To the Manager, Express Store, 123 Main Street, Anytown, USA 12345
October 26, 2023
Dear Manager,
I am writing to express my significant dissatisfaction with a recent experience at your Anytown location. Specifically, I am referring to the complimentary paper sample I received during my visit on October 20, 2023. While I appreciate the gesture of offering a free sample, the product itself proved to be entirely unusable and reflects poorly on the quality standards I associate with Express Store.
I visited your store on the afternoon of October 20th with the intention of purchasing stationery. A sales associate, whose name I did not catch but who was working near the front counter, offered me a sample of your new "EverSmooth" notepad. I accepted, assuming it would be a standard quality item suitable for general use. However, upon arriving home and attempting to write on the paper with a standard ballpoint pen, I discovered that the ink bled through to the other side. Not only did this render the second side of each sheet unusable, but the bleed-through was so severe that the writing on the front was also obscured in places.
I then tried a different pen, a gel ink pen, hoping for better results. The outcome was equally disappointing. The gel ink feathered significantly, creating a messy, unprofessional appearance. Furthermore, the paper felt unusually thin and brittle, lacking the weight and substance one would expect from a product intended for writing. Given that the purpose of a notepad is to provide a surface for legible inscription, the "EverSmooth" sample failed on its most fundamental level. This is not a minor inconvenience; it is a complete failure of product performance.
I am a regular customer at Express Store and have generally been pleased with the quality of products and services offered. This experience, however, has caused me to question your commitment to product quality, even for promotional items. If a free sample is of such poor quality, it raises concerns about the reliability of the items you sell. I purchased a pack of your standard A4 printer paper a few weeks ago, and while that has performed adequately, this notepad sample has shaken my confidence.
I hope you will take this complaint seriously. I am not seeking financial compensation, but I do request that you investigate the quality control of your "EverSmooth" notepads. It would be beneficial to understand why such a substandard product is being distributed as a sample. Perhaps there was a manufacturing defect in this particular batch, or perhaps this is representative of the product's actual quality. I urge you to discontinue distributing these samples until their quality can be assured, or to replace them with a product that accurately reflects the standards customers expect from Express Store.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response and a resolution that restores my confidence in Express Store.
Sincerely, A Concerned Customer