Business English Course Lector dr.

Adriana L ] UHVFX

CUSTOMER SERVICE
vocabulary
1. Complete the flow chart with the following words.
build negotiate provide renew request win

1. …………… a deal

2. …………… a new customer 3. …………… top-quality service

4. …………...… customer feedback 5. …………… customer loyalty

2. …………… contract

2. Match the expressions 1-6 with their explanations a-f.

1 acknowledge a customer a win a customer over to doing business with you

2 hold on to a customer b keep a customer
3 woo a customer c build up a long-term relationship with a customer
4 lose a customer d show a customer that you know they are there
5 approach a customer e make contact with a customer
6 develop a customer f fail to keep a customer

3. learning tips
One way to remember new vocabulary is to tell or create stories which use the new words.

Example assistant - exchange - voucher - returns policy - Head Office

I took back a shirt on Saturday. I told the assistant that it didn’t fit. He said I could exchange
it for another shirt or take a voucher to the same value; that was the company’s returns
policy. When I said I would write to the Head Office, he just gave me the address!

Make up your own story which links these words together. You may use them in any order.
customer - shop - return - refund - disgruntled - complain - Head Office - letter - customer
satisfaction

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Business English Course Lector dr. Adriana L ] UHVFX

reading
1. Read the article below about call centres. In most of the lines there is an extra word. It is
either grammatically incorrect or does not fit with the meaning of the text. If a line is correct,
write CORRECT. If there is an extra word in the line, write it in CAPITAL LETTERS.

Call centres in crisis

0 Customer satisfaction levels are falling in Europe and Australia, while in America …CORRECT ..
00 according to recent reports levels have been declined for a second straight quarter. The … .BEEN… .
01 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has fell by 0.6% for the first quarter … … … … … ..
02 of this year, now standing in at 72.2 out of a possible 100. The five sectors studied … … … … … ..
03 in the first quarter of the year were for utilities, parcel delivery/express mail, … … … … … ..
04 airlines, telecommunications and hotels. The ongoing cost-cutting exercise which is … … … … … ..
05 hurting service delivery and, despite IT investments in call centres to the fine
… … … … … ..
06 tune of over $20 billion yearly, very few companies are getting the needed Return On
07 Investment. Many TV commercials broadcast today are by saying ’call us now, … … … … … ..
08 you won’t be put on hold in a call centre.1 Perhaps because the call centre industry … … … … … ..
09 is an easy target for customer dissatisfaction, it seems is becoming more frequently … … … … … ..
10 associated with bad or indifferent service. At the same time, the move as by major … … … … … ..
11 corporations to set up call-handling centres in low-cost locations such as India … … … … … ..
12 is not for helping this situation, nor is it improving the perception of the industry as a whole. … … … … … ..

2. Read the article about customer service over the phone. Choose the best word to fill each
gap from A, B, C or D below. For each question 1-1 5, mark one letter (A, B, C or D).

First impressions are (0)......B...... over the phone. Prospective customers are considering
(1)................., or not to do business with you. Irate customers are (2)..................how helpful
and competent you are. For best results, incorporate two easy elements: pleasantness and
sincerity.
Pleasantness: A pleasant greeting is (3)..................to a successful call because it sets the stage
emotionally. In general, listeners tend to (4)................... or ’catch’ the emotional states of
speakers. In other words, people (5)................. to what they hear. If we answer the phone
gruffly, chances are the caller will become gruff. If we answer the phone pleasantly, chances
are the caller will be pleasant, and we all know which caller is easier to work with.
One of the easiest ways to (6).................. an emotional state quickly is to concentrate carefully
on your (7),.............. language. I recommend that professionals establish a
(8)..................before answering the phone. In order to sound pleasant, we need to be carrying
ourselves accordingly. My routine is to sit up on the (9)..................of my seat, pull my
shoulders back, take a deep (10).................., smile, let the phone ring twice, then answer. I
never answer my phone unless I’ve gone through this process. My business is too
(11)................... Sometimes I’ll even stand before I answer the phone if I need an extra jolt of
(12)...................
Sincerity: I am against scripting greetings because they sound insincere and (13)..................to
irritate callers, and discourage employees. Scripted greetings usually include some kind of
(14)...................'Hello. It'
s a beautiful day here at the XYZ Company'Now I don' t care where
you work. It can' t be that good all day. You want the greeting to be (15).................., which
also makes it easier to sound pleasant consistently.

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Business English Course Lector dr. Adriana L ] UHVFX

0 A useful B critical C effective D interesting

1 A how B why C whether D if
2 A deciding B thinking C concluding D agreeing
3 A needed B essential C urgent D necessary
4 A act B mime C pretend D mirror
5 A respond B talk C speak D answer
6 A evolve B have C attain D be
7 A foreign B body C new D child
8 A style B ritual C behaviour D rule
9 A point B corner C kerb D edge
10 A puff B sigh C breath D pull
11 A worthwhile B important C interesting D enjoyable
12 A energy B life C fear D electricity
13 A mean B tend C try D aim
14 A saying B motto C slogan D quote
15 A open B natural C straight D clear

listening

You will hear three telephone conversations or messages. Write one or two words or a
number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.

Conversation 1 (Questions 1-4)

Look at the notes below. You will hear a message about travel arrangements.

Answer phone message 5-STAR TRAVEL

Dat e 14 J une Time: 18.45
Caller Sally (1) …………………………….
Message Ticket s not ar r ived. Flight depar t ur e on (2) ……………………….
Booking r ef (3) ……………………………
Act ion Call back. To ar r ange pick-up
Tel: 09467 (4) ………………………

Conversation 2 (Questions 5-8)

Look at the form below. You will hear a man calling about a delay.

ACT PARKING LOG

Cust omer Car Type Flight No.
……J osh St ant on……. ……Laguna ……… (5) ………………………………
Ar r Time Car Regist r at ion Pick-up point
(6) ………………………….. (7) ……………………… (8) ………………………………

Conversation 3 (Questions 9-12)

Look at the form below. You will hear a woman complaining about a lost suitcase.

AIRCARE BAGGAGE HANDLING REPORT FORM

Passenger Name: (9).........................Donovan Act ion: Deliver t o Mer cur y Hot el
Ar r ival Dat e: (10)............................. (not e: check wit h Mer maid)
Flight No: GB987 Call back J enny on
Luggage Tag No: GB987 (11)............................. 0278 (12)....................................

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Business English Course Lector dr. Adriana L ] UHVFX

writing
You work in the Customer Service department of a Travel Agent’s. You have collated the
customer satisfaction response forms for June and made some notes. You have also drafted
the monthly report below for your Head Office. Read the information carefully. Then read the
report and correct any mistakes in the grammar or content. There are eight mistakes.

Collated results of customer satisfaction response forms

better results than May, but still too many
only ’partly satisfied’ - aim to reduce this MONTHLY REPORT
Subject: Satisfaction levels
figure to 14% (a drop of 10%)
Month: June
5% dissatisfied mainly due to travel delays –
outside our control
During June, the results were more better
than in May. However, there were still
too much customers (24%) who were
only partly satisfied. Our aim is to reduce
this figure to 10% by the end of the year.
The 5% figure for dissatisfied customers
were mainly due to travel delays what
unfortunately were outside our control.
The major cause of complaint were
delays. However, if there were not air
traffic control problems the level would
Main areas of complaint No. of complaint s have been 20. 22 of the hotel complaints
Delays 35 were about the Hotel Mercury where
they had problems with drains.
Hot el st andar d 22
Lost luggage 26
Ot her s 15

- delays caused by air traffic control.

If not, level around 20
- hotel standard: Hotel Mercury 18
complaints - problems with drains

fun and games

What have these customers bought and what sort of compensation might they expect?

1. 4.
I know I asked for it rare, but I When I tried to release the
still expected you to cook it a handbrake, the lever just came
bit! off in my hand.

2. 5.
In the brochure there was a The motor packed in on the
swimming pool with a bar. 366th day, We must have lost
When we got there, all we $300 worth of frozen food.
found was a hole in the ground.

3.
I can’t believe it. They’re two BEC Vantage, Masterclass
sizes too big and you measured @ Oxford University Press 2003
me in the shop.
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