Choosing the Right Register for a Complaint
You stayed at a hotel in Crete and your room had no hot water for two days. You want to write a short complaint email to the hotel manager. You know the manager's name is Mr Nikos and you have never met him. Your Greek teacher has told you that the difference between «θα ήθελα να σας ενημερώσω» and «πρέπει να μου επιστρέψετε τα λεφτά» matters enormously in this context. You also want to mention that you will return to the hotel next year if the problem is resolved, and you must ask for a partial refund.
1. Draft the opening two sentences of the email, justifying your register choices.
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A suitable opening: «Αξιότιμε κύριε Νίκο, σας γράφω σχετικά με τη διαμονή μας στο ξενοδοχείο σας στις 3 και 4 Ιουλίου. Θα ήθελα να σας ενημερώσω ότι, δυστυχώς, δεν είχαμε ζεστό νερό στο δωμάτιό μας για δύο ημέρες.» Justification: «Αξιότιμε κύριε» is the formal written greeting for someone you do not know; the plural «σας» and the conditional «θα ήθελα» soften the complaint and show respect. «Θα ήθελα να σας ενημερώσω» frames the problem as information rather than accusation, which is appropriate for a first contact with a manager. «Δυστυχώς» signals displeasure politely. The date detail (3 and 4 July) makes the complaint verifiable and serious without being aggressive. This is a judgement about register, not a grammar rule: the same content in the informal «δεν είχαμε ζεστό νερό, τι θα κάνετε;» would read as rude to a manager.
2. How would you phrase the request for a refund and the mention of returning next year, keeping the register consistent?
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A consistent phrasing: «Δεδομένου ότι η έλλειψη ζεστού νερού επηρέασε σοβαρά τη διαμονή μας, θα σας ήμουν ευγνώμων αν εξετάζατε το ενδεχόμενο μερικής επιστροφής χρημάτων. Θα ήθελα επίσης να σας διαβεβαιώσω ότι, αν το ζήτημα λυθεί, θα επιστρέψουμε στο ξενοδοχείο σας και του χρόνου.» Here the request uses the conditional and the polite formula «θα σας ήμουν ευγνώμων αν», and «εξετάζατε το ενδεχόμενο» frames the refund as something for the manager to consider, not a demand. The mention of returning next year is placed after the request and framed as a positive incentive («αν το ζήτημα λυθεί»), which keeps the tone constructive. The key judgement is that a refund request and a goodwill gesture must both stay in the same formal register; switching to «πρέπει να μου επιστρέψετε τα λεφτά» would undo the politeness of the opening.
3. What would make this email fail as a piece of writing, even if the Greek were grammatically correct?
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It would fail if it broke register consistency or purpose clarity. Examples: mixing formal and informal address (κύριε Νίκο … τι κάνεις;), making a bare demand without explanation, omitting the specific dates and the two-day duration so the manager cannot verify the claim, or burying the refund request so vaguely that no action is requested. A complaint email has two jobs - to state the problem precisely and to request a specific remedy politely - and a grammatically flawless email that does neither would still be a weak response. The examiner rewards a clear structure: greeting, statement of facts, explanation of impact, specific request, goodwill note, closing.