Describe a complaint that you made, and you were satisfied with the result.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When it happened?
Who you complained to?
What did you complain about?
Why were you satisfied with the result?

17 unique answers with expert feedback

How did you feel after filing the complaint?

After filing the complaint, I felt a mix of relief and anxiety. It was empowering to take a stand against harassment, but I was also worried about potential backlash or how my colleagues would perceive me. Ultimately, I felt proud for standing up for myself and others.

What impact did this experience have on your workplace environment?

This experience highlighted the importance of a safe workplace. It encouraged open discussions about harassment and made colleagues more aware of their behavior. I believe it fostered a culture of respect and accountability, which is crucial for a healthy work environment.

Would you encourage others to report similar incidents?

Absolutely, I would encourage others to report such incidents. It's vital for individuals to know they have the right to feel safe at work. Reporting not only helps the victim but also contributes to a broader change in workplace culture, making it safer for everyone.

Band 7

00:00

So, this incident happened to me last month as I live in apartment complex. It is a quite big apartment complex with huge playground attached to it. But in a few days, in the past month, I observed that there was a lot of carpet and rubbish was stashed stack on the side of that garden. It was causing a lot of foul smell and it wasn't looking good overall. So I took the matters in my hand and I complained to the building secretary and I specifically told them about my issue and I asked them when can we expect the clean-up to be done. He reassured me that clean-up is said to be happened on the coming weekend. And it was indeed true as over the weekend, with the help of clean-up crew, they cleared out all the garbage and rubbish and planted beautiful trees over that area. I was quite satisfied with myself cause actually my complaint resulted into something really beautiful and whenever I go to the garden of my building, it smells so good cause flowers are just beautiful and this just smells so good.

Follow up questions

What motivated you to make the complaint?

I was motivated to make the complaint because the foul smell and unsightly garbage were affecting the quality of life in our community. I felt it was important to take action to improve our living environment for everyone in the apartment complex.

How did you feel after your complaint was addressed?

After my complaint was addressed, I felt a great sense of satisfaction and relief. It was rewarding to see that my concerns were taken seriously and that the clean-up not only improved the appearance of the garden but also enhanced the overall atmosphere of our community.

Do you think it's important to voice concerns in a community?

Yes, I believe it's very important to voice concerns in a community. It helps to foster a sense of responsibility and care among residents. When people speak up about issues, it can lead to positive changes that benefit everyone, creating a better living environment.

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Band 6-7

00:00

I'm a person who don't complain even for very little silly things. I'm usually a person who gets adjusted to almost all the things that are around me. But the complaint I recently had was on my hostel mess. I feel that the food is not very good and in addition to that I found some small creatures in my room when I'm in sleep comp there. So after seeing that I felt like my health will be affected for sure if I eat food like this. I thought that an ounce of prevention is better than pound of cure. So I had to go and complain about this for sure to hostel warden. I went to my hostel warden and explained about the issue in a very polite manner. Moreover, she is a very genuine person. She came to my hostel, observed and examined all the things what are going on there in my mess. Regarding that she appointed a good chef who really fit for the purpose. I'm completely satisfied with the result because yes of course the good things take some time and it is not only helpful to me but also my friends.

Follow up questions

What other ways do you think complaints can be effectively communicated?

I believe complaints can be effectively communicated through formal letters, emails, or feedback forms. It's important to be clear and concise while expressing the issue. Additionally, using a respectful tone can help in getting a positive response from the concerned authorities.

How do you think complaints can lead to improvements in services?

Complaints can highlight areas that need attention, prompting management to make necessary changes. When feedback is taken seriously, it can lead to better quality services, as seen in my case where the hostel warden appointed a new chef after my complaint.

Have you ever faced a situation where your complaint was not addressed?

Yes, there was a time when I complained about a noisy neighbor, but no action was taken. It was frustrating, and it made me realize that not all complaints are handled well. It taught me the importance of persistence and following up on issues to ensure they are resolved.

Band 6-7

00:00

One of the recent complaints I have mailed is a system reboot issue in my working station PC in my office. I was a working professional, worked as an executive in active performance manufacturing industry. Having an experience of nearly 1.5 years, the company is situated in Gomany province. So I have contacted IT person in my company to tell my problem regarding this rebooting issue automatically. Like whenever I turned on my PC after quite few minutes, it automatically turned off. So this was the issue I had faced while working on my system. So my PC is very important to me because all the works I will carry on my PC only. Like I have to do effective documentation and so I use office functions like Excel, Word and some presentation PPT. And I will compile some of the lists and I will schedule some of the meetings. So all those things I will carry out using my PC. So later the IT technician have sorted out the problem. The problem was in the processor where there is a thermal gel have been pasted on the top of the processor. So it can absorb the heat from the processor. So I had issue on the thermal gel which was vaporized. So the IT technician replaced the new thermal gel on the top of the processor. So this was one of the recent complaint I have made in my company.

Follow up questions

How did you feel when your complaint was resolved?

I felt relieved and satisfied when my complaint was resolved. It was a significant issue that affected my productivity, so having it fixed allowed me to work efficiently again. I appreciated the quick response from the IT team, which made me feel valued as an employee.

Have you ever faced any other technical issues at work?

Yes, I have faced other technical issues, such as software crashes and network connectivity problems. Each time, I reported them to the IT department, and they were generally resolved quickly. These experiences have taught me the importance of having a reliable IT support system in the workplace.

What do you think is the importance of addressing complaints in the workplace?

Addressing complaints in the workplace is crucial for maintaining employee morale and productivity. When issues are resolved promptly, it fosters a positive work environment and shows that the company values its employees' concerns. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and loyalty.

Band 5-6

00:00

Okay, complaint I have done two months back. It was regarding a bank account which was not accessible for me. I had complained to bank manager and he gave an instant solution to it. He was just going in depth about my problem. He listened carefully and he had given a quick solution to that. So he remedied the problem immediately. So it was very much confusing for me because I was not so versed about the bank procedures. One day when I opened my bank account it was not at all opening and I just checked on the password. It was showing locked and to answer the options which I was getting one was directly contacting the bank and another one was the previous password but I was not knowing either. So I just googled and got the bank manager number. I just called him and I just explained regarding my problem and he gave an instant solution to that. So I was very much happy seeing the service so quick. So it was happened actually because of some network issue it seems. But the way he reacted was very good. He understood my problem as my work was required the urgent remedy he had done it for sure. So I am happy receiving such a service from him and the respondents I got from there really made me impressed. So I just told that I am very lucky I feel very lucky to have a customer of your bank.

Follow up questions

What other types of complaints have you made in the past?

In the past, I've made complaints regarding poor customer service at a restaurant and a faulty product I purchased online. In both cases, I was able to communicate my issues effectively, and the companies responded positively, which made me feel valued as a customer.

How important is good customer service to you?

Good customer service is extremely important to me. It can make or break my experience with a company. When I feel heard and valued, it builds my loyalty to the brand. I believe that effective communication and prompt solutions are key to customer satisfaction.

Have you ever been dissatisfied with a complaint resolution?

Yes, there have been instances where I felt my complaints were not handled well. For example, I once reported a defective item, but the response was slow and unhelpful. It left me frustrated and made me reconsider my future purchases from that brand.

Show all 17 answers

Cue 1:When it happened?

Mention a specific time frame, such as a recent event or a particular month.
Provide context about what was happening in your life at that time.

Example

This incident happened about two months ago when I was traveling to my hometown for a family wedding. I had booked a train ticket through an online platform.

Cue 2:Who you complained to?

Clearly state the person or organization you directed your complaint to.
Explain how you reached out to them, whether it was through a phone call, email, or in person.

Example

I complained to the customer service team of the online ticket booking platform. I called their helpline number, which I found on their website, and spoke to a representative.

Cue 3:What did you complain about?

Describe the issue you faced in detail, ensuring to highlight why it was a problem.
Mention any specific details that made the complaint valid.

Example

I complained about the fact that my train was delayed by over three hours, and I had not received any notification about the delay. This was particularly frustrating as I had planned my travel around the wedding schedule.

Cue 4:Why were you satisfied with the result?

Explain how the company responded to your complaint and what actions they took.
Share your feelings about the resolution and why it met your expectations.

Example

I was satisfied with the result because the customer service representative was very understanding and apologetic. They offered me a full refund for my ticket and also provided me with a discount on my next booking. This made me feel valued as a customer.

Conclusion

Example

Overall, this experience taught me the importance of voicing my concerns. It was reassuring to see that companies can take responsibility and make amends, which encourages me to continue using their services in the future.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Vague Responses

Providing vague or unclear answers can make it difficult for the examiner to understand your experience. Specific details help create a clearer picture of your complaint.