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Complaint Letter Template: Facts, Harm, Remedy, with Example

A complaint letter gets something done: the facts with dates and reference numbers, what was promised against what happened, the harm, exactly what you want and by when, and what you will do if nothing happens. Calm and precise wins; anger is skimmed.

Get these right before you write

  1. 1Order and ticket numbers in the first paragraph save a week of back-and-forth.
  2. 2Quote the promise (terms, advert, email) next to what actually happened.
  3. 3Ask for one specific remedy with a date; 'compensation' is not a request.
  4. 4Name the next step (regulator, platform, chargeback) without threatening.

Structure

The document opens with these headings and blanks.

Complaint: [issue]
To: [company / department]
[What happened: dates, order or reference numbers.]
[What was promised, and what went wrong.]
[The harm caused.]
[What I want done, and by when.]
[Name, contact]
[Date]

A complete example

Written by the AI from this brief, exactly as the workbench would write yours:

A complaint from a customer to an airline about flight CZ3456 on 2 October 2026 from Guangzhou to Chengdu, booking reference ABC123: the flight was cancelled two hours before departure, the rebooking offered was the next day, the hotel voucher promised at the desk was never issued, and the customer paid 480 yuan for a hotel; she asks for the hotel cost refunded and the compensation the airline's own policy states, within 14 days, and will otherwise file with the civil aviation consumer centre.

Complaint Regarding Cancellation of Flight CZ3456 on 2 October 2026 (Booking Reference ABC123)

To: Customer Relations Department, China Southern Airlines From: Ms. Lin Xiaomei, 18 Jinjiang Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610000 Email: [email protected] | Phone: +86 138 0000 1234 Date: 6 October 2026 Subject: Formal complaint – cancelled flight CZ3456, unissued hotel voucher, and compensation claim

What Happened

I was booked on flight CZ3456 from Guangzhou (CAN) to Chengdu (CTU) on 2 October 2026, departing 19:40, under booking reference ABC123 (e-ticket 784-2210345678).

  • At approximately 17:40 on 2 October, two hours before departure, I was notified by SMS that the flight had been cancelled.
  • At the airport service desk (counter 24, Terminal 2), the only rebooking offered was flight CZ3460 on 3 October 2026 at 08:15.
  • The agent, Ms. Zhao (staff ID 55819), confirmed verbally that a hotel voucher would be issued to me within the hour. It never was.
  • After waiting until 20:30 with no voucher and no further contact, I booked a room myself at the Airport Jinhua Hotel for 480 yuan (invoice number JH-20261002-0917, attached).

What Went Wrong

The cancellation was attributed to "operational reasons," not weather or air traffic control, which under your own Passenger Service Commitment and Irregular Flight Handling Policy entitles passengers to:

  1. Accommodation arranged and paid for by the airline when rebooking is to the following day.
  2. Compensation of 400 yuan for cancellations notified less than 24 hours before departure for reasons within the airline's control.

Neither obligation was met. The promised voucher was not issued, and no compensation has been offered.

The Harm Caused

  • Out-of-pocket hotel cost of 480 yuan.
  • A 13-hour delay in reaching Chengdu, causing me to miss a confirmed business meeting on the morning of 3 October.
  • Three hours spent at the airport chasing a voucher that never arrived, with no update from staff.

What I Want Done

Within 14 days of the date of this letter (by 20 October 2026), I ask that you:

Item Amount
Refund of hotel cost (invoice attached) 480 yuan
Compensation under your cancellation policy 400 yuan
Total 880 yuan

Please pay by bank transfer to the account I will provide on request, or to the card used for the original booking, and confirm in writing.

Escalation

If I do not receive a satisfactory response and full payment by 20 October 2026, I will file a complaint with the Civil Aviation Administration of China Consumer Affairs Centre (12326) and pursue the matter through any other available channels.

I would prefer to resolve this directly with you and look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

Lin Xiaomei

Attachments: SMS cancellation notice; boarding pass for CZ3460; hotel invoice JH-20261002-0917.

Names, figures and dates in the example are made up for illustration.

How it works

  1. 1Open the template: a document with the skeleton and the brief appears.
  2. 2Add one line about your case to the brief, or attach your notes as sources, and press First draft.
  3. 3Edit directly, or ask the AI to tighten, expand or translate any passage; every AI change is reviewed before it lands.
✨ Write one from this template

Questions

Can I use the example as it is?
The example shows the shape and tone; its names and figures are made up. Open the template and give the AI your own facts, and it writes yours in the same shape.
Does it work in English and Chinese?
Yes. The document is written in the language of your brief, and any passage can be translated afterwards.
Is it free?
Writing is billed by the tokens used, usually a few credits per draft; the template, the skeleton and the editor cost nothing.

Other documents in this group

All everyday documents (27) β†’
πŸ“ŒNoticeWhat, when, where, who, what to do.πŸ“’AnnouncementA decision or fact made public, plainly.πŸ–‹οΈApplication letterWhat you ask for, why, and on what grounds.πŸ’Thank-you letterSpecific thanks for a specific thing.πŸ™Apology letterOwn it, fix it, say what changes.πŸ’ŒInvitationWho, to what, when, where, how to reply.