here’s a sample memorandum from a head of a Human Resources and Administration to his immediate staff member:

Sample Memorandum

MEMORANDUM

Date : June 14, 2010

From : Chris Duncan-Webb, Human Resources and Administration VP

To: James Doherty, Executive Assistant

Subject: Notice of Habitual Tardiness

This is to officially bring to your attention that you have been late for work more than four times over the last two weeks. You have been previously notified of your habitual tardiness, but you showed little interest for improvement. Instead, you have shown overall negligence of company policy on attendance.

While you may have the potential to become an excellent administrator, your disregard for company policy on attendance can be a major setback.

Because you have been constantly late, I must warn you that I have noticed the behavior and expect it to stop. It is important that you arrive on time to respond to official telephone calls by 9 a.m. and attend to project updates and other administrative functions.

Please organize your morning routine so you can arrive five minutes before the official workday begins. When you arrive, check in with me at my office. I am sure you will be able to rectify this problem with a little more effort.

Any further violations of company policy or failure to perform in accordance with company standards shall result in a six-day suspension without further warning.

It’s true that anyone can write a complaint letter for the mere reason that it is built into our make up. However, most people do not know how to write an effective complaint letter. An effective complaint letter is one that will get immediate action from the other party.

Complains are usually sent out when a customer or individual is not satisfied with the goods or services they received. Most people do not know how to properly address their concerns. A fairly written complaint letter which you can follow is shown below:

SAMPLE LETTER

April 25, 2010

Michael Jones, Sales Manager
ABC Enterprise
186 South East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

From: Matilde Thomas
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

Dear Mr. Jones,

If you will recall, I recently purchased a hair dryer from your shop on April12, 2010. In fact, you assisted me during my visit at your store. I shopped for the Ultra-Drying Series with a model number UDS-8744. The product was shipped to my home April 16, 2010 with a transaction number is 8755124.

Since then, it has failed to power up three times. After operating for an hour, it would just shut down. The air it blows isn’t hot, as stated in the product description. This item is integral to my business and I haven’t been able to properly use because of this obvious defect. This is not good, and has cost me a substantial amount of money.

I would like to have this product immediately replaced with a working unit of the same brand or model within 3 days. If you cannot provide me with a replacement, I would like to return the unit I have and for you to refund my payment.

If you need to discuss more with me regarding this issue, please contact me anytime at 872-7777.

Thank you very much!

Sincerely Yours,
Matilde Thomas

When you’re tired and fed up with talking to your neighbor so he or she can settle the issues you have, then maybe it’s time for you to write a complaint letter. If it is about a neighbor, the letter should be addressed to your landlord or to the Home Owners Association (HOA).

The letter needs to be polite specially since you are dealing with people unless you move out. Make sure you clearly identify and explain plainly what the issue is. You can name witnesses if they agree, cite a date on which the latest infraction took place.
Here is an example letter:

SAMPLE LETTER

April 25, 2010

Michael Jones, President
Rosewood Home Owners Association
17 South East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

From: Matilde Thomas
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

Dear Mr. Jones,

I would like to express my dismay with the constant distraction that I and my family are getting from our neighbor’s dog. Mr. Kelly Finn lives at 128 North East Rosewood Street, across our home. I often see Mr. Finn’s dog running around our area. From my personal experience, I know how hard it is to keep a dog within your yard. However, it has been causing a very considerable amount of difficulty not just to me but to our fellow neighbors as well. Whenever the dog gets loose, he constantly digs up on trash cans, eat the delivered newspapers, and leave dog mess in our gardens and yards.

I have already communicated with the Finns regarding my concern last month but it seemed like they did nothing about the issue. That’s why I am writing and would like to your assistance to resolve this issue.

Although it is okay for us that pets are allowed in our own area, I would like to request for you to make it necessary for dogs be confined inside the house or yard to avoid disturbances.

Please let me know if there’s something we can help you with in dealing with this issue. I look forward to hearing from you regarding the resolution of this problem. Please contact me anytime at 872-7777.

Sincerely Yours,
Matilde Thomas

While we all enjoy watching TV or listening to the radio, there are times when we find that the content of the broadcast is offensive or inappropriately presented. There are a variety of reasons which may drive you to write a letter of complaint regarding a certain radio or TV program. Carefully and respectfully explain your reasons.

The purpose of writing such a letter is to inform the station that airing offensive content leads you to turn off the programming. If applicable, encourage the broadcast company to make the necessary, apology, corrections, or retractions. The following serves as an example of this type of letter:

SAMPLE LETTER

John McKay
Broadcaster
XYZ TV
328 Harold Ave
Leonia, NJ 07605

April 27, 2010

Dear Sir:

I am writing this letter to inform you of my utter disappointment with your television show aired on April 20 at 4 p.m. entitled “Today’s the Day.” The show came out without any form of warning, although it was apparent after the first 10 minutes of the show that it was not suitable for young audiences.

The guests in your show continuously used foul and discriminatory language. Swear words used by the guests were not even edited as the show was broadcast. Pardon the language, but I distinctly remember the words faggot, nigger and shit being mentioned in the show.

My five-year-old daughter was watching the show as I cooked at that time, and you can imagine my horror at letting my child watch such a program. It was far too late when I switched to another channel. I hope that you would consider putting an appropriate warning or restriction for the show, and perhaps editing it more properly too.

Thank you and I look forward to your immediate and appropriate response to this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Diaz

When you receive a faulty or damaged product, it is important for you to immediately send out a complaint letter to let the other party know what had happened and so that it can be immediately addressed. For this type of letter, it is necessary that you provide information such as the product name, product code, and the model number. An example of a well-written complaint letter about receiving damaged goods is shown below:

SAMPLE LETTER:

April 25, 2010

To: Saturn Company
456 South West Main Street
Chicago, IL 65432

From: Matilde Thomas
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

Re: PO# 65479290; 8.1MP Saturn Digital Camera Model #S562

Dear Customer Service Manager,

For the past 8 years, I have been purchasing and using your digital camera products and I have been satisfied with the results. However, I recently received a digital camera manufactured by your company.

This letter is to complain about the unsatisfactory service I received when I purchased the 8.1MP Saturn Digital Camera Model # S562 from your local branch at the ABC Mall. Upon the delivery of the product, I found that it was damaged upon opening it. It was missing the lens cap and the memory card slot in the digital camera is heavily scratched even before I used it.

I was expecting a higher level of service from your company, and I am disappointed with how things turned out. This is why I am returning the 8.1MP Saturn Digital Camera Model # S562 for a full refund or a proper exchange for a new one since the product is still within its warranty period.

I have been using many of your products in the past without any trouble. I hope to continue to have a good relationship with your company. I look forward to hearing from you with a resolution to this problem. Please contact me anytime at 872-7777.

Sincerely Yours,
Matilde Thomas

Although it may vary, the standard time frame to complete a delivery is around six to eight weeks. When a company you purchased items from, has not made a delivery within that time frame, nor provided you with the tracking number, you may need to send a complaint letter regarding the delay.

For this kind of letter, you’re not supposed to argue unless you have made calls to follow up on your order. Instead, send a friendly reminder regarding your order and ask for an explanation. Here is a sample letter:

SAMPLE LETTER:

April 25, 2010

To: ABC Clothing Company
459 South West Main Street
Chicago, IL 65432

From: Matilde Thomas
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

Dear Sales Manager,

On the morning of February 19, 2010, I browsed your website and found some items I decided to make a purchase.

In your policy and billing conditions, there is a statement that there will be a prompt delivery of orders upon successful purchase. I checked out the items I chose. After a day, my credit card firm confirmed that the total amount of the items I purchased had been billed to my account, yet I have not received the items yet.

The items are comprised of two pieces of medium-sized tunic tops and a pair of gladiators in size 7. I have requested for these items to be delivered by parcel post to my office address at 175 Tulip St. Garden, KS 47588

All of my previous transactions with your firm have been more than satisfactory, and sincerely hope that future transactions will improve.

This is the first time I am encountering this issue with your company. I look forward to hearing from you regarding a resolution to this matter. Please contact me anytime at 872-7777.

Sincerely Yours,
Matilde Thomas

When you compose a complaint letter about a billing error, it is important that you keep in mind that these errors or mistakes made may not have been intentional.

Do you know of a business that wants to send out erroneous billing to their customers? Probably not, and because most of these businesses want to address their customer’s complaints, it is necessary that you come up with a polite yet firm complaint letter. Here is an example:

SAMPLE LETTER

April 25, 2010

To: ABC Clothing Company
459 South West Main Street
Chicago, IL 65432

From: Matilde Thomas
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

Dear Sales Manager,

On the morning of April 11, 2010, I browsed thru your website and found items I decided to purchase via the Internet.

The total amount of the discounted items I purchased was $127.00 and I settled the payment using my credit card. It was just two days ago when I received my latest credit card bill which shows that I was charged $204 for the items. It is obvious that an error has occurred while processing my bill.

The reference number for the said transaction is 57784200014 and is comprised of the following items:

1. 2 pcs. of medium-sized tunic tops (Model # 11457)
2. 1 pc. of gladiator sandals in size 7 (Model# 58741)

These items were billed to my account on April 11. I have attached a copy of my recent credit card statement, as well as the copy of the transaction report. It can serve as your reference as I require you to immediately make a refund for the erroneous billing.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding the resolution of this problem. Please contact me anytime at 872-7777.

Sincerely Yours,
Matilde Thomas

Writing complaint letters that are both straight-forward and respectful can be difficult to do especially when you’re complaining about is poor customer service. For this type of letter, you should not let your emotions rule over the facts that you need to communicate. It is important that you state the reasons why you are filing a complaint. You should also explain what you want the company to do for you to compensate for the poor customer service you received. Expressing confidence without sounding too arrogant is the key behind writing a successful complaint letter. Below is a sample complaint letter which you can follow:

SAMPLE LETTER:

April 25, 2010

To: Saturn Company
456 South West Main Street
Chicago, IL 65432

From: Matilde Thomas
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

Re: Account Number 8636-876-8001 (Broadband Internet)

Dear Mr. Jones,

On February 19, 2010, I subscribed to your company’s Broadband Internet offer at the ABC Mall.

I am disappointed because the service I have been receiving is unsatisfactory. As indicated in the ad, I was supposed to get 24/7 connection but up until this day, I cannot remember a day when I did not get connection interruption. I’ve been trying to contact your customer support representatives to help me regarding this issue, but it seems that my complaint continue to be unresolved and neglected until this day.

To resolve this issue, I ask that you to deactivate my subscription and refund the payments I have made for the past two months as this is clearly a breach of the contract I signed with your company.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding a resolution of this problem. I will be waiting for a resolution, if I do not hear from you in two weeks, I will be filing a complaint to a higher office. Please contact me anytime at 872-7777.

Sincerely Yours,
Matilde Thomas

Writing complaint letters can be an effective means for resolving an issue you have with someone or something. While there are really no ground rules to follow when writing a complaint letter, you should always remember to be respectful. This is important especially in the case of writing a complaint letter about poor facilities or equipment. Just keep in mind that it is possible that the person who might read you letter is not the one responsible for the problem. An example of an effective yet politely composed complaint letter is as follows:

SAMPLE LETTER:

April 25, 2010

To: Healthy Living Wellness Center
457 South West Main Street
Chicago, IL 65432

From: Matilde Thomas
123 North East Rosewood Street
Chicago, IL 65432

Dear Mr. Jones,

I have been a member of your Healthy Living wellness center for more than three years now. But I recently found some areas of the wellness center that I will no longer visit because of its poor maintenance. I have noticed that the cleaning of the facilities and equipment in the gym has drastically gone down in standards over the past couple of months. There are days when the floors are not swept and the restrooms are not clean. Upon a recent visit to the locker room, I found cockroaches in the lockers which leads me to write this letter.

During the past years, I have been happy with the clean facilities and well-managed equipment in the center. But now, I am considering leaving for another wellness center.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding the resolution to this problem. It is my hope that you will address this matter immediately. My membership dues will be up in a few weeks, at which time I will decide whether to leave your facility if no improvement is evident. Please contact me anytime at 872-7777.

Sincerely Yours,
Matilde Thomas