Complaint About Invalid Train Tickets and Unhelpful Staff
You recently bought some train tickets for a journey a week in advance. When you went to the station to catch the train, you were told you could not use the tickets and the staff were very unhelpful to you.
Write a letter to the train company. In your letter:
Describe the problem you had with the tickets
Say why you were unhappy with the staff
Suggest what action the train company should take
Read the original writing alongside its overall assessment. Open a full review for criterion explanations and sentence-level feedback.
Estimated band7.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
Response 01
175 words
Dear Sir/Madam,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to bring to your attention a concerning experience I had with your train service recently.
Last week, I purchased train tickets for a journey a week in advance. However, upon arriving at the station on the day of travel, I was informed by your staff that the tickets I had purchased could not be used.
Furthermore, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of assistance and professionalism by your staff when I approached them for help. Despite explaining my situation, they were unhelpful and provided no viable solutions to resolve the issue. I would like to suggest that the train company takes immediate action to address this matter. Firstly, there needs to be better communication between the ticket booking system and the station staff to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
I trust that you will take this matter seriously and implement the necessary measures to prevent such inconveniences for your customers in the future.
Yours faithfully,
Ayush
Estimated band7.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
Response 02
178 words
I, Manoj, am writing to address an incident I experienced during a recent journey with your train company.
Before my scheduled journey, I purchased train tickets online for my travel. However, upon arriving at the station on the day of departure, your staff informed me that the tickets I had were not valid. I was deeply disappointed by the lack of assistance by your staff. Despite my efforts to seek clarification and resolve the issue, they were unresponsive and provided no satisfactory explanation.
Given this situation, I would like to recommend that the train company takes immediate action to address these issues. Firstly, there is a need for improved communication and coordination between the online booking system and station staff to ensure the accuracy and validity of tickets. Additionally, I suggest providing comprehensive support to your staff to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle customer queries and complaints effectively.
I trust that you will take this matter seriously and implement the necessary measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Sincerely,
Manoj
Estimated band7.5
8.0
7.5
7.0
7.0
Response 03
237 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally complain about an issue I faced while attempting to travel with your company a week ago. I hope you will take the necessary actions to address the issue and make sure it does not happen in the future.
In relation to the problem that I faced, on 5th February, I purchased three train tickets online for a journey from Manchester to London on 11th February. However, upon arriving at the station with my parents, I was informed that our tickets were invalid, despite having received confirmation at the time of purchase. The explanation from your staff was vague and I was not given a clear reason why our tickets were not valid for the journey!
What disappointed me even more was the unhelpful attitude of the staff. Instead of assisting me in resolving the issue, they simply stated that I could not board the train and made no effort to explain the reason behind it. Their dismissive behaviour left me and my parents feeling frustrated and stranded, especially as we had important commitments in London that day.
Given this inconvenience, I kindly request a full refund for our unusable tickets and proper compensation for the situation. Additionally, I urge you to provide better staff training in customer service to ensure passengers receive appropriate support in such situations.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Eva Watson
Estimated band7.5
7.0
7.5
7.5
8.0
Response 04
188 words
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the service I received during a recent train journey booked with your company.
A week before the journey, I purchased train tickets online for my travel. However, upon arriving at the station on the day of departure, I was informed by your staff that the tickets I had were invalid and could not be used. Moreover, the manner in which your staff handled the situation only exacerbated my dissatisfaction. Despite my attempts to explain the situation and seek assistance, they were unhelpful and dismissive, failing to offer any viable solutions.
In light of this experience, I strongly urge the train company to take immediate corrective action. Firstly, there is a clear need for improved coordination between the online booking system and station staff to prevent such discrepancies in ticket validity. Additionally, I recommend providing training to your staff to enhance their customer service skills and ability to handle similar situations with empathy and efficiency.
I trust that you will address these concerns promptly to ensure a more satisfactory experience for your customers in the future.
Sincerely,
Lisa
Estimated band7.5
8.0
7.0
7.5
7.5
Response 05
202 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding an issue I encountered while travelling with "VIA Rail Canada" on February 25, 2025. I had purchased two economy class tickets (Booking Reference: VRC123456) a week in advance for travel from Toronto Union Station to Montreal Central Station on Train #64, departing at 9:30 AM. However, upon arrival at the station, I was informed that my tickets were not valid, despite presenting the booking confirmation.
Moreover, the station staff were extremely unhelpful and dismissive. Instead of assisting me in resolving the issue, they repeatedly insisted that my only option was to purchase new tickets at a significantly higher price. When I asked for clarification on why my pre-booked tickets were not valid, I received vague and unprofessional responses, which left me frustrated and stranded.
I expect VIA Rail Canada to take responsibility for this inconvenience. I request a full refund for the tickets I was unable to use and a formal explanation of why this issue occurred. Additionally, I urge the company to improve staff training to ensure better customer service in the future.
Please respond at your earliest convenience, as I would like to resolve this matter promptly.
Yours faithfully,
Jacob Hall
TA Task AchievementCC Coherence & CohesionLR Lexical ResourceGRA Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Your turn
Write your response.
Try the same question yourself, then compare your approach with the responses above.
Task 1 General question loaded.
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Part 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.
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