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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?
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17 unique answers with expert feedback

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.

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    Tip

    Use specific examples and details when describing your complaint, such as the exact issue, the date, and the person you spoke to.


    2: Lack of Structure

    A disorganized response can confuse the listener. It’s important to follow a logical order when answering the cue card prompts.

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    Tip

    Structure your answer by addressing each cue in order: when it happened, who you complained to, what the complaint was, and why you were satisfied.


    Negative Tone

    Focusing too much on negativity can leave a bad impression. It's important to highlight the positive outcome of your complaint.

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    Tip

    Balance your response by briefly mentioning the problem but emphasizing the resolution and your satisfaction with the result.


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    Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    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.

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    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
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    Anonymous student Band 7

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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.

    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 6

    Well in my entire life I have just a few times when I struggle with something and I want to return it. I want it to return. Today I would like to talk about a dress which I replaced because I vividly remember a couple of weeks ago I ordered a dress for my friend. It was a gift for my friend. So I ordered it because it looks great in a picture and also it is attached with a hijab and some jute is also free with it. So I ordered it but whenever I received it, it is actually look like a used piece and the work of a dress is also so poor. So I wanted to replace it. So I put the comment and complained it and on the next day the delivery boy comes to my home and took the parcel from my home and after two days they delivered a same piece and after that I replaced it. It looks good and the similar piece I received from them which is very good but after this experience I would not recommend that online application for shopping. So this is the worst application and this is the complaint which I made and I satisfied after the result.

    Band 6

    One time I ordered some coffee online and you know I waited for 3 days for the coffee to come, get delivered to my place. And when I opened the packaging I realized that the coffee had spilled out, the packaging had been completely destroyed during transit. And the coffee had all spilled out everywhere. I complained to Amazon, there was Amazon who I was ordering with at the time. Complained to Amazon instantly, I sent them pictures of the incident, you know, pictures of the packaging. And they were really nice about it, they instantly gave me a refund. They also offered to exchange or send another box of coffee to me as a replacement for the bad coffee that I had got. So it was very quick, their exchange was very quick, the salesperson was very nice, they were very nice about it and they really helped me out there. And because of that I was able to get my new coffee within the next 3 days and I had an overall positive experience with their services.

    Band 5-6

    Last month, there was a complaint that I registered in the Indore Municipal Commission that is some dust and some waste are stirred to my near home and I have to complain it to the Indore Municipal Commission because to clean them. So I did capture the image of the waste and complain on the social media and then the Municipal Commission has connected me by the call and also they are providing me help to do such clean, all the things which discourages me to my near home and also they help to clean my roads in such a way and I will be very happy by their work.

    Band 5-6

    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.

    Band 5-6

    I'm sharing a bad experience that happened to me back in November 2024. It happened in a plane when I was traveling from Paris to India. I'm not using the correct airlines. I was traveling in an Airlines X, let's say. Then during the flight, one of the air hostess, she talked to me in a very nice way.

    Band 5-6

    If I had to speak about a complaint that I made, I'd speak that it was happened in my history. I have a lot of girls friends in my classroom. I used to take it sportively initially, but day by day he kept on increasing that, which I did not like at all. Then one day we had a very big fight among each other.

    Band <5

    Bye bye.
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