English: Complaints & Solving Problems

Level: B1. Things go wrong everywhere — a broken item, a wrong bill, a late delivery. In English the trick is not to be louder but to be clearer and calmer: soften the opening, name the problem, then say what you want. This lesson gives you the fixed phrases so a complaint sounds firm but polite, and so you get the result instead of an argument.

By the end of this page you can…

…open a complaint politely, describe a problem clearly, ask for a fix (refund, replacement, repair), and escalate one calm step at a time if the first answer is no.

Step 1 — Open softly

A hard opening (“You sold me a broken phone!”) puts the other person on the defensive. English complaints usually start with a softener, so the listener wants to help you.

• I’m sorry to bother you, but… — the all-purpose opener.
• Excuse me, I think there’s been a mistake. — for bills and orders.
• I’m afraid I have a problem with… — afraid here means “I regret saying this,” not fear.

Step 2 — Say the problem plainly

After the softener, say exactly what is wrong in one clear sentence. Learn these frames whole:

The present perfect with yet is useful here — it says something was expected but has not happened. See present perfect with just, yet and already for the full rule.

Step 3 — Say what you want

A complaint without a request is just a story. End with a polite request so the person knows how to fix it. Use Could you…?, Would it be possible to…? or I’d like…, please.

• Could you replace it, please?
• Would it be possible to get a refund?
• I’d like to exchange this for a different size.

For the grammar of these polite forms, see requests with can and could, could for polite past and would like.

Step 4 — Escalate calmly

If the first answer is no, go up one small step at a time. Stay polite — a calm voice gets further than a loud one.

• Is there anything you can do? (ask once more)
• Could I speak to the manager, please? (ask for someone senior)
• I’d like to make a formal complaint. (put it in writing)

Common mistakes

• ❌ You broke my order. → ✅ There’s a problem with my order. (Blame the problem, not the person.)
• ❌ I want refund. → ✅ I’d like a refund, please. (Add a and a polite frame.)
• ❌ It doesn’t work since two days. → ✅ It hasn’t worked for two days. (Use for + length, not since.)
• ❌ Give me the manager. → ✅ Could I speak to the manager, please? (A bare order sounds rude.)
• ❌ I’m boring with this service. → ✅ I’m bored / frustrated with this service. (Boring describes the thing, bored describes you.)

A short conversation

Customer: Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you, but there’s a problem with my coffee. Server: Oh? What’s wrong? Customer: I ordered a decaf, but this one is normal, and I was charged twice. Server: I’m so sorry about that. Let me make you a fresh decaf and fix the bill. Customer: Thank you. Could I also get a receipt for the correct amount? Server: Of course. Again, I apologise for the mix-up.

Usage notes

• complain vs complaint: complain is the verb (I’d like to complain); complaint is the noun (I’d like to make a complaint).
• sorry, two meanings: I’m sorry to bother you softens your own request; I’m sorry about that is how the other person apologises. Both are everyday complaint language.
• BrE vs AmE: British I’d like to return this / a refund, please; American I’d like to return this / get my money back. Both are understood everywhere.
• faulty / defective / dodgy: faulty and defective are neutral and safe in writing; dodgy is informal British for “not reliable” — fine when speaking, not in a formal letter.

Example sentences

Play each line and say it aloud. These are the exact phrases you will use when something goes wrong.

Quick recap before you practise.

How to say it

A few complaint words trip up English learners — copy the audio, not the spelling.

• receipt sounds like “ri-SEET” — the p is silent.
• refund (the noun) stresses the first part: “REE-fund”.
• faulty sounds like “FAWL-tee” — the l is light but there.
• apologise / apologize stresses the second part: “a-POL-o-jize”.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

Next

• Next lesson: English: Giving a Short Presentation
• Related grammar: requests with can and could · would like
• New here? Start with Start Learning English Here