A formal letter

Så fungerar det

We want to get a result from an organisation politely and clearly. A formal complaint states what happened (with dates and details), explains the problem, says what you would like the organisation to do and closes politely.

Formal English prefers full forms (I am, not I'm), polite requests (I would be grateful if you could …) and a neutral tone, even when you are annoyed. Dear Sir or Madam can be replaced by Dear Customer Services or To whom it may concern when you do not know the name.

I would be grateful if you could refund the cost of the ticket.

A complaint and a reply

Dear Customer Services, I am writing to complain about a journey I made with your company on 14 March. I had booked a seat on the 08:15 train from York to Edinburgh, as I was travelling to an interview for a summer job at a museum. Unfortunately, the train was cancelled at very short notice, and no announcement was made on the platform. I only found out when I checked the app at 08:20. The next train left at 09:40 and was so crowded that I had to stand for the whole journey. As a result, I arrived forty-five minutes late for my interview. Although the museum was understanding, the situation was extremely stressful. I understand that cancellations can happen. However, I believe that passengers should be informed clearly and in good time. I would be grateful if you could refund the cost of my ticket and explain why no announcement was made. I have attached a copy of my ticket and the confirmation of my booking. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Sam Carter Dear Sam, Thank you for contacting us, and please accept our sincere apologies for the disruption to your journey on 14 March. The 08:15 service was cancelled because of a signal failure north of York. You are quite right that an announcement should have been made. We have shared your feedback with the station team so that this does not happen again. We have refunded the full cost of your ticket to the card you used, and we have also included a voucher for a free return journey. We hope your interview went well. Kind regards, Priya Shah, Customer Relations

Källor

1. Kursplan i engelska, Lgr22, Skolverket