Vocabulary for Making a Complaint: CLB 4–7

Making a complaint is an important everyday English skill. You may need to complain about a product, service, hotel, restaurant, delivery, bill, or workplace problem. Knowing the right vocabulary can help you explain the problem clearly and politely.

1. Useful Vocabulary for Complaints

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example
complaint	a statement that something is wrong	I would like to make a complaint.
complain	to say that you are unhappy about something	I want to complain about the service.
problem	something that is not working correctly	There is a problem with my order.
issue	a problem; a more polite/formal word	I am having an issue with my account.
poor service	service that is not good	We received very poor service.
damaged	broken or harmed	The package arrived damaged.
defective	not working correctly because of a problem with the product	The product is defective.
faulty	not working properly	The machine is faulty.
incorrect	not correct	I received an incorrect item.
missing	not there	Two items are missing from my order.
overcharged	charged more money than you should pay	I think I was overcharged.
delay	a situation in which something happens later than expected	There was a long delay with my delivery.
refund	money returned to you	I would like to request a refund.
replacement	a new item given instead of a damaged or faulty one	Could I get a replacement?
repair	to fix something	The company offered to repair the product.
receipt	proof that you bought something	I have my receipt with me.
apologize	to say you are sorry	The manager apologized for the problem.
resolve	to solve a problem	I hope we can resolve this issue.
compensation	money or another benefit given because of a problem	I would like to ask for compensation.

2. Words to Describe a Problem

Use adjectives to explain exactly what is wrong.

Adjective	Example
broken	The screen is broken.
damaged	The box was damaged.
torn	The shirt is torn.
stained	The jacket is stained.
scratched	The table is scratched.
chipped	The cup is chipped.
dirty	The room was dirty.
late	My delivery was late.
wrong	You sent me the wrong size.
missing	One part is missing.
faulty	The appliance is faulty.
uncomfortable	The hotel bed was uncomfortable.
unhelpful	The staff member was unhelpful.
unprofessional	The service was unprofessional.

Spelling note

Chipped means that a small piece has broken off something.

There is a chip in the corner of the plate.

The plate is chipped.

3. Useful Phrases for Making a Complaint

Starting a complaint

For everyday situations:

• I’d like to make a complaint.
• I’d like to complain about something.
• I’m not happy with this product.
• There’s a problem with my order.
• I’m having a problem with my account.

For more formal situations:

• I am writing to complain about…
• I would like to raise an issue concerning…
• I am dissatisfied with…
• I would like to report a problem with…

Explaining the problem

• The problem is that…
• Unfortunately, …
• When I received it, I noticed that…
• I ordered ___, but I received ___.
• The product stopped working after…
• The service was not what I expected.
• I was charged for something I didn’t order.

Asking for a solution

• Could I get a refund?
• Could you replace it?
• Could you repair it?
• Would it be possible to get a replacement?
• Could you please look into this?
• What can you do to resolve this problem?
• I would appreciate a quick response.

4. Polite vs. Direct Complaints

It is usually better to sound calm and polite, especially in a workplace or formal situation.

Direct	More polite
Give me a refund.	Could I get a refund, please?
Fix this.	Could you please look into this?
Your service is terrible.	Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the service.
You charged me too much.	I believe I was overcharged.
I want a new one.	Would it be possible to get a replacement?
This is unacceptable.	I am very disappointed with this situation.

5. Useful Complaint Collocations

A collocation is a group of words that commonly go together.

• make a complaint
• file a complaint
• receive a complaint
• deal with a complaint
• resolve an issue
• request a refund
• receive a refund
• offer a replacement
• provide compensation
• poor customer service
• damaged product
• faulty product
• incorrect order
• late delivery
• billing error

Examples

I would like to make a complaint about my order.

The company offered me a replacement.

I believe there was a billing error.

I am contacting you to request a refund.

Practice

Practice 1: Match the Words

Word	Meaning
1. refund	a. proof of purchase
2. defective	b. money returned to you
3. receipt	c. charged too much
4. overcharged	d. a new item instead of the original one
5. replacement	e. not working correctly
6. delay	f. something that has been harmed or broken
7. complaint	g. a statement that you are unhappy about something
8. damaged	h. something happening later than expected

Practice 2: Complete the Sentences

Use the words in the box.

refund | faulty | missing | overcharged | replacement | complaint | damaged | delay

1. I would like to make a __________ about the service.
2. The package arrived __________.
3. I think I was __________ on my credit card.
4. One item is __________ from my order.
5. The product is __________ and doesn’t work.
6. There was a long __________ with my delivery.
7. I would like a __________ because the product doesn’t work.
8. Could I get a __________ for the damaged item?

Practice 3: Choose the Best Phrase

Choose the more polite option.

a) Give me my money back.
b) Could I get a refund, please?

a) Fix this immediately.
b) Could you please look into this?

a) Your service is terrible.
b) Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the service.

a) I want a new one.
b) Would it be possible to get a replacement?

a) You made a mistake on my bill.
b) I believe there may be an error on my bill.

Practice 4: Complete the Complaint

Complete the complaint with your own information.

Hello, I’d like to make a complaint about __________.

I purchased/ordered __________ on __________.

Unfortunately, __________.

When I received it, I noticed that __________.

I believe this problem happened because __________.

I would like to request __________.

I would appreciate it if you could look into this matter.

Practice 5: Speaking Practice

Choose one situation and make a complaint.

Situation A: Restaurant

You ordered a meal, but it was cold and you waited 45 minutes.

Situation B: Online Shopping

You ordered a blue sweater, but you received a red sweater in the wrong size.

Situation C: Hotel

Your hotel room is dirty, the air conditioner doesn’t work, and your room is very noisy.

Situation D: Mobile Phone Bill

Your bill is $30 higher than usual, and you don’t understand why.

Try to use at least five vocabulary words from this article.

Practice 6: Write a Formal Complaint

Write a short email to a company.

Situation: You bought a pair of shoes online. When they arrived, they were damaged and were the wrong size. You would like a replacement or a refund.

Include:

• what you bought
• when you bought it
• what the problem is
• what you want the company to do
• a polite closing

Helpful phrases

Dear Customer Service,

I am writing to complain about…

Unfortunately, …

I would like to request…

I would appreciate it if you could…

I look forward to hearing from you.