Activity 5. Making a Complaint

1 Read the dialogue.

A: How can I help you?

B: I have a complaint about the last shipment.

A: What’s the problem?

B: Well, we think you sent the wrong amount.

A: The wrong amount?

B: That’s right. We ordered 2,000 items, but you sent us only 1,500.

A: I see. Well, I’m very sorry about that. I’ll look into it right away, and get back to you.

B: Thank you. Goodbye.

A: Goodbye.

2 Practice the dialogue with a partner.

3 With your partner, have similar dialogues using the information below.

We think you sent the wrong amount.	We ordered 2,000 items, but you sent us 1,500.
The goods are damaged.	They weren’t packed correctly.
You sent the wrong items.	We ordered the C1 model, but you sent the C2.
The order hasn’t arrived.	You said it would arrive last week.
Some of the items are faulty.	Some parts are loose.
The items are the wrong size.	We ordered large, but you sent us medium.

4 Write down your own complaint, then have similar dialogues with a different partner.

Unit 6 problems. Dealing with problems Problems

General

Just a minute. Let me get a pen.

The line is busy.

There's no answer. I can't contact / get hold of Peter!

Technical

The number is unobtainable.

We were cut off.

Sound

You are very faint. Can you speak up?

It's very noisy here. Can you speak up a little, please?

It's a terrible / bad line. Can you hear me?

Mobiles

My battery is nearly out.

You're breaking up. I'm going into a tunnel.

There are some problems with the net.

To the operator

I'm having problems with a New York number.

Could you check the line, please?

Wrong numbers

I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong number.

I think I have the wrong number.

Is that 01904 556778? I'm afraid you've come through to sales.

I'll try and transfer you back to the switchboard.

Call back

I'll call you straight back.

Put the phone down and I'll try again.

Speak to you in a moment.

What to Say When There's a Problem

When you can't hear someone

"I'm sorry, could you speak up, please?"

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well."

"I'm sorry, the line's bad - could you repeat what you just said?"

When you don't understand what someone says

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that. Could you say it again, please?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow you. Could you repeat it, please?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand. Would you mind explaining it again, please?"

When you want to correct what the other person has said

"Actually, it's 16, not 60." (Stress the two words where there is confusion - in this example the 16 and the 60.)

"I'm sorry, but I think there's been a misunderstanding. The payment's due next week, not next month."

"I'm sorry, but that's not quite right.." (When you refer back to what someone has just said. You then go on to say what IS right.)

Checking that you understand something

"So if I understand you correctly…"

"When you say… do you mean…?"

Calling someone you don't know

Perhaps a colleague has asked you to call someone. You don't know the person, so you should introduce yourself and mention your colleague's name.

You: "Hello, this is (Sarah Brown) calling, from (McIvor Worldwide)."

Other person: "Hello, what can I do for you?" or "Hello, how can I help you?"

You: "I'm calling on behalf of (Tom McIvor)…" or "(Tom McIvor) suggested that I call you." or "(Tom McIvor) asked me to call you."

Getting through to the wrong person

“Sorry, is that ...?”

“I'm sorry I was put through to the wrong extension.”

“Oh. I'm sorry. I must have dialled the wrong number”.

Receiving a call that is meant for someone else

“I'm sorry, you were put through to me by mistake.”

“I'll connect you back to the switchboard.”

“I'm sorry, you must have dialled the wrong number.”

Dealing with technical problems

“I'm sorry, this is a bad line.”

“The reception isn't very good here.”

“I'll call you back on a landline.”

“I'm sorry, we were cut off.”

Asking someone to speak more clearly

“I'm sorry, could you speak a little more slowly, please?”

“Could you speak a bit louder / speak up a bit, please?”

Asking someone to repeat information

“I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that.”

“Could you repeat that, please?”

“I'm sorry. I didn't get that.”

“What was that again, please?”

Checking whether your partner has time

“Is this a good time to talk?”

“This should only take about five minutes.”

“”I won't keep you long.

Saying you are busy

“I'm sorry, I'm a bit snowed under at the moment.”

“I'm sorry, I'm on my way to a meeting right now.”

“Could I call you back in a few minutes?”

Practise

Activity 1. Telephoning Troubles Collocations Pairwork

Student A

With your partner, match up sentence to make real life phone problems with compound nouns. You only need to write one word on each line below.

1. I phoned directory_________________

2. The line suddenly went _________________

3. I tried the number 6 or 7 times, but the line was always _______________

4. I couldn’t get _________________

5. I was held in call _________________

6. The receptionist put me on _________________

7. They gave the wrong _________________

8. I got a ringing _________________

9. I was cut_________________

10. His answer _________________

11. When I pressed the automatic redial _________________

12. There was such a bad _________________

13. The hand _________________

14. I had no small change for the phone _________________

15. I couldn’t find anywhere to buy a phone _________________

16. I left my phone off the _________________

17. My mobile phone dialled the emergency _________________

Student B

Working with your partner, match up sentences to make real life phone problems with compound nouns. You only need to write one word in each gap.

A) _________________services number when it was in my pocket.

B) _________________line that he couldn’t hear me

C) _________________enquiries but his number was ex directory

D) _________________button on my girlfriend’s phone it phoned her ex

E) _________________dead

F) _________________busy

G) _________________through to anyone in the office

H) _________________set in the phone box smelt strange

I) _________________waiting for more than 15 minutes

J) _________________hold for so long that I just hung up

K) _________________box

L) _________________number on their website

M) _________________tone but no one answered

N) _________________hook all day without realizing

O) _________________off before I had finished speaking

P) _________________card for the public phone anywhere.

Q) _________________machine was so full that I couldn’t leave a message

Discuss your real life experiences of these problems. What did you do?

Ask each other how you would react to the other situations: What would you do if (you were cut off before you finished speaking)?

Roleplay one conversation with your partner.

Activity 2 Telephoning Troubles

1) Match up the compound nouns from the questions in Activity 1. Have you had any other problems with these?

directory box

to get enquiries

an answer redial (button)

the ringing machine

call tone

(put someone) on card

to cut waiting

(the) automatic line

a bad (someone) off

the hand services (number)

a phone through (to someone)

the emergency hold

a phone set

2) Match the words to make the other following phone-related collocations.

Be engaged

To hang call

An international number

(My) extension tone

Permanently code

An engaged line

A crossed board

A direct call

Un tone (function)

Touch call

Area free phone

A collect attainable

(My) home phone

A hands directory

Mobile number

Switch phone

Free line

A conference up

3) Make problems with these and roleplay the conversations to have to solve the problem.

Activity 3 Dealing With Difficulties and Distractions

In business, phone calls are often interrupted. Look at the difficulties and distractions (1-10). Match each one to an appropriate response (a-i).

1. Your colleague comes in and wants you to sign something.

2. Your colleague leaves a few seconds later.

3. There's a terrible noise right outside your office. You can't hear yourself think!

4. Your boss wants a word with you now!

5. Someone else is trying to call you.

6. The other person gives you their flame – it's unpronounceable!

7. You think you misunderstood the information the other person just gave you.

8. You gave the other person a lot of information very quickly.

9. The other person just won't stop talking!

1. Sorry, could you speak up a little?

2. Look, I've got someone on the other line. Can I call you back?

3. OK? Did you get all that?

4. I'll have to go, I'm afraid. Something's come up.

5. Sorry about that. Where were we?

6. Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Speak to you soon.

7. Excuse me a moment.

8. Sorry, could you spell that for me, please?

9. Can I just check that with you?