GT Writing Task 1 (Letter Writing) Sample # 6
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen but it did not work. You phoned the shop but no action was taken.
Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter:
- describe the problem with the equipment
- explain what happened when you phoned the shop
- say what you would like the manager to do
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Model Answer 1:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I wish to express my utter dissatisfaction both with the microwave oven which I bought from ‘The Kitchen Store’ from your Newton showroom on 24th February 2021 and the poor service that I received from your outlet. On using it for the first time, I found that the oven ran briefly and then stopped.
When I phoned your outlet to report the issue, Ms Angelina, who introduced herself as a receptionist, said that the shop can neither replace it nor offer me a refund! She advised me that it could be sent away for repair. She did not, however, give an assurance about how long a repair would take, and this was really disappointing.
As the oven clearly does not function as it should and therefore does not comply with the legal standards of product quality, I am writing to you to ask for a full refund of the $198 retail price. I am hoping that you would either refund the money or replace the product. If I do not hear from you in the next seven days, I will have no other way than to complain to the Consumer Rights Authority.
I am looking forward to your prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
John Dunsworth
Sample Answer 2:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am Cathrine Turner from Yorkshire, England, have recently purchased a pressure cooker from your store. Unfortunately, it was defective and did not work for me. I am writing to complain about the faulty merchandise and the poor customer service I have received from your shop.
I bought Lakeland 5-litre Pressure Cooker from your Yorkshire City Mall shop on 08th January 2021. My invoice number is VYT#1457B1500 and it was billed to my name. The item comes with a six-month replacement warranty. To my dismay, when I tried to use it, I found that I could not lock the lid once I opened it. After much struggle, I locked it only to find that the pop-up indicator is not functional. There is no use of a pressure cooker that comes with a faulty indicator.
I called the shop immediately and I was forwarded to the customer care department. I called them several times and they did not agree that I was given a defective product and instead instructed me how to properly use the equipment. This was a frustrating experience for me and not a good example of how your customer service representatives handle clients.
I would like you to talk to your sales and customer care employees so that they neither sell faulty products nor do they offer disrespectful customer service. Besides, make sure I get my product replaced immediately.
Yours faithfully,
Cathrine Turner
Tips:
This is a complaint letter, and you need to write to the shop manager and describe problems with the piece of equipment you purchased for your kitchen. Besides, you are expected to mention why you are complaining to the manager and what you expect him/her to do about it.
Such a complaint letter is always a formal letter and you should open a formal letter with a formal sentence. Don’t ask how the person is doing and don’t try to be friendly as you do not know this person. This is why it is recommended that you should get right down to business and indicate the reason you are writing, as shown below:
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my absolute disappointment both with the blender machine that I bought from your store on 12 May 2019 and the poor customer service that I received from your showroom a week later. On using the blender only for a week, I found that it ran briefly and then stopped. I am hoping that you would replace it as I have a valid warranty, and also improve your customer service.