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Complaint reply generator

Write a calm, fair reply to a customer complaint: by email or letter, by text, or as a short public reply to a review. Say what went wrong and what you'll do, and it sets out the next step in plain English. It runs in your browser, nothing is stored, and the public version leaves out the customer's details.

How to use it

1. Reply quickly, even if it's only to say you're looking into it and when you'll come back to them.
2. Pick what really happened: your fault, partly your fault, still checking, or not your fault. The reply changes with it.
3. Choose one clear offer and a date. Vague offers make complaints drag on.
4. For a public review, use the short version and take the details offline. For more on reviews, use the review reply generator.

Worked example

A cleaning firm's customer complains that an end-of-tenancy clean missed the oven and the extractor fan. The owner picks "It was our fault" and "Come back and put it right free", by Friday 23 October. The email apologises, says what will happen and when, and offers a call if the customer still isn't happy. The public version thanks them, apologises, and asks them to get in touch directly.

The UK rules behind it

• Reasonable care and skill. A trader providing a service to a consumer must do it with reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49, checked 17 October 2026).
• Repeat performance. If it wasn't, the customer can ask you to do it again, within a reasonable time, without significant inconvenience to them and at your cost (section 55).
• Price reduction. If redoing it is impossible or isn't done within a reasonable time, they can ask for a price reduction, which can be up to the full price (section 56).
• Reviews. Never offer anything in return for removing or changing a review; the CMA treats concealed incentives in reviews as banned practices (CMA guide).

More: review reply generator · Google review tools · best AI tools for cafés · best AI tools for cleaning businesses · best AI tools for tradesmen

A starting point, not legal advice.

Questions

How do I reply to a customer complaint?

Thank them, apologise for how they feel or for the mistake if it was yours, say exactly what you'll do and by when, and give a direct way to contact you. Keep it short and calm.

Should I apologise if it wasn't my fault?

You can say sorry they're unhappy without admitting fault. Explain the facts briefly, and offer to talk it through.

What does the law say I must do if a service was poor?

For consumers, a service must be done with reasonable care and skill. If it wasn't, they can ask you to redo it at your cost within a reasonable time, or for a price reduction if that isn't possible.

How do I reply to a complaint in a public review?

Keep it short, polite and free of personal details. Apologise, say you'd like to put it right, and ask them to contact you directly.

Can ChatGPT write complaint replies?

Yes, it's good at calm wording. Give it the facts and your offer, tell it not to add promises, and check the reply before you send it.