What is Complaint Letter in Business Communication?

What is complaint letter -definition of complaint letter, meaning of complaint letter, Types of Complaints Letter. Letters which are written by the customers to the sellers about their inconveniences created by some unexpected situations are known as complaint letters. However efficient an organization may be in running a business, everything does not go all the time according to plan. There will be some mistake and some accidents. Important service are sometimes rendered unsatisfactorily; goods are consigned to wrong destinations, sometimes too late, sometimes in less than the required quantities, sometimes in damaged condition.

What is complaint letter

Letter written to bring these mistakes to the notice of those who must own the responsibilities for them are called claim or complaint letters. So, when a letter is written to the seller by the buyer raising complaints or claims regarding mistakes taken place during the order to payment period is called a claim or complaint letter.

What is complaint letter
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What-is-complaint-letter

Types of Complaints Letter

Though there are various types of complaints raised in the course of business dealings, they can be grouped into two major groups- routine complaints and persuasive complaints. These are discussed below-

  • Routine Complaint Letter: A routine complaint letter is written in the cased where the mistakes are considerable and routine in nature. In such cases request for correction is supposed to be complied quickly and willingly without persuasion. For example, the quoted price of an item was 500$ but the supplier charged 550$ per item. This type of mistake is brought to the supplier’s notice by routine complaint letter. This type of claim is usually managed or satisfied by the sellers.
  • Persuasive Complaint Letter: A persuasive complaint letter is written in the cases where the buyer is to convince the seller to correct the mistakes occurred. For example, the quoted price of an item was 400$ per unit while placing the order but after placing the order the price was reduced to 300$ per unit. This type of mistake is brought to the supplier’s notice by persuasive complaint letter. The seller is not legally bound to pay attention to this type of claim.

Sources of Mistakes giving Rise to Complaints

In case of fulfillment of order, buyers can raise their complaints against the suppliers due to various reasons. Followings are some common sources of mistakes that give rise to complaints by the buyers-

  • Incomplete or defective order
  • Abnormal delay in sending the consignment
  • The goods arrive in a damaged condition
  • The goods are not what were ordered
  • Quantity of goods is not what was ordered
  • Goods are delivered at the wrong place
  • Work undertaken is done unsatisfactorily
  • Misbehavior of staff or salesman
  • Mistake by the accounts section in preparing the invoice
  • Defective packing that might lead to the damage of goods in transit
  • Mistakes in a bill or reminders for payment after the bill has been paid
  • Dispatching products of wrong quality, color, brand, pattern and defective pieces of goods etc

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