Making a polite complaint at a service desk | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: At a service desk, a customer politely complains about an unexplained delay after a confirmed appointment and asks for a proper response..

EN → ES / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Making a polite complaint at a service desk to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Me gustaría presentar una queja sobre el servicio de ayer.

meh goos-tah-REE-ah preh-sehn-TAR oo-nah KEH-hah SOH-breh el sehr-BEE-syoh deh ah-YEHR. I would like to make a complaint about the service yesterday.
B

Siento oír eso. ¿Podría decirme qué pasó?

SYEHN-toh oh-EER EH-soh. poh-DREE-ah deh-SEER-meh keh pah-SOH? I am sorry to hear that. Could you tell me what happened?
A

Esperé mucho tiempo después de mi cita confirmada.

ehs-peh-REH MOO-choh TYEHM-poh deh-SPWEHS deh mee SEE-tah kohn-feer-MAH-dah. I waited a long time after my confirmed appointment.
B

Ese retraso debería haberse explicado en ese momento.

EH-seh reh-TRAH-soh deh-beh-REE-ah ah-BEHR-seh ehk-splee-KAH-doh ehn EH-seh moh-MEHN-toh. That delay should have been explained at the time.
A

Entiendo que ocurren retrasos, pero nadie me dio información.

ehn-TYEHN-doh keh oh-KOOR-rehn reh-TRAH-sohs PEH-roh nah-DYEH meh DYOH een-for-mah-SYOHN. I understand delays happen, but nobody gave me an update.
B

Deberíamos haberle dado información mientras esperaba.

deh-beh-REE-ah-mohs ah-BEHR-leh DAH-doh een-for-mah-SYOHN MYEHN-trahs ehs-peh-RAH-bah. We should have kept you informed while you waited.
A

No intento ser difícil, pero esperaba un servicio mejor.

noh een-TEHN-toh sehr dee-FEE-seel PEH-roh ehs-peh-RAH-bah oon sehr-BEE-syoh meh-HOR. I am not trying to be difficult, but I expected better service.
B

Pediré al gerente que responda por escrito.

peh-dee-REH al heh-REHN-teh keh rehs-POHN-dah por ehs-KREE-toh. I will ask the manager to respond in writing.
A

Eso ayudaría. Solo quiero que el asunto se gestione correctamente.

EH-soh ah-yoo-dah-REE-ah. SOH-loh KYEH-roh keh el ah-SOON-toh seh hehs-TYOH-neh koh-rehk-tah-MEHN-teh. That would help. I just want the issue handled properly.
B

Espere aquí, por favor, mientras hablo con el gerente.

ehs-PEH-reh ah-KEE por fah-BOR MYEHN-trahs AH-bloh kohn el heh-REHN-teh. Please wait here while I speak with the manager.

Word by Word

Me In “Me gustaría presentar una queja”, “Me” means “to me” and identifies the person who would like something. It appears before the conjugated verb in this polite request. A common reuse pattern is a personal pronoun before a form such as “gustaría” to express a personal preference.
gustaría In “Me gustaría presentar una queja”, “gustaría” expresses “would like” and makes the request polite. It is used together with “Me” and is followed here by the infinitive “presentar”. A useful reuse pattern is “Me gustaría” followed by an action or thing the speaker wants.
presentar Here “presentar” means “to make” or “to submit” a complaint, as in “presentar una queja”. It is an infinitive following “Me gustaría”. The expression “presentar una queja” is useful when formally reporting dissatisfaction.
una In “una queja”, “una” means “a” and introduces the feminine noun “queja”. Its form matches the noun it accompanies. A useful reuse point is placing “una” before a singular feminine noun.
queja In “presentar una queja”, “queja” means “complaint”, specifically the complaint the customer wants to make about the service. It is the object of “presentar”. The expression “presentar una queja” is useful at a service desk or in another formal complaint.
sobre In “una queja sobre el servicio”, “sobre” means “about” or “concerning” and introduces the subject of the complaint. It links “queja” with “el servicio”. A useful reuse pattern is using “sobre” before the topic being discussed or reported.
el In “el servicio”, “el” means “the” and introduces the specific service being discussed. Its form accompanies the masculine singular noun “servicio”. A useful reuse point is placing “el” before a known masculine singular noun.
servicio In “el servicio de ayer”, “servicio” means “service”, referring to the service the customer received. It is modified by “de ayer” to identify when it occurred. A useful reuse pattern is using “servicio” when evaluating or discussing customer service.
de In “el servicio de ayer”, “de” links “servicio” with “ayer” and means “of” in the sense of identifying the service from yesterday. It introduces the time reference. A useful reuse pattern is “de” followed by a time expression to specify which event or service is meant.
ayer In “el servicio de ayer”, “ayer” means “yesterday” and identifies the day of the service. It follows “de” to form a time reference. It is useful when referring to an event that took place the previous day.
Siento In “Siento oír eso”, “Siento” expresses “I am sorry” in response to the customer’s complaint. Together with “oír eso”, it shows sympathy for what happened. A useful reuse pattern is “Siento” followed by an infinitive or a matter that causes regret.
oír In “Siento oír eso”, “oír” means “to hear” and refers to hearing the customer’s report. It is an infinitive after “Siento”. The expression is useful when reacting sympathetically to unpleasant information.
eso In “Siento oír eso”, “eso” means “that” and refers to the situation the customer has just described. It points back to an already mentioned matter rather than naming it again. A useful reuse point is using “eso” to refer to a statement, event, or problem already in the conversation.
Podría In “¿Podría decirme qué pasó?”, “Podría” expresses “could” and makes the question a polite request for information. It is followed by the infinitive “decirme”. A useful reuse pattern is using “Podría” before an action when asking someone politely to do something.
decirme In “¿Podría decirme qué pasó?”, “decirme” means “tell me”. The attached “me” identifies the person who should receive the information, while the form refers to telling what happened. A useful reuse point is using this form after a polite request such as “Podría”.
qué In “qué pasó”, “qué” means “what” and asks for the content of the event being discussed. It introduces the question about what happened. A useful reuse pattern is placing “qué” before the verb when asking what occurred or what something is.
pasó In “qué pasó”, “pasó” means “happened” and refers to the completed event the customer is being asked to explain. It forms the main verb of the question introduced by “qué”. It is useful when asking about a specific past incident.
Esperé In “Esperé mucho tiempo”, “Esperé” means “I waited” and reports the customer’s completed waiting period. It is followed by the duration “mucho tiempo”. A useful reuse pattern is using this form with a length of time to describe waiting for a service or person.
mucho In “mucho tiempo”, “mucho” expresses a large amount and gives the meaning “a long time” in this context. It modifies “tiempo”. A useful reuse point is using “mucho” before a noun to describe a large amount of something.
tiempo In “Esperé mucho tiempo”, “tiempo” means “time” and measures how long the customer waited. Together with “mucho”, it describes a long waiting period. The expression is useful when reporting the duration of a delay or wait.
después In “después de mi cita”, “después” means “after” and places the waiting period later than the appointment. It is followed here by “de” and the event used as the reference point. A useful reuse pattern is “después de” followed by an event or time.
mi In “mi cita confirmada”, “mi” means “my” and identifies the appointment as belonging to the customer. It comes directly before “cita”. A useful reuse point is placing “mi” before a noun when identifying something connected to the speaker.
cita In “mi cita confirmada”, “cita” means “appointment”, referring to the scheduled service visit. It is modified by “mi” and “confirmada”. This word is useful when arranging, confirming, or discussing a scheduled meeting or service appointment.
confirmada In “mi cita confirmada”, “confirmada” means “confirmed” and describes the appointment as having been confirmed. Its form matches the feminine noun “cita”. It is useful when emphasizing that an appointment had already been agreed or verified.
Ese In “Ese retraso”, “Ese” means “that” and points to the particular delay just described. It comes before and agrees with “retraso”. A useful reuse point is placing “ese” before a masculine singular noun when referring to a specific matter.
retraso In “Ese retraso”, “retraso” means “delay” and refers to the service delay that was not explained. It is the subject of the statement about what should have happened. This word is useful when discussing late service, postponed appointments, or waiting problems.
debería In “debería haberse explicado”, “debería” contributes the idea that the explanation was expected or required. It expresses criticism of an action that did not happen as it should have. A useful reuse pattern is using “debería” before an action to state what ought to happen.
haberse In “debería haberse explicado”, “haberse” forms part of the expression meaning “should have been explained”. The attached “se” presents the delay as the thing receiving the explanation without naming who should have explained it. A useful reuse pattern is “debería haberse” followed by an action that ought to have happened.
explicado In “debería haberse explicado”, “explicado” means “explained” and describes the information that should have been given about the delay. It completes the expression with “debería haberse”. This form is useful when describing an explanation that was expected but was not provided.
en In “en ese momento”, “en” means “at” and places the expected explanation at a particular time. It introduces the time expression “ese momento”. A useful reuse point is using “en” before a time or place to locate an action.
momento In “en ese momento”, “momento” means “moment” or “time” and refers to the time when the delay was occurring. It is specified by “ese”. This expression is useful when saying that something should have happened at the relevant time.
Entiendo In “Entiendo que ocurren retrasos”, “Entiendo” means “I understand” and acknowledges that delays can happen. It introduces the speaker’s understanding before the complaint continues. A useful reuse pattern is “Entiendo que” followed by a situation the speaker accepts or recognizes.
que In “Entiendo que ocurren retrasos”, “que” means “that” and introduces the situation the speaker understands. It connects “Entiendo” with the clause about delays. A useful reuse point is using “que” after a verb of understanding or reporting to introduce its content.
ocurren In “ocurren retrasos”, “ocurren” means “happen” or “occur” and states generally that delays take place. Its subject is the plural noun “retrasos”. This form is useful when describing events or problems that can happen in a service situation.
retrasos In “ocurren retrasos”, “retrasos” means “delays” and refers to more than one possible delay in general. It is the subject of “ocurren”. A useful reuse point is using this word when discussing repeated or general service delays.
pero In “pero nadie me dio información”, “pero” means “but” and contrasts the speaker’s understanding that delays happen with the complaint that no update was given. It joins the two parts of the statement. A useful reuse point is using “pero” to acknowledge one fact before introducing a problem or limitation.
nadie In “nadie me dio información”, “nadie” means “nobody” or “no one” and identifies the absence of any person who gave an update. It functions as the subject of “dio”. A useful reuse pattern is placing “nadie” with a verb to say that no person performed the action.
dio In “nadie me dio información”, “dio” means “gave” and refers to the completed failure to provide information. The attached object pronoun “me” identifies the person who should have received it. A useful reuse point is using this verb with a person and information or another item that was given.
información In “me dio información”, “información” means “information” and refers here to an update about the delay. It is what the customer says nobody gave them. The expression is useful when discussing whether a service provider communicated important developments.
Deberíamos In “Deberíamos haberle dado información”, “Deberíamos” means “we should” and acknowledges that the service staff had a responsibility to provide information. Together with “haberle dado”, it refers to an action that should already have happened. A useful reuse pattern is “Deberíamos haber” followed by an action that was expected but omitted.
haberle In “Deberíamos haberle dado información”, “haberle” forms part of “to have given” and includes “le” for the person receiving the information. Here “le” refers to the customer being addressed formally. A useful reuse point is using this form before a participle when describing something that should have been done for or to someone.
dado In “haberle dado información”, “dado” means “given” and identifies the action that should have provided the customer with information. It follows “haberle” in the completed-action expression. A useful reuse pattern is using this form with a person and the thing that was given.
mientras In “mientras esperaba”, “mientras” means “while” and introduces the period during which the customer was waiting. It connects the waiting with the communication that should have taken place at the same time. A useful reuse point is using “mientras” before an action occurring alongside another action.
esperaba In “mientras esperaba”, “esperaba” means “was waiting” and describes the customer’s ongoing waiting period. It provides the background time for the information that should have been given. This form is useful when describing an ongoing situation during which another action was expected.
No In “No intento ser difícil”, “No” makes “intento” negative and means “not”. It shows that the speaker denies trying to cause trouble. A useful reuse point is placing “No” before the verb that is being negated.
intento In “No intento ser difícil”, “intento” means “I am trying” and describes the speaker’s intention. With “No”, it says that the speaker is not trying to be difficult. A useful reuse pattern is using “intento” before an infinitive to explain what one is trying to do.
ser In “ser difícil”, “ser” means “to be” and links the speaker with the description “difícil”. It follows “intento” in the phrase explaining the speaker’s intention. A useful reuse point is using “ser” before an adjective to describe a person or situation.
difícil In “No intento ser difícil”, “difícil” means “difficult” in the sense of being troublesome or uncooperative in the interaction. It describes the speaker’s behavior, not the complexity of a task. This expression is useful when making a complaint while signaling that the complaint is reasonable.
un In “un servicio mejor”, “un” means “a” and introduces the masculine singular noun “servicio”. Its form matches that noun. A useful reuse point is placing “un” before a singular masculine noun when referring to one service or thing.
mejor In “un servicio mejor”, “mejor” means “better” and expresses the speaker’s expectation of improved service. It modifies “servicio”. A useful reuse point is placing “mejor” after a noun when comparing the quality of the service with the current or expected standard.
Pediré In “Pediré al gerente que responda por escrito”, “Pediré” means “I will ask” and announces a future request to the manager. It is followed by the person being asked and the action requested. A useful reuse pattern is using this verb with a person and a clause describing what that person should do.
al In “al gerente”, “al” means “to the” and marks the manager as the person being asked. It is the combined form of “a” and “el” before the masculine singular noun “gerente”. A useful reuse point is using “al” before a masculine singular person or thing after a verb that directs an action toward it.
gerente In “al gerente”, “gerente” means “manager” and refers to the person who is expected to respond. It follows “al” as the recipient of the request. This word is useful when referring to the person responsible for handling a service issue.
responda In “que responda por escrito”, “responda” means “respond” and describes the action the manager is being asked to take. It appears in the clause introduced by “Pediré al gerente que”. A useful reuse point is using a clause after a request verb to state the action the other person is asked to perform.
por In “por escrito”, “por” contributes the idea of using written form as the medium for the response. The whole phrase means “in writing”. A useful reuse point is learning “por escrito” as the established expression for requesting or describing a written response.
escrito In “por escrito”, “escrito” means “written” and identifies the form of the manager’s response. Together with “por”, it creates the phrase “in writing”. This expression is useful when asking for a response that can be read or kept as a record.
ayudaría In “Eso ayudaría”, “ayudaría” means “would help” and says that the proposed written response would be useful to the customer. It reacts positively to the manager’s offer. A useful reuse point is using this form to say that a suggested action would improve the situation.
Solo In “Solo quiero que el asunto se gestione correctamente”, “Solo” means “just” or “only” and limits the customer’s request to the stated goal. It emphasizes that the customer is asking for proper handling rather than making a broader demand. A useful reuse pattern is placing “solo” before what the speaker wants to emphasize as the only requirement.
quiero In “quiero que el asunto se gestione correctamente”, “quiero” means “I want” and introduces the customer’s desired outcome. It is followed by a clause describing how the matter should be handled. A useful reuse pattern is using “quiero que” before a desired action or result.
asunto In “el asunto”, “asunto” means “matter” or “issue” and refers to the complaint being discussed. It is the thing the customer wants handled properly. A useful reuse point is using this word for an issue that needs attention or resolution.
se In “se gestione correctamente”, “se” helps present “el asunto” as the thing being handled without naming the person who handles it. It is part of the construction meaning that the issue be handled properly, not a separate meaning of “itself” here. A useful reuse point is using this kind of construction when the action matters more than the person performing it.
gestione In “que el asunto se gestione correctamente”, “gestione” means “be handled” or “be managed” and describes the result the customer wants. It appears in the clause after “quiero que”. A useful reuse point is using a clause after “quiero que” to describe the action or treatment being requested.
correctamente In “se gestione correctamente”, “correctamente” means “properly” or “correctly” and specifies the standard the customer expects. It modifies how the issue should be handled. This word is useful when asking for an action to be carried out in the right way.
Espere In “Espere aquí, por favor”, “Espere” means “wait” and gives the customer a polite formal instruction. It is followed by the place “aquí” and softened by “por favor”. A useful reuse point is using this form to ask a customer to remain in a specific place while assistance is arranged.
aquí In “Espere aquí”, “aquí” means “here” and identifies the place where the customer should wait. It follows the instruction “Espere”. A useful reuse point is using “aquí” to direct someone to remain in the speaker’s current location.
por favor As a whole, “por favor” means “please” and softens the instruction “Espere aquí”. Within the expression, “por” is the preposition and “favor” is the noun meaning “favor”, but together they form the conventional polite phrase. It can be placed with a request when asking someone to do something courteously.
hablo In “mientras hablo con el gerente”, “hablo” means “I speak” or “I talk” and describes the action the staff member will carry out while the customer waits. It is followed by “con el gerente” to identify the person spoken to. A useful reuse pattern is using “hablo” with “con” and a person when describing a conversation.
con In “hablo con el gerente”, “con” means “with” and links the speaking action to the manager. It identifies the person the staff member will speak to. A useful reuse pattern is using “hablar con” before the person involved in the conversation.

Grammar Points

Ayer + pretérito

Ayer esperé mucho tiempo.

ah-YEHR ehs-peh-REH MOO-choh TYEHM-poh.

Yesterday I waited a long time.

The preterite expresses a completed past action. The form of esperar changes to esperé for the first person.

Pediré que + subjuntivo

Pediré que el gerente responda por escrito.

peh-dee-REH keh el heh-REHN-teh rehs-POHN-dah por ehs-KREE-toh.

I will ask the manager to respond in writing.

After pedir que, Spanish uses the subjunctive. Responda expresses the requested action, not a confirmed fact.

Spanish Vocabulary

ayer adv
ah-YEHR yesterday
cita noun
SEE-tah appointment
confirmado adj
kohn-feer-MAH-doh confirmed confirmada
esperar verb
ehs-peh-RAR to wait; to expect Esperé
mucho tiempo phrase
MOO-choh TYEHM-poh a long time
oír verb
oh-EER to hear
pasar verb
pah-SAR to happen; to pass pasó
presentar verb
preh-sehn-TAR to submit; to make

presentar una queja

queja noun
KEH-hah complaint
retraso noun
reh-TRAH-soh delay
sentir verb
sehn-TEER to be sorry; to feel Siento

Siento oír eso

servicio noun
sehr-BEE-syoh service

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

We should have kept you informed while you waited.

Show AnswerDeberíamos haberle dado información mientras esperaba.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

complaint

Show Answerqueja

to be sorry; to feel

Show AnswerSiento

to wait; to expect

Show AnswerEsperé

yesterday

Show Answerayer