10 tips for writing a professional and effective complaint email

A polite and respectful complaint email that provides all the necessary details and supporting information is a far more effective means of resolution than a profanity-laden diatribe.

We've all seen videos of those notorious “Karens", self-absorbed and over-privileged customers demanding to speak with the manager at perceived injustices or throwing chairs over fast food counters because they're unable to order breakfast at 12:00PM.

No, you don't have to be loud to get noticed. Creating a scene with verbal assaults and threats rarely leads to problem resolution. They're only meant to vent frustration.

In the digital world—regardless of the nature and severity of your problem—a polite email is always better than an angry tirade. The former enables the person on the other end of your email to resolve the issue; the latter makes support staff's lives more difficult just so you can air your grievances. Which do you think is more productive?

Here are some tips on writing a respectful and effective complaint email.

Count to 10 before you send

There's an old proverb that you should take to heart: If you're patient in one moment of anger, you'll escape a hundred years of sorrow.

When something goes wrong, your first and immediate reaction shouldn't be anger. I'm not implying that these emotions aren't valid or that you need to bottle them up. But a knee-jerk reaction to send a nastygram to a company is counterproductive.

When writing a complaint email, you should act deliberately and thoughtfully. Don't overreact out of exasperation. Sure, it might help you blow off some steam, but it's rarely conducive to problem resolution.

Keep the problem in perspective

Uncertainty and the unknown can cause us to inflate problems and create fantastical scenarios in our mind. Truth is, many problems can be easily fixed. So don't jump to conclusions by writing an email based on what you imagine the problem to be rather than what it actually is.

Maintain a professional and respectful tone

Just because something went wrong doesn't mean you should abandon all social and professional etiquette. Remember that the recipient of your complaint email is a person, not a bot. So stay respectful, polite, and professional.

Don't hinder communication by:

insulting the person or the company you're contacting
using angry, dismissive, or sarcastic language
trying to intimidate the recipient with hollow ultimatums or threats, such as the always-popular “I'm going to sue you!"

These types of messages will escalate hostility, not resolution.

Stick to the facts of the problem

Unforeseen problems can disrupt our daily lives. And it's very easy to succumb to an emotional reaction, which is perfectly fine—but don't let this seep into your complaint email.

Writing a long email that's 90% venom and 10% useful information slows the process and can alienate the people trying to help you. Instead, focus on factual information that will help the support staff resolve your problem rather than emotional outbursts that only allow you to voice your frustration or irritation.

Explain how the problem impacts you

Unlike emotional language that illustrates how a problem makes you feel, describing how an issue affects you and your business—loss of income, productivity, or opportunity—highlights its severity.

For instance, loss of email or phone service may have caused you significant business loss because you were unable to contact clients. Explaining the clear cause-and-effect of your situation conveys not only inconvenience, but also the seriousness of the problem.

Be specific about your issue

To avoid unnecessary back-and-forth messages, provide as much detailed information as possible about your problem in your initial email. Stay away from abstract descriptions such as “my computer has been acting up lately".

And don't ramble. Be direct and concise with your email so the recipient can get the full scope of your issue without forcing them to wade through mounds of irrelevant information.

Include any supporting material

Depending on the nature of your problem—whether a product or a service—include all supporting material along with your detailed description, such as:

Computer specs
Software versions
Error messages
Screenshots and/or screen recordings
Photos
Receipts or invoice numbers
Customer number
Order number

Express appreciation for good experiences

Just because you're sending someone a complaint doesn't mean it has to be all bad. So, if you've had good experiences with a company, product, or service, mention it briefly to help balance out the negatives with some positives.

Offer a solution

End your email by offering a realistic and satisfactory solution.

For instance, if a service provider overcharges you, don't conclude with an unrealistic “I demand a free month of service" or a vague “what are you going to do to fix this for me?" Instead say “It would be great if you could issue a refund for that erroneous charge or apply it to my account in the next billing cycle."

Be realistic about their response time

Not every company has a large support team. So don't expect an immediate response or send a follow-up email less than 24 hours after your original message.

If you're experiencing a time-sensitive problem, mention it in your email to establish a level of expectation. But if it's truly urgent, email's probably not your best option—call them instead.

Closing thoughts…

Professional support staff will try to help you regardless of your approach. But they're more likely to go that extra mile for those who treat them respectfully, not like a punching bag.

So don't be a Karen. Remember that a complaint email shouldn't be used to vent your frustration or demand unrealistic compensation, it should be used to resolve your problem calmly and effectively.