Letters of complaint terminology

Letter of Complaint (LC)

A formal message expressing dissatisfaction, requesting cooperative action rather than blaming.

Delivery error

An issue where goods are delivered incorrectly, damaged, or not at all.

Product failure

A situation in which the product doesn't meet quality or function expectations.

Poor workmanship

Low-quality execution or assembly of a product or service.

Accounting error

Mistake in financial documents, such as wrong billing or incorrect discounts.

Unreasonable price increase

A sudden or unjustified rise in prices.

Subject line

The line in a letter or email that summarizes the content and provides reference (e.g. order number).

Passive voice

A grammatical structure used to sound neutral and impersonal (e.g. "There appears to be an error").

Objective language

Language that is neutral, fact-based, and non-emotional.

Polite and impersonal style

A respectful tone that avoids direct blame and uses general phrasing.

Acknowledge receipt

Confirming that a complaint has been received.

Adjustment

A corrective action taken to resolve a complaint (e.g. refund, replacement).

Accepting responsibility

Admitting the error and offering a solution.

Rejecting the complaint

Explaining why a complaint is not valid, with evidence.

Cooperative tone

Tone that anticipates collaboration and mutual solution-finding.

Principle of Cooperation

Communication based on mutual understanding and shared goals.

Principle of Flexibility

Being open to compromise and adapting to the situation.

Principle of Empathy

Showing understanding and considering the customer's perspective.

Impersonal constructions

Use of 'there is', 'it appears', etc., to avoid blaming language.

Modal verbs

Verbs like "could", "would", "shall", used to express polite requests or intentions.