Describe a Time when you Complained About Something Cue Card

Jan 25, 2023

Describe a Time when you Complained About Something Cue Card is an IELTS speaking part 2 topic. This IELTS Cue Card article has three model answers that have been provided below. This topic Describe a Time when you Complained About Something Cue Card has four key important questions highlighted. They are: what is the issue, to whom you complained, what the result was, and how do you feel about it. This topic has been taken from the book: IELTS Writing Templates and Cue Cards. Candidates will improve their speaking abilities by practicing similar topics like Describe a Time when you Complained About Something Cue Card. They are available online at IELTS Speaking practice papers.

What is a Cue Card: IELTS Speaking Cue Card requires candidates to speak on a random topic provided during the test. Candidates are given 1 minute to prepare notes. 2-3 minutes are given to the candidates to speak on the topic. The IELTS Speaking exam assesses the proficiency of the candidate in the English language.

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Topic: Describe a time when you complained about something.

You should say:

what the issue was
whom you complained about it
what the result was
and explain how you felt about it.

Model Answer 1

What the issue was

I always try to feel at ease wherever I go and not complain about small and petty issues. However, I'd like to recount a time when I voiced my dissatisfaction with the food service to a hotel manager. I will briefly describe it.

Whom you complained about it

I took my family out to dinner at a restaurant a few weeks ago. As a birthday present, I had planned a party for my family members. We were all looking forward to this meal. I was surprised to find that not many people were available when we got there. It is a well-known hotel that has consistently hosted a large number of guests. We all placed orders for food based on our preferences.

The food arrived and was placed on the table. We began to consume it. I was surprised to see that everything, including pizza, french fries, and other foods, was chilled. Rice Pudding, a food item, was emitting a bad odor. In addition, we were not served water by a waiter. I was furious. I went into the hotel manager's cabin to complain about the poor quality of the food service.

What the result was

I was apologised to by the manager. He went to the hotel's kitchen and reprimanded the entire staff for poor food service. He instructed the waiter to return the food instantly and asked them to provide new plated for all of us. The food arrived for the second time and it was perfectly cooked and warm.

Explain how you felt about it.

I frequently go there for a meal, but I was extremely shocked by this. I also informed the manager to educate their staff on this. Overall, that was the time when I voiced my displeasure about something or complained about something.

Model Answer 2

What the issue was

I'm going to talk about a park I went to for a business meeting in a metro city. I thought about going for a walk in a nearby park, but as I was walking through the park in the evening, I saw a huge pile of plastic waste. I was shocked that someone would be so careless in this situation. I made the decision to file a complaint after seeing this.

Whom you complained about it

A law-abiding citizen would consider it a crime to remain silent when they observe unusual behavior or anything else that is detrimental to society. In today's consumer culture, a lot of plastic is used, and people who don't care about the environment litter the streets and parks because they think someone is paid to clean them. It will pose a threat to all living things if authorities do not take action to reduce the contamination of the land. I enquired in the neighbourhood about the person who picks up the garbage and waste. People told me that someone from the municipal corporation came to clean this. They have not come since 15 days and the garbage is piling up. I snapped a few pictures right away, shared them on social media, and tagged the appropriate authorities as well as the municipal commissioner. I called the municipality to complain about this.

What the result was

They noticed the post on social media and sent a cleaner within an hour. The mountain of plastic was eliminated immediately by the municipal corporation. If someone else would have told this within 3-4 days, the place would be much cleaner.

Explain how you felt about it.

I did what needed to be done on time because I am a responsible citizen. I didn't like it at all, and I felt sorry for the people who didn't tell higher-ups about this. Tolerating such trash, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable. I also felt happy when the people in the neighbourhood thanked me. It was a moment that I would cherish.

Model Answer 3

What the issue was

It is also common for us to complain about a product or service that we purchase. We never hesitate to get in touch with customer service for any inquiries, feedback, or concerns. I remember complaining once about a brand-new phone.

Whom you complained about it

I once bought a brand-new phone from a store in my city. It was basically a smartphone, and I really liked it. After two days, the phone's screen stopped working as soon as I charged it. I was both surprised and saddened by the sudden issue with the device. Regardless, I attempted to power the device on and off and followed the instructions in the user manual to no avail. I eventually called the service center to complain, and I gave them a detailed description of the problem. I was required to reset the phone and reconnect the battery. The issue was not solved after trying these steps. They advised me to call the store because these steps were ineffective.

What the result was

I went to the store with the phone, the box and the bill. After inspecting the phone, they informed me that it was a software issue. They asked me to wait for an hour so that they can update the software. The staff dealt with the issue promptly and without charging extra for it.

Explain how you felt about it.

I was very pleased with the prompt service and staff ownership. Visiting the service center and getting a prompt response to my complaint was a pleasant experience.

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