# Customer complaint, order log and complaints guidance

*FICTIONAL PRACTICE MATERIAL. Fernway Group, Coldwell Marsh Accountants and everyone named here are invented for AI Tools Academy practice. No real people, businesses, addresses or orders.*

This pack has three parts: the customer's email, Fernway's order log for the same order, and Fernway's internal complaints guidance.

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## Part 1: the complaint email

**From:** Joanne Marsh, Practice Director, Coldwell Marsh Accountants
**To:** Alex Doyle, Account Manager (Midlands), Fernway Group
**Sent:** Monday 21 September 2026, 9:02am
**Subject:** Absolutely unacceptable, order FW-40218

Alex,

I am writing to make a formal complaint about the complete shambles that was our furniture order.

We told you from the very start that our new office at Unit 4, Kingfisher Court opened on Monday 14 September and that everything had to be in by the Friday before. You assured us that wouldn't be a problem. The furniture turned up a full week late. Nobody bothered to tell us it was delayed until the Monday morning, when my team was standing in an empty office.

My staff spent a week working on the floor and on folding chairs. One of my colleagues, who has a bad back, was in real pain by the Wednesday. We had two prospective clients visit that week and I have no doubt we lost them because the place looked like a building site.

When it did finally arrive, half of it was damaged. Chipped desks, a broken chair. Your driver was rude when my office assistant pointed this out and just wanted a signature so he could leave.

I have been a loyal customer for four years and this is how we are treated. I expect a full refund of £8,460 and £1,500 compensation for the business we have lost. If I don't hear something acceptable by the end of this week I will be leaving a review online and making sure every business in our network knows exactly how Fernway treats its customers.

Joanne Marsh
Practice Director
Coldwell Marsh Accountants
07700 900417

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## Part 2: Fernway order log, FW-40218

**Customer:** Coldwell Marsh Accountants (account since 2022)
**Account manager:** Alex Doyle
**Order contact:** Joanne Marsh. **Billing contact:** accounts inbox
**Order value:** £8,460.00 including VAT

| Item | Qty | Price inc VAT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Height-adjustable desk, 1400mm | 12 | £5,040.00 |
| Task chair | 12 | £2,220.00 |
| Meeting table, 8-seat | 1 | £750.00 |
| Four-drawer filing cabinet | 2 | £450.00 |
| **Total** | **27 items** | **£8,460.00** |

| Date and time | Entry |
| --- | --- |
| Thu 20 Aug, 10:14 | Order placed via Alex Doyle. Customer asked for delivery before office opening on Mon 14 Sept. Delivery booked Fri 11 Sept, morning slot. |
| Wed 9 Sept, 16:40 | Midlands depot: delivery vehicle off the road (breakdown). Delivery rescheduled to Mon 14 Sept. |
| Wed 9 Sept, 16:52 | Automated rescheduling email sent to the billing contact (accounts inbox). No call made to order contact. |
| Mon 14 Sept, 08:15 | Replacement vehicle reallocated to an urgent job. Delivery moved to Thu 17 Sept. Leah Bennett phoned Joanne Marsh to tell her. Customer very upset, said she hadn't known about the first delay. |
| Thu 17 Sept, 11:20 | Delivered. Delivery note signed by customer's office assistant. Noted on delivery note: "2 desk tops chipped on front edge, 1 chair armrest snapped." Driver took photos. |
| Thu 17 Sept, 15:05 | Damage report logged. Replacement desk tops ordered from manufacturer, due Tue 29 Sept. Replacement chair sent from depot stock. |
| Fri 18 Sept, 14:30 | Replacement chair delivered and signed for. |
| Mon 21 Sept, 09:02 | Complaint received by email (this complaint). |

*No note in the log about the driver's conduct.*

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## Part 3: Fernway complaints guidance (internal extract)

1. Acknowledge every complaint within one working day. Aim to give a full response within five working days.
2. Apologise for what went wrong. Be specific. Don't argue with the customer's account, but don't confirm things we haven't checked.
3. Credits, refunds and compensation of any amount are decided by the Head of Operations, Priya Shah. Staff handling a complaint must not promise or suggest a particular outcome.
4. Don't accept responsibility for losses the customer says they suffered (for example lost business). Pass any claim for losses to the Head of Operations.
5. Any complaint about a member of staff's conduct goes to that person's manager.
6. Keep the customer's details inside Fernway's systems.

*All material in this pack is fictional.*