Learn about the differences between a letter of complaint and filing a complaint online.
Writing complaint letters online is a growing trend among internet-savvy consumers. Placing your complaints online not only ensures that the company will see it but also adds an element of public accountability. This can be both good and bad, because if your complaints are not reasonable you may be the one who looks bad.
When writing complaints online, there are a few things to consider. First, you need to find the best place to put your complaint. For restaurants, for example, Yelp is a very established site. Travel-related problems might be better served by a posting on TripAdvisor. Even apartments have their own specialized review sites. Figuring out where the complaint will go is essential to determining what the tone and format of your response should be.
Once you find where you will write your complaint, you need to compose a short and direct note explaining exactly what happened and why it was a problem. Ideally, your first sentence will summarize your entire complaint. This is important because people reading letters online often scan letters quickly and make snap judgments about whether or not to continue reading. If you want your complaint to have any effects, it will have to be direct and snappy.
Explain your problem in detail, including dates and the exact events that took place. Do not use the full names of people because this is impolite and may even pose legal problems for you. Many people write online complaint comments in humorous tones, but it is usually better to remain objective and voice your complaint politely.
If you want to ensure that you will get a response from the company, leaving a complaint note on a website is not enough. You will need to directly write to the company. You can usually do this online by looking at the company's website and finding their email contact information. An email complaint letter should be polite, direct, and short, but it can go into more detail than a complaint comment left on a website.
One very important thing to remember about writing complaints online is that companies usually do not respond well to attempts to bully them into submission. Even if you think you have a legitimate complaint, it is still your responsibility to state the facts of the case without exaggeration and without empty threats. Keeping this in mind, you may find that an email complaint letter results in a quick and satisfactory resolution of your complaint.
