BM Customer Service IG

Language for life.
Customer Service
Instructors Guide
Berlitz Languages, Inc.

Princeton, NJ
USA
Developed by the editors of Berlitz
Writer: Agnieszka Spieszny
We would like to thank the many Berlitz instructors and staff who
have contributed to the creation of .
Disclaimer
The brands and slogans mentioned for verisimilitudes sake in
this guide are trademarks of the respective owners and have no
affiliation with Berlitz. Instructors are encouraged to customize
them to local and up-to-date examples as they see fit.
Copyright 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording
or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing
from the Publisher.
Berlitz Trademark Reg. U.S. Patent Office and other countries

Marca Registrada
ISBN 978-1-62284-275-9
First Digital Edition March 2015
For use exclusively in connection with Berlitz classroom instruction.
Berlitz Languages, Inc.

7 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
USA
Welcome to
BerlitzEnglish: Business Series for Levels 5-8 is a multi-level series of language teaching
instructional materials designed to teach business English to adults using the Berlitz Method.
BerlitzEnglish Business Series consists of two complementary programs that can be taught
individually or at the same time:
1. General Business English sequentially teaches students increasingly complex general

business English at Berlitz Levels 5, 6, 7, and 8.
2. The Business Modules teaches students more in-depth, situation-based business English
necessary for professionals to succeed in meetings, social situations, when writing emails,
and more.
Whats New?
BerlitzEnglish Business Series for Levels 5-8:
Has modularized, self-contained units of instruction. Every unit focuses on achieving

a clearly stated speaking objective, making language learning focused on achieving
communicative goals; because every unit focuses on one objective per lesson, students can
use clear objectives to learn language faster and more efficiently.
Allows for flexible program configuration. General Business English can be taught on
its own or as a complement to the Business Modules. Because the Business Modules are
designed for students from Berlitz Levels 5 to 8 and are non-sequential, students can
choose whichever Business Module best suits their goals.
Has an updated and improved look and feel, including a new design and updated art
and photographs. This look and feel is consistent with new design in BerlitzEnglish 1-4,
providing students with a readable, appealing learning experience.
Customer Service Preface 2014

2014 Berlitz
Berlitz Languages,
Languages, Inc.
Inc. iii
Student Guide Features
The Business Modules teach situation-specific language for practical, real-world language needed in your
professional life. They can be used at Berlitz Levels 5-8, as stand-alone programs or paired with the General
Business English series, which teaches the more general business English necessary to raise proficiency
over time.
Student Guide Pages
Lesson-specific speaking objectives At-a-glance Useful Phrases sections help

provide practical, achievable you expand your vocabulary. The Useful
communicative goals to start each Phrases are also compiled into a dedicated
unit of instruction. section at the end of this Guide.
Listening activities offer If you have chosen interactive Each unit of instruction
multiple opportunities PDFs, your student guide ends with a summary
to listen and respond to will also include embedded of key vocabulary and
the language found in audio files, customizable and expressions Go Further!
many common business savable forms, and hyperlinks introduces more
situations. Audio scripts to additional resources, advanced language to
for each listening activity making completion of and prompt further language
are included in the back review with the Student Guide learning.
of this book or through on tablet, laptop, or desktop
embedded hyperlinks. computers easy and efficient.
iv 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Preface

Additional Components
Practice activities provide additional reading,
writing, and listening practice to supplement
the language that is learned in every unit. These
activities are located in the back of this book,
or through embedded hyperlinks, and include
Answer Keys, for easy self-correction at home.
Audio scripts provide texts

of all the audio recordings in
the book. Audio scripts can
be used to increase listening
comprehension and to review
key vocabulary.
Supplements allows for

situation-based role plays and
other activities for authentic
language practice and
interaction.
English Passport, a collection

of original articles from Time,
Sports Illustrated, Fortune,
Health, and Money provide
extensive reading practice
to supplement language
instruction in this book.
Audio CDs and downloadable

audio files provide in-class and
out-of-class listening practice,
depending on the type of
package you have selected.
Customer Service Preface 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. v

Instructor Guide Features
Clearly stated language that will be learned In the right hand column of the Instructor
in the unit, tied directly to an explicitly Guide, activities and techniques are suggested
stated speaking objective, makes focused, to successfully teach the language necessary
efficient, and goal-oriented language to achieve the lesson goal. Answers to in-class
learning. listening and reading activities are also listed.
Unit 6 Im sorry; its against company policy

1
Unit 6: Im sorry; its against company policy
Key Vocabulary & Expressions Level 5-6 Level 7-8

policy, suspicious, in place, confidential, hassle, to stern,
field, accountable wont take no for an answer, put pressure on s.o.
resort to, case-by-case basis (extension activity) (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
As the IG suggests, you should do a two- to five-minute warm-up and goal setting activity to set a clear
goal for the lesson, customized for the student. You will find at least one optional, more complex Post-
task or Post-listening activity for higher level students. Allow enough time to include a performance
activity that confirms achievement of the customized goal. See Unit 1 for further information.
Speaking Goal: Apologize and explain a company policy
Warm-up Presentation
Ask: Do clients sometimes make requests that you cant fulfill? Do
you freely give out the private contact information of anyone in the
! organization? Why not?
SG p. 11 policy
organizations set of rules policies
suspicious
questionable or distrustful suspicious
What could be considered a suspicious credit card transaction?
What is your companys policy for accepting gifts or benefits from
clients?
in place Why is that policy in effect? in place
Practice
Write companys policies on the board and ask the students to
provide examples of company policies theyve seen / experienced.
In your employee workbook (or hire packet), did you get a list of
workplace policies that determine how an employee and employer
should conduct himself/herself? [Y] Are similar policies in place to
protect company interests when dealing with clients? [Y]
Do clients like it if a company always hides behind policies? [N]
How can you make resorting to a policy sound more human?
[Apologize in advance]
To distinguish between policies and apologies, tell students to put

an A for apology or P for policy in the space provided next to the
phrases on page 11. Then ask students which vocabulary in the
sentences helps us identify apology/policy.
[ANSWERS: 1. P 2. A 3. P 4. A 5. P 6. A 7. A 8. P]
Check answers.
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to apologize and

explain a company policy. Write it on the board.
Printer
12 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Unit 6 Page
BerlitzEnglish Professional Modules / Customer Service / Unit 6 05-31-14 10
If your language center has provided interactive

PDFs, the Instructor Guide will also include
Instructors can refer to the left hand column to embedded audio files, customizable and savable
quickly see the key target language items. The forms, and hyperlinks to additional resources,
activity, page, and audio track numbers match making instruction on tablet, laptop, or desktop
those found in the Student Guide. computers easy and efficient.
vi 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Preface

Extension Activities provide additional An open textbook icon signals activities
opportunities for students to use and practice for which students will need to look at
the language they are learning in a unit, their Student Guide. This visual helps
supplementing the core instruction of a unit instructors to plan ahead and conduct
as necessary for individual needs and goals. their lesson smoothly.
Apologize and explain a company policy (contd.)
Presentation
Extension 1
Ask students to read the tip box at the bottom of page 12. Discuss
briefly. Assist with vocabulary as necessary:
Level 56
Dictionary. choose something that isnt the best option, sometimes
the final option available resort to
resort to
Substitution. Does every patient that goes to see a doctor come in
! case-by-case
basis
with the same illness? [N] Do doctors have to diagnose patients
based on an individuals symptoms that are different each time? [Y]
SG p. 12
case-by-case basis
Practice
Ask: In what kind of company would a policy of use your best
judgment work? [Department store, for example] Where would it
not work? [Telecom company] Why?
[POSSIBLE EXPLANATION: The levels of accountability and risk are
different. To sell products, department stores do not need much
private information from the customer, meaning there is not much
employees could disclose. Yet for phone service, there is typically a
signed contract, personal contact details, and credit card and billing
information kept on file.]
What would you do in this situation?
1. When moving houses, a woman finds a pair of shoes still in the
original box, never worn, with a price tag and receipt from 1987.
She comes into your store half-jokingly to see if she can return the
shoes. [In real life, they were accepted for the full $98.50 refund.]
2. A customer calls your company to return a 5-year-old computer,
saying that its outdated and because of heavy use, now runs slow.
3. A client requests a discounted price on the beverage you supply
because the weak economy will otherwise make him resort to
another, cheaper brand.
Presentation
Extension 2 refuse to accept no as an answer wont take no for an answer
wont take no for beg and maybe even lightly threaten to have a request fulfilled
Level 78 an answer put pressure on [you]
put pressure on
s.o. Practice
Have you been in a situation when a client wouldnt take no for an
answer or put pressure on you to do something against company
policy? How did you handle it? What was the outcome?
Give students five minutes to prepare a presentation to their
department about how to handle unacceptable requests from
customers. Encourage students to use both expressions introduced
above.
Practice Exercises 1-4, p. 58
BerlitzEnglish Professional Modules / Customer Service / Unit 6 05-31-14

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18 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Unit 6 Page
16
Each unit of instruction is paired with practice

activities for students to complete outside of class
every time a unit is completed. Interactive PDFs
provide hyperlinks to the specific practice pages
associated with each unit.
Customer Service Preface 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. vii

Contents
TITLE PAGES TOPICS SPEAKING GOALS KEY TERMS

1 First impressions 1-7 First contact Make a good first unkempt; posture; body
impression on a new language; to judge a book
client by its cover
2 On a scale of 8-15 Market Ask clients about to gauge; brick-and-mortar;

1 to 10 research their experience to sour; in the field
3 They really went 16-23 Exceptional Offer to do something nowadays; in the long run;
the extra mile service unexpected for a client complimentary; to follow up
4 I suggest you go with 24-31 Recommendations Recommend on the fence; to narrow

our platinum package a product or down; to level with; a far cry
service
5 I believe theres been 32-39 Client complaints I Respond to a conflicting; to find out;
a misunderstanding client complaint irate; to keep / lose ones
cool
6 Im sorry; its 40-47 Company Apologize and hassle; accountable; to

against company policy explain a company resort to; stern
policy
policy
7 I hate to be the bearer 48-55 Problem solving I Handle a clients to acknowledge; to beat
of bad news, but problem around (about UK) the
bush; to soften the blow; to
tamper with
8 Elora speaking; how 56-63 Telephone Communicate background noise; to

may I help you? communication effectively with a cut out; to interject; to
client over the phone enunciate
9 Ill walk you 64-71 Troubleshooting Provide tech support to dispatch; to

through it to a client troubleshoot; remotely;
defective
10 Considering the 72-79 Empathy Express empathy to a to waive; viral; to

circumstances client appreciate; to put oneself
in someones shoes
viii 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Contents

TITLE PAGES TOPICS SPEAKING GOALS KEY TERMS
11 Sure, that would be 80-87 Customer service Explain customer etiquette; to cc; brief
acceptable etiquette service etiquette and to the point; rule of
thumb
12 Theres nothing like it 88-95 Problem solving II Help clients feature; mind reader;
on the market purchase the best probing questions; to break
product or service down (a task)
13 I just want my 96-103 Refunds and Process a refund credit; purchase order;
money back returns or an exchange stock; forfeit
14 Thank you for bringing 104-111 Client complaints II Take care of a to offend; to overhear;
this to our attention disgruntled client atrocious; phenomenal
15 The customer is 112-119 Clients complaints Respond to an misleading; to fish for; to

always right , III unreasonable client accommodate; to take the
bull by the horns
right?
16 Room for 120-127 Criticism and Respond to client constructive criticism;

improvement feedback feedback flaw; to swallow ones
pride; to go green
17 Being a people 128-135 Job applications Interview for a attitude; charismatic; to win
person customer service over; credentials
position
18 Can I interest you in a 136-143 Trade shows Convert prospects to network; talking points;
brochure? to clients at an bulk discount; to mingle
industry event
19 Its the latest client 144-151 Communication Optimize browser; helpdesk; to be

communication technology use of client in over ones head; cloud
communication computing
solution technology
20 Cultural competence 152-159 Intercultural Develop your idiosyncrasy; values; faux

competence teams cultural pas; mores
competence
Vocabulary 160-164
Useful Expressions 165-166
Supplements 168-175
Practice 176-195
Answer Key 196-199
Audio Script 200-215
Customer Service Contents 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. ix

Unit 1 First impressions
1
Unit 1: First impressions
Vocabulary & Expressions Level 5-6 Level 7-8

first impression, unkempt, disheveled, well- to judge a book by its cover (extension activity)
groomed, to mumble, posture, to slouch, courteous
Is there anything I can do for you?
How can I be of assistance?
to buzz, face-to-face, in person, offensive,
controversial, privacy
body language, eye contact, to cast (ones) gaze,
to point, mindful, to overdo (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
As the IG suggests, you should do a two- to five-minute warm-up and goal setting activity for each
speaking goal. Ask questions to find out about the students individual situations, interests, or needs
relating to the chapter topic(s) and a particular speaking goal unless you can refer to information you
already have.
Together with the student(s), set a clear goal for the lesson, customized to the students specific
language abilities, interests, and needs, and write this goal on the board.
Present and practice vocabulary indicated in the middle column as needed and appropriate for the
customized goal you have set with your student(s). You will find at least one optional, more complex
Post-task or Post-listening activity for higher level students.
Be sure to allow time to include the performance activity that confirms achievement of this goal.
Speaking Goal: Make a good first impression on a new client
Warm-up (SGs closed)

Introduce yourself to students. Have them introduce themselves to
you and to each other. Then have students read the quote on page 1
! in their books. Discuss.
Ask: What about the first contact? Why is the first contact with a
SG p. 1
client/customer especially important? What do you notice about a
person the first time you meet?
Do you form an opinion of people because of how they dress,
first impression speak, or behave within the first few minutes? [Y] a first
unkempt impression
disheveled How can we make a bad first impression?
(dishevelled not do your hair after you wake up? unkempt hair
UK) unkempt hair and untidy clothes? disheveled appearance
well-groomed Do we usually pay attention to our appearance at work (hair
trimmed, clothes clean, etc.)? well-groomed
When might a normally well-groomed person appear disheveled?
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to make a good first
impression on a new client/customer. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1. speak in an unclear way mumble
mumble Can people understand you in a conversation if you mumble?
2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Unit 1

Unit 1
First impressions
In this lesson,
you will Every contact we have with a
customer influences whether or not
Make a good first theyll come back. We have to be
impression on a great every time or well lose them.
new client
1 Qualities of a customer service representative
A good customer service representative While a bad customer service rep who
leaves a bad impression
speaks clearly is well-groomed is rude is uninformed
has good posture is attentive is disheveled is distracted
smiles is patient has bad posture has a short temper
is courteous is knowledgeable looks indifferent mumbles
2a 1-5 May I help you?
1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________ 4. ____________ 5. ____________
2b Im just looking
1 . The shopper doesnt need help because he is just ___________ (searching for something
specific / browsing).
2. Paige ___________ (ordered / arranged for) water to make her journey more comfortable.
3. Please have a seat while I ___________ (fly to / ring) Mr. Marchionne.
4. Lawrence, I have another woman __________ (abstaining from / attending) the workshop.
5. The banker was ___________ (excepting / anticipating) his arrival.
Customer Service Unit 1 1
Customer Service Unit 1 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 1

2
Make a good first impression on a new client (contd.)

posture how straight you sit or stand posture
slouch Why else is good posture important?
courteous sit in a lazy, bent way slouch
polite, respectful, considerate in behavior courteous
Do employees of your favorite shop slouch? Are they courteous?
Pre-task
Make two columns on the board. Ask students: What can a
customer service representative do to make a good first impression?
Write the responses in the first column. Then ask about what would
! give a bad first impression, and write the responses in the second
column. Have students open their book and discuss any qualities
SG p. 1
from Activity 1 that were not mentioned in the list.
Task
Ask students to match each positive quality in Activity 1 with its
corresponding (opposite) negative quality from the box at the right.
Encourage students to add any other qualities and their negative
counterparts to the list.
Post-task
Ask students to think of the last customer service representative (or
customer) they dealt with. Did the person make a good or bad
impression on the student and why?
2a-b. Nice to meet you. Presentation

(rev.) Review or present expressions to greet and offer to help as needed:
May I help you? Nice to (finally) meet you.
! (rev.) Can/May I help you?
Is there anything I can do for you/get you?
SG p. 1 Is there anything
I can do for How can I be of assistance?
you? How does the secretary warn of your arrival? buzzes your client
How can I be of Can you shake hands on the phone? [N] face-to-face, in person
assistance?
Pre-listening
buzz Ask students to think of places where customer service interaction
face-to-face takes place face-to-face.
in person [POSSIBLE ANSWERS: hotel/store (shop UK)/supermarket, grocery store
(grocers UK)/airport/office/trade show/bank ]
Listening 1
Tracks 15
Tell students that they are going to listen to five greetings in typical
customer service situations. Ask them to match the letter of each
Audio Script
greeting to the scenes pictured in Activity 2a on SG page 1.
Play Tracks 1 to 5.
[ANSWERS: 1. E 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. D]

2 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Unit 1
Unit 1
First impressions
In this lesson,
you will Every contact we have with a
customer influences whether or not
Make a good first theyll come back. We have to be
impression on a great every time or well lose them.
new client
1 Qualities of a customer service representative
A good customer service representative While a bad customer service rep who
leaves a bad impression
speaks clearly is well-groomed is rude is uninformed
has good posture is attentive is disheveled is distracted
smiles is patient has bad posture has a short temper
is courteous is knowledgeable looks indifferent mumbles
2a 1-5 May I help you?
1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________ 4. ____________ 5. ____________
2b Im just looking
1 . The shopper doesnt need help because he is just ___________ (searching for something
specific / browsing).
2. Paige ___________ (ordered / arranged for) water to make her journey more comfortable.
3. Please have a seat while I ___________ (fly to / ring) Mr. Marchionne.
4. Lawrence, I have another woman __________ (abstaining from / attending) the workshop.
5. The banker was ___________ (excepting / anticipating) his arrival.

3

Tracks 15 Listening 2
Ask students to choose the correct word to complete each sentence
Audio Script in Activity 2b on SG page 1 based on the situations in the audio
tracks. Play Tracks 1 to 5 again.
[ANSWERS: 1. browsing 2. ordered 3. ring 4. attending 5. anticipating (if
students answer incorrectly, point out the difference between expecting
and excepting)]
Post-listening
Ask students to think of a recent situation where they have been the
customer in a shop or on an airplane. Ask them to try to remember
exactly what the customer service rep said to them. Present to the
class.
Presentation
3a-b. Lead-in: How can you start a conversation with people you dont
know at all or dont know well?
! Dictionary: Is the conversation meant to be polite? [Y] about
important things? [N] when first meeting or just to pass the time?
SG p. 2
small talk [Y] small talk (chit-chat UK)
(rev.) What are good topics for small talk?
(chit-chat UK) Add the following small talk topics to the board if students do not
offensive mention them: weather, sports, local news story, your day so far,
controversial the view right now, favorite (favourite UK) activities/hobbies.
privacy Substitution: Have you ever said something to a person that hurt or
angered them? offensive
Has someone ever been offensive toward (towards UK) you?
Contrast: Does everyone agree that government spending is a topic
where only one opinion is considered the right one? [N] Is it very
divisive (not easy to agree on)? [Y] controversial
What is a controversial topic in your home country?
Dictionary: Is your bank account number intended for the public to
know? [N] Do people have the right to keep such information to
themselves? [Y] privacy
Practice: Reading
Ask students to read the two dialogs in Activity 3a on SG page 2.
Tell them they have to read in silence to find the answers to the 2
questions below:
Where do you think each conversation takes place?
Are the topics appropriate for small talk, or are they offensive?
Ask students to practice by beginning a conversation on one of the
topics mentioned earlier. They can see some examples in Activity
3b. It is only necessary to say the first sentence; do not engage in
an entire conversation at this time.
Performance
Elicit the lesson goal from students, or remind them of it and point
it out on the board. Set or adapt the purpose / scenario according
to the customized student goal.

Make a good first impression on a new client
3a Breaking the ice

So, Victoria, do you live near here?
No, I actually commute for close to two hours every day. I cant afford the cost
of living in central London. How about you?
I also commute; the travel time is a sacrifice you make for the reduced living cost, isnt it?
Luckily, my commute is relatively short compared to many peoplejust 35 minutes by car.
Crazy weather weve been having lately, no?
Yeah, I cant remember it raining this much in a long time.
Its a shame; its ruined my last two golf outings.
Oh, you golf? Me too. Do you go to a course around here?
3b How to start a conversation when you have nothing to talk about
Appropriate topics Inappropriate topics
WeatherIts a beautiful day today, isnt it? FinancialSay, how much revenue is
Current events (noncontroversial)Did you your company pulling in this quarter?
hear about the new company moving PoliticsI cant believe the underdog
downtown? party won the election this year, can you?
SportsDo you think the Jays have a Age or appearanceYou look much
chance of winning tonights game? younger than you probably are; how old
Your day so farHi, how are you today? are you?
Favorite activities / hobbiesSo what do Controversial news topicsDid you hear

you like to do outside of work? about the lawsuit against doctors for
performing cosmetic surgery on kids?
Objects around youWhat a beautiful view
of the mountains from here; wouldnt ReligionWhat is your religion?
you agree? DeathI hear the murder rate is high
Getting to know someoneWhere do around here; is that true?
you work?
Vocabulary & Expressions Go further!

first impression, unkempt, disheveled, well-groomed to judge a book by its cover
to mumble, posture, to slouch, courteous
to buzz, face-to-face, in person, offensive, controversial
privacy, political, body language, eye contact
to cast (ones) gaze, to point, mindful, to overdo
Now use the practice activities to review. Good luck!
2 Customer Service Unit 1

4

Pairs. Student A is part of a group of representatives of a company
trying to acquire new clients. Student B is one of the prospective
clients. The group is waiting for more people to arrive and there is
time for small talk before the meeting begins. Engage in it.
P1: The student plays the company representative while the
instructor acts as the client. Let the student guide the conversation.
Add a level of complexity for higher level students by making sure
they use the expressions introduced in the optional Level 7-8
activity.
Give feedback, praise, and correction. Have students verbalize
what theyve accomplished and confirm that they have achieved
their lesson goal.
Extension 1 Presentation
Present and practice:
Level 56 Can you speak using your body only? body language
body language
Can you express things by looking at someone? eye contact
eye contact
Substitution: look intently, steadily gaze, cast ones gaze
! cast (ones) gaze
Show with your finger/hand point (at something)
careful, aware mindful
SG p. 1 point (v.)
do too much overdo it
mindful
overdo Refer to the Supplement on page 45 of the SG.
Ask students to read the text box on Page 1, then ask: How can
Supplements your body position show that you are interested in what the client is
saying? What is bad body language in conversation?
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: texting/constantly looking at a cell phone (mobile
phone UK); crossing your arms; resting your head on your hands in a
bored way; not smiling; pointing fingers; putting your hands in your
pockets or on your hips; leaning against a wall, etc.]
Task
Tell students to draw arrows pointing to the part of the body that is
positioned correctly and write what the person in the illustration is
doing right.
Presentation
Extension 2 judge a book by
Without knowing anything about a books contents, do you form an
its cover
impression of it by its cover? judge a book by its cover
Level 78
How can that be applied to people? Is your judgment of the cover,
or person, from the outside always correct?
Task
Discussion. Initiate a classroom discussion about the fallacies of
first impressions and judging a book by its cover. Start the dialog
by asking: Has a first impression ever proved to be misleading?

Make a good first impression on a new client
3a Breaking the ice

So, Victoria, do you live near here?
No, I actually commute for close to two hours every day. I cant afford the cost
of living in central London. How about you?
I also commute; the travel time is a sacrifice you make for the reduced living cost, isnt it?
Luckily, my commute is relatively short compared to many peoplejust 35 minutes by car.
Crazy weather weve been having lately, no?
Yeah, I cant remember it raining this much in a long time.
Its a shame; its ruined my last two golf outings.
Oh, you golf? Me too. Do you go to a course around here?
3b How to start a conversation when you have nothing to talk about
Appropriate topics Inappropriate topics
WeatherIts a beautiful day today, isnt it? FinancialSay, how much revenue is
Current events (noncontroversial)Did you your company pulling in this quarter?
hear about the new company moving PoliticsI cant believe the underdog
downtown? party won the election this year, can you?
SportsDo you think the Jays have a Age or appearanceYou look much
chance of winning tonights game? younger than you probably are; how old
Your day so farHi, how are you today? are you?
Favorite activities / hobbiesSo what do Controversial news topicsDid you hear

you like to do outside of work? about the lawsuit against doctors for
performing cosmetic surgery on kids?
Objects around youWhat a beautiful view
of the mountains from here; wouldnt ReligionWhat is your religion?
you agree? DeathI hear the murder rate is high
Getting to know someoneWhere do around here; is that true?
you work?

first impression, unkempt, disheveled, well-groomed to judge a book by its cover
to mumble, posture, to slouch, courteous
to buzz, face-to-face, in person, offensive, controversial
privacy, political, body language, eye contact
to cast (ones) gaze, to point, mindful, to overdo

Unit 2 On a scale of 1 to 101 ...
Unit 2: On a scale of 1 to 10

to influence, to gauge, consumer, brick-and-mortar, in the field, on the ground (extension activity)
index, telecom, to plague, sector, to sour,
to underestimate, overall, not applicable (N/A),
invoice, to implement, pilot program, customer
associate, likely
dismal, in awe, to disregard (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Ask clients about their experience
Ask students to describe the photo in the Warm-up section of the

Warm-up
SG.
What do you think is important to customers when purchasing a
! new product or choosing to do business with a new company?
SG p. 3 Do other peoples opinions of the company affect your decision to
influence do business with that company? influence
How do companies know what customers think of their business?
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: surveys, direct feedback, reviews online, comment
cards, questionnaires, street polls, sales figures, Internet blogs, etc.]
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to ask customers
for their opinion of the experience provided by your company.
Write it on the board.
Presentation
1. Substitution: If you were hiring someone for a secretarial position,
do you need to determine how fast they can type on a computer?
SG p. 3 [Y] gauge
gauge (v.) Do you have someone in charge of gauging investment risk at your
consumer company?
brick-and-mortar Dictionary: Do people manufacture all the products they use day-
index to-day? [N] Do they buy products and services they need or use?
[Y] consumer
Is Amazon a retailer with a store (shop UK) you can walk into and
shop around? [N] Can you walk into (name of a physical store,
such as Walmart) to shop? [Y] brick-and-mortar
something used to point out or measure index
telecom
plague (v.) What is (Vodafone)? (DoCoMo)? (AT&T)? telecom
(telecommunications company)
hurt or upset s.th./s.o. persistently plague

BerlitzEnglish Customer Service / Unit 2 05-28-14
Unit 2
On a scale of 1 to 10
~
In this lesson, ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
market
~~ ~~ ~~research
~~ ~~ /mkt
~~ ~~ ist/
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
(uncountable) ~
you will ~
~ ~ ~ ~
(marketing) ~
The ~ ~ ~
systematic ~ ~ ~
collection ~
and
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~evaluation
~~ ~~ ~of ~~~ ~~ ~~
information ~~ ~~
regarding ~ ~~ ~~
customers ~
Ask clients about ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
needs, ~ ~
preferences, ~and~ ~ ~
requirements ~ ~
for ~
actual ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
their experience ~and~potential
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
products ~
or ~ ~~ ~~
services. ~~ ~~ ~~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 The Consumer Happiness Index
Every quarter, the Consumer Happiness Index (CHI) asks thousands of consumers for their
opinion of hundreds of big companies from industries such as telecom, automotive, airline,
Internet, health care, banking and financial, and more. The index measures satisfaction of
US household consumers with the quality of products and services offered by both foreign
and domestic firms with significant shares in US markets. The companies to score lowest
on consumer satisfaction are telecom companies, airlines, and social media sites.
Airlines consistently score low, beating only TV service, social media, and the IRS.*
Travelers say they are happy with the airline until they get on the plane, according to the
CHI. While the booking and check-in processes get happy ratings, the area that plagues
airlines is the in-flight experience, namely poor in-flight service and lack of seat comfort,
which can really sour customers satisfaction with the airline overall.
A sector that is showing customer satisfaction improvement is retail (as of Feb. 2015). The
report cites better customer service and widespread discounting among brick-and-mortar
retailers, although Internet retailers did not receive such high scores.
After years of conducting these surveys with 70,000 Americans annually, the CHI
determined that customer satisfaction impacts the financial outlook of individual firms and
the health of the US economy at large. The takeawayit should not be underestimated!
* Internal Revenue ServiceUS government agency responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing tax laws.
Qualitative or quantitative?
Q _______________________ research Q _______________________ research
is based on numerical data collects open-ended responses
provides statistical information attempts to understand behaviors and
seeks to project characteristics of sample reasons for behaviors
group onto broad population can help determine peoples motivators,
e.g., telephone survey, online survey, perceptions, and emotions
intercept survey, mail survey e.g., focus groups, one-on-one interviews,
mystery shopping

2
Ask clients about their experience (contd.)

sector distinct part, especially of society or a nations economy sector
Substitution: When dairy products go bad after sitting for weeks in
sour (v.) the refrigerator sour
underestimate Believe something is worth less than it actually is
overall underestimate
Everything as a whole overall
What telecom provider are you a customer of?
Are you satisfied overall with your provider?
If you underestimate the length of travel time between your hotel
and the meeting place, will you arrive early or late? [late]
! Task
Ask students to read the text in Activity 1 silently, then have them
SG p. 3
summarize the text individually, using as much of the new
vocabulary as possible. Have them check their summaries with
each other. Ask four or five questions about the text to confirm
comprehension.
Post-reading
Ask: How does the CHI gauge customer satisfaction? Is there a
similar organization in your country? What do you expect their
results to look like?
Presentation
2a. Tell students to look at the questionnaire in Activity 2a.
not applicable Ask: What do you think the N/A means in Questions 27?
(N/A)
! invoice does not apply in this situation, meaning the experience did not
occur to be able to rate not applicable
SG p. 4 implement
pilot program a bill with an itemized list of products/services delivered
customer invoice
associate Has your company ever changed the way it does something, such
likely as billing? How did they introduce the change? implement
If you need to implement a large change, such as a new invoicing
system, would you test it on a small percentage of those affected
first? pilot program
Why would you do a pilot program first?
Substitution: sales representative customer associate
What are the chances people will respond? likely
What sort of questions do you think the CHI survey or other
customer satisfaction surveys ask? Write answers on the board.
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 1. How would you rate the (quality of the
product you purchased)? 2. What is your overall satisfaction with 3.
How likely are you to [recommend/buy] our product? 4. Would you
try/do again? 5. What is your opinion of?]

Unit 2
On a scale of 1 to 10
~
In this lesson, ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
market
~~ ~~ ~~research
~~ ~~ /mkt
~~ ~~ ist/
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
(uncountable) ~
you will ~
~ ~ ~ ~
(marketing) ~
The ~ ~ ~
systematic ~ ~ ~
collection ~
and
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~evaluation
~~ ~~ ~of ~~~ ~~ ~~
information ~~ ~~
regarding ~ ~~ ~~
customers ~
Ask clients about ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
needs, ~ ~
preferences, ~and~ ~ ~
requirements ~ ~
for ~
actual ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
their experience ~and~potential
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
products ~
or ~ ~~ ~~
services. ~~ ~~ ~~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 The Consumer Happiness Index
Every quarter, the Consumer Happiness Index (CHI) asks thousands of consumers for their
opinion of hundreds of big companies from industries such as telecom, automotive, airline,
Internet, health care, banking and financial, and more. The index measures satisfaction of
US household consumers with the quality of products and services offered by both foreign
and domestic firms with significant shares in US markets. The companies to score lowest
on consumer satisfaction are telecom companies, airlines, and social media sites.
Airlines consistently score low, beating only TV service, social media, and the IRS.*
Travelers say they are happy with the airline until they get on the plane, according to the
CHI. While the booking and check-in processes get happy ratings, the area that plagues
airlines is the in-flight experience, namely poor in-flight service and lack of seat comfort,
which can really sour customers satisfaction with the airline overall.
A sector that is showing customer satisfaction improvement is retail (as of Feb. 2015). The
report cites better customer service and widespread discounting among brick-and-mortar
retailers, although Internet retailers did not receive such high scores.
After years of conducting these surveys with 70,000 Americans annually, the CHI
determined that customer satisfaction impacts the financial outlook of individual firms and
the health of the US economy at large. The takeawayit should not be underestimated!
* Internal Revenue ServiceUS government agency responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing tax laws.
Qualitative or quantitative?
Q _______________________ research Q _______________________ research
is based on numerical data collects open-ended responses
provides statistical information attempts to understand behaviors and
seeks to project characteristics of sample reasons for behaviors
group onto broad population can help determine peoples motivators,
e.g., telephone survey, online survey, perceptions, and emotions
intercept survey, mail survey e.g., focus groups, one-on-one interviews,
mystery shopping

3

How do you express your satisfaction with something?
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 1. It was great/excellent/perfect. 2. No complaints.]
How do you express your dissatisfaction with something?
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 1. It did not meet my expectations 2. It was
disappointing. 3. It wasnt what I expected.]
Practice
2b. Ask: What kind of questions appear on a surveyopen-ended or
yes/no questions? When would it be better to ask yes/no
! questions only? What is the benefit of asking open-ended
questions?
SG pp. 3-4 [POSSIBLE ANSWERS: yes/no questions will collect more answers but
less depth of information (quantitative questions); open questions may
collect fewer responses but more constructive information (qualitative
questions)]
Ask students to briefly complete the card at the bottom of page 3.
[ANSWERS: left, quantitative; right, qualitative]
Tell students to change the sentences in Activity 2b, page 4, from
yes or no questions to open-ended questions. Model one for the
student.
For example: Did you enjoy your service today? What did
you think of the service today?
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS:
1. How did the customer associate take care of you?
2. What is your opinion of the pilot program?
3. What could we improve?
4. What do you think of our delivery time?
5. Why would you or wouldnt you recommend our service/product?
6. Why would you or wouldnt you do business with us again?]
Performance
Elicit the lesson goal from students, or remind them of it and
point it out on the board. Set or adapt the purpose/scenario
according to the customized student goal.
Pairs. Student A is tasked with gauging a clients satisfaction
with his/her new mobile/electronic (choose one) invoicing
system. The pilot program was implemented three months ago,
enough time for six billing cycles to go by. Student B plays the
client.
P1: Instructor is the client while the student conducts the survey.
Add a level of complexity for higher level students by making
sure they use the expressions introduced in the optional Level 7-8
activity.
their lesson goal.

Ask clients about their experience
2a Feedback Questionnaire
HOW ARE WE DOING?

1. Which of the following best describes your interaction with our company? (check one) Tip!
In person Online Telephone Other (please specify): ________________
How would you rate:

N/A = Not Applicable.
2. The quality of the product(s) you purchased today?
Excellent Good Fair Poor N/A
Another way to say this is:
3. The ease of accomplishing what you wanted?
[That] does not apply to me.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied were you with: { 10 = Completely Satisfied

{
0 = Extremely Dissatisfied
4. The friendliness of the customer associate?
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
5. The knowledge of the customer associate?
Tip!
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
6. The helpfulness of the customer associate?
to check, checkbox
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
7. Overall, how satisfied were you with your experience?
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
to tick, tick box
2b Yes, no? Maybe so?

1 . Was the customer associate who helped you capable?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Did you enjoy participating in the pilot program?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Did you see any sector we need to improve?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Was your wait time for delivery acceptable?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Are you likely to recommend our service / product to someone else?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Are you likely to do business with our company again?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

to influence, to gauge, consumer, brick-and-mortar in the field, on the ground
index, telecom, to plague, sector, to sour
to underestimate, overall, not applicable (N/A), invoice
to implement, pilot program, customer associate
likely, dismal, in awe, to disregard

4
Presentation
Extension 1
Dictionary:
dismal depressing, with no real hope in the future dismal
Level 56 in awe amazed by high sales figures that were dismal at first in awe
disregard ignore, pretend something doesnt exist disregard
! Write the following words on the board in random order. Poor,
fair, met expectations, above standard, exceptional. Then draw a
SG p. 4
line on the board. Along the line write the numbers 1 through 5
with the number 1 on the left. Ask students to put the words in
order from worst to best (the words are in order above).
Practice
Tell students you will read a few example reviews of customer
service. Students rate the treatment as if they were filling out
the survey to go along with the review. Try not to use intonation
that would give away the appropriate rating; let students try to
determine a rating based solely on their knowledge of the
vocabulary. Assist with vocabulary as needed.
1. That taxi company has the kind of reliable service that you
count on. [met expectations]
2. The chances of getting connected to a customer service rep
within a reasonable time are dismal. [poor]
3. Everything was mostly okay; the only thing that really soured
the experience was the lack of preparation. [fair]
4. I was in awe. I had never experienced something so incredible.
[exceptional]
5. I was completely disregarded in the store. [poor]
6. It was a simple transaction. I got what I wanted and he got
what he wanted. [met expectations]
Presentation
Extension 2 Substitution: Do journalists get their information and pictures for
in the field stories in the office? [N] in the field or on the ground
Level 78 on the ground In the military, who operates in the field?
Practice
! Skit. Student A works as a sales manager for a car manufacturer.
His/her company would like to gauge the impression a radically
SG p. 4
new car model has made. Student A is in charge of compiling a
survey that other salespeople will conduct in the field.
Ask questions to get students to brainstorm car features to cover:
What kinds of radically new features are in cars nowadays?
Which ones do you like? Dislike?
Give students five minutes to decide on which features to ask
about and how they will write the question on the survey for their
crew to conduct at random on the floor of an auto show. Student
B will respond to the survey questions.

Ask clients about their experience
2a Feedback Questionnaire
HOW ARE WE DOING?

1. Which of the following best describes your interaction with our company? (check one) Tip!
In person Online Telephone Other (please specify): ________________
How would you rate:

N/A = Not Applicable.
2. The quality of the product(s) you purchased today?
Another way to say this is:
3. The ease of accomplishing what you wanted?
[That] does not apply to me.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied were you with: { 10 = Completely Satisfied

{
0 = Extremely Dissatisfied
4. The friendliness of the customer associate?
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
5. The knowledge of the customer associate?
Tip!
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
6. The helpfulness of the customer associate?
to check, checkbox
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
7. Overall, how satisfied were you with your experience?
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 N/A
to tick, tick box
2b Yes, no? Maybe so?

1 . Was the customer associate who helped you capable?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Did you enjoy participating in the pilot program?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Did you see any sector we need to improve?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Was your wait time for delivery acceptable?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Are you likely to recommend our service / product to someone else?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Are you likely to do business with our company again?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

to influence, to gauge, consumer, brick-and-mortar in the field, on the ground
index, telecom, to plague, sector, to sour
to underestimate, overall, not applicable (N/A), invoice
to implement, pilot program, customer associate
likely, dismal, in awe, to disregard

Unit 3 They really went the extra mile
1
Unit 3: They really went the extra mile

nowadays, to differentiate, to sustain, in the long
run, to make a difference, gesture, to go the extra
mile, complimentary, personalized (personalised
UK), kit, to follow up, nicety
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Offer to do something unexpected for a client
Ask:
Has a customer service representative ever done something for you
! that went beyond your expectations?
SG p. 5 What was it?
How did it make you feel?
Did you form a more favorable opinion of that company that
encouraged you to do business with it again?
Ask students to read the quote in the Warm-up section on SG p. 5

and discuss it.
Note: The quote is attributed to Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, as of 2014.
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to offer to do

something unexpected for a client. Write it on the board.
1a-b. nowadays Presentation

differentiate in the present time, currently nowadays
sustain to make different, to stand out differentiate
! in the long run strengthen and support to continue for a long time sustain
SG p. 5 make a difference for an extended period of time in the long run
gesture to affect or change someone in an important way
make a difference
small, typically superficial, action or decision gesture
Practice
Ask students to read the small text box in Activity 1a.
Ask: So if customer service is what makes a company stand out,

how can you make your customer service stand out?

Unit 3
They really went the extra mile

In this lesson,
you will
Customer service shouldnt
Offer to do something
just be a department, it should
unexpected for a client be the entire company.
1a The smile factor, the next big thing in business

Nowadays, many business experts agree that besides generating revenue and saving
costs, customer service is what will differentiate and sustain a company in the long run.
This begs the question, how can your company differentiate its customer service?
1b When is going the extra mile too far?

Throwing in a small discount or
something for free as a thanks for their
loyal business
Throwing in a large discount for no
reason and without prior approval from
your manager
Taking hours out of your day to listen
to their problems when their therapist
is out of town
Preparing documents for their review
ahead of time before they think to ask
for it
Being personally available for inquiries
24/7, even when on vacation
Staying open a few minutes late or
taking a phone call just after 5 p.m.
Not charging premium shipping costs when a partner company reorders an item they
initially ordered incorrectly, since you know it will come back to you in the long run
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

2
Offer to do something unexpected for a client (contd.)

go the extra mile Discuss briefly then say: One way of doing so is by going the
extra mile.
Write Going the extra mile on the board. Ask students what they
think it means in their own words. Then present meaning and have
students compare with their ideas.
Practice
Ask: Does going the extra mile involve physically walking one
! mile? [N] So what do you actually do?
SG p. 5 Students check off (tick off UK) which niceties in Activity 1b are
acceptable and cross out those that go too far.
[ANSWERS: ", #, #, ", #, ", "]
Students identify which items in the list are gestures. Then
brainstorm further ideas for how you can go the extra mile and
write them in the blanks below the list.
2a-b. complimentary Presentation

personalized free of charge complimentary
made especially for one person, not generic personalized
! (personalised
UK) a small bag or collection of necessities kit
SG p. 6 kit contact a person after interaction to make sure everything is okay
follow up follow up
nicety pleasantry, something nice nicety
Listening 1
Tell students you will play three tracks of audio. Ask them to listen
for examples of how each business went the extra mile. Tell
Tracks 68 students to write their responses underneath the picture in their
books.
Audio Script
Play Tracks 68. Pause after each one to give students time to write
their responses.
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS:
A. Sent a complimentary car to pick woman up without her asking for one.
Provided a snack to eat on the ride to the hotel.
B. A company the woman did business with sent her a personalized
message and flowers one month after she retired (a time when others may
have lost interest).
C. Gave a complimentary kit for immediate use. Offered to deliver
womans luggage to her door.]
Listening 2
Ask students to familiarize themselves with the phrases in both
columns in Activity 2b, page 6.
Tell students you will play the last track of the audio a second time.

Unit 3
They really went the extra mile

In this lesson,
you will
Customer service shouldnt
Offer to do something
just be a department, it should
unexpected for a client be the entire company.
1a The smile factor, the next big thing in business

Nowadays, many business experts agree that besides generating revenue and saving
costs, customer service is what will differentiate and sustain a company in the long run.
This begs the question, how can your company differentiate its customer service?
1b When is going the extra mile too far?

Throwing in a small discount or
something for free as a thanks for their
loyal business
Throwing in a large discount for no
reason and without prior approval from
your manager
Taking hours out of your day to listen
to their problems when their therapist
is out of town
Preparing documents for their review
ahead of time before they think to ask
for it
Being personally available for inquiries
24/7, even when on vacation
Staying open a few minutes late or
taking a phone call just after 5 p.m.
Not charging premium shipping costs when a partner company reorders an item they
initially ordered incorrectly, since you know it will come back to you in the long run
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

3
This time, listen to the expression the representative used to offer a

nicety. Also listen for the words the customer used in response to
Track 8 the nicety. Ask students to add examples from the audio and any
other phrases they know to the columns.
Audio Script
Play Track 8.
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS:
Offer:
For situations like this, we
Wed like to extend to you
Accept:
Thats so unexpected.
They know how to treat a customer right.]
Post-listening
Audio Script Ask students to pretend to be a representative at the hotel and in
retirement in Tracks 6 and 7.
Say: In your own words, offer the niceties from those audio tracks.
Do not engage in the dialog from the beginning. Skip straight to the
sentence where students offer the nicety.
3. Performance
it out on the board.
Use the scene from the goal, or set a scene, in which the students
have the opportunity to go the extra mile. When the students are
ready, have them take turns performing a role-play where they offer
each other niceties.
P1: Student offers a nicety to the instructor based on the goal.

Switch roles and the teacher offers the student a nicety in a scene of
the students choice while the student accepts.

activity and/or Go further! sections.

their lesson goal.

Offer to do something unexpected for a client
2a Return on behavior
6 A. _____________________ 7 B. _____________________ 8 C. _____________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
2b It was so unexpected!
Offer a nicety Accept and give thanks

As a token of our appreciation ... I dont know what to saythank you.
Please accept ... You didnt have to do that.
Im sorry to hear that. Why dont I ...? You really went the extra mile!
Let us ... Thats not necessary.
Its our treat ... That really exceeds my expectations.
Wed be happy to ... Thats very kind of you.
__________________________________________ __________________________________________
__________________________________________ __________________________________________
__________________________________________ __________________________________________
Vocabulary & Expressions

nowadays, to differentiate, to sustain, in the long run, to make a difference, gesture
to go the extra mile, complimentary, personalized (personalised UK), kit, to follow up, nicety

4
Refer students back to the Warm-up section to the quote at the top
Level 56 of page 5.
Ask: Where do you usually stay when on a business trip?
Does your company have a hotel of choice? Why would a company
! (or an individual) be loyal to a certain brand/chain of hotels?
SG p. 5
Refer to the Posish Hotels: A Case Study in Return on Service
Supplement to students, page 46 of the Student Guide.
Supplements
Ask a volunteer to read the text aloud.
Practice
Ask: How do Posish Hotels differentiate themselves from other
hotels?
How do they differentiate themselves from other companies in
general?
How do hotel employees go the extra mile? (What is an example of
Posish Hotels personalizing the customer experience?
What is something complimentary they have offered their guests?)
Refer students back to the Warm-up section to the quote at the top
Level 78 of page 5.
Ask: Where do you usually stay when on a business trip?
Does your company have a hotel of choice? Why would a company
! (or an individual) be loyal to a certain brand/chain of hotels?
SG p. 6
Refer to the Posish Hotels: A Case Study in Return on Service
Supplement to students, page 46 of the Student Guide.
Supplements Ask a volunteer to read the text aloud.
Practice
Ask a volunteer to summarize the benefit of going beyond the call of
duty collectively as a company.
Discussion. Ask: How does Posish Hotels differentiate itself from
other hotels?
What are some examples of hotel employees who went out of their
way to satisfy the customer?
What are some ways the companies you have dealt with/deal with
stand out among its customers?

Offer to do something unexpected for a client
2a Return on behavior
6 A. _____________________ 7 B. _____________________ 8 C. _____________________
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
2b It was so unexpected!
Offer a nicety Accept and give thanks

As a token of our appreciation ... I dont know what to saythank you.
Please accept ... You didnt have to do that.
Im sorry to hear that. Why dont I ...? You really went the extra mile!
Let us ... Thats not necessary.
Its our treat ... That really exceeds my expectations.
Wed be happy to ... Thats very kind of you.
__________________________________________ __________________________________________
__________________________________________ __________________________________________
__________________________________________ __________________________________________
Vocabulary & Expressions

nowadays, to differentiate, to sustain, in the long run, to make a difference, gesture
to go the extra mile, complimentary, personalized (personalised UK), kit, to follow up, nicety

Unit 4 I suggest you go with our platinum package
1
Unit 4: I think I know just the model for you

on the fence, in the market for, pros and cons, to level with, you wont look back, to be in, a far
economical, to go with, reliable, aesthetic, to cry from (extension activity)
narrow down, consumer apprehension, to get
caught up, to dress up a product
to endorse (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Recommend a product or service
Warm-up Ask students to describe what they see in the photo in the Warm-up
activity on SG page 7.
Do you always know the best fitting product or service when there
! is a need for it?
SG p. 7 Do you sometimes find it difficult to decide between two similar
products or services?
What are a few ways of asking a customer service representative

for help with a product?
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to make a

suggestion or recommendation about a product or service. Write it
on the board.
1a-b. Presentation
on the fence unsure of something, undecided on the fence
in the market for Im on the fence about relocating for work; what about you?
! in my opinion actively looking to purchase in the market for
SG p. 7 (rev.) Im in the market for a new car, what do you suggest?
In my opinion, red wine tastes better than white wine. What about
you?
Practice QAQ.
Task
Tell students to look over the list of phrases in Activity 1a, SG page
7. Say: Each of these phrases is either a way to make a suggestion
or recommendation, ask for one, or agree or disagree with it. Tell
students to arrange each item in its corresponding category in
Activity 1b. Encourage students to add any other phrases of their
own creation to the space in Activity 1b.

Unit 4
I suggest you go with our platinum package

In this lesson,
you will
Tip!
Recommend a
product or service
on the fence =
undecided, not committed
1a I want something that families and professionals alike will enjoy
USEFUL PHRASES
Could you tell me more about ? I agree.

Whats the difference between ? Smartwatches are very in right now.
Im looking for What do you suggest? Thats a great suggestion.
Do you know a good ? Yes, thats a good idea.
What do you recommend? Im not sure I agree with you.
Im on the fence about Its not quite what Im looking for.
Im between I dont know if thats the best thing
In my opinion I dont know if thats right for me.
Im in the market for Thats a far cry from what Im looking for.
What do you think about ?
1b Any suggestions?
Asking for suggestions Making suggestions

_____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________
Suggestions
_____________________ _____________________
Recommendations
Agreeing Disagreeing
_____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________

2
Recommend a product or service (contd.)

Post-Task
Practice a few of these phrases by having students ask each other
for recommendations about a product/service they are interested in
and responding back to the question.
2. Pre-listening
Write on the board:
Pros and Cons
! Economical/Budget-friendly
SG p. 8 to go with
Ask students if they have used any of the words on the board before.
Ask them to name examples or use the words/phrases in a sentence.
Assist with vocabulary as needed:

pros and cons a reason or argument in favor of something (pro) and against (con)
economical pros and cons
go with inexpensive, cheap economical
(=choose) When buying airplane tickets, which class is cheapest? [Economy]
choose to buy or use go with
convenient (rev.)
reliable Definition: easy to access with little effort convenient
aesthetic consistently good in quality, trustworthy reliable
a certain look (appearance) that is appealing aesthetic
Tracks 910
Listening 1
Set the scene: You will listen to two conversations between a
Audio Script
customer service representative and a customer. For each track,
listen for what the customer needs help with.
Play Tracks 9 and 10.
Ask students: What does the customer need help with in each?
[ANSWERS: A: The customer needs a logo, letterhead, and business cards
for a smartphone application for homework help. B: The customer would
like to know the pros and cons of a new business credit card.]
Ask the students to go further and repeat in their own words the
outcome of the conversation.
Listening 2
! Play the audio again. Tell students: This time, listen for any other
SG p. 7 phrases for making, asking for, agreeing, and disagreeing with a
suggestion you heard. Add any other ways to your chart on page 7.
Tracks 910
Play Tracks 9 and 10 again, this time pausing after each track to
Audio Script give students a chance to write their responses. Have students
report back to you the other phrases they heard.

Unit 4
I suggest you go with our platinum package

In this lesson,
you will
Tip!
Recommend a
product or service
on the fence =
undecided, not committed
1a I want something that families and professionals alike will enjoy
USEFUL PHRASES
Could you tell me more about ? I agree.

Whats the difference between ? Smartwatches are very in right now.
Im looking for What do you suggest? Thats a great suggestion.
Do you know a good ? Yes, thats a good idea.
What do you recommend? Im not sure I agree with you.
Im on the fence about Its not quite what Im looking for.
Im between I dont know if thats the best thing
In my opinion I dont know if thats right for me.
Im in the market for Thats a far cry from what Im looking for.
What do you think about ?
1b Any suggestions?
Asking for suggestions Making suggestions

_____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________
Suggestions
_____________________ _____________________
Recommendations
Agreeing Disagreeing
_____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________

3

[ANSWERS: Track 9
Making: What about
Asking: I was hoping you could recommend, I need a logo, I was
hoping you could recommend
Agreeing: Id love to (take a look)
Track 10
Making: is our most popular option.
Asking: What are the pros and cons?]
Check answers.
3. Elicit the lesson goal from students, or remind them of it and point
it out on the board. Set or adapt the purpose/scenario according to
the customized student goal.
!
SG p. 8 Presentation/Pre-task
narrow down Present and practice with QAQ:
consumer decrease possibilities narrow down
apprehension fear of buying something consumer apprehension
to get caught up to be distracted by, lured by s.th. get caught up
dressing up the packaging being more important than the product itself
of a product dressing up of a product
Task/Performance
Ask students to read the text in Activity 3. Ask: Based on the text,
what do we have to pay attention to when making product/service
recommendations?
[SUGGESTED ANSWER: Dont offer the customer too many options.]
Tell students: Look at the photographs. Its your turn to write down
a few real-life recommendations about the product or service shown
in the photograph. Give students five minutes to think of
recommendations and write them in the space provided. Students
then orally present their recommendations, and the class votes on
the best one.

activity.

their lesson goal.

Recommend a product or service
2 What are you in the market for?
9 A. _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
10 B. _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3 Keep it simple
Research shows that people experience consumer apprehension when faced with too many
choices. Intentions may be goodto offer customers lots of optionsbut customers may
then fear that they are not choosing the perfect option. Therefore, its up to the customer
service representative to simplify and narrow down their choices. Consider pros and cons with
the customer by highlighting benefits and dont get caught up in the marketing departments
dressing up of the product or service.
Your turn!
1. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

on the fence, in the market for, pros and cons to level with, to be in, a far cry from
economical, to go with, reliable, aesthetic, to narrow down You wont look back.
consumer apprehension, to get caught up
dressing up of a product, to endorse

4
Publicly approve of or support s.o. or s.th. endorse
endorse
Level 5-6 Tell students their employer is looking for new company-wide cell
phone (mobile phone UK) provider. First, students brainstorm the
pros and cons of at least two different brands/models and which
services to discuss. Write the services of this ideal provider on
the board as the brainstorming session develops.
Task
Pairs. Student A plays the sales rep, a knowledgeable person about
cell phones and corporate solutions, and interviews Student B
about his/her need for a cell phone. Student B gets interviewed and
asks questions about the recommended solutions.
P1: Student interviews the instructor to see which mobile phone
solution is a best-fit for the instructors company. Student then
presents his/her recommendations based the instructors
needs/wants.
Presentation
Extension 2 Practice further with the idioms introduced in this lesson. Review
level with by asking students: What are some of the new ways you learned to
Level 7-8 you wont look say you are undecided about something? on the fence
back actively searching/shopping for something? in the market for
be in inform youre telling the truth, ask for the truth level with (s.o.)
a far cry from guarantee satisfaction/enjoyment you wont look back
be fashionable, popular right now to be in
something is very different from something else a far cry
from
Practice: QFS
Ask: How would you rewrite this sentence? Model for students
what needs to be done if necessary.
1. The software we purchased was very different from what was
advertised online. The software was a far cry from what was
advertised online.
2. Im not sure whether I should spend the money on a life
insurance plan. Im on the fence about purchasing a life
insurance plan.
3. We need to buy company cell phones (mobile phones UK) for
our new hires as soon as possible. We are in the market for new
cell phones for our new hires.
4. Cell phones with voice-recognition password technology are
very hot right now. Cell phones with voice-recognition password
technology are in right now.

Recommend a product or service
2 What are you in the market for?
9 A. _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
10 B. _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3 Keep it simple
Research shows that people experience consumer apprehension when faced with too many
choices. Intentions may be goodto offer customers lots of optionsbut customers may
then fear that they are not choosing the perfect option. Therefore, its up to the customer
service representative to simplify and narrow down their choices. Consider pros and cons with
the customer by highlighting benefits and dont get caught up in the marketing departments
dressing up of the product or service.
Your turn!
1. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

on the fence, in the market for, pros and cons to level with, to be in, a far cry from
economical, to go with, reliable, aesthetic, to narrow down You wont look back.
consumer apprehension, to get caught up
dressing up of a product, to endorse

Unit 5 I believe theres been a misunderstanding
1
Unit 5: I believe theres been a misunderstanding

conflicting, to ignore, inconsistent, the runaround to make a scene, to cause a fuss
(buck-passing), to argue, to blame, to find out (about), to approach, reputation, to keep/lose (ones)
to follow up (on/with), mild, reasonable, irate, cool, on the line (extension activity)
aggressive, threat, username, pound sign (hash sign
UK), hashtag
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Respond to a client complaint
Ask: Have you ever had a problem with a business? Did you
conflicting complain? Was it resolved?
! ignore
inconsistent
Briefly brainstorm what issues clients complain about.
SG p. 9 contradictory information, two different things equally presented as
correct conflicting
refuse to take notice, do nothing about ignore
not the same each time inconsistent
When you call a government agency, is the first person you speak
the runaround to always the person you are calling to speak to? [N] Do you
(buck-passing) sometimes get transferred multiple times, sometimes even twice to
the same person? [Y] the runaround (also, buck-passing)
Practice QAQ.
Tell students to open to SG page 9 and read the list of issues in the
box on the left silently. Then match the quotes to the issues by
putting the number of the quote on the blank in the box.
[ANSWERS: Incorrect charge, 4; Dissatisfaction with quality, 8; Conflicting
information, 1; Being ignored, 5; Inconsistency, 7; The runaround, 3;
Difficulty reaching representative, 2; Wait time, 9; Rude,
unknowledgeable, unhelpful service, 6]
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to handle a
customer complaint. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1. express a diverging opinion strongly, sometimes angrily argue
argue say its (someone)s fault blame (someone)
to blame
! find out (about)
do some work and discover a fact find out (about)
check later to know how things are follow up (on/with)
SG p. 9 follow up
Practice
(on/with)
Ask students to choose whether the verbs in Activity 1 are things to
do or not to do when responding to a client complaint.
[ANSWERS: Do: A, D, E, H; Dont: B, C, F, G]
Now have students write a complete sentence for each verb on the
lines provided.

Unit 5
I believe theres been a misunderstanding

In this lesson, you will
Respond to a client
complaint
____ Incorrect charge 1 . Ive been told two different things by two different people.
____ Dissatisfaction 2. Ive gone through the automated menu options five times now; I just want
with quality to talk to a human.
____ Conflicting 3. Ive been passed from person to person and I just want to talk to someone
information
who can help me.
Being ignored
4. Id like to know why Ive been billed for shipping when I did not order anything.
____
Inconsistency
5. I had to beg someone to talk to me since no one acknowledged me!
____
The runaround
6. The customer associate barely gave me the time of day and was unfriendly
____
Difficulty reaching
and unhelpful!
____
representative
7. Last time I ordered hole-punched pages from your company I was not
____ Wait time
charged. Why was this included in the bill this time?
____ Rude, unknowledgeable,
unhelpful service 8. This isnt what I expected and Id like my money back.
9. Ive been sitting here for hours and still havent been seen by anyone!
1 Do or Dont?
A Apologize ______________________________________________________________
B Argue _________________________________________________________________
C Blame _________________________________________________________________
D Find out _______________________________________________________________
E Follow up ______________________________________________________________
F Forget _________________________________________________________________
G Ignore _________________________________________________________________
H Listen _________________________________________________________________
2a Three types of complaints

MILD I believe theres been a mistake. (Easily resolved)
REASONABLE was unacceptable. (You would be mad too)
IRATE This is the 10th time this has happened and Im fed up with it.
(Aggressive, personal, potentially threatening)

2
Respond to a client complaint (contd.)

Apologize ... for the inconvenience and the stress caused.
Argue with the client/that it was the clients fault.
Blame the client for the issue.
Find out what caused the issue/about possible solutions.
Follow up on the issue/with the client.
Forget to report/record the issue/to act upon the issue.
Ignore the complaint/how important it is to the client.
Listen patiently and carefully to what the client has to say.]
Performance
Tell students to present those guidelines in a business seminar,
illustrating each do or dont with an example from experience.
Presentation
2ab. Ask: Looking at the three typical complaint categories in Activity
2a, can you think of an example scenario for each?
! Assist with vocabulary as needed:
If you order tea, but the server accidentally brings you coffee, is it a
SG p. 9 bad mistake? mild
If you stay at a hotel, can you expect the sheets to be clean and your
mild night to be quiet? reasonable
reasonable If you arrange for a project to be finished while you are on leave
irate and you come back to find that nobody has done anything, are you
aggressive mad? [Y] irate
threat forceful, attacking aggressive
someone says they will hurt you if you do not do what they want
you to do threat
Practice QAQ.
Listening 1
Write on the board: Let me see if I understood correctly/got it, you
would like to and Is that correct?
Tell students they will listen to three customers voicing complaints;
they should listen for information relevant to the complaint.
Play Track 11, stopping after the caller gives his account number:
Tracks 1113
6-9-2-1-7-8-7. Encourage students to use the phrases on the board
to repeat the information. Do not play the audio track all the way
Audio Script
through at this time.
Play Track 12, stopping after the woman says, but not if check-in
will take one hour each time. Have students repeat the
information they heard using another phrase on the board. Do not
play the audio track all the way through at this time.
! Play Track 13 all the way through. Have students say why they
cant use the phrases on the board with this complaint.
SG p. 10
Listening 2
Tracks 1113 Play Tracks 11 to 13 all the way through. This time, have students
check off the words/phrases from Activity 2b as they listen.
Audio Script

Unit 5
I believe theres been a misunderstanding

Respond to a client
complaint
____ Incorrect charge 1 . Ive been told two different things by two different people.
____ Dissatisfaction 2. Ive gone through the automated menu options five times now; I just want
with quality to talk to a human.
____ Conflicting 3. Ive been passed from person to person and I just want to talk to someone
information
who can help me.
Being ignored
4. Id like to know why Ive been billed for shipping when I did not order anything.
____
Inconsistency
5. I had to beg someone to talk to me since no one acknowledged me!
____
The runaround
6. The customer associate barely gave me the time of day and was unfriendly
____
Difficulty reaching
and unhelpful!
____
representative
7. Last time I ordered hole-punched pages from your company I was not
____ Wait time
charged. Why was this included in the bill this time?
____ Rude, unknowledgeable,
unhelpful service 8. This isnt what I expected and Id like my money back.
9. Ive been sitting here for hours and still havent been seen by anyone!
1 Do or Dont?
A Apologize ______________________________________________________________
B Argue _________________________________________________________________
C Blame _________________________________________________________________
D Find out _______________________________________________________________
E Follow up ______________________________________________________________
F Forget _________________________________________________________________
G Ignore _________________________________________________________________
H Listen _________________________________________________________________
2a Three types of complaints

MILD I believe theres been a mistake. (Easily resolved)
REASONABLE was unacceptable. (You would be mad too)
IRATE This is the 10th time this has happened and Im fed up with it.
(Aggressive, personal, potentially threatening)

3

make a scene Post-listening Level 5-6
! cause a fuss Skit 1. Students recreate the dialog in the audio activities in their
SG p. 10 own words using any appropriate phrases from the list on page 10.
Use the audio script on page 78 if necessary.
Audio Script Skit 2. Switch roles, but complicate the dialog by instructing
students to use the phrase Im not authorized to ..., but let me
forward this [to my manager] at least once during the conversation.
Post-listening Level 7-8
display emotion or anger publicly make a scene
demand excessive attention, complain make/cause a fuss
Track 13 Skit. Students recreate the dialog in Track 13 using the new phrases
above. Use the audio script on page 79 for guidance. You may
Audio Script make up another reason why a client would get irate.
3. Presentation
Point out the box in Activity 3. Ask: What do you think the number
88% could be, in relation with customer service and social media?
! 88% of consumers were unlikely to buy from a brand that
ignored their complaints on social media (Joshua March,
SG p. 10
founder/CEO of Conversocial). Have students rephrase as needed.
Write the following words on the board: username/handle, hashtag.
Ask students to point to each of those words in the fake social
media network message in Activity 3.
[ANSWERS: username/handle = @CeeWolf14 (read at);
hashtag = the # pound sign (hash sign UK) marking trending/popular
keywords in social media (pronounced hashtag SkyBlueSky)]
username
pound sign Does your company use social media to keep in touch with clients?
(hash sign UK) Do you have a social media account? Personal, professional, both?
hashtag Do you ever mention companies by name in a hashtag if you have a
complaint? [If N] How about friends or colleagues?
[If Y] Do you/they ever get a response? What kind?
Practice
Have students read the message and create a response to it.
Students may either write (preferable) or say their response aloud.
Remind students that it has to be equal to 140 characters (letters,
numbers, spaces, symbols) or less.
[POSSIBLE RESPONSES: 1. Give info about the delayed flight in an informal
tone, e.g.: Your plane is en route. Hang in there; youll be off by 9 a.m.
2. Give an apology and a reason for the problem, e.g.: Were sorry for the
delay. Severe weather in DC is preventing us from taking off. Think warm
and dry thoughts!]
Performance

Respond to a client complaint
2b 11 12 13 The perfect phrase for the situation
MILD
Im sorry for the inconvenience. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
It seems as though weve Im sorry for the mix-up.
overlooked your order. It appears to be an oversight on our part.
Ill be happy to help fix this. This should be resolved by tomorrow.
REASONABLE
I apologize. You should hear from us Well look into the matter.
Thatll never happen again. within 24 hours. I understand.
I assure you well fix it. On behalf of Sonix, Id I am not authorized to
Ill make an official log of like to offer you a voucher do that, but I will forward
the complaint. for your trouble. this to someone who is.
IRATE
Youre right, I apologize. I can see youre I will have to ask Its up to you if
I understand how stressed, but if you you to stop, but you would like
frustrating this must be. provide me with you are welcome to continue this
Youre obviously upset. all the necessary to call / come back conversation
Let me help you solve information, we at a later time. now; if not,
this. can take care of If you continue to talk youre welcome
Please try to remain this faster. in a threatening way, to call back
calm. Ill take care of this I will be forced to end later.
immediately. this conversation.
3 Social media blunders

CoreyWolfe@CeeWolf14
Delayed flight Time to wander around the airport sponsored by #SkyBlueSky
SkyBlueSkyAirways@SkyBlueSky
@CeeWolf14 Please send us your flight number and well try to get an update for you.
CoreyWolfe@CeeWolf14 88% of consumers were

Flight number 7701. New York to Washington D.C. ___________________________
SkyBlueSkyAirways@SkyBlueSky ___________________________
@CeeWolf14 _________________________________________________________________________

conflicting, to ignore, inconsistent, the runaround (buck-passing) to make a scene, to cause a fuss
to argue, to blame, to find out (about), to follow up (on / with) to approach, reputation
mild, reasonable, irate, aggressive, threat, username to keep / lose (ones) cool
pound sign (hash sign UK), hashtag on the line

4

Pairs. Have one student voice a complaint about a new car he/she
purchased and the other handle it if he/she has the authority to do
so, and if not, to inform the person complaining what will be done
about it.
activity.
their lesson goal.
Discussion
Extension 1 Read the following quote aloud: Some clients wont complain; they
just wont come back.
Level 56
Lead into a discussion by asking: Are you afraid or embarrassed to
complain sometimes? Why?
! Compare studentsresponses to the following quote: Your most
unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. Ask: What
SG p. 10
does this quote imply? Do you agree with it? Why? What are other
ways a company learns, or improves, its operation? How does your
company handle complaints?
Note: The quote is attributed to Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.
Presentation
Extension 2 begin to handle / work on something approach
to approach How do you approach complaints?
Level 78 Does your continued business with clients lead them to form an
reputation opinion of you and the company? reputation
to keep/lose
! (ones) cool
to remain calm and not let anger overcome you dont lose your
cool/keep your cool
SG p. 10 How do you approach a client who is quick to get angry?
If you have built a good reputation, how do you keep (or save) that
on the line reputation when there is a complaint?
at risk of losing or harming s.th. on the line
What is on the line if you lose your cool when dealing with a
complaint? [Reputation, business, client]
Track 13
Setup
Audio Script Use the audio script (Track 13, irate client) on page 79 for
guidance. Tell students: Imagine you did everything necessary to
resolve this complaint and keep your client happy. Now, you have
been chosen to lead a complaint handling training session. Create
and add any necessary facts to the scenario. Give students five
minutes to prepare a presentation. Encourage them to use the
vocabulary presented here or earlier in the unit.

Respond to a client complaint
2b 11 12 13 The perfect phrase for the situation
MILD
Im sorry for the inconvenience. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
It seems as though weve Im sorry for the mix-up.
overlooked your order. It appears to be an oversight on our part.
Ill be happy to help fix this. This should be resolved by tomorrow.
REASONABLE
I apologize. You should hear from us Well look into the matter.
Thatll never happen again. within 24 hours. I understand.
I assure you well fix it. On behalf of Sonix, Id I am not authorized to
Ill make an official log of like to offer you a voucher do that, but I will forward
the complaint. for your trouble. this to someone who is.
IRATE
Youre right, I apologize. I can see youre I will have to ask Its up to you if
I understand how stressed, but if you you to stop, but you would like
frustrating this must be. provide me with you are welcome to continue this
Youre obviously upset. all the necessary to call / come back conversation
Let me help you solve information, we at a later time. now; if not,
this. can take care of If you continue to talk youre welcome
Please try to remain this faster. in a threatening way, to call back
calm. Ill take care of this I will be forced to end later.
immediately. this conversation.
3 Social media blunders

CoreyWolfe@CeeWolf14
Delayed flight Time to wander around the airport sponsored by #SkyBlueSky
SkyBlueSkyAirways@SkyBlueSky
@CeeWolf14 Please send us your flight number and well try to get an update for you.
CoreyWolfe@CeeWolf14 88% of consumers were

Flight number 7701. New York to Washington D.C. ___________________________
SkyBlueSkyAirways@SkyBlueSky ___________________________
@CeeWolf14 _________________________________________________________________________

conflicting, to ignore, inconsistent, the runaround (buck-passing) to make a scene, to cause a fuss
to argue, to blame, to find out (about), to follow up (on / with) to approach, reputation
mild, reasonable, irate, aggressive, threat, username to keep / lose (ones) cool
pound sign (hash sign UK), hashtag on the line

Unit 6 Im sorry; its against company policy
1
Unit 6: Im sorry; its against company policy

policy, suspicious, in place, confidential, hassle, to stern,
field, accountable wont take no for an answer, to put pressure on s.o.
to resort to, case-by-case basis (extension activity) (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Apologize and explain a company policy
Ask: Do clients sometimes make requests that you cant fulfill? Do
you freely give out the private contact information of anyone in the
! organization? Why not?
SG p. 11 policy
organizations set of rules policies
suspicious
questionable or distrustful suspicious
What could be considered a suspicious credit card transaction?
What is your companys policy for accepting gifts or benefits from
clients?
in place Why is that policy in effect? in place
Practice
Write companys policies on the board and ask the students to
provide examples of company policies theyve seen / experienced.
In your employee workbook (or hire packet), did you get a list of
workplace policies that determine how an employee and employer
should conduct himself/herself? [Y] Are similar policies in place to
protect company interests when dealing with clients? [Y]
Do clients like it if a company always hides behind policies? [N]
How can you make resorting to a policy sound more human?
[Apologize in advance]
To distinguish between policies and apologies, tell students to put

an A for apology or P for policy in the space provided next to the
phrases on page 11. Then ask students which vocabulary in the
sentences helps us identify apology/policy.
[ANSWERS: 1. P 2. A 3. P 4. A 5. P 6. A 7. A 8. P]
Check answers.
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to apologize and

explain a company policy. Write it on the board.

Unit 6
Im sorry; its against company policy

Apologize and explain
a company policy
Policy or apology?
1. Service fees are charged per transaction. ______
2. I apologize for the inconvenience. ______
3. I cant discuss your account unless you can confirm your identity. ______
4. I understand its a hassle, but unfortunately I cant make an exception. ______
5. That is confidential information and we do not provide that over the phone. ______
6. Im sorry, we dont carry that brand. ______
7. It will never happen again; I assure you. ______
8. A request for a refund must be made within 30 days of purchase. ______
1a I regret to inform you that smoking is prohibited beyond this point
USEFUL PHRASES
Im afraid we dont I dont have the There are some

I regret to inform authority to troubles with
you that Sorry I couldnt be of I apologize for any
We are unable to more help. inconvenience this may
It would appear as Its against company have caused
though policy to ... wont be possible at
this time.
Informal Formal
1 . We dont do overnight shipping. _____________________________________
2. I cant give you my supervisors _____________________________________
home email address. _____________________________________
3. You cant bring in outside food. _____________________________________
4. I cant help you with that. _____________________________________
5. Theres probably been a mistake. _____________________________________

2
Pre-task
1ab. Ask: Which is more commonformal or informal speech when
dealing with clients? When might communication be informal?
! When is it strictly formal? What about apologieswould they ever
be informal?
SG pp. 1112
Task
Have students rewrite the sentences in Activity 1a to make them
more formal or simply polite. Use the useful language box for
help.
[POSSIBLE RESPONSES: 1. Im afraid we dont do overnight shipping.
2. Its against company policy to give out personal information. 3. I regret
to inform you that outside food is not permitted in the restaurant. 4.
Unfortunately, I dont have the authority to take care of this. 5. There may
have been a misunderstanding.]
Post-task: QFS Level 5-6
Book closed, have students practice by transforming authoritative
policies into polite/diplomatic phrases. For example:
1. No returns without a receipt. (Im afraid I cant accept the item
without a receipt.)
2. No smoking within 25 feet of the building. (Could you please
take your cigarette at least 25 feet from the entrance?)
3. Flash photography not allowed. (We do not permit flash
photography.)
4. No estimates over the phone. (Im afraid we dont provide
estimates over the phone.)
Note: Diplomatic language uses expressions of uncertainty (It
seems/appears, may), conditional forms (would/could),
impersonal expressions (passive voice, we instead of I), etc.

stern Build up: If a client begs you to go against policy or disregards it,
! do you let them do it? [N] Do you stay authoritative? [Y] stern
SG p. 12 Introduce the phrases in Activity 1b. Encourage students to use the
same expressions in transforming the following authoritative
polices into polite phrases. For example:
1. No returns without a receipt. (Im afraid I cant accept the item
without a receipt.)
2. Your credit card was declined. (It would appear as though your
credit card was declined.)
3. I cant give you the details without verifying your identity. (I
regret to inform you that I cannot give you the details.)
4. All applicants must provide proof of identity. (Im afraid you
need to provide proof of identity.), etc.
Ask: How can we speak politely/diplomatically to a client? Elicit:
expressions of uncertainty (It seems/appears, may), conditional
forms (would/could), impersonal expressions (passive voice,
we instead of I), etc.

Unit 6
Im sorry; its against company policy

Apologize and explain
a company policy
Policy or apology?
1. Service fees are charged per transaction. ______
2. I apologize for the inconvenience. ______
3. I cant discuss your account unless you can confirm your identity. ______
4. I understand its a hassle, but unfortunately I cant make an exception. ______
5. That is confidential information and we do not provide that over the phone. ______
6. Im sorry, we dont carry that brand. ______
7. It will never happen again; I assure you. ______
8. A request for a refund must be made within 30 days of purchase. ______
1a I regret to inform you that smoking is prohibited beyond this point
USEFUL PHRASES
Im afraid we dont I dont have the There are some

I regret to inform authority to troubles with
you that Sorry I couldnt be of I apologize for any
We are unable to more help. inconvenience this may
It would appear as Its against company have caused
though policy to ... wont be possible at
this time.
Informal Formal
1 . We dont do overnight shipping. _____________________________________
2. I cant give you my supervisors _____________________________________
home email address. _____________________________________
3. You cant bring in outside food. _____________________________________
4. I cant help you with that. _____________________________________
5. Theres probably been a mistake. _____________________________________

3
2. Presentation
Write the following words on the board: confidential, hassle, to
field, accountable.
! Ask volunteers for examples of each word in a sentence.
SG p. 12 Present vocabulary as needed:
Definition: When you tell your doctor your medical problems, do
confidential you expect him/her (by law) to not tell anyone? confidential
hassle Is it a quick and easy process to purchase a cell phone (mobile
field (v.) phone UK), or do you have to search for phone models, decide on a
accountable plan/contract, and pay a significant amount of money? hassle
receive and deal with questions/comments to field
Substitution: If a company makes a bad decision, is the CEO
ultimately responsible for it? [Y] accountable
Practice QAQ.
Listening
Tracks 1415
Tell students they will hear two conversations: one between a
customer service representative and a customer; the second
Audio Script
between two coworkers. Tell students to listen for the policy they
discuss. Play Tracks 1415.
[ANSWERS: A. Cant give out confidential information. B. Will be charged
for not cancelling in time.]
Check answers.
Then ask students to fill in the missing information in the sentences
next to the pictures (Activity 2). Play Tracks 1415 again.
[ANSWERS: 1. May I please; 2. I cannot proceed with your request; 3. is
such a hassle; 4. would be held accountable; 5. fielded; 6. took her anger
out on me.]
! Check answers.
Post-listening: Performance
SG p. 12
Role play. Students choose whether they perform a role play
between customer rep and customer or between two employees.
Refer to the audio script on page 79 as guidance to recreate a
similar dialog on the same topic (or a topic of students choice).
activity.

their lesson goal.

Apologize and explain a company policy
1b Cameras are not permitted in the building
Give me your account number. Would you mind giving me your account number?
What is your name? May I please have your name?
I cant tell you / give you Im afraid I cant provide you with
I cant verify your identity. We couldnt verify your identity.
Tip!
Excuse me, madam. Im afraid smoking I regret to inform you
is not permitted within 25 feet of the that mobile phones Hint: Use modals and
the plural we instead
building. Could you please take your are not allowed in
of I to make your
cigarette a little farther away? the courtroom. message more formal.
2 Without that information, I cannot process your request
1. ________________________have your name and account number?

2. Im sorry sir, but unfortunately without that information,
________________________.
A. 3. But that to go home just to find her
________________________
account number.
14
4. Otherwise, we should anyone else access
________________________
your account.
5. I just a call from a very upset customer.
________________________
6. Since I was the first person she reached, she just vented to me
B. about everything she didnt like about the order process and then
she ________________________for the money shes losing on this.
15
Tip!
Some companies follow the policy use your best judgment instead of resorting
to an official policy to deny or fulfill a request. In other words, employees assess
requests on a case-by-case basis and are the decision makers.

policy, suspicious, in place, confidential, hassle stern, to put pressure on
to field, accountable, to resort to, case-by-case basis He wont take no for an answer.

4
Presentation
Extension 1
Ask students to read the tip box at the bottom of page 12. Discuss
briefly. Assist with vocabulary as necessary:
Level 56
Dictionary. choose something that isnt the best option,
sometimes the final option available resort to
resort to
Substitution. Does every patient that goes to see a doctor come in
! case-by-case
basis
with the same illness? [N] Do doctors have to diagnose patients
based on an individuals symptoms that are different each time? [Y]
SG p. 12
case-by-case basis
Practice
Ask: In what kind of company would a policy of use your best
judgment work? [Department store, for example] Where would it
not work? [Telecom company] Why?
[POSSIBLE EXPLANATION: The levels of accountability and risk are
different. To sell products, department stores do not need much private
information from the customer, meaning there is not much employees
could disclose. Yet for phone service, there is typically a signed contract,
personal contact details, and credit card and billing information kept on
file.]
What would you do in this situation?
1. When moving houses, a woman finds a pair of shoes still in the
original box, never worn, with a price tag and receipt from 1987.
She comes into your store half-jokingly to see if she can return the
shoes. [In real life, they were accepted for the full $98.50 refund.]
2. A customer calls your company to return a 5-year-old computer,
saying that its outdated and because of heavy use, now runs slow.
3. A client requests a discounted price on the beverage you supply
because the weak economy will otherwise make him resort to
another, cheaper brand.
Presentation
Extension 2 refuse to accept no as an answer wont take no for an answer
wont take no for beg and maybe even lightly threaten to have a request fulfilled
Level 78 an answer put pressure on [you]
put pressure on
s.o. Practice
Have you been in a situation when a client wouldnt take no for an
answer or put pressure on you to do something against company
policy? How did you handle it? What was the outcome?
Give students five minutes to prepare a presentation to their
department about how to handle unacceptable requests from
customers. Encourage students to use both expressions introduced
above.

Apologize and explain a company policy
1b Cameras are not permitted in the building
Give me your account number. Would you mind giving me your account number?
What is your name? May I please have your name?
I cant tell you / give you Im afraid I cant provide you with
I cant verify your identity. We couldnt verify your identity.
Tip!
Excuse me, madam. Im afraid smoking I regret to inform you
is not permitted within 25 feet of the that mobile phones Hint: Use modals and
the plural we instead
building. Could you please take your are not allowed in
of I to make your
cigarette a little farther away? the courtroom. message more formal.
2 Without that information, I cannot process your request
1. ________________________have your name and account number?

2. Im sorry sir, but unfortunately without that information,
________________________.
A. 3. But that to go home just to find her
________________________
account number.
14
4. Otherwise, we should anyone else access
________________________
your account.
5. I just a call from a very upset customer.
________________________
6. Since I was the first person she reached, she just vented to me
B. about everything she didnt like about the order process and then
she ________________________for the money shes losing on this.
15
Tip!
Some companies follow the policy use your best judgment instead of resorting
to an official policy to deny or fulfill a request. In other words, employees assess
requests on a case-by-case basis and are the decision makers.

policy, suspicious, in place, confidential, hassle stern, to put pressure on
to field, accountable, to resort to, case-by-case basis He wont take no for an answer.

Unit 7 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but
1
Unit 7: I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but

to acknowledge, compensation, regardless, rain implication, to have a problem on (ones) hands, to
check (= voucher), on file, to alert, to implement, blow (s.th.) out of proportion
recall (n., v.), to beat around (about UK) the bush, ethical, tragic, to tamper with (extension activity)
to deploy, terrain
bearer of bad news, to fall on (ones) shoulders, to
soften the blow, dont shoot the messenger
(extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Handle a clients problem
Warm-up Ask students to read the quote at the top of page 13. Discuss briefly.
What sorts of things can go wrong when dealing with clients?
! Note: The quote is attributed to Donald Porter, a high-profile customer

service consultant with clients incl. Lloyds Bank and British Airways.
SG p. 13 [POSSIBLE ANSWERS: bad treatment, product/service quality, payment
problems, etc.]
Whose responbility is it to handle a clients problem?
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to handle a client
problem. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1ab. Refer students to the title of Activity 1a, and then them tell to close
the book. Ask: What steps do you think are involved in problem
! solving?
SG p. 13 Substitution: If a client walks into your office and you are on the
phone, do you say hello or nod to let the person know that you see
him/her? acknowledge
If you are wronged (either by injury or something else), can you
acknowledge sometimes be given payment to make up for it? compensation
compensation Substitution: despite the circumstances regardless (of)
regardless offer that will be honored at a later time rain check (=voucher)
rain check Practice QAQ.
(=voucher )
Practice
Now ask volunteers to read the text in Activity 1a. Have students
also enact the four dialogs in Activity 1b. Each is an example of one
of the steps in Activity 1a. Have students match each example to its
step.

Unit 7
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but

In this lesson,
you will
Customers dont expect you to be
Handle a clients perfect. They do expect you to fix
problem things when they go wrong.
1a Steps for problem solving

Problem solving is an acquired skill that takes a few simple steps to implement. Most
importantly, regardless of whether a problem was your fault, it is best practice to begin
with an apology (big or small) on behalf of the company. Then follow these four steps to
solve the problem:
1. Listen to the customer or employee who informed you of the problem. ______
2. Acknowledge the problem / mistake. ______
3. Apologize (regardless of fault). ______
4. Explain an alternative, the solution, and / or offer compensation. ______
If the situation requires it, follow up with the customer or employee who brought
the problem to you to make sure it was taken care of.
1b Its on us, since it was an inconvenience
A C
No, I dont want a rain check on the part; We specifically requested a payment plan.
I need to meet my production schedule. Instead, the entire order was charged to one
I can see that you are disappointed; account all at once!
I quite understand your frustration. Ah, please dont worry. We can cancel this
payment and set up scheduled payments for
B the future. Ill take 10% off the first payment
There were many issues with the for the inconvenience.
transaction. If youll hear me out, Ill
go through them line by line. D
Of course, I will be with you directly; Someone at your company sent me the
let me just pull up the transaction wrong thing entirely!
All right, what is your first concern? I apologize for the inconvenience that
must have caused you.

2
Handle a clients problem (contd.)

How does each dialog demonstrate one of the problem-solving
steps? [ANSWERS: 1.B 2.A 3.D 4.C]
! Skit. Students take turns using the tools in Activity 1a to solve the
SG p. 13 following scenario. Remind students to acknowledge, apologize,
and offer a solution to the problem.
Read: Our company purchased advertising space with you six
months ago and since then we have not seen the kind of sales
numbers and website visits we were promised by your team. I
would like to cancel our contract unless you can tell me why this
may be so.
Presentation
2. Write the following words on the board: on file, to alert, implement,
on file recall, implication, beat around the bush. Elicit the meanings:
alert (v.)
! implement
(stored in a system on file, to notify to alert, to put a plan
into effect to implement, to bring back recall, avoid
SG p. 14 recall (v.) discussing directly, evade beat around (about UK) the bush)
beat around Practice QAQ.
(about
UK) the bush Listening
Have students look at the pictures in Activity 2 on SG page 14. Ask
them if they have any personal stories they can share about the two
objects. Tell students they will hear two conversations where
Tracks 1617 someone informs someone else of a problem.
Play Tracks 1617. Write what the issue was in the space provided
Audio Script and fill in the remaining blank spaces. Check answers.
[ANSWERS: A1. The credit card doesnt go through. A2. she used a
canceled card. B1. The new electric heater is faulty. B2. short-circuited,
burn, melt, alerted, recall]

Was the issue in the first conversation a major one? [N] What about
the second conversation? [Y] Why? [Because of the cost, effort,
and resources it takes to recall a product.] Did the employee in the
second conversation beat around the bush? What makes you say
that?

implication Elicit: A likely consequence of something implication
have a problem What are the possible implications if the company (Heat Blade)
on (ones) does not recall its heater?
hands. Will it have a bigger problem on its hands then?
blow (s.th.) out of Did Peter (in Track 17) blow [the problem] out of proportion? (N)
proportion. Practice QAQ.
What would you do if you were Peter? Would you do anything
differently than is mentioned in the dialogue?
Presentation
3ab. recall (n.) Write the word recall on the board. What is a recall? (To call back
a product, for example) What products do companies recall? Why?

Unit 7
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but

In this lesson,
you will
Customers dont expect you to be
Handle a clients perfect. They do expect you to fix
problem things when they go wrong.
1a Steps for problem solving

Problem solving is an acquired skill that takes a few simple steps to implement. Most
importantly, regardless of whether a problem was your fault, it is best practice to begin
with an apology (big or small) on behalf of the company. Then follow these four steps to
solve the problem:
1. Listen to the customer or employee who informed you of the problem. ______
2. Acknowledge the problem / mistake. ______
3. Apologize (regardless of fault). ______
4. Explain an alternative, the solution, and / or offer compensation. ______
If the situation requires it, follow up with the customer or employee who brought
the problem to you to make sure it was taken care of.
1b Its on us, since it was an inconvenience
A C
No, I dont want a rain check on the part; We specifically requested a payment plan.
I need to meet my production schedule. Instead, the entire order was charged to one
I can see that you are disappointed; account all at once!
I quite understand your frustration. Ah, please dont worry. We can cancel this
payment and set up scheduled payments for
B the future. Ill take 10% off the first payment
There were many issues with the for the inconvenience.
transaction. If youll hear me out, Ill
go through them line by line. D
Of course, I will be with you directly; Someone at your company sent me the
let me just pull up the transaction wrong thing entirely!
All right, what is your first concern? I apologize for the inconvenience that
must have caused you.

3
Substitution: to activate or send out (military) deploy

deploy Build-up: What is the road like when you drive through a forest?
terrain What about across a desert? terrain
! Practice
Have the students read the text silently in Activity 3a and answer
SG p. 14 the following comprehension questions:
What kind of company is this? [Car company] What did the
company issue? [A recall] Has this recall already had serious
implications for the company? [No, there have been no injuries
reported yet] What plan did the company implement to recall its
vehicles? [Alert dealers of the problem and encourage customers to
go to the dealers for a replacement free of charge] Check answers.
Performance
Ask: What elements do you need to include in a recall notice?
Write students answers on the board.
! Pairs. Students work together to write their own recall
SG p. 14 communication for the product in the second listening trackthe
Heat Blade electric heater from Track 17in Activity 3b. Direct
Audio Script students to the audio script on page 80 and the model in Activity 3a
for guidance. Students must decide and justify whether the tone is
formal (like in the activity) or if they want to make it more informal.
activity.
their lesson goal.
Presentation
Extension 1
Write the following idioms on the board. 1. Be the bearer of bad
news. 2. (Something) falls on your shoulders. 3. Soften the blow.
Level 56
If students know one, have them give you the meaning of the idiom
in their own words. Read the following text to give students the
opportunity to guess the meaning from the context.
Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes the
task falls on your shoulders. While you may not immediately have
an answer to the problem, there are ways to soften the blow of the
bad news. So, when you must deliver the bad news, regardless of
whether it is your fault, dont beat around (about) the bush and keep
it simple! And dont forget to tell the person, Dont shoot the
messenger!

Handle a clients problem
2 Whats the matter?
A. 16 B. 17
1 . Issue: ___________________________ . 1 . Issue: ___________________________ .

2. The woman is not concerned because, 2. Because the heaters
____________________
____________________ , they caused the

internal mechanics to
_________________________________
____________________
_________________________________ and ____________________.

_________________________________ . 3. The employee has already ____________________
the distributors, but he would like the company

to issue an official .
We have to issue a recall
____________________
3
Sonix June 16, 2015
DETROIT, Mich. Sonix is the leading manufacturer of cars that your modern
lifestyles require. Today, we announce a voluntary safety recall of our 20122015
sedan models. The sedans from these years have been found to contain a faulty airbag
casing that may deploy the airbag when driving over rough terrain. At this time,
there have been no serious injuries reported. Sonix has alerted its dealers around the country of the issue and
implemented a program to accept the roughly 500,000 vehicles involved in the recall. Safety is our priority
and so we are taking the responsibility of replacing the deployment system at no cost to consumers. Please visit
your local Sonix dealer for your replacement parts free of charge, and thank you for your loyalty as a customer.
Your turn!
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

to acknowledge, compensation, regardless implication
rain check (= voucher), on file, to alert, recall (n., v.) to have a problem on (ones) hands
to beat around (about UK) the bush, to deploy to blow something out of proportion
terrain, bearer of bad news, to fall on (ones) shoulders ethical, tragic, to tamper with
to soften the blow, dont shoot the messenger

4

bearer of bad Assist with vocabulary as needed.
news a messenger, person who gives bad news bearer of bad news
fall on (ones) be given the responsibility for fall on your shoulders
shoulders gently introduce unpleasant news to make it easier to accept
soften the blow soften the blow
dont shoot the dont feel angry with someone delivering bad news to you
messenger dont shoot the messenger
Practice: QFS
Encourage students to use the idioms in response to your questions.
Why was it dangerous to be the bearer of bad news in medieval
times (c. 400 to 1400 C.E.)? [Because you could be killed by the
person you brought the message to.]
Has the responsibility of giving a last-minute presentation ever
fallen on your shoulders?
How might you soften the blow when you tell your boss you want
to quit your job?
(from Activity 2) Do you work with a person who always beats
around (about) the bush?
Pre-task/Presentation
Extension 2 Ask: Historically, was it legal for a king to send a man to his death
without a trial? [Y] But was it ethical?
Level 78 Dictionary: morally correct, right in conduct ethical
ethical Say: We will discuss a real-life ethical decision posed to a
pharmeceutical company.
Write the following words on the board: tragic, cyanide, tamper
with. Define the words before you read.
tragic causing feelings of great sadness tragic; a poisonous chemical
tamper with cyanide; change in a harmful way tamper with.
Tell students you will read a story to them, and their goal is to
make notes of the main ideas so that they understand as much as
they can about the story.
Task
Read the following: In 1982, a pharmaceutical company that made
pain-relief pills was faced with a situation that could have destroyed
the company. Seven people died when they took its pills that were
poisoned with cyanide after someone tampered with the pill bottles.
At the time, the company had no less than one hundred million
dollars worth of this pain reliever on the shelves. A recall would
cost the companys stockholders a fortune.
Ask students: How would you have handled the situation? Discuss
and determine vocabulary that can be used to handle this problem.
In real life, the company (Johnson & Johnson) did recall the
product the day after it learned of the poisoning. This ultimately
saved the companys reputation.

Handle a clients problem
2 Whats the matter?
A. 16 B. 17
1 . Issue: ___________________________ . 1 . Issue: ___________________________ .

2. The woman is not concerned because, 2. Because the heaters
____________________
____________________ , they caused the

internal mechanics to
_________________________________
____________________
_________________________________ and ____________________.

_________________________________ . 3. The employee has already ____________________
the distributors, but he would like the company

to issue an official .
We have to issue a recall
____________________
3
Sonix June 16, 2015
DETROIT, Mich. Sonix is the leading manufacturer of cars that your modern
lifestyles require. Today, we announce a voluntary safety recall of our 20122015
sedan models. The sedans from these years have been found to contain a faulty airbag
casing that may deploy the airbag when driving over rough terrain. At this time,
there have been no serious injuries reported. Sonix has alerted its dealers around the country of the issue and
implemented a program to accept the roughly 500,000 vehicles involved in the recall. Safety is our priority
and so we are taking the responsibility of replacing the deployment system at no cost to consumers. Please visit
your local Sonix dealer for your replacement parts free of charge, and thank you for your loyalty as a customer.
Your turn!
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

to acknowledge, compensation, regardless implication
rain check (= voucher), on file, to alert, recall (n., v.) to have a problem on (ones) hands
to beat around (about UK) the bush, to deploy to blow something out of proportion
terrain, bearer of bad news, to fall on (ones) shoulders ethical, tragic, to tamper with
to soften the blow, dont shoot the messenger

Unit 8 Elora speaking; how may I help you?
1
Unit 8: Elora speaking; how may I help you?

background noise, to cut out, to pull up, to transfer, to to enunciate,
restate, to disconnect, gap, to interject, urgent, to relay Im with you
Youll have to forgive me, but May I know the nature of your call?
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Communicate effectively with a client over the phone
Ask: Do you prefer to deal with clients over the phone or face-to-
Warm-up face? Why? What is different about handling clients over the phone
than in person?
! [POSSIBLE RESPONSES: must be mindful of background noise, long
silences; no visual cues, etc.]
SG p. 15 background noise Loud noise in the callers environment that makes it hard to
hear/understand the caller background noise
What problems do you consistently have over the phone?
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to communicate
effectively with a client over the phone. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1. cut out broken or silent speech for moments at a time cut out
mumble (rev.) speak in an unclear way mumble
pull up
! transfer
locate an item, such as an account or invoice pull up/look up
connect two people other than yourself transfer/connect
SG p. 15 restate say something again or differently to make it more clear restate
What do you say if you forget someones name? What if its an
Youll have to important client? How do you sweeten it up? [Y] Youll have to
forgive me, forgive me, but
but Practice QAQ.
Listening
Tell students they will listen to eight short tracks, each with its own
Tracks 1825 issue. Listen for the issue and how the customer service
representative asks for clarification.
Audio Script Play Tracks 1825. Students will match the track number to the
issue in Activity 1 on SG 15 as they go along.
[ANSWERS: 1. 24, 2. 25, 3. 22, 4. 19, 5. 20, 6. 18, 7. 23, 8. 21]
Post-listening: Cue-response Level 5-6
Model what students have to do using the audio scripts on page 81
for guidance if necessary.
1. You dont know how to spell the customers name. How do
you spell your name, please?
2. You need time to locate the callers account on your computer.

Unit 8
Elora speaking; how may I help you?

In this lesson, Do you prefer to deal with clients
you will over the phone or face-to-face?
Communicate effectively What is different between handling

with a client over the phone clients over the phone and in person?
1 Im not sure I know what you mean

18 _____ 1 . Too much background noise.
19 _____ 2. Restate the question.
20 _____ 3. Need time to pull up an account.
21 4. Customer mumbles.
Tip!
_____
22 _____ 5. Difficult name to spell.

23 _____ 6. Conversation cuts out. Use the telephone alphabet for clarity!
For example: My name is Benedict.
24 _____ 7. Call needs to be transferred. B as in boy, E as in Edward, ...
25 _____ 8. Customer rep forgot customers name.
2 Are you still there?
A clients call may require you to look up information or otherwise spend a few seconds of your
time thinking or doing something that doesnt involve talking. These types of interactions are much
different over the phone than in person, when clients can see you typing and working, otherwise
they may wonder if the call got disconnected after they pose their question. Over the phone, you
can fill in silences by saying out loud what it is you are doing to help the clients youre in touch with.
Two ways to do this are by using gap-fillers or constantly voicing what you are doing. For example:
USEFUL PHRASES
Gap-fillers: Say what you are doing:
Hmmm, okay. Let me see here.
Okay, Im just typing that in right now.
Umm / Uhh ...
Just one moment while I jot that down.
You know / You see
The computer is loading the page and ah ha!
Well so
Here we go.
Let me think.
If you would give me just one moment to
I mean
Without visual cues, you arent able to raise your hand to indicate that someone should pause what they are
saying, so you have to interject politely over the phone.
Interjections
Excuse me.
If you would wait just one moment.
Sir / Maam (or names), excuse me, please.
Im sorry, could you repeat that, please?
Pardon.

2
Communicate effectively with a client over the phone (contd.)

3. You need to put the caller on hold.
4. You cant hear the caller because of background noise.
5. You didnt understand what the customer wants, etc.
Post-listening: Cue-response Level 7-8
Introduce: clearly pronounce words or parts of words enunciate
If someone is mumbling, what can you ask them to do?
Politely ask why someone is calling? May I know the nature of
your call?
enunciate
tell someone you are following (understanding) what theyre saying
May I know the
(informal) Im with you
nature of your
Audio Script call? Model what students have to do using the audio script on page 81
Im with you for guidance if necessary.
1. You didnt catch what the client said and he/she kept talking.
Excuse me, could you repeat that, please?
2. You put an important caller on hold but forgot which line hes
on. Check lines to see whos on them.
3. You want to verify that you understood the clients reason for
calling.
4. The client is mumbling.
5. You didnt understand the clients request, etc.
Presentation / Pre-task
2. Substitution: call all of a sudden goes silent, may hear a beeping
noise afterward disconnect
disconnect
! gap
when you exit the subway, is there a space or hole between the train
car and the platform? gap
SG p. 15 Dictionary: Insert a quick comment in a short gap in conversation
interject
interject Ask a volunteer to read the text and examples in Activity 2.
Practice: Cue-response
Tell students: Assume you dont have the information available for
each of the following requests.
Model for students what they have to do.
Example: Are you able to get me a discount? Hmm let me ask
my manager.
1. Can I get your companys mailing address to send the package?
Okay, if you would give me just one moment to find that.
2. (Interject) Im so upset about this; Im going to take this to the
manager, the director, the president, the CEO, the press, the
government Sir/maam, excuse me.
3. Who was the salesperson I spoke to yesterday? He had blonde
hair and glasses. Hmm, let me think.
4. The name is Hank Wolfe, and the invoice number is 294820.
Okay, if you would give me just one moment while I type that into
the computer.
5. So what do you think the price estimate will be? If you would
give me just one moment while the computer calculates it, etc.

Unit 8
Elora speaking; how may I help you?

In this lesson, Do you prefer to deal with clients
you will over the phone or face-to-face?
Communicate effectively What is different between handling

with a client over the phone clients over the phone and in person?
1 Im not sure I know what you mean

18 _____ 1 . Too much background noise.
19 _____ 2. Restate the question.
20 _____ 3. Need time to pull up an account.
21 4. Customer mumbles.
Tip!
_____
22 _____ 5. Difficult name to spell.

23 _____ 6. Conversation cuts out. Use the telephone alphabet for clarity!
For example: My name is Benedict.
24 _____ 7. Call needs to be transferred. B as in boy, E as in Edward, ...
25 _____ 8. Customer rep forgot customers name.
2 Are you still there?
A clients call may require you to look up information or otherwise spend a few seconds of your
time thinking or doing something that doesnt involve talking. These types of interactions are much
different over the phone than in person, when clients can see you typing and working, otherwise
they may wonder if the call got disconnected after they pose their question. Over the phone, you
can fill in silences by saying out loud what it is you are doing to help the clients youre in touch with.
Two ways to do this are by using gap-fillers or constantly voicing what you are doing. For example:
USEFUL PHRASES
Gap-fillers: Say what you are doing:
Hmmm, okay. Let me see here.
Okay, Im just typing that in right now.
Umm / Uhh ...
Just one moment while I jot that down.
You know / You see
The computer is loading the page and ah ha!
Well so
Here we go.
Let me think.
If you would give me just one moment to
I mean
Without visual cues, you arent able to raise your hand to indicate that someone should pause what they are
saying, so you have to interject politely over the phone.
Interjections
Excuse me.
If you would wait just one moment.
Sir / Maam (or names), excuse me, please.
Im sorry, could you repeat that, please?
Pardon.

3
3ab. Presentation
What thing do you need to know to call someone back if they leave
you a message? [Their name, phone number, topic of the call,
! maybe instructions to email them instead.]
SG p. 16
urgent Substitution: Does a call from a client with an emergency require
relay immediate attention? urgent
Do receptionists pass on messages? relay
Practice
Have students put the scrambled sentences in Activity 3a in order.
Each sentence is related to taking or leaving messages over the
phone. Assist with vocabulary as needed.
[ANSWERS: 1. What company are you calling from?
2a. What is your telephone number?
2b. What is the best number to reach you?
3. What message would you like me to relay?
4. Could you pass on the message?
5. No thanks, Ill call back later.
6. This is urgent, can you please have him call me as soon as possible?
7. Mr. Zales is out for the day.]
Performance
Supplements Pairs. Role play. Refer to the Supplement on page 47 with the role
play information for each student, or read the roles to the
participating students. If there is an odd number of students in
class, the third will take notes of the conversation and fill out the
fields in Activity 3b on SG page 16.
P1. Student and instructor participate in the role play.

activity.

their lesson goal.

Communicate effectively with a client over the phone
3a An important message
1 . are / from / ? / company / you / what / calling
______________________________________________________________________________________
2a. telephone / your / is / number / ? / what

______________________________________________________________________________________
2b. reach / is / what / the / best / number / ? / to / you

______________________________________________________________________________________
3. relay / what / ? / me / like / would / you / message / to

______________________________________________________________________________________
4. ? / pass / you / the / could / message / on

______________________________________________________________________________________
5. thanks / back / Ill / , / no / . / later / call

______________________________________________________________________________________
6. possible / ? / please / call / as / is / this / as / urgent / soon / him / you / , / can / me / have /
______________________________________________________________________________________
7. for / out / Mr. / day / . / is / Zales / the

______________________________________________________________________________________
3b While you were out
Date: __________________________ Time: __________________________ Taken by: _______________________
Message for: ________________________________________________________________________________________
W H I L E YO U W E R E O U T
From: _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Message:
Phone number:
Telephoned Was here to see you URGENT
Wants to see you Will call again Please call
Returned your call

background noise, to cut out, to pull up, to transfer to enunciate, Im with you
to restate, to disconnect, gap, to interject, urgent, to relay May I know the nature of your call?
Youll have to forgive me, but

4
Whats the difference hereIm sorry, could you please remind me
Level 56 of your name? or Could you remind me of your name again,
please?
Say: One is formal, the other is informal.
Ask: What makes a sentence formal? [Using modals (could, would,

should), no contractions (I will instead of Ill); using proper
words instead of slang (understand/remember instead of
catch)]
Practice: Transformation
Model the first sentence if needed. Students transform sentences
from formal to informal or vice versa.
1. I didnt catch your name. I did not understand your name.
2. Repeat that for me. Could you repeat that, please?
3. Mrs. Paradela is busy at the moment. Shes busy right now.
4. Would you please transfer me to Mr. Carter? Can you connect
me to Mr. Carter, please?
Say: When clients call on the phone, they want their issue resolved;
Level 78 they dont want to hear that something cannot be solved. If you
cannot help them at the moment, alter your message to keep the
client happy. For instance, dont say I cant; say instead, Ill find
the right person to help you.
Practice
Alter the following sentences into more pleasant or professional
messages. Model for students what needs to be done if necessary.
1. This is the wrong extension. Im afraid youve got the wrong
extension; would you like me to connect you to ?
2. Shes not here; she went for a walk. Shes not available right
now.
3. Is this phone call over yet? Is there anything else I can help
you with?
4. She has a more important phone call right now. Shes on the
other line with a client and shell be right with you.

Communicate effectively with a client over the phone
3a An important message
1 . are / from / ? / company / you / what / calling
______________________________________________________________________________________
2a. telephone / your / is / number / ? / what

______________________________________________________________________________________
2b. reach / is / what / the / best / number / ? / to / you

______________________________________________________________________________________
3. relay / what / ? / me / like / would / you / message / to

______________________________________________________________________________________
4. ? / pass / you / the / could / message / on

______________________________________________________________________________________
5. thanks / back / Ill / , / no / . / later / call

______________________________________________________________________________________
6. possible / ? / please / call / as / is / this / as / urgent / soon / him / you / , / can / me / have /
______________________________________________________________________________________
7. for / out / Mr. / day / . / is / Zales / the

______________________________________________________________________________________
3b While you were out
Date: __________________________ Time: __________________________ Taken by: _______________________
Message for: ________________________________________________________________________________________
W H I L E YO U W E R E O U T
From: _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Message:
Phone number:
Telephoned Was here to see you URGENT
Wants to see you Will call again Please call
Returned your call

background noise, to cut out, to pull up, to transfer to enunciate, Im with you
to restate, to disconnect, gap, to interject, urgent, to relay May I know the nature of your call?
Youll have to forgive me, but

Unit 9 Ill walk you through
1 it
Unit 9: Ill walk you through it

technical difficulties, tech support, network server, Your computer may be due for a tune-up.
gadget, appliance, to dispatch, obvious, to You may need an adapter; do you have a/the ...?
troubleshoot, to browse, to scan, remotely warranty
defective, corrupt (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Provide tech support to a client
Warm-up Brainstorm: New technology. [Cell phone (mobile phone UK),

technical computer, tablets, the Internet, software/hardware ...] What can go
wrong with these pieces of technology? technical difficulties
! difficulties
tech support Who do you ask for help when a piece of technology is not
SG p. 17 network server working? technical support (tech support)
hook up (rev.) central database of programs and information shared by a network
upgrade (rev.) of computer users network server
Substitution: Do you connect your TV to a cable or satellite?
hook up
When you buy a car, is it typically newer and better than the last
one you had? upgrade
Point out the list of devices and systems on SG page 17. Which of
these do you own? What are some of the problems you can have
with these pieces of technology? Ask a volunteer to read the short
dialogs below the lists and then ask a few questions to familiarize
students with the words. Have you ever gotten (had UK) a virus
through email? What do you do if your cell phones battery dies?
How often should you update your computer? etc.
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to provide tech

support to a client. Write it on the board.
1a. Presentation
gadget small device thats perhaps more interesting than useful gadget
appliance This is your washer/dryer, refrigerator, toaster appliance
! dispatch Substitution: If you call (ring UK) the police, will the operator send
officers out to your location? dispatch
SG p. 17
Ask students to read the short text in Activity 1a on page 17 silently.
How many different words can you find for a person who works
with technology?
[ANSWERS: computer expert, computing specialist, installer, repairer,
autotech, technician, specialist]

Unit 9
Ill walk you through it

Provide tech support to a client
Technical difficulties
crash die
fail wont connect
break virus
Device / system
freeze is down computer tablets
network server modem / router
program the Internet
New or maintenance app (application) software / hardware
install upgrade battery television
hook up register cell phone DVD player
My computer programs are so outdated. Ive My phone froze while I was checking
been meaning to upgrade them for some time. stocks.
Better do it sooner than later; its for your Perhaps you had too many apps open.
own protection!
1a The ABCs of technology
ComputerExpertABC Technology Reader

Computer Expert
An entrepreneurial computer expert saw the

nonstop growth of technology and realized there
was a gap in the publics ability to maintain and fix
their new gadgets. So he founded ABC Technology,
the first 24-hour technology task force, dedicated
to fixing technology big and small in homes and
for corporations. The company is staffed by highly
trained and skilled computing specialists, home
entertainment installers, appliance repairers, and
autotechs. Technicians are accessible 24 hours
a day by phone or online, while specialists are
dispatched to the home or office during the day.

1
Provide tech support to a client (contd.)

Practice
Who will be dispatched to your office if your server is down?
What appliances have you had problems with at your office? Your
home? Through what ways can you get help from ABC
Technology?
1b. Pre-task
Write: Well get to the bottom of this on the board. Ask: When
would you hear this phrase? [When something is unsolved, a
! mystery.] What sort of questions do you need to get to the bottom
SG p. 18 of an issue with technology? Is it plugged in? It is on?
obvious Plain to see, unmistakable obvious

troubleshoot Taking a series of steps to solve a major problem troubleshoot
Practice QAQ.
Instruct students to choose from the phrases in Activity 1b. What

other questions might you ask if someones computer is running
slowly? If a program they installed is not working? When their
device cant connect to the internet?
Task
Have students match the statements in Activity 1b to a phrase from
the tech-specific questions box.
[ANSWERS: 1. A 2. F 3. B 4. E 5. D 6. C]
Check answers.
2. Presentation
browse surf the Internet browse
Do you check your computer for viruses? scan
! to scan
remotely doing s.th. from a distance, without physical contact remotely
SG p. 18 Practice QAQ.
Pre-listening
Ask: What are some ways to ensure that you understood a clients
problem? Write the responses on the board and compare to the list
of useful phrases in Activity 2. Say: Pretend a client is talking to
you for tech support. You need to listen for the issue to solve it.
Tracks 2627 Listening

Tell the students that you will play the track and pause it. They
Audio Script should answer the question, What is the issue? Play Track 26.
Pause after the client says, Theres a delay when I type; it takes a
long time to open and close programs and browsing the web is an
awfully slow task. Play Track 27 and do the same, pausing it after
the client says, No, I havent changed any settings, and yes, I
restarted it, but that didnt seem to do the trick. Rewrite the issue
next to the photo.
Check answers.

1b Let me walk you through the steps

Tip!
Tech-specific questions
A. Im sorry to ask the obvious, but is it plugged in? Troubleshooting
B. When was the last time it was updated? instructions should
C. First of all, did you register your device? come with your device
when you purchase it.
D. Did you follow the instructions?
They can typically be
E. Did you troubleshoot the device already? found in the manual or
F. Do you have the software you need to run the program? on the Internet.
1 . My computer wont start; 3. My tablet is running 5. I cant connect to my

I think its broken. really slowly. departments printer.
_______ _______ _______
2. I cant open an attachment 4. I followed the instructions 6. This new program I

in my email. and plugged every cable in. just installed wont run.
_______ Why wont my Internet work? _______
_______
2 Do you think Ill be able to recover my files?
26 A. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
27 B. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
USEFUL PHRASES
1 . You said you 4. What exactly is the problem?

2. Let me see if I understood that correctly. 5. In other words,
3. Can you restate the issue? 6. Could you explain it in more detail?

technical difficulties, tech support, gadget Your computer may be due for a tune-up.
network server, appliance, to dispatch You may need an adapter; do you have a / the ...?
obvious, to troubleshoot, to browse warranty, defective, corrupt
to scan, remotely

1

Dialog. Inquire further into the following issues using the list of
! useful words in Activity 2.
SG p. 18 1. I went through all the steps to connect my computer to my
departments printer, but it wont work.
2. The files my colleague sent me appear with boxes in place of
certain symbols when I open them on my computer.
3. The rechargeable batteries I bought only last for 20 minutes even
after I charge them for six hours! Check answers.

Introduce the following phrases and encourage students to use
them at least once as they offer tech support:
Your computer Your computer may be due for a tune-up.
may be due for You may need an adapter; do you have a/the ?
a tune-up. manufacturers promise to repair s.th. up to a certain time
You may need an warranty
adapter; do 1. As I was preparing this quarters reports, my computer suddenly
you have crashed. More info: I had multiple programs open and it made a
a/the ? loud whirring noise (like a motor) before it crashed.
warranty 2. We cant hook up the monitor to the DVD player for todays
presentation.
3. The payroll software we purchased isnt downloading correctly.
4. I just recently purchased this and I think its broken already.
Pre-task
3. Pairs. Refer students to the Supplement page 48. Have students
scan the scrambled dialog. Ask a few comprehension questions:
Supplements 1. With which piece of technology are the speakers having a
problem? 2. Whats the issue?
Task
Pairs. Have students put the dialog in the correct order.
! [ANSWERS: 1 Were having some issues getting the projector to project our
presentation on the screen.
2 What exactly seems to be the problem?
SG p. 18
3 Well, weve hooked everything up and we can hear it working, but the screen
is still dark. Our presentation starts in 15 mins. Weve really got to get this
figured out.
4 Dont worry; well get to the bottom of this. So the projector is plugged in
and the VGA cable is hooked up?
5 Yes, everything is plugged in.
6 Does the computer indicate that its connected to the projector?
7 Yes, it recognizes the device. Weve used this project many times from this
computer.
8 Did you give the lamp in the projector time to warm up? Sometimes it takes
a few minutes before an image appears.
9 Yes, its near hot right now. Weve been trying to figure this out for some
time.
10 Hmm, this is going to sound really obvious, but I need to check. Has the
protective cap been removed from the lens?
11 Oh. Uh, no.]


Tip!

_______ _______ _______

_______
26 A. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
27 B. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
USEFUL PHRASES


to scan, remotely

1

Check answers.
Performance
Encourage students to create a similar dialog using the one they
put in order as a model. Set or adapt the purpose/scenario
according to the customized student goal. Possible scenarios:
- Client has problems logging into an account you created for
him/her (you misspelled the clients name when you set up the
account).
- Internal colleagues computer crashed and he needs an important
file on it (computer charger was simply not plugged in).

activity.

their lesson goal.
Extension 1 Dialog. Choose a piece of technology from the list on page 17 and
a problem or issue with it. Students create their own dialog using
Level 56 the following words or phrases (write them on the board): obvious,
technical difficulties, troubleshoot, ... walk you through the steps ...,
fail or crash, in other words ..., you said you ...
!
SG p. 17
defective faulty, not working properly defective
Level 78 corrupt with software errors rendering it unusable corrupt(ed)
Practice
Dialog. Have students engage in a dialog with the instructor where
they have to determine the issue using the vocabulary from the
chapter. Read the following scenarios to get the conversation
going:
1. I think my new company cell phone (mobile phone UK) is
defective. I set up call forwarding from my office phone, but now
Im getting my colleagues phone calls too.
2. I need to link up our new iPads to the company email service. So
far Ive installed the program, but I cant log in.
3. I keep getting an error message that says corrupt installation
detected when I try to install your bookkeeping software I recently
purchased.


Tip!

_______ _______ _______

_______
26 A. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
27 B. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
USEFUL PHRASES


to scan, remotely

Unit 10 Considering the circumstances
1
Unit 10: Considering the circumstances

empathy, circumstances, empathetic, to make an Im sorry to hear of the hardship you endured.
exception, to come under fire, to waive, to go viral, I know this must be a tough time/difficult situation.
panicked, overwhelmed, sense of urgency, to put (oneself) in (s.o.s) shoes, sympathy vs.
sympathy, robbed, mugged, flustered empathy (extension activity)
I appreciate (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Express empathy to a client
Warm-up Write the word empathy on the board. Ask students what it means
to them. Define if needed. (When someone feels sorry for another
persons problem and understands and cares about it.)
empathy
circumstances Did you ever have to cancel a hotel reservation or return a rental car
empathetic late for a reason out of your control? What was the situation?
circumstances
Did the hotel or rental agency remove charges or assist you in any
way? Expressed understanding of the circumstances?
empathetic toward (towards UK) you
Practice QAQ.
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to express empathy
to a client. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1ab. Ask: What do a flood, earthquake, tornado, and hurricane all have
in common? [They are all natural disasters.] Do they happen every
! day? Do they cause a lot of damage that disrupt peoples normal
lives? Would you say that a tornado is a special circumstance?
SG p. 19
If somebody asked you to do something that you normally dont do,
make an would you do it in special circumstances? make an exception
exception
Task
Have students read the passage in Activity 1a and then fill in the
words from the text that fit the definitions in Activity 1b. Ask them
to write the words in context on the lines provided.
[ANSWERS:
come under fire A. come under fire [the company] came under fire when it demanded
waive payment for a lost cable box.
B. waive the request to waive the replacement fee for the device C.
victim (rev.)
victim the recent tornado victim had lost more than just the cable box
go viral in the disaster.
D. go viral thats when the story went viral.
E. circumstances Considering the circumstances]

Unit 10
Considering the circumstances

In this lesson,
you will Have you ever appealed to a business
partners or a colleagues empathy?
Express empathy
to a client Have you ever felt sorry for a client
or a business partner?
Has that ever affected your business
decisions in some way?
1a To make an exception or not to make an exception?
A large national cable company came under fire when it demanded a $200
fee for a lost cable box and said it would assess additional late fees against a
customer if she failed to pay.
Day-to-day that is not an unusual demand, but the request to waive the
replacement fee for the device came from a recent tornado victim who had
lost more than just the cable box in the disaster. The company told the victim
to look around the neighborhood for it and thats when the story went viral.
Considering the circumstances (and only after the company was publicly
humiliated), company executives finally backed down and issued this
statement: [We] will not charge customers for missing, destroyed, or damaged
equipment as a result of the recent tornadoes.
1b Considering the circumstances

A. __________ : to be criticized or attacked
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
B. __________ : to dismiss a rule or penalty

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
C. __________ : person who is harmed as the result of something

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
D. __________ : to become popular quickly (especially online) by spreading from person to person
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
E. __________ : the condition or state of a situation

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

2
Express empathy to a client (contd.)
Post-task
Ask: What would you do if you were the company representative in
this situation? Would you make an exception right away? Have you
ever had a fee waived because you were a good customer/client?
Presentation
2ab. Ask: Are conversations better when both people speak at a similar
pace, tone, and level of vocabulary? Is it important to match your
! speed and style to the person youre speaking to? Is it also
important to match the emotion? [Y] Does that mean that if you are
SG p. 20 mad (angry UK), I should be speaking as if Im mad as well? [N]
How should I respond?
Ask students to read the text and reactions in Activity 2a on page
20.
Contrast: Are people always calm when a project is due and there
panicked wont be time to finish it? panicked
overwhelmed Substitution: Does taking on more work than you think you can
sense of urgency handle make you feel a little stressed out? overwhelmed
sympathy move quickly to get/do something sense of urgency
Lets say you have been let go from a position before. If a colleague
of yours finds himself/herself in that same position, can you
genuinely understand and feel his/her feelings? sympathy
What things can you say to express sympathy or empathy?
Practice
! Dialog. Ask questions to which the students reply with an
empathetic comment. Encourage students to match your emotion
SG p. 20 and try to use a phrase from the box in Activity 2b.
1. (apologetic) I was so sick I couldnt make it to my appointment;
I couldnt even speak to call you. [Im sorry to hear that.]
2. (urgent pleading) Can you please, please, please stay open just
another five minutes? I really need to print this document for the
presentation or else Ill get fired! [Okay, I dont see why not.]
3. (flustered) Its just, I have a million things on my plate and I
forgot to register for the conference in time. Is it too late? Can I
please do it now? [I can make an exception this time.]
4. (natural) You see, my credit card company sent me a new card
and I forgot I was signed up for auto-payment with my old number
and thats why I got charged the late fee. Can you waive it
considering the circumstances? [Considering the circumstances, I
can waive the fee.]
5. (embarrassed) Im just going through some really tough times
right now and I need to cancel my account for the time being.
[Thats understandable; I hope things get better for you.]

Unit 10
Considering the circumstances

In this lesson,
you will Have you ever appealed to a business
partners or a colleagues empathy?
Express empathy
to a client Have you ever felt sorry for a client
or a business partner?
Has that ever affected your business
decisions in some way?
1a To make an exception or not to make an exception?
A large national cable company came under fire when it demanded a $200
fee for a lost cable box and said it would assess additional late fees against a
customer if she failed to pay.
Day-to-day that is not an unusual demand, but the request to waive the
replacement fee for the device came from a recent tornado victim who had
lost more than just the cable box in the disaster. The company told the victim
to look around the neighborhood for it and thats when the story went viral.
Considering the circumstances (and only after the company was publicly
humiliated), company executives finally backed down and issued this
statement: [We] will not charge customers for missing, destroyed, or damaged
equipment as a result of the recent tornadoes.
1b Considering the circumstances

A. __________ : to be criticized or attacked
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
B. __________ : to dismiss a rule or penalty

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
C. __________ : person who is harmed as the result of something

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
D. __________ : to become popular quickly (especially online) by spreading from person to person
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
E. __________ : the condition or state of a situation

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

3
3. robbed Pre-listening
mugged to have s.th. stolen from (you) be robbed
flustered a violent robbery (hit or threatened) mugged
! If someone gets mugged and has to call for help, what does his/her
voice sound like? [shocked, sad, confused] flustered
SG p. 20
Tell students they will listen to a conversation between a bank
employee and customer. Listen for what happened to the customer.
Listening
Tell the students you will play the track and they should listen to the
answers for the following questions: Why couldnt the customer
Track 28 make her mortgage payment on time? [Her payment cards were
stolen] How did the bank employee respond? [With indifference,
Audio Script without empathy] Play Track 28.
Check answers.

What empathetic words would you use as the representative in that
situation? Write your answers in the field next to the picture. Use
the audio script on page 82 in the back of the book for guidance if
needed.
Im sorry to hear Post-listening Level 7-8

of the hardship Introduce the following phrases:
you endured. Im sorry to hear of the hardship you endured.
I know this must be a tough time/difficult situation.
I know this must
be a tough What empathetic words would you use as the representative in that
time/difficult situation? Write your answers in the field next to the picture.
situation. Instruct students to refer to the audio script on page 82 to use the
new phrases or one of their own creation.
Performance
Role-play. Pairs. Have students engage in one of these scenarios:
A bank account manager and his/her customer who is
overdrawn because he/she had to buy a new crib (cot UK) and
stroller (pushchair UK)
A client unable to make a payment on time because of
unforeseen expenses (e.g., warehouse fire)
A buyer backing out of a deal because his/her budget has been
cut drastically
A coworker, back from the hospital (from hospital UK), who
missed a key meeting

Express empathy to a client
2a Registering a clients emotion

If a client is angry and yelling, does it help the situation if you yell back? No, but responding
with the appropriate tone of voice, speed, and word choice can work wonders.
If a client sounds: You should:

informal be informal
angry listen, show that you care
panicked show a sense of urgency
overburdened be helpful, show empathy
sad or frustrated be sympathetic
cheerful smile, be enthusiastic
2b Empathizing with a client
USEFUL PHRASES
Im sorry to hear that. I can make an exception this time.

I hope things get better for you soon. I dont see why not.
Thats understandable. Considering the circumstances, I can
3 28 Put yourself in my shoes
How would you respond to the client?

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

empathy, circumstances, empathetic, to waive Im sorry to hear of the hardship you endured.
to make an exception, to come under fire I know this must be a tough time / difficult situation.
to go viral, panicked, overwhelmed, sympathy to put (oneself) in someones shoes
sense of urgency, robbed, mugged, flustered sympathy vs. empathy
I appreciate

4

activity.
their lesson goal.
Presentation
Extension 1
How would you thank someone for their empathy?
On the board, write: Thank you for ... and I appreciate ...
Level 56 I appreciate ...
Practice: Transformation
Have students change these negative phrases into positive thank
! you phrases. Model what students have to do as needed. Sample
responses are listed next to the prompt, although students need not
SG p. 20 use those exact responses.
1. I wish you would be more understanding. Thank you for
being so understanding.
2. Cant you make an exception this time? Thank you for making
an exception for me.
3. I wish you would show more concern. I appreciate your
concern.
4. I wish you would be more sympathetic. I appreciate your
being sympathetic.
5. You should have done what I asked you to do. You didnt
have to do that; I appreciate it though, etc.
Discussion
Extension 2 Tell students to look at the title of Activity 3 on SG page 20Put
put (oneself) in
yourself in my shoes. What does it mean to put yourself in
Level 78 (s.o.s) shoes
someone elses shoes?
Discussion. What is the meaning of sympathy? And empathy?
! So whats the difference between sympathy and empathy?
SG p. 20 [POSSIBLE ANSWER: Empathy is about being able to understand and put
sympathy vs. yourself in their shoes, because you can relate or have had a similar
empathy experience. Sympathy is a strong feeling (usually commiseration),
acknowledging and sharing someones pain or hardship.]
Ask: When youre in a business relationship, what do you feel for a
customers troubles? Sympathy or empathy? [empathy] What about
for a friends? [either] A family members? [sympathy]

Express empathy to a client
2a Registering a clients emotion

If a client is angry and yelling, does it help the situation if you yell back? No, but responding
with the appropriate tone of voice, speed, and word choice can work wonders.
If a client sounds: You should:

informal be informal
angry listen, show that you care
panicked show a sense of urgency
overburdened be helpful, show empathy
sad or frustrated be sympathetic
cheerful smile, be enthusiastic
2b Empathizing with a client
USEFUL PHRASES
Im sorry to hear that. I can make an exception this time.

I hope things get better for you soon. I dont see why not.
Thats understandable. Considering the circumstances, I can
3 28 Put yourself in my shoes
How would you respond to the client?

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

empathy, circumstances, empathetic, to waive Im sorry to hear of the hardship you endured.
to make an exception, to come under fire I know this must be a tough time / difficult situation.
to go viral, panicked, overwhelmed, sympathy to put (oneself) in someones shoes
sense of urgency, robbed, mugged, flustered sympathy vs. empathy
I appreciate

Unit 11 Sure, that would be acceptable
1
Unit 11: Sure, that would be acceptable

etiquette, spontaneously, enthusiasm, (email) brief and to the point, wordy, rule of thumb
thread, to cc, BCC, generic, in the loop, cultural Mind your Ps and Qs
norm, to pay attention to, to dictate, wary, bribe, buzz words, jargon (extension activity)
spiel, licensing, sincere
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Explain customer service etiquette
Ask: How do you answer the phone in [students country]? Do you

Warm-up
open with a nicety or get right down to business? What about
emaildo you use first names? Do you often use abbreviations?
! etiquette commonly accepted behavior (behaviour UK) etiquette
What is job application/interview etiquette in [students country]?
SG p. 21
Set a customized goal, example: Our goal is to explain proper
customer service etiquette to a colleague who just joined you from
overseas. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1a. done naturally without thought, suddenly spontaneously
spontaneously strong feeling of excitement, interest enthusiasm
enthusiasm
! (email) thread
In multiple emails to the same person, do your latest messages
appear below your reply? (email) thread
SG p. 21 cc (v.) to include s.o.s email address so that they receive a copy of an
BCC (n.) email you are sending to cc someone (from CC, carbon copy)
generic when you enter an email into this field, that person will receive a
copy of the email you send, but the addressee will not know
BCC (blind carbon copy)
not specific nor personal, meant to be broad generic
Practice QAQ.
Task
Have students look at the statements in Activity 1a on SG page 21
and determine in small groups or pairs if they are true (T) or false
(F).
[ANSWERS:
1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. T 8. F 9. T 10. F 11. T 12. F]
Check answers.
Presentation
1b. on the inside, knowledgeable of and included in s.th. in the loop
in the loop Are you in the loop on the deal with Ferndale?

Unit 11
Sure, that would be acceptable

In this lesson,
you will Which is more appropriate:
Explain customer friendly, or formal?
service etiquette
1a True or False?
On the phone
1. Introduce yourself first, even if you are receiving the call.
____
2. Dont personalize your greetings, especially for repeat clients; generic greetings are preferred.
____
3. Ask for permission to put your caller on hold.

____
4. Answering the phone while eating or chewing gum is okay.

____
In person
5. Its okay to shake hands when you introduce yourself even if no transaction is being made today.
____
6. Make sure to stand closer than two feet away from the person you are talking to.
____
7. Its okay to spontaneously touch the other persons arm or shoulder in moments of enthusiasm.
____
8. Making eye contact with a woman is not allowed.

____
Email / online
9. Keep the previous message thread when replying.
____
10. Its okay to cc someone not originally involved without mentioning it first.
____
11. Send an update if an issue is taking a long time to figure out.

____
12. Hit Reply All every time you send a message back and forth between a group so that
____
everyone stays informed even if the message is intended for one person.
1b Ive ccd our Head of Operations
A. ____ May I put you on hold for just one moment?
B. ____ Hello. Youve reached Apex Industries. This is Sharon Shadee, customer service specialist.
C. ____ Im emailing to keep you in the loop of new developments on your order.
D. ____ Ive ccd our accounting manager on the issue so you two can be in touch.
E. ____ you / ? / please / , / Can / hold

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
F. ____ manager / need / you / directly / ccing / Im / . / accounting / case / email / to / our / him /
in / also
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
G. ____ in / know / in / should / Im / to / two / check / emailing / your / days / let / . / order / you /
just / ship / and / that
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
H. ____ Shadee / may / ? / Sharon / desk / Apex / you / of / , / I / Industries / How / youve / help /
reached / the / .
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

2
Explain customer service etiquette (contd.)

Task
! Divide students into pairs, preferably with levels 5-6 together in
SG p. 21 one and 7-8 in the other. Group 1 matches the phrases in Activity
1b (AH) to the statements they relate to from the list in Activity 1a.
Group 2 constructs phrases from the scrambled words (EH).
Groups come back together to present their answers.
[ANSWERS: A. 3 B. 1 C. 11 D. 10 E. 3 F. 10 G. 11 H. 1
E. Can you hold, please?
F. Im also ccing our accounting manager in case you need to email him
directly.
G. Im emailing just to check in and let you know that your order should
ship in two days.
H. Apex Industries, youve reached the desk of Sharon Shadee. How may
I help you?]

Ask: How would you behave in the following situation?
You work at a medical supply manufacturer. A client who makes
frequent purchases with your company calls on the phone. She likes
to chat before she gets down to business. How do you greet her?
Instruct students to think about how they would word the greeting.
Write it down first or simply say it out loud to the class.
recognize the existence or importance of acknowledge
acknowledge Are internal memos long? [N] brief and to the point, not
(rev.) wordy
brief and to the mind your manners Mind your Ps and Qs [an old English bar-
point room term meaning mind your pints and quarts]
wordy as a general rule as a rule of thumb
Mind your Ps
and Qs Ask: How would you behave in the following situation?
rule of thumb A client emails you an inquiry about a product he purchased that
hasnt arrived yet. He needs it urgently. Youre going out of town
and you must handle the issue. Do you A. Acknowledge that you
received the email but say you cant do anything about it until you
return? B. Acknowledge the email and cc the appropriate person to
handle it while youre out of town? C. Ignore the email until you
come back to the office in a few days. [Correct choice: B]
Instruct students to think about how they would word that email
message. Write it down first or simply say it out loud to the class.
Presentation
2. standard of acceptable social behavior held by a group of people
cultural norm with the same culture cultural norm
! pay attention to
Ask a volunteer to read the title of Activity 2.
If an announcement is made at work, do you focus on hearing what
SG p. 22 dictate is said? pay attention to
case-by-case here, to require or determine as necessary dictate
basis (rev.) individual, separate case case-by-case basis

Unit 11
Sure, that would be acceptable

In this lesson,
you will Which is more appropriate:
Explain customer friendly, or formal?
service etiquette
1a True or False?
On the phone
1. Introduce yourself first, even if you are receiving the call.
____
2. Dont personalize your greetings, especially for repeat clients; generic greetings are preferred.
____
3. Ask for permission to put your caller on hold.

____
4. Answering the phone while eating or chewing gum is okay.

____
In person
5. Its okay to shake hands when you introduce yourself even if no transaction is being made today.
____
6. Make sure to stand closer than two feet away from the person you are talking to.
____
7. Its okay to spontaneously touch the other persons arm or shoulder in moments of enthusiasm.
____
8. Making eye contact with a woman is not allowed.

____
Email / online
9. Keep the previous message thread when replying.
____
10. Its okay to cc someone not originally involved without mentioning it first.
____
11. Send an update if an issue is taking a long time to figure out.

____
12. Hit Reply All every time you send a message back and forth between a group so that
____
everyone stays informed even if the message is intended for one person.
1b Ive ccd our Head of Operations
A. ____ May I put you on hold for just one moment?
B. ____ Hello. Youve reached Apex Industries. This is Sharon Shadee, customer service specialist.
C. ____ Im emailing to keep you in the loop of new developments on your order.
D. ____ Ive ccd our accounting manager on the issue so you two can be in touch.
E. ____ you / ? / please / , / Can / hold

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
F. ____ manager / need / you / directly / ccing / Im / . / accounting / case / email / to / our / him /
in / also
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
G. ____ in / know / in / should / Im / to / two / check / emailing / your / days / let / . / order / you /
just / ship / and / that
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
H. ____ Shadee / may / ? / Sharon / desk / Apex / you / of / , / I / Industries / How / youve / help /
reached / the / .
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

3

wary without full trust, cautious wary
bribe If someone really wants to secure a deal, do they sometimes offer
extra gifts that are perhaps inappropriate or illegal? bribe
Practice QAQ.
What are cultural norms particular to [students country]? How are
they different from other countries you do business with? Have
! students read the cultural norms in Activity 2 and jot down the
SG p. 22 difference to their home country. Have the students discuss their
answers.
Practice
Ask: How is eye contact interpreted in [students country]? How far
away do you stand when you speak to someone? Are people wary
of even a light touch? When might it be perceived as inappropriate?
Are there different cultural norms for men and women? When do
you use Mrs. (Mrs UK), Ms. (Ms UK) and Miss? (Mrs.married
woman but not necessarily older; Ms.adult woman, single or of
unknown marital status; Missyoung woman).
Pre-task
3. A fast, informative, or persuasive speech that company employees
spiel typically repeat so many times that its memorized spiel
licensing
! sincere
formal permission, typically with payment, to use a brands
propriety image or information licensing
SG p. 22 genuine, real, free of falseness sincere
Practice QAQ.
Are spiels often scripted? (Written down to be read and repeated
verbatim.) What does reading from a script make you sound like?
(insincere, robotic) How can you make a spiel sound better?
Task
Have students read the spiel checklist in Activity 3. Identify the
word/phrase used in the spiel that corresponds to the item in the
checklist. There is additional space for students to enter other
information that should be included in a spiel they use at work.
Encourage students to add at least two items to the checklist.
Post-task Level 5-6
! Students may take brief notes about the content of the spiel on page
22. Then cover up the spiel text while leaving the checklist exposed.
SG p. 22
Have students recite the spiel in their own words, making sure to
follow the guidelines in the checklist.
Post-task Level 7-8
Have students cover up the spiel text while leaving the checklist
exposed. Choose a spiel relevant to their job to recite or imagine a
situation: Internet provider calling to dispatch a service technician,
telemarketer cold-calling to raise money for charity, etc. Have
students recite their own spiel following the guidelines in the
checklist.

Explain customer service etiquette
2 Cultural norms of most English-speaking countries
Eye contactWhether you are briefly talking to a client for the first time or having a long
interaction in person, its best to make eye contact when you speak to show you are paying full
attention to them. The same goes for your boss and colleagues; status does not dictate eye
contact norms. Avoiding eye contact may suggest that you are uncomfortable, have something
to hide, or are uninterested.
Speaking distanceAmericans in particular stand farther away from one another than other
cultures when talking; a distance of two feet or more is normal. If you stand too close (within
two feet), it may make an American uncomfortable.
TouchingWhile gently and shortly touching acquaintances on the arm or shoulder when
leading them somewhere or in moments of enthusiasm when explaining something is generally
okay, be careful with prolonged touching and who you touch. Touching someone should be
assessed on a case-by-case basis, since some people perceive touching as inappropriate,
especially between men and women.
Misc.1. In an appropriate situation, smiling is not only accepted but very encouraged of company
representatives. 2. Once clients introduce themselves, it is professional to insert a Mr. or Mrs. / Ms.
before their name. 3. Be wary of gift giving; small things are perhaps acceptable, but other things
may be considered a bribe. Your company may typically outline gift giving and receiving policies.
Checklist
3 One-size spiel doesnt fit all
Good morning Mr. White! This is Harlan Wolfe, head of Use a natural tone of voice

Offer a sincere greeting and introduction

licensing with the Sayville Paws baseball team. You
contacted our company to inquire about licensing State your purpose
Personalize the message
pricing. Id be happy to help you find a price option
Stay customer oriented
that fits your budget. Weve licensed to hundreds of
Be professional throughout
companies and have many great economical options for
____________________________
you to choose from. Is now a good time for you to talk?
____________________________


etiquette, spontaneously, enthusiasm, (email) thread brief and to the point, wordy, rule of thumb
to cc, BCC, generic, in the loop, cultural norm to mind (ones) Ps and Qs, buzz words
to pay attention to, to dictate, wary, bribe, spiel jargon
licensing, sincere

4
Performance
Pairs. Role-play. Student A has just been transferred to Student Bs
office. He/she comes from a very different culture and asks
questions about proper etiquette. Student B explains etiquette and
how to word the things that require speech. Switch roles halfway.
P1: The instructor is new to this country and has lots of questions
on etiquette. Be sure to ask how to word things if applicable.
activity.
Prompt if necessary: How close should I stand to people when I
talk to them? Should I make eye contact with them? If I smile at
someone, will he/she think Im laughing at him/her? etc.
their lesson goal.
Have students create a presentation on etiquette and cultural norms

Extension 1
in business about their home country. Brainstorm topics to discuss
and write them on the board. Prompt questions about items not
Level 56
mentioned in the chapter if needed, for example: Is it appropriate to
take clients out for lunch/dinner? Do young people have to treat
older people differently? Is reading from a spiel offensive or is that
the behavior of choice? Is haggling over price acceptable? If a
client is angry and yelling at you, do you yell back? Discuss.
Write the following buzz words/phrases on the board: end-user

Extension 2 perspective (what a consumer thinks of a product/service),
buzz words leveraging a new paradigm (capitalize on new consumer behavior),
Level 78 monetize and optimize protocol (sell and increase efficiency),
recontextualize (redefine by placing in a new/different situation),
etc. use current buzz words as needed.
Ask: Are these all words that company employees might use? [Y] Is
jargon
it easy to make sense of them? [N] They are used within an industry
avoid (rev.)
or corporation but are vague to everyday people jargon
Should we use this kind of language with customers? [N] avoid
How else can you say these words? Add context as needed. What
other confusing jargon have you heard and how would you rephrase
it?

Explain customer service etiquette
2 Cultural norms of most English-speaking countries
Eye contactWhether you are briefly talking to a client for the first time or having a long
interaction in person, its best to make eye contact when you speak to show you are paying full
attention to them. The same goes for your boss and colleagues; status does not dictate eye
contact norms. Avoiding eye contact may suggest that you are uncomfortable, have something
to hide, or are uninterested.
Speaking distanceAmericans in particular stand farther away from one another than other
cultures when talking; a distance of two feet or more is normal. If you stand too close (within
two feet), it may make an American uncomfortable.
TouchingWhile gently and shortly touching acquaintances on the arm or shoulder when
leading them somewhere or in moments of enthusiasm when explaining something is generally
okay, be careful with prolonged touching and who you touch. Touching someone should be
assessed on a case-by-case basis, since some people perceive touching as inappropriate,
especially between men and women.
Misc.1. In an appropriate situation, smiling is not only accepted but very encouraged of company
representatives. 2. Once clients introduce themselves, it is professional to insert a Mr. or Mrs. / Ms.
before their name. 3. Be wary of gift giving; small things are perhaps acceptable, but other things
may be considered a bribe. Your company may typically outline gift giving and receiving policies.
Checklist
3 One-size spiel doesnt fit all
Good morning Mr. White! This is Harlan Wolfe, head of Use a natural tone of voice

Offer a sincere greeting and introduction

licensing with the Sayville Paws baseball team. You
contacted our company to inquire about licensing State your purpose
Personalize the message
pricing. Id be happy to help you find a price option
Stay customer oriented
that fits your budget. Weve licensed to hundreds of
Be professional throughout
companies and have many great economical options for
____________________________
you to choose from. Is now a good time for you to talk?
____________________________


etiquette, spontaneously, enthusiasm, (email) thread brief and to the point, wordy, rule of thumb
to cc, BCC, generic, in the loop, cultural norm to mind (ones) Ps and Qs, buzz words
to pay attention to, to dictate, wary, bribe, spiel jargon
licensing, sincere

Unit 12 Theres nothing like it on the market
1
Unit 12: Theres nothing like it on the market

function, feature, to have trouble (+ing), to break something down (into smaller pieces)
mind reader, motivation, morale, fleet, to ask
probing questions, to chat, pop-up window
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Help clients purchase the best product or service
Warm-up Ask: What do clients typically need help with?

Elicit: locating, ordering, determining, or describing a product or
SG p. 23 service. Write the four items on the board. Add any other items
students came up with.
Why might you need help with to describe a product?
Whats a way to describe a product?
what it does function
significant characteristic feature
function What is its function? What features of the product are unique?
feature Hard time remembering feature Im having trouble
remembering the feature that makes it unique
having trouble Practice QAQ.
(+ing)
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to help clients
purchase the product/service that is best for them. Write it on the
board.
1ab. Pre-listening
What other phrases could we use to help identify a product or
service if someone doesnt know exactly what he/she is looking
! for?
Write students answers on the board. Provide these as well:
SG p. 23
What will it be used for? When did it come out?
mind reader Someone who knows what youre thinking without your saying it
motivation mind reader
morale giving someone a reason to work motivation
fleet feelings of enthusiasm and loyalty to a job or task morale
Does the postal service have just one or two vehicles it uses to
deliver mail? [N] fleet
Practice QAQ.
Ask students what they think the customers in the audio will need
help with based on the pictures in Activity 1a.

Unit 12
Theres nothing like it on the market

In this lesson, What is this product used for?
you will Locating: Im having trouble finding
Ordering: Do you take debit or credit?
Help clients purchase the Determining: Im having trouble deciding between
best product or service Describing: I cant remember exactly what it looks like, but it has a
1a Is this what you mean?
29 A. _________________ 30 B. _________________ 31 C. _________________
1b What feature is most important to you?

1 . Im _____________________________ a good printer model that fits our budget ...
Perhaps it _____________________________ for you to purchase an extended warranty
along with the printer.
Oh yes, youre a _____________________________ !
2. I want to host a small party for the team to celebrate but also to keep their
morale . We have a tough quarter coming up and we
_____________________________
_____________________________ we can get.

3. The S1 and E3 are both very attractive, but Im _____________________________ them.
Well, what is the vehicles most _____________________________ to you?
2 Asking probing questions

Asking probing questions is, in other words, asking a series of questions to clarify a customers
needs, feelings, and wants to find the best fit product or service. Each successive question
builds on the customers answer to the previous question. Open-ended questions usually come
after yes or no ones. Examples:
1 . What brings you in today?
2. I see youre browsing our SLR cameras. Are you interested in more information about them?
Who will this camera be for?
______________________________________________________________________________?
3. I see youre having trouble deciding on a coffee maker. Would you like me to help?
Will this coffee maker be used at home, in the office, or somewhere else?
______________________________________________________________________________?

2
Help clients purchase the best product or service (contd.)

Listening
Play Tracks 29 to 31. Have students fill in the blank lines in Activity
! 1a with what kind of help each customer needs. Check answers and
SG p. 23 then have students fill in the blanks from memory in Activity 1b, but
replay the tracks if necessary.
Tracks 2931 [ANSWERS:
Picture 1, locating; 2, determining; 3, determining
Audio Script 1. Im having trouble finding a good printer model that fits our budget ...
Perhaps it would be beneficial for you to purchase an extended warranty
along with the printer. Oh yes, youre a mind reader!
2. I want to host a small party for the team to celebrate but also to keep
their morale high. We have a tough quarter coming up and we need all the
motivation we can get.
3. The S1 and E3 are both very attractive, but Im having trouble
deciding between them. Well, what is the vehicles most important
feature to you?]
Check answers.
Post-listening 5-6
What was the third customer having trouble with? How did the
salesperson help him? [deciding on the best car model, determined
his needs through questioning]
What did you notice about the questions the salesclerk asked?
[asked one question at a time, building on the previous answer]
Post-listening 7-8
break down If a customer is really struggling to decide or determine what
(a task) product he/she needs, do you start to ask about small pieces of
information rather than the big issue? [Y] break it down
Introduce:
When did it come on the market?
Do you have a particular interest in ... [fuel efficiency] or [other
aspect]?
Demonstrate breaking down a large issue by asking: Are you
looking for a compact car? [Y] Is it for your family or for work?
What is more importantsize or fuel efficiency? What is your ideal
fuel economy in miles per gallon (or kilometers per liter)?
Skit. Use the audio script on page 82 as guidance. Students take
turns playing clients who ask for purchase advice. Encourage
students to use these new phrases to inquire further.
Presentation
2. Ask a volunteer to read the title of Activity 2.
Think back to the audio. Did the company representatives ask only
! yes or no questions? [N] Did they ask a lot of open-ended
questions? [Y] Did they ask for one piece of information at a time?
SG p. 23 ask probing [Y] asking probing questions
questions
Complete the blanks in the examples to continue the conversation.

Unit 12
Theres nothing like it on the market

In this lesson, What is this product used for?
you will Locating: Im having trouble finding
Ordering: Do you take debit or credit?
Help clients purchase the Determining: Im having trouble deciding between
best product or service Describing: I cant remember exactly what it looks like, but it has a
1a Is this what you mean?
29 A. _________________ 30 B. _________________ 31 C. _________________
1b What feature is most important to you?

1 . Im _____________________________ a good printer model that fits our budget ...
Perhaps it _____________________________ for you to purchase an extended warranty
along with the printer.
Oh yes, youre a _____________________________ !
2. I want to host a small party for the team to celebrate but also to keep their
morale . We have a tough quarter coming up and we
_____________________________
_____________________________ we can get.

3. The S1 and E3 are both very attractive, but Im _____________________________ them.
Well, what is the vehicles most _____________________________ to you?
2 Asking probing questions

Asking probing questions is, in other words, asking a series of questions to clarify a customers
needs, feelings, and wants to find the best fit product or service. Each successive question
builds on the customers answer to the previous question. Open-ended questions usually come
after yes or no ones. Examples:
1 . What brings you in today?
2. I see youre browsing our SLR cameras. Are you interested in more information about them?
Who will this camera be for?
______________________________________________________________________________?
3. I see youre having trouble deciding on a coffee maker. Would you like me to help?
Will this coffee maker be used at home, in the office, or somewhere else?
______________________________________________________________________________?

3

[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 2. Who will this camera be for? [coworker
retirement present] What will he/she use it for?
3. Will this coffee maker be used at home, in the office, or somewhere
else? [office] How big is your team? etc.]
Practice
Pairs. Have students take turns asking probing questions on the
following topics, playing the appropriate customer representative.
1. What to get a customer as a thank you for their business?
2. Which new office computer to purchase?
3. Where to hold the company luncheon?
4. Where to go for your next vacation?
5. What make of car to buy?
Presentation
3. Are you always able to help a client get what he/she wants in every
situation? [N]
! What can you say to a client if you dont have the product that you
normally do or you no longer provide the service he/she is looking
SG p. 24 for? etc.
Tell students to match the numbered phrases in Activity 3 to the
reason why you would say that.
[ANSWERS: 3 - 1 - 2]
Check answers.
Practice
How would you finish the sentences to ensure that your clients get
what they need? Have students fill in the blanks using all of the
words in parentheses in their answers. Check answers.
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 1. I can sell it to you now and when its back in
stock, you can pick it up in-store or we can deliver it to your office. 2. We
can order it for you by special order. 3. If you give me your name and
number, I can notify you when it becomes available.]
4.
Presentation
Ask students to read the text under Activity 4 on page 24.
! To talk with someone in an informal way or to talk online with
someone chat
SG p. 24 chat
pop-up window A small window that appears on top of the content youre looking
at in the web browser pop-up window
Practice
Does [students company] offer live online support chats? Do you
ever get pop-up advertisements while youre surfing the web?
Performance

Help clients purchase the best product or service
3 Im sorry I couldnt be of more help

1 . Im sorry. Were out of stock / sold out You are out of a product, have ordered
of that item at the moment. it already, but the manufacturer needs
2. We dont offer tech support on our to send you more of it.
products. You do not have an item that you
3. Its on backorder. It should be here normally do.
in about three weeks. You do not sell that product / offer that service.
Your turn!
1 . Were sold out at the moment, but ____________________________________________________ .
(sell it to you now / pick it up in-store / deliver it to your office)
2. We dont carry that brand, but ________________________________________________________ .
(special order)
3. Thats on backorder right now, but ____________________________________________________ .
(notify / becomes available)
4 Would you like to talk about our products?
The number of people who abandon their online shopping carts used to frustrate
companies. They were left wondering why their customers didnt complete the
transactions they initiated. Customers, on the other hand, did so for various reasons.
Either it was something as simple as wanting to calculate their shipping costs to
compare among retailers, or more complicatedlike facing limited payment options
or a complex purchase process. Many companies reacted by making information easier
to access on their webpage and most importantly, by implementing online support
chats where a pop-up window appears with a message from a live customer service
representative while a customer surfs the site. Customers now have the ability to go
back and forth with the rep with any questions they might have.
Hi! Do you need any help checking out? Can I help you with anything today?
Sure! If I hit the next button from this Actually yes. I cant pay with my debit card.
screen, will my purchase be finalized or do Im sorry. We dont accept debit, but you can
I have a chance to edit my order? pay by credit cards or electronic transfer.

function, feature, to have trouble (+ing) to break down (a task)
mind reader, motivation, morale, fleet
to ask probing questions, to chat, pop-up window

4
Supplements Pairs. Role-play. Refer students to the Supplements on page 49.

Allow students to only see the role they will be taking. One is
shopping for office furniture online; the other messages the student
to ask if he/she can be of help. Remind students there needs to be a
problem the rep can help sort out using probing questions, that is,
the company will not be moving into its new offices for three
months, so it would like a longer return period than is being
offered.
activity.
their lesson goal.
Pairwork. Have students interview each other to find out what their
Extension 1 next purchase (big or small) should be. Based on their partners
needs, students offer suggestions to help the other narrow down
Level 56 their purchase.
Is part of being a good employee knowing about your product? [Y]

Extension 2 What about competitors products? [Y] Why would you need to
know about your competitors products? [POSSIBLE ANSWERS: to know
Level 78 how they compare to yours, to see where the industry is headed, etc.]
Dialog. Have students engage in a dialog discussing their options
for purchasing one of the products listed below. Students choose a
brand and a competitors brand to compare against and inform
customers (other students or the instructor) why their product is a
better fit.
Computers and office equipment/supplies
Office software
Catering (at meetings)
Airline (for business trips), etc.

Help clients purchase the best product or service
3 Im sorry I couldnt be of more help

1 . Im sorry. Were out of stock / sold out You are out of a product, have ordered
of that item at the moment. it already, but the manufacturer needs
2. We dont offer tech support on our to send you more of it.
products. You do not have an item that you
3. Its on backorder. It should be here normally do.
in about three weeks. You do not sell that product / offer that service.
Your turn!
1 . Were sold out at the moment, but ____________________________________________________ .
(sell it to you now / pick it up in-store / deliver it to your office)
2. We dont carry that brand, but ________________________________________________________ .
(special order)
3. Thats on backorder right now, but ____________________________________________________ .
(notify / becomes available)
4 Would you like to talk about our products?
The number of people who abandon their online shopping carts used to frustrate
companies. They were left wondering why their customers didnt complete the
transactions they initiated. Customers, on the other hand, did so for various reasons.
Either it was something as simple as wanting to calculate their shipping costs to
compare among retailers, or more complicatedlike facing limited payment options
or a complex purchase process. Many companies reacted by making information easier
to access on their webpage and most importantly, by implementing online support
chats where a pop-up window appears with a message from a live customer service
representative while a customer surfs the site. Customers now have the ability to go
back and forth with the rep with any questions they might have.
Hi! Do you need any help checking out? Can I help you with anything today?
Sure! If I hit the next button from this Actually yes. I cant pay with my debit card.
screen, will my purchase be finalized or do Im sorry. We dont accept debit, but you can
I have a chance to edit my order? pay by credit cards or electronic transfer.

function, feature, to have trouble (+ing) to break down (a task)
mind reader, motivation, morale, fleet
to ask probing questions, to chat, pop-up window

Unit 13 I just want my money back
1
Unit 13: I just want my money back

refund, conditions, return policy, merchandise, valid, legitimate
credit, defective, faulty, dented, chipped, purchase Well cover shipping costs
order, packing slip, to [our] specifications, stock less a .... fee, forfeit (v., adj.) (extension activity)
(=inventory)
I would like my money back, to send back
It was not what I was promised
It looked nothing like (the advertisement)
(extension activity)
Lesson Preview
goal for the lesson, customized for the student. You will find at least one optional, more complex Post-task
or Post-listening activity for higher level students. Allow enough time to include a performance activity
that confirms achievement of the customized goal. See Unit 1 for further information.
Speaking Goal: Process a refund or an exchange
Warm-up Ask students: What is the last product you needed to return or
exchange? Can you return a service?
SG p. 25 money (you) get back when a product is returned refund
refund What are the reasons a client may ask for a refund? Write students
responses on the board.
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to process a refund

or an exchange. Write it on the board.
1ab. Presentation
Substitution: Does every business accept every return no matter
what? [N] accept returns only under certain circumstances? [Y]
! conditions conditions
Do different businesses have different conditions? [Y] return
SG p. 25 return policy
policies
I would like my If you cannot return a service, how do you ask for the equivalent of
money back a refund? I would like my money back
merchandise products that stores sell merchandise
credit Return a product, but instead of money back for it, receive the value
of the item toward another purchase at that business credit
Under what conditions will a business not accept a return or
exchange? Do you think most return policies are fair? Can you
describe some unfair return policies? What kind of merchandise
does [name of department store or local supplier] sell?
Practice
Open SGs to page 25, Activity 1a, and compare responses with
those in the list at the top of the page. Match the quotes to the
reason.

Unit 13
I just want my money back

If you expect a refund,
Process a refund or an exchange
file early.
1a I had overlooked this before ordering
Reasons for returning / exchanging products

1. Order was incorrect. 5. There was indecision at point of sale.
2. Client changed his / her mind. 6. Clients circumstances (plans) changed.
3. Product was damaged. 7. Client ordered too much of something.
4. Product was not what the client was expecting.
A. _____ I had ordered the size A frames, but instead I received the size B.
B. _____ I bought these for the conference, but the conference ended up being canceled.
C. _____ The product you sent us has a crack down the side that I didnt notice until just now.
D. _____ We werent certain how our consumer base would react, so we purchased both
types to test the market.
E. _____ We decided we didnt need this product after all.
F. _____ This isnt exactly what I thought it would be.
G. _____ We have excess stock and we need to clear it out before the next quarter.
1b What is your return policy?
Full refund within 30 days Conditions apply to refunds No-questions-asked, unlimited

with proof of purchase. over $5,000. returns; exceptions apply.
Credit only for returns. Full refund within 30 days, Only unopened products, in
credit only after then. the original condition and
Full refund with receipt,
credit only without. All purchases are final. with receipt, will be accepted.
2 Whats wrong with it?
faulty dented scratched chipped torn cracked

2
Process a refund or an exchange (contd.)

Check answers.
[ANSWERS: A. 1 B. 6 C. 3 D. 5 E. 2 F. 4 G. 7]
! Ask a volunteer to read the return policies in Activity 1b.
SG p. 25 Can you name a few businesses whose policies these might be? Can
a business have more than one policy in place? [Y] Why?
Skit. Have students name suppliers, manufacturers, and
wholesalers of some of their favorite (favourite UK) products. Have
students quiz each other on the return policies of those businesses.
Have students switch roles and repeat the activity a few times if
necessary.
Presentation
2. Use the images in Activity 2 as you introduce the words.
Build up: (pretend your shirt sleeves are two different lengths). Is
! defective
everything alright with my shirt? [N] Are the sleeves two different
sizes? [Y] Is that how its supposed to be? [N] defective
SG p. 25 faulty Is everything alright with your computer or camera? [N] Does it
dented sometimes work, and sometimes not, for no reason? [Y] faulty
chipped Substitution: If you drop an aluminum can hard enough, does it get
cracked (rev.) bent out of shape in one spot? dented
scratched (rev.) Has your favorite coffee mug ever become unusable because a
stained (rev.) piece of it broke off? chipped
torn (rev.) (Introduce the other, easier pictures, plus any other damages.)
Practice: QA
What can happen to your sunglasses if you keep them in your
purse/pocket and not in a case? What are some ways in which a
piece of furniture can be defective? Should you drink out of a glass
thats chipped? Who pays for the damage if you dent someone
elses car? Do you think you could get a refund from the car dealer
if your cars brakes are faulty? Have you ever accidentally
torn/ripped your clothing by snagging it on something sharp? If you
slam a door too hard, what can happen to the wood?
Pre-listening
3ab. How does a business know you want to purchase something from
purchase order it? What do you send the business? purchase order
packing slip
! to (our)
Substitution: When you receive something you purchased in the
mail, does it come with a piece of paper in the package that lists the
SG p. 26 specifications items in your order? packing slip
stock custom, specific to one business to (our) specifications
(=inventory) the goods and materials a business has at one point in time stock
(=inventory)
Practice QAQ.
Ask students: What do you think will happen in each audio track
you are going to listen to based on the photographs in Activity 3a?

Unit 13
I just want my money back

If you expect a refund,
file early.
1a I had overlooked this before ordering
Reasons for returning / exchanging products

1. Order was incorrect. 5. There was indecision at point of sale.
2. Client changed his / her mind. 6. Clients circumstances (plans) changed.
3. Product was damaged. 7. Client ordered too much of something.
4. Product was not what the client was expecting.
A. _____ I had ordered the size A frames, but instead I received the size B.
B. _____ I bought these for the conference, but the conference ended up being canceled.
C. _____ The product you sent us has a crack down the side that I didnt notice until just now.
D. _____ We werent certain how our consumer base would react, so we purchased both
types to test the market.
E. _____ We decided we didnt need this product after all.
F. _____ This isnt exactly what I thought it would be.
G. _____ We have excess stock and we need to clear it out before the next quarter.
1b What is your return policy?
Full refund within 30 days Conditions apply to refunds No-questions-asked, unlimited

with proof of purchase. over $5,000. returns; exceptions apply.
Credit only for returns. Full refund within 30 days, Only unopened products, in
credit only after then. the original condition and
Full refund with receipt,
credit only without. All purchases are final. with receipt, will be accepted.
2 Whats wrong with it?
faulty dented scratched chipped torn cracked

3

Listening
Tracks 3234 Tell students they will listen to three conversations between clients
and service representatives. They should listen for the reason and
Audio Script outcome of the return. Play Tracks 3234, pausing between tracks
as needed for students to respond to the questions.
Check answers.
[ANSWERS: Reasons / Outcomes
A. one damaged laptop / will exchange it B. headsets didnt meet specs /
processing replacement order, seller will pay shipping costs C. excessive
stock / has to receive and fill in a request for refund check form for a
partial refund]
Play Tracks 3234 again if needed for students to answer the
multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions in Activity 3a. Check
answers.
[ANSWERS: A1. b., 2. shape, 3. packing slip; B4. b., 5. specifications,
6. faulty; C7. a., 8. request for refund form, 9. credit the account]
Post-listening Level 5-6:

Track 34 Ask: What did the representative in the last track say when she
couldnt take all of the book stock? [fill in (fill out US) a request
Audio Script for refund form]
Refer students to the audio script on page 83 if they need guidance.
Skit. Have students look at the expressions in Activity 3b and take
turns practicing the role of the customer service rep and customer
by denying a return or exchange, or allowing for a partial refund.
Possible situations: item was purchased too long ago, not all of the
stock can be accepted, etc.
Post-listening Level 7-8:

Track 34 valid Ask: What did the representative in the last track say when she
legitimate couldnt take back all of the stock? [will credit the account]
Audio Script Well cover Refer students to the audio script on page 83 if they need guidance.
shipping costs
If a customer asks to return an item because its faulty, is that a
reasonable, believable reason? valid, legitimate
If it costs money to ship it, but its the companys fault that the
product isnt working, will it pay for the shipping? cover
shipping
Introduce this phrase: Well cover the cost of shipping to return
the item.
Skit. Have students take turns practicing the role of the customer
service rep and customer by denying a return or exchange using the
vocabulary introduced above. Possible situations: the reason for
return is not valid; shipping costs for damage by the consumer will
not be covered by the company; etc.
Performance

3a Id like a refund, please

A
32
Reason: _____________________________________________________
Outcome: ____________________________________________________
1 . The caller decided to _________________ the company laptops.

a. refund b. exchange
2. One computer was in bad _________________ when it arrived.
3. His order number is located on the _________________ .
B
33
Reason: _____________________________________________________
Outcome: ____________________________________________________
4. The client is _________________the item he purchased.

a. refunding b. inquiring about exchanging
5. The client initiated the phone call because what he ordered
was not to his .
_________________
6. The client thought he received a headset.

_________________
C
34
Reason: _____________________________________________________
Outcome: ____________________________________________________
7. The client needed to get rid of .

_________________
a. excess stock b. extra stocks

8. To process a return, the publisher needs the client to fill out
a _________________.
9. The publisher can only for up to 10% of
_________________
the purchased stock amount.

3b Partial refund
We are able to take back the laptops I can only offer up to 10% of your purchase price.
but not the chargers. We can credit your account.
Im sorry, but Im afraid I cant process
your request.

refund, conditions, return policy, merchandise, credit, faulty valid, legitimate
dented, chipped, purchase order, to (ones) specifications Well cover shipping costs.
packing slip, stock (= inventory), to send back less a ... fee, forfeit (v., adj.)
I would like my money back.
It is not what I was promised.
It looks nothing like (the advertisement).

4

Pairs. Have students exchange a conversation about returning a
product to a manufacturer. Students should inquire about the
policy, give a reason for the return, and come to a resolution.

activity, that is, give a valid reason for a return and discuss who
covers what costs.
their lesson goal.
Ask: Do you return service? [N] What about food? [To a grocery
Level 56 store (grocers UK), yes, if unopened]
And how do you return food youre unsatisfied with at a restaurant?
send back send back
What happens if youre dissatisfied with a service you paid for?
Give a reason for your dissatisfaction.
Why might you be dissatisfied with a service? [Were sold on
It was not what I something that was not what was advertised, for example, the
was promised pictures looked nothing like the experience]. How do you express
your dissatisfaction? It was not what I was promised/It looked
It looked nothing nothing like (the advertisement)
like (the ad)
Practice
Skit. Have students take turns asking for their money back and
sending back food as appropriate.
Presentation
Extension 2 Ask: Do airlines offer refunds on tickets? [It depends] Even if you
get a refund for the ticket price, do you get a refund for the credit
Level 78 card fee? refund less a [credit card] fee.
less a ... fee What kinds of fees do airlines and other businesses charge?
[cancelation, restocking, administrative, convenience, etc.]
forfeit (v., adj.) If you miss your flight because you overslept, can you get a refund?
[If N] forfeit it, it is forfeit(ed)
Practice
Skit. Have students take turns asking about consequences or fees
when purchasing airline tickets, hotel reservations, opera tickets
for visiting partners, large shipments, merchandise, etc. Have them
share experiences and good practices or internal policies on the
matter.

3a Id like a refund, please

A
32
Reason: _____________________________________________________
Outcome: ____________________________________________________
1 . The caller decided to _________________ the company laptops.

a. refund b. exchange
2. One computer was in bad _________________ when it arrived.
3. His order number is located on the _________________ .
B
33
Reason: _____________________________________________________
Outcome: ____________________________________________________
4. The client is _________________the item he purchased.

a. refunding b. inquiring about exchanging
5. The client initiated the phone call because what he ordered
was not to his .
_________________
6. The client thought he received a headset.

_________________
C
34
Reason: _____________________________________________________
Outcome: ____________________________________________________
7. The client needed to get rid of .

_________________
a. excess stock b. extra stocks

8. To process a return, the publisher needs the client to fill out
a _________________.
9. The publisher can only for up to 10% of
_________________
the purchased stock amount.

3b Partial refund
We are able to take back the laptops I can only offer up to 10% of your purchase price.
but not the chargers. We can credit your account.
Im sorry, but Im afraid I cant process
your request.

refund, conditions, return policy, merchandise, credit, faulty valid, legitimate
dented, chipped, purchase order, to (ones) specifications Well cover shipping costs.
packing slip, stock (= inventory), to send back less a ... fee, forfeit (v., adj.)
I would like my money back.
It is not what I was promised.
It looks nothing like (the advertisement).

Unit 14 Thank you for bringing this to our attention
1
Unit 14: Thank you for bringing this to our attention

disgruntled, appalling, conduct (n., v.), to offend, My sincerest apologies for [your bad experience]
frustrated, incompetent, to overhear, to gossip, Im following up on a letter you wrote regarding
inappropriate It was poor communication on our part
exceptional, inadequate (extension activity) I take full responsibility for
abominable, atrocious, dreadful, mediocre,
passable, adequate, phenomenal (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Take care of a disgruntled client
Warm-up Ask: Are there some parts of the customer experience over which
service reps have no control? [Price, product quality, delivery time,
policies, the market, etc.] Ask a volunteer to read the customer
! service statistics at the top of SG page 27. What do you think of
these statistics? How many of these relate to interactions with a
SG p. 27
client? As a client, have you ever had a bad experience that made
you not want to do business with that company again? What was
disgruntled the problem?
Did it make you feel displeased, angry, irritated? disgruntled
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to acknowledge

dissatisfaction and take care of a disgruntled client. Write it on the
board.
Presentation
1. Introduce vocabulary as needed:
appalling Dictionary: horrible, perhaps shocking appalling
conduct (n., v.)
! offend
the way someone behaves conduct
to cause someone to feel upset, hurt to offend
SG p. 27 What are some words we can use to express our dissatisfaction with
someones behavior? Write students ideas on the board.
Substitution: In email, if you keep trying to attach a file but it wont
frustrated attach, do you get you annoyed? frustrated
incompetent If a coworker is constantly forgetting things, making mistakes, and
not doing his/her work properly, is he/she qualified for the job? [N]
incompetent
Pre-task
Which of the words on the board could be a synonym to a word in
the chart in Activity 1? Ask students to explain the similarity.

Unit 14
Thank you for bringing this to our attention
inappropriate
In this lesson,
dissatisfied
wronged
you will complaint poor service
Take care of a disgruntled incompetent
disgruntled client
rude
Some statistics about customer service
One out of every four customers is dissatisfied with some The average wronged customer will tell 816 more
part of customer service. people about his / her negative experience.
Surveys say that for every customer who complains, there 80% of complaints received by an organization are
are 26 others who never say anything about poor service. likely to have poor communication as their root cause,
Reducing client retreat can boost profits by 2585%. either with the client or within the organization itself.
In 73% of cases, the organization made no attempt to 80% of lost clients result from the feeling that the
persuade dissatisfied clients to stay, even though 35% company just doesnt care about me or my business.
said that a simple apology would have prevented them
from moving to the competition.
1 Word families
Verb Adjective Noun
appalling / appalled
frustrating
incompetence
to conduct
angry
to ignore
offense
Your turn!
1 . Dealing with that company was so , I must have called six times and
_________________
explained myself over and over again before my issue was resolved.
2. I couldnt stand the way he _________________himself as if he were the king of the world.
3. When I first walked in, I was _________________by the companys staff. No one wanted to break
away from their conversation to acknowledge me.
4. I took _________________ to his comment saying that my problem was unimportant.
5. I was completely by his lack of
_________________ in closing my account. He
_________________
should have been trained to do that from day one!

6. She made me so when she refused to admit her mistake! On top of that, she
_________________
made the remark that it was my own that caused the problem, which I found
_________________
highly _________________ !

2
Take care of a disgruntled client (contd.)

Task
Ask students to fill in the rest of the chart with the missing words. If
! there is a cross through the box in the chart, the word in that form
SG p. 27 does not exist. Assist as needed.
[VERB / ADJECTIVE / NOUN:
to appall / appalling or appalled / -none-
to frustrate / frustrating / frustration
-none- / incompetent / incompetence
to conduct / -none- / conduct (Note: duct is stressed in the verb, con is
stressed in the noun, i.e., con-DUCT and CON-duct)
to anger / angry / anger
to ignore / ignored / ignorance
to offend / offensive / offense]
Check answers.
Now ask students to complete the blanks in Your Turn! with the
words from the chart in Activity 1. Students can use any form of the
words in any tense with or without prefixes as appropriate. Some
words may be used twice, but each word should be used at least
once in one form. Check answers.
[ANSWERS: 1. frustrating 2. conducted 3. ignored 4. offense 5. appalled,
competence 6. angry, incompetence, offensive]
Post-task: QA
What would you describe appalling working conditions to be like?
What is your workload like if you have an incompetent boss? Do
you get offended when people mispronounce your name? Is there
anything that frustrates you about your job or company? How
should a customer service rep conduct himself/herself on the
phone?
Pre-reading
2a-b. Do you sometimes hear other peoples conversations without them
knowing you heard it? to overhear
overhear
! gossip
discuss the behavior or personal life of another person to gossip
Are there certain topics you should not discuss with colleagues?
SG p. 28 inappropriate inappropriate
Is a brand new, expensive car from your boss an appropriate gift of
thanks? [N]
Practice QAQ.
Reading
Ask students to read the text in Activity 2a on page 28 silently and
then summarize the reading in their own words. Check answers.
Post-reading Level 5-6

Have students look at the list of useful phrases in Activity 2b on
page 28. Which of these phrases could you use to reply to the
customers letter?

Unit 14
Thank you for bringing this to our attention
inappropriate
In this lesson,
dissatisfied
wronged
you will complaint poor service
Take care of a disgruntled incompetent
disgruntled client
rude
Some statistics about customer service
One out of every four customers is dissatisfied with some The average wronged customer will tell 816 more
part of customer service. people about his / her negative experience.
Surveys say that for every customer who complains, there 80% of complaints received by an organization are
are 26 others who never say anything about poor service. likely to have poor communication as their root cause,
Reducing client retreat can boost profits by 2585%. either with the client or within the organization itself.
In 73% of cases, the organization made no attempt to 80% of lost clients result from the feeling that the
persuade dissatisfied clients to stay, even though 35% company just doesnt care about me or my business.
said that a simple apology would have prevented them
from moving to the competition.
1 Word families
Verb Adjective Noun
appalling / appalled
frustrating
incompetence
to conduct
angry
to ignore
offense
Your turn!
1 . Dealing with that company was so , I must have called six times and
_________________
explained myself over and over again before my issue was resolved.
2. I couldnt stand the way he _________________himself as if he were the king of the world.
3. When I first walked in, I was _________________by the companys staff. No one wanted to break
away from their conversation to acknowledge me.
4. I took _________________ to his comment saying that my problem was unimportant.
5. I was completely by his lack of
_________________ in closing my account. He
_________________
should have been trained to do that from day one!

6. She made me so when she refused to admit her mistake! On top of that, she
_________________
made the remark that it was my own that caused the problem, which I found
_________________
highly _________________ !

3
Skit. Tell students they are the manager who needs to call the
wronged customer to apologize. Have students vote for the best
response.
My sincerest Post-reading Level 7-8
apologies for
! (your bad
Pairs. Role-play. Write the phrases below on the board. Tell
students they will take turns calling the wronged customer to
SG p. 28 experience) apologize. Have them use an appropriate phrase from the board or
any phrase they wish to use from the list on page 28, Activity 2b.
Im following up Students vote for the best response.
on a letter you
wrote My sincerest apologies for (your bad experience).
regarding Im following up on a letter you wrote regarding (problem).
It was poor communication on our part.
It was poor I take full responsibility for
communication
Student A acts as the employee that the customer spoke to on the
on our part
phone.
Student B acts as the manager of the rental facility.
I take full
responsibility
for
3. Performance
Role-play. Have students take turns playing a very disgruntled
client and the representative who is the first person they contact
about the issue. The scenario: Student A works for an HR staffing
agency that recently placed an accountant with Student Bs firm.
Student B calls angrily over the phone saying the accountant is
incompetent and is costing everybody patience, time, and money.
He/she wants the situation remedied.
activity.
their lesson goal.
Presentation
Extension 1 Draw a horizontal line across the length of the board. One end is
bad, the other good. In a box off to the side, write the following
Level 56 words: awful, exceptional, fair, horrible, inadequate, incompetent,
unacceptable, unsatisfactory, and any others of your choice. Ask
students to order the words from worst to best.

Take care of a disgruntled client
2a To whom it may concern
A
S
To w hom it may concern (a nd I hope this concerns you),

I a m not usua lly the person to forma lly com pla in to a com pa ny, b ut
this incident was exceptiona lly a ppa lling a nd I felt that I had to sha re
it. I was interested in renting out you r ha ll space to host a b usiness
lu ncheon a nd I had ca lled to inqu ire a bout rates a nd a men ities . The
representative w ho a nswered the p hone was rude a nd im patient
a nd tried to pass me off at the first cha nce he had to someone
w ho cou ld help m e with that. He thoug ht he had tra nsferred m e,
but instead I rema ined on the line w h ile he put down the p hone a nd
went back to his conversation with a nother coworker. (That on ly goes to show you his
incom petence with ha ndling the telep hone .) I overhea rd the two em ployees gossiping a bout
a fellow em ployee a nd w hat they were saying was hig hly offensive! They were ma king
ina ppropriate rema rks a bout their fema le coworker to the point that I cou ld not sta nd it
a ny longer. I hu ng u p a nd decided I wont be doing b usiness with you aga in . I wou ld like to
see how you intend to solve this issue a nd I ex pect a response from you .
Tha nk you , A b ina Sy
2b Useful phrases
5. We are taking steps to resolve the issue.
1 . Please dont take this the wrong way.
6. The person(s) in question will

2. You misunderstood. be dealt with accordingly.
3. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. 7. Im sorry. I didnt mean it that way.
4. I didnt mean to offend you.

disgruntled, appalling, conduct (n., v.) My sincerest apologies for (your bad experience).
to offend, frustrated, incompetent Im following up on a letter you wrote regarding
to overhear, to gossip, inappropriate It was poor communication on our part.
exceptional, inadequate I take full responsibility for
abominable, atrocious, dreadful, mediocre
passable, adequate, phenomenal

4

Assist with vocabulary as necessary:
exceptional Unusually good, outstanding exceptional
inadequate Lacking in quality; inability to handle a situation inadequate
[Suggested order (bad to good): horrible, awful, incompetent,
unsatisfactory, unacceptable, inadequate, fair, exceptional]
Practice
Ask students a series of questions to practice the terms. For
example: How did you like your last business lunch at a restaurant?
How expensive is business travel these days? What was your worst
clients behavior (behaviour UK) like? How was the last hotel you
stayed in for business? etc.
Presentation
Extension 2 Draw a horizontal line across the length of the board. One end is
bad, the other good. In a box off to the side, write the following
Level 78 words: abominable, atrocious, dreadful, mediocre, passable,
adequate, phenomenal, and any others of your choice. Ask students
to order the words from worst to best (ordered below).
Assist with vocabulary as necessary:

abominable Very unpleasant, causing disgust or hatred abominable
atrocious Wicked or of poor quality and unpleasant atrocious
dreadful Disagreeable, causing great unhappiness dreadful
mediocre Of moderate quality, not very good mediocre
passable Just okay, not bad passable
adequate Satisfactory, acceptable adequate
phenomenal Absolutely good, extraordinary phenomenal
[SUGGESTED ORDER (bad to good): abominable, atrocious, dreadful,
mediocre, passable, adequate, phenomenal]
Practice
Ask students a series of questions to practice the terms. For
example: How did you like your last business lunch at a restaurant?
How expensive is business travel these days? What was your worst
clients behavior (behaviour UK) like? How was the last hotel you
stayed in for business? etc.

Take care of a disgruntled client
2a To whom it may concern
A
S
To w hom it may concern (a nd I hope this concerns you),

I a m not usua lly the person to forma lly com pla in to a com pa ny, b ut
this incident was exceptiona lly a ppa lling a nd I felt that I had to sha re
it. I was interested in renting out you r ha ll space to host a b usiness
lu ncheon a nd I had ca lled to inqu ire a bout rates a nd a men ities . The
representative w ho a nswered the p hone was rude a nd im patient
a nd tried to pass me off at the first cha nce he had to someone
w ho cou ld help m e with that. He thoug ht he had tra nsferred m e,
but instead I rema ined on the line w h ile he put down the p hone a nd
went back to his conversation with a nother coworker. (That on ly goes to show you his
incom petence with ha ndling the telep hone .) I overhea rd the two em ployees gossiping a bout
a fellow em ployee a nd w hat they were saying was hig hly offensive! They were ma king
ina ppropriate rema rks a bout their fema le coworker to the point that I cou ld not sta nd it
a ny longer. I hu ng u p a nd decided I wont be doing b usiness with you aga in . I wou ld like to
see how you intend to solve this issue a nd I ex pect a response from you .
Tha nk you , A b ina Sy
2b Useful phrases
5. We are taking steps to resolve the issue.
1 . Please dont take this the wrong way.
6. The person(s) in question will

2. You misunderstood. be dealt with accordingly.
3. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. 7. Im sorry. I didnt mean it that way.
4. I didnt mean to offend you.

disgruntled, appalling, conduct (n., v.) My sincerest apologies for (your bad experience).
to offend, frustrated, incompetent Im following up on a letter you wrote regarding
to overhear, to gossip, inappropriate It was poor communication on our part.
exceptional, inadequate I take full responsibility for
abominable, atrocious, dreadful, mediocre
passable, adequate, phenomenal

Unit 15 The customer is always right , right?
1
Unit 15 The customer is always right right?

misleading, slogan, practical, to coin a phrase, Theres no pleasing him/her
entitled, to deceive, white lie, freebie, to fish for, to Give (s.o.) an inch, (they) will take a mile
give (s.o.) the benefit of the doubt, apples to Take the bull by the horns
oranges, capacity, to accommodate to defuse (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Respond to an unreasonable client
Warm-up Ask: Have you ever dealt with a difficult client? Can you relate to
any of the statements at the top of page 29?
Ask a volunteer to read the unit title. Ask: Do you agree with the
! phrase the customer is always right? Are there times when a
SG p. 29 client or business partner simply wants too much? Have you ever
had to turn a customer away or say no to a client? Discuss.
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to respond to

unreasonable demands from a client. Write it on the board.
1. Pre-reading
giving the wrong idea or impression misleading
misleading an easy-to-remember word or phrase used by a business to attract
! slogan attention slogan
SG p. 29 practical capable of actually being done rather than a theory or idea
coin a phrase practical
to create or popularize a new phrase; can also be a single word
to coin a phrase
Practice QAQ.
Who coined the phrase two thumbs up in film? (Supposedly
Roger Ebertfamous film critic.)
Reading
Ask a volunteer to read the text in Activity 1 silently. The endings
to the two numbered sentences are purposely mixed up. Before
students put the sentences back in order, ask them to look at the
mixed-up words and pick out which words are most important.
[ANSWERS: 1. Clients deserve your sincere effort in trying to meet their
needs.
2. Clients need to be shown that their opinions are important and
valuable to your business.]

Unit 15
The customer is always right , right?

In this lesson, They often
T
Some clients Many com
pla
ttreat me as
you will get on my I want to yell if So m e clients j st to get in
ju
I was the
ner ves, its hard back at them, ageous, something
oone who caused make outr le
not to hang up be
b cause I un re ason ab for free.
Respond to an t
their problem.
on them. d dnt do it!
di dem an ds .
unreasonable client
1 Revisiting the Golden Rule of customer service
Article
The customer is always right
A few big names in retail are given credit for coining the phrase the customer is always right at the
beginning of the twentieth century: Harry Gordon Selfridge (18561947), John Wanamaker (1838
1922), and Marshall Field (18341906). The purpose of the phrase is to remind employees to put the
customers or clients satisfaction before theirs. But now, many people think this phrase is misleading,
so misleading, in fact, that a service research firm decided to investigate the accuracy of the slogan.
It found that clients cause about a third of the problems they complain about. Simply put, one cannot
always give the client what they want. What one can do is meet a clients reasonable expectations
and needs. Here, we have reworked the popular business slogan into two separate ideas:
1. Clients deserve your ____________________________________________ .

effort / to / in / sincere / their / trying / meet / needs
2. Clients need to be shown that _____________________________________ .
opinions / valuable / to / are / and / your / their / important / business
2 Unreasonable types
Entitled
These clients have high expectations and a sense that they are your most important client. They feel as though they have the
right to everything and may ask for discounts and special treatment. When they dont get what they expect, even if its out of
your capacity, they complain. Many service people consider them rude and over-demanding.
Deceiver
Tip!
Clients who aim to deceive you may simply tell a white lie, such as so-and-so company
did this for me, why cant you? to gain a personal advantage. Or, they may be covering
up a mistake they made because they feel its too late to admit that its their fault now. Comp (n.) is short for
complimentary, something
Dissatisfied and expressive you get free of charge.
Originally designed to reward
These clients treat complaining like its a sport. They are extremely picky and are likely
loyal clients, many comps now
to find something wrong with everything. They often fish for freebies, comps, or upgrades
through their complaints. go to complainers as well.
Insistent
These very demanding clients wont go away until they get what they want. Short of threatening you, they insist that all their demands
be met. If they call to tell you a delivery did not come on time, they want it now. They may call back a few times until their wants are met.

2
Respond to an unreasonable client (contd.)
Post-reading
How would you rewrite the phrase the customer is always right
in your own words?
2. Pre-task
entitled Dictionary: Here, deserving of a right or privilege entitled
to deceive Cause someone to believe something that is not true, often for your
! white lie own benefit to deceive
something received for free freebie
SG p. 29 freebie
to fish for actively but subtly seek something to fish for
Build up: A chatty client calls at 5 p.m. Friday. Even though its not
give (s.o.) the true, do you instruct your receptionist to tell the client you left for
benefit of the the weekend? white lie
doubt decide to believe something good rather than bad when there is
some uncertainty give (s.o.) the benefit of the doubt
Practice QAQ.
Ask volunteers to read the different types of clients in Activity 2. Ask

students how they could deal with these different types of clients.
Task
! Refer to the Supplement in the SG on page 50 with the example
methods of dealing with different types of difficult clients from SG p.
SG p. 29
29 and compare it with the students ideas in the pre-task. Ask
students to determine which type of client each of these methods is
Supplements
best used to handle.
[ANSWERS: 1. deceiver, 2. insistent, 3. entitled, 4. dissatisfied and
expressive]
3ab. Pre-listening
Present the phrases in Activity 3a.
Build up: Can you compare two similar cars based on price? [Y]
! Can you compare the quality of a new luxury car to a used 30-year-
old truck? [N] They are two different things apples to oranges
SG p. 30 apples to oranges
capacity Dictionary: here, competence in a subject or power to do something
accommodate capacity
here, act to provide what is wanted, allow for accommodate
Practice QAQ.
Listening
Tell students they will listen to three conversations between a
Track 35
representative and a client making an unreasonable request. They
Audio Script should listen for the type of client the rep is dealing with and what
they would say to this customer.
Play Track 35, pausing after the customer says, There must be
something wrong with your order system. [Client type: deceiver]
Check answers.

Unit 15
The customer is always right , right?

In this lesson, They often
T
Some clients Many com
pla
ttreat me as
you will get on my I want to yell if So m e clients j st to get in
ju
I was the
ner ves, its hard back at them, ageous, something
oone who caused make outr le
not to hang up be
b cause I un re ason ab for free.
Respond to an t
their problem.
on them. d dnt do it!
di dem an ds .
unreasonable client
1 Revisiting the Golden Rule of customer service
Article
The customer is always right
A few big names in retail are given credit for coining the phrase the customer is always right at the
beginning of the twentieth century: Harry Gordon Selfridge (18561947), John Wanamaker (1838
1922), and Marshall Field (18341906). The purpose of the phrase is to remind employees to put the
customers or clients satisfaction before theirs. But now, many people think this phrase is misleading,
so misleading, in fact, that a service research firm decided to investigate the accuracy of the slogan.
It found that clients cause about a third of the problems they complain about. Simply put, one cannot
always give the client what they want. What one can do is meet a clients reasonable expectations
and needs. Here, we have reworked the popular business slogan into two separate ideas:
1. Clients deserve your ____________________________________________ .

effort / to / in / sincere / their / trying / meet / needs
2. Clients need to be shown that _____________________________________ .
opinions / valuable / to / are / and / your / their / important / business
2 Unreasonable types
Entitled
These clients have high expectations and a sense that they are your most important client. They feel as though they have the
right to everything and may ask for discounts and special treatment. When they dont get what they expect, even if its out of
your capacity, they complain. Many service people consider them rude and over-demanding.
Deceiver
Tip!
Clients who aim to deceive you may simply tell a white lie, such as so-and-so company
did this for me, why cant you? to gain a personal advantage. Or, they may be covering
up a mistake they made because they feel its too late to admit that its their fault now. Comp (n.) is short for
complimentary, something
Dissatisfied and expressive you get free of charge.
Originally designed to reward
These clients treat complaining like its a sport. They are extremely picky and are likely
loyal clients, many comps now
to find something wrong with everything. They often fish for freebies, comps, or upgrades
through their complaints. go to complainers as well.
Insistent
These very demanding clients wont go away until they get what they want. Short of threatening you, they insist that all their demands
be met. If they call to tell you a delivery did not come on time, they want it now. They may call back a few times until their wants are met.

3
Play Track 36, pausing after, Well, cant you pretend like
someones name mysteriously got erased from the list? Repeat the
Track 35 same activity as for Track 35. [Client type: entitled and insistent]
Audio Script Play Track 37, pausing after, And I expect it to be at the office
first thing tomorrow morning. Itd better be shipped overnight.
[Client type: expressive and insistent]
Track 36 Check answers.
Audio Script
Tell students you will replay the tracks without pausing. Ask them
to write the representatives response on the second line beside the
Track 37 images. Play Track 35-37 all the way through, pausing or playing
each track again as needed. Check answers, referring to the audio
Audio Script scripts pages 83-84 if necessary. Ask students how close what they
would say was to what the representatives said.

Pairs. You work for a supplier and a client calls in an order that
will take a long time to fill and send. The client wants it by the end
of the week; its Wednesday. One student plays the client, the other
the person who answers the call. Come to an agreement. Switch
roles after the first round.

Theres no Introduce the following phrases:
pleasing No matter what you do, [client] will not be satisfied Theres no
him/her pleasing him/her
give (s.o.) an offer to give/do something nice, but [client] asks for more give
inch, (they) (them) an inch, (they) will take a mile
will take a handle a difficult situation with determination take the bull by
mile the horns
Take the bull by Two colleagues are discussing a difficult client. How do you
the horns respond if your colleague says
he/she is getting angry that I cant give him a 10% discount after I
offered 5%.
he/she has found something wrong about everything with the
service.
he/she wants a personal delivery of his/her late package.
4. Performance

Respond to an unreasonable client
3a Its like putting a square peg in a round hole
That is simply beyond my capability. Youre comparing If youd like to speak with my
apples to oranges. supervisor, perhaps he / she
will be able to help.
The best / fastest / closest
thing I can offer you is There must have been a mistake /
g
misunderstanding. That would be unfair to
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate that. What I can do for you is
3b In your own words

A. What you would say to the client: __________________________________
35 __________________________________________________________________ .
What the representative said: ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .
B. What you would say to the client: __________________________________
36 __________________________________________________________________ .
__________________________________________________________________ .
C. What you would say to the client: __________________________________
37 __________________________________________________________________ .
__________________________________________________________________ .

misleading, slogan, practical, to coin a phrase, entitled Theres no pleasing them.
to deceive, white lie, freebie, to fish for Give someone an inch, theyll take a mile.
to give someone the benefit of the doubt to take the bull by the horns
apples to oranges, capacity, to accommodate to defuse

4

Pairs. Role-play. Student A plays a car seat manufacturer. Student
B works for a textile (fabric) supplier. Student B invites the
manufacturer to the warehouse to view available patterns since
Student A insisted on seeing a large variety of textiles, but Student
A insists that the supplier come to him/her.
P1: Instructor plays Student A, the manufacturer.

activity.

their lesson goal.
Extension 1 Discussion. What are attitudes toward complaining in [students

country]? Other than [students country], do you think there are
Level 56 cultural differences in the way clients complain and what they
complain about? If a colleague came to you asking for help, how
would you suggest adjusting your responses to difficult clients
based on their culture? Have you ever been in a situation that you
could not handle?
defuse reduce tension defuse
Level 78 How do you defuse a very angry client? What if he/she threatens to
take his/her business elsewhere?
Skit
Students write a few new words/phrases they learned in this unit
on the board. Instruct them to prepare a Defusing the Situation
workshop and Q&A to present to coworkers. Students should
use all the words on the board and give examples of what to say.

Respond to an unreasonable client
3a Its like putting a square peg in a round hole
That is simply beyond my capability. Youre comparing If youd like to speak with my
apples to oranges. supervisor, perhaps he / she
will be able to help.
The best / fastest / closest
thing I can offer you is There must have been a mistake /
g
misunderstanding. That would be unfair to
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate that. What I can do for you is
3b In your own words

A. What you would say to the client: __________________________________
35 __________________________________________________________________ .
__________________________________________________________________ .
B. What you would say to the client: __________________________________
36 __________________________________________________________________ .
__________________________________________________________________ .
C. What you would say to the client: __________________________________
37 __________________________________________________________________ .
__________________________________________________________________ .

misleading, slogan, practical, to coin a phrase, entitled Theres no pleasing them.
to deceive, white lie, freebie, to fish for Give someone an inch, theyll take a mile.
to give someone the benefit of the doubt to take the bull by the horns
apples to oranges, capacity, to accommodate to defuse

Unit 16 Room for improvement
1
Unit 16: Room for improvement

constructive criticism, lack (v., n.), cumbersome, Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter
outdated, obsolete, plan of action, flaw, to to our attention
streamline Based on your suggestions, weve implemented
to hack (extension activity) It was a team effort, but I believe we resolved your
issue with
to swallow (ones pride, to go green, to eat (ones)
own words (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Respond to client feedback
Warm-up Ask: Why do companies ask for feedback from their

customers/clients? If a client points out a specific problem and
constructive perhaps offers a solution, will that help the company? [Y]
! criticism constructive criticism
SG p. 31 Have students read the description of constructive criticism at the
top of page 31 silently. Discuss.
Have you ever received feedback that helped you be a better
employee? What was it? What kind of criticism do you leave others
(if any)? Do you frame it constructively? Has your company ever
benefitted from criticism?
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to respond to client
feedback. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1. What are some problems clients often leave feedback on?
Write responses on the board and compare with the list in Activity 1.
! lack (v., n.)
Substitution: to be without or not have enough of lack
Build up: Is applying for a job an easy process? [N] Does it require
SG p. 31 cumbersome multiple pieces of writing, references, and time? [Y]
outdated cumbersome
obsolete Substitution: Are cassette players out of fashion, replaced by newer
technology? outdated (or obsolete)
Practice: QFS
Read the following pieces of criticism. Have students tell you which
problem listed in the activity it relates to.
1. The spreadsheet software we installed crashes when we enter a
certain amount of information technology failure
2. To authorize permission for a new manager to access the
account requires proof of identity, fingerprinting, and lots of
paperwork cumbersome process

Unit 16
Room for improvement

In this lesson, Constructive criticism
Rather than leaving a simple complaint, constructive
you will criticism goes a step further by communicating an issue in
a positive way. Constructive criticism is often accompanied
Respond
by a suggested solution. This type of criticism is much
to client more specific, pointing out one particular issue rather than
feedback a general sense of disappointment. It is often a companys
first step in the problem-solving process.
1 What needs to change

? Lack of communication Technology failure
Disorganization Treatment from an employee
Cumbersome (order) process Outdated product
Wait time Product / service quality
2 Responding to feedback
USEFUL PHRASES
THANKING ACTION
Thank you for your suggestion. Based on your suggestions, we
We appreciate your comments. We will make a note to inform our about the
Thank you for your concern. We will take steps to
You helped us uncover a flaw. We were able to
Thank you for your feedback. Next time you do business with us, youll find that
Thank you bringing that to our attention.
3a Whats another way to say this?

Constructive criticism at its best will result in the items listed in the left column below. But
customers dont want to hear corporate talk when you follow up with them after they leave
you feedback. So what are laymans terms for what customers feedback helped accomplish?
a. reduce costs to the 1 . get the most out of what we have
consumer 2. decrease the amount of time it Tip!
b. streamline the process takes to
c. tighten operations 3. make our products more affordable to put something in laymans
d. increase efficiency 4. make our products easier to use terms = to explain something
e. cut down (wait time) 5. improve the way we operate technical in a way that the
f. improve functionality 6. make it easier to average person can understand.

2
Respond to client feedback (contd.)

3. We spoke to numerous people from your office about the issue,
but it was never resolved. Did the person in charge even receive
the complaint? lack of communication
4. Other similar devices have the capability to connect to Wi-Fi
and have a larger memory; you need to catch up. outdated
product
5. Twice now Ive been billed incorrectly. You keep making
mistakes and a colleague said she also received someone elses
bill. disorganization
Presentation
2. What should a response to clients feedback include?
[SUGGESTED ANSWERS:
! - for positive feedback, thank the client and confirm the positive
aspects as well as invite further comments;
SG p. 31 - for negative feedback, thank the client and express that you have
listened and will follow up; remind the client how important
customer satisfaction is to your company; also ask for more detail,
offer apologies/compensation if appropriate, or try to convince the
client that your intentions may have been misinterpreted, etc.]
further steps that are able to be carried out plan of action
What are some ways of thanking customers for their feedback?
plan of action If their comments require action on your part, how do you tell
customers that you took action based on their feedback?
Present any other phrases students didnt mention from Activity 2.
Dictionary: imperfection, weakness, or shortcoming flaw
flaw Practice
Do you think client feedback had anything to do with many
companies switching to digital in the early days of the technology?
Tell students they will receive feedback that is outdated now (but
pretend that it is current) and put together a plan of action from it.
1. Customers complain that the taste of your food product is no
longer good. You havent changed the recipe in 50 years.
2. Clients find it cumbersome to look through a large, physical
catalog of samples, especially when searching for something
specific.
3. Clients are frustrated that you do not keep a record of their last
order and they have to list everything from the beginning when
reordering.
4. Flying or driving in for a meeting is expensive and takes a long
time; clients expressed the need for remote meeting capability.
5. Clients say it is hard to determine what the product they need to
purchase actually looks like because your website has few photos
and the colors always look different in real life versus online.

Unit 16
Room for improvement

In this lesson, Constructive criticism
Rather than leaving a simple complaint, constructive
you will criticism goes a step further by communicating an issue in
a positive way. Constructive criticism is often accompanied
Respond
by a suggested solution. This type of criticism is much
to client more specific, pointing out one particular issue rather than
feedback a general sense of disappointment. It is often a companys
first step in the problem-solving process.
1 What needs to change

? Lack of communication Technology failure
Disorganization Treatment from an employee
Cumbersome (order) process Outdated product
Wait time Product / service quality
2 Responding to feedback
USEFUL PHRASES
THANKING ACTION
Thank you for your suggestion. Based on your suggestions, we
We appreciate your comments. We will make a note to inform our about the
Thank you for your concern. We will take steps to
You helped us uncover a flaw. We were able to
Thank you for your feedback. Next time you do business with us, youll find that
Thank you bringing that to our attention.
3a Whats another way to say this?

Constructive criticism at its best will result in the items listed in the left column below. But
customers dont want to hear corporate talk when you follow up with them after they leave
you feedback. So what are laymans terms for what customers feedback helped accomplish?
a. reduce costs to the 1 . get the most out of what we have
consumer 2. decrease the amount of time it Tip!
b. streamline the process takes to
c. tighten operations 3. make our products more affordable to put something in laymans
d. increase efficiency 4. make our products easier to use terms = to explain something
e. cut down (wait time) 5. improve the way we operate technical in a way that the
f. improve functionality 6. make it easier to average person can understand.

3
Pre-listening
3ab. Ask a volunteer to read the text in Activity 3a and the tip box next to
it. Then separate groups into pairs to match each corporate talk
! streamline
item with the same meaning in laymans terms.
To improve by organizing or making simpler streamline
SG pp. [ANSWERS: 1. d 2. e 3. a 4. f 5. c 6. b]
3132 Check answers.
Ask: Are you familiar with mobile apps (mobile phone
applications)? What apps do you use? (There are apps for maps,
weather, news, banking, games, stocks, sports, etc.)
Listening
Tell students they will listen to a phone call between a customer
and a mobile app developer. Listen for what the problem is and
Track 38 what suggestions the caller makes. Write that in Activity 3b.
Play Track 38 all the way through.
Audio Script [POSSIBLE ANSWERS: Cumbersome bill pay process, product quality or
technology failurecant enter a zip code that starts with 0. Cant save
username information.]
Check answers.
Post-listening: Level 5-6

Pairs. Role-play. Tell students they will act out the follow-up
! Thank you for conversation between the mobile app engineer and customer.
Students should use the audio script on page 84 for guidance. First,
SG p. 31 taking the time
to bring this give groups five minutes to prepare what they will say using the
matter to our phrases in Activities 2 and 3a on SG page 31.
attention P1: Student plays the engineer who follows up with the customer.
Based on your
Post-listening: Level 7-8
suggestions,
Introduce the following phrases:
weve
Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our
implemented
attention.

Based on your suggestions, weve implemented
It was a team
It was a team effort, but I believe we resolved your issue with
effort, but I
Someone had to swallow [his/her/their] pride.
believe we
! resolved your
issue with
Pairs. Role play. Tell students they will act out the follow-up
conversation between the mobile app engineer and customer.
SG p. 31
to swallow Students should use at least one of the phrases you introduced and
(ones) pride any other phrases from Activities 2 and 3a on SG page 31. Students
should use the audio script on page 84 for guidance.
P1: Student plays the engineer who follows up with the customer.
Performance
4. Elicit the lesson goal from students, or remind them of it and point

Respond to client feedback
3b 38 I just have a few suggestions
Issues: _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What problem it relates to: ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4 Customer communication
Fine Auto Dealership Your response:

Please take a moment to leave us your thoughts, comments, ______________________________________
suggestions, questions, or ideas about your experience today.

______________________________________
Wed be happy to hear from you!
I purchased a vehicle here today and while Im happy
______________________________________
with the car, there were a few things that could have ______________________________________
gone smoother during the process. First of all, there was

a problem with another customers purchase and most
______________________________________
of your salesmen were a little distracted. I talked to three ______________________________________
different people, since each kept excusing himself for

a few moments at a time. That also slowed down the
______________________________________
test-drive process. The computers the staff was using ______________________________________
looked really old and it took a really long time to process

the background check. You really need to update your
______________________________________
computers and make sure it does not take four staff ______________________________________
members to address a problem so that the other three

can be assisting customers. Your redeeming factor is the
______________________________________
great selection of cars in good condition. ______________________________________

constructive criticism, to hack Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.
lack (n., v.), cumbersome Based on your suggestions, weve implemented ...
outdated, obsolete, flaw It was a team effort, but I believe we have resolved your issue with ...
plan of action, to streamline to swallow (ones) pride, to go green, to eat (ones) own words

4

Point out the written customer feedback comment card on SG page
! 32. Have students read the comment silently and prepare a written
SG p. 32 response in the space provided. After everybody has written their
response, have students read it aloud to the class. Students vote on
the best response.
activity.
their lesson goal.
Presentation
Extension 1 illegally access private (electronic) information to hack
to hack What is in place to prevent company computers from getting
Level 56 hacked?
! Skit
Student A suggests a solution to the following scenarios. Student B
SG p. 32 is the company representative who follows up on the suggestion.
1. I think your line of aftermarket parts is the best, but you dont
ship to my region.
2. My credit card information was hacked twice in the last month.
3. I was charged the full price for shipping when I received my item
and full price again when I sent it back because I wanted to
exchange it.
4. I cant save the products I look at on your website in a wish list.
Presentation
Extension 2 Ask: What do the following phrases have in common?
Going green, post-consumer recycled content, environmental
Level 78 impact [being conscious of consumers impact on the
environment]
Do you hear of companies wasting less and recycling/reusing
to go green more? going green
Has your company gone green? How?
to eat (your) own regret s.th. you once said was true eat (your) own words
words
Practice
Say: You are the CEO of a soft drink company whose majority of
sales is soda in plastic bottles. For years you have been promoting
plastic as environmentally friendly. Based on consumer feedback,
customers want you to put out a new kind of bottle that is even
more green (eco-friendly). What changes do you propose?
Pretend you are presenting these changes at a press conference.

Respond to client feedback
3b 38 I just have a few suggestions
Issues: _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What problem it relates to: ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4 Customer communication
Fine Auto Dealership Your response:

Please take a moment to leave us your thoughts, comments, ______________________________________
suggestions, questions, or ideas about your experience today.

______________________________________
Wed be happy to hear from you!
I purchased a vehicle here today and while Im happy
______________________________________
with the car, there were a few things that could have ______________________________________
gone smoother during the process. First of all, there was

a problem with another customers purchase and most
______________________________________
of your salesmen were a little distracted. I talked to three ______________________________________
different people, since each kept excusing himself for

a few moments at a time. That also slowed down the
______________________________________
test-drive process. The computers the staff was using ______________________________________
looked really old and it took a really long time to process

the background check. You really need to update your
______________________________________
computers and make sure it does not take four staff ______________________________________
members to address a problem so that the other three

can be assisting customers. Your redeeming factor is the
______________________________________
great selection of cars in good condition. ______________________________________

constructive criticism, to hack Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention.
lack (n., v.), cumbersome Based on your suggestions, weve implemented ...
outdated, obsolete, flaw It was a team effort, but I believe we have resolved your issue with ...
plan of action, to streamline to swallow (ones) pride, to go green, to eat (ones) own words

Unit 17 Being a people person
1
Unit 17: Being a people person

personality, attitude, charismatic, entrepreneurial, to win over, to pull (ones) own weight, knack
passionate, proactive, people person, aspects credentials (extension activity)
pessimistic, the glass is half full/empty (extension
activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Interview for a customer service position
Ask students to read the quote at the top of page 33.

Warm-up
What does it mean that every position [in a company] is a customer
service position? Do you agree? How so? What special set of skills
! do you need to work in customer service? Write students answers
on the board.
SG p. 33
As part of the job, is it important to be likeable?
have a good personality
personality Can people have different opinions/feelings about the same thing?
attitude [Y] Does it change their behavior? [Y] attitude
If you keep a positive attitude during your job interview, do you
think you have a better chance of getting the job?
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to interview for a
customer service position. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1ab. Do a lot of people like James Bond? Is he charming and a smooth
talker? charismatic
charismatic
! entrepreneurial
quality business founders have; risky entrepreneurial
having strong feelings about s.th. passionate
SG p. 33 passionate foresee a problem and act before anyone asks you to
proactive be proactive
Practice QAQ.
Pre-task
What kind of skills do employers look for in a candidate for a
customer service position?
Have a volunteer read the job posting in Activity 1a on page 33.
Point out the word box to the right of the job posting. Tell students
to find that word or its equivalent in the reading. Check answers.
[ANSWERS: Charmingcharismatic; Optimisticdisplay a positive
attitude; Proactiveacting in anticipation of a problem; Social[either]
passionate about people [or] excellent verbal skills; Leader
entrepreneurial; Self-motivatedwillingness to work; Team player
willingness to work on a team]

Unit 17
Being a people person

In this lesson,
you will
Every position is a customer
Interview for service position.
a customer
service position
1a We are looking for
Job Listings: Organic Communications Reader
Organic Communications is a billion-dollar industry leader in telecommunications with Characteristics:

agents operating all over the world. We are currently seeking a bilingual (English and Spanish)
customer service specialist who is motivated, charismatic, and passionate about people. Charming
Qualifications
Optimistic
Ideal candidates will demonstrate a willingness to work on a team and display Proactive
a positive attitude at all times. They will be customer oriented, optimistic, Social
entrepreneurial, and an attentive listener. When faced with a difficult situation,
they will act in anticipation of a problem. Most importantly, they will possess Self-motivated
excellent verbal and written communication skills. A bachelors degree and a Leader
minimum three years customer service experience are a must.
Team player
1b Tell me about yourself

1 . Im very much a person; I start projects and initiatives of my own accord.
___________
2. Would you say you are a , meaning, do you work well with other people?
___________
3. Were looking for a person who is enthusiastic about talking to people, you know, someone who
is really ___________ about people.
4. I always leave a good impression on customers; my colleagues think Im very . ___________
5. Ill tell you about my endeavors. During my time at Acme, I was promoted to team
___________
supervisor and introduced a new method of customer acquisition that generated an extra
$300,000 of sales annually.
2a Im an excellent mediator
a to act as the middleman between two parties to reach an agreement
1 . to mediate
b to interfere between two people, usually to prevent something from happening
a to mechanically fill up a number of bottles, like an assembly line
2. to bottle something up
b to hold ones feelings in and not discuss them
a the feeling that someone is unworthy of ones consideration or respect
3. claim b a formal request for money or other coverage under the terms of an insurance policy
a thinking about the rights and feelings of other people; showing kindness
4. considerate
b not adequately considered
a something artificial and not realmeant to fool someone
5. fraudulent b dishonest, done in a cheating or deceitful manner to ones benefit

2
Interview for a customer service position (contd.)
Task
! Self-assessment. Which of these traits do you think you possess?
Put a plus sign next to it. Which do you need to improve upon? Put
SG p. 33
a minus sign next to it. Have students compare lists and discuss.
Have students fill in the blanks in Activity 1b using words (or their
synonyms) from Activity 1a.
[ANSWERS: 1. Self-motivated 2. Team player 3. Passionate
4. Charming/charismatic 5. Entrepreneurial]
Check answers.
Post-task Level 5-6

Pairs. Have students take turns continuing the conversation
between an interviewer and interviewee by expanding on answers
provided in Activity 1b.
Post-task Level 7-8

Introduce the expressions in the column on the left.
to win over succeed in changing opinion, attitude win over
pull (ones) own successfully do your fair share of work pull (ones) own weight
weight natural skill or talent for something knack
knack Tell students they are in the middle of a high-stakes interview and
their answer needs to show that they have a good attitude and
personality.
Prompt interview questions to students if they need help. Student A
asks interview questions using the expressions below:
Have you ever been on a team where you felt that someone was not
pulling his/her own weight?
Tell me about a time when you were able to win over a particularly
[irritated] customer.
Student B tries to give his/her best answer in response.
I have a knack for [winning people over].
I have a can-do attitude.
2ab. Pre-listening
Ask: What kinds of questions are asked during a job interview?
What is more important for a customer service jobeducation and
! experience or personality?
person is good at, and enjoys, interacting with other people
SG p. 33-34
people person
Ask students to complete Activity 2a by matching the word or
expression to the correct definition.
[ANSWERS: 1. a 2. b 3. b 4. a 5. b]
Check answers.
Track 39
Listening 1
Audio Script Tell students they will listen to an interview being conducted.
What position is the candidate interviewing for? Play Track 39.

Unit 17
Being a people person

In this lesson,
you will
Every position is a customer
Interview for service position.
a customer
service position
1a We are looking for
Job Listings: Organic Communications Reader
Organic Communications is a billion-dollar industry leader in telecommunications with Characteristics:

agents operating all over the world. We are currently seeking a bilingual (English and Spanish)
customer service specialist who is motivated, charismatic, and passionate about people. Charming
Qualifications
Optimistic
Ideal candidates will demonstrate a willingness to work on a team and display Proactive
a positive attitude at all times. They will be customer oriented, optimistic, Social
entrepreneurial, and an attentive listener. When faced with a difficult situation,
they will act in anticipation of a problem. Most importantly, they will possess Self-motivated
excellent verbal and written communication skills. A bachelors degree and a Leader
minimum three years customer service experience are a must.
Team player
1b Tell me about yourself

1 . Im very much a person; I start projects and initiatives of my own accord.
___________
2. Would you say you are a , meaning, do you work well with other people?
___________
3. Were looking for a person who is enthusiastic about talking to people, you know, someone who
is really ___________ about people.
4. I always leave a good impression on customers; my colleagues think Im very . ___________
5. Ill tell you about my endeavors. During my time at Acme, I was promoted to team
___________
supervisor and introduced a new method of customer acquisition that generated an extra
$300,000 of sales annually.
2a Im an excellent mediator
a to act as the middleman between two parties to reach an agreement
1 . to mediate
b to interfere between two people, usually to prevent something from happening
a to mechanically fill up a number of bottles, like an assembly line
2. to bottle something up
b to hold ones feelings in and not discuss them
a the feeling that someone is unworthy of ones consideration or respect
3. claim b a formal request for money or other coverage under the terms of an insurance policy
a thinking about the rights and feelings of other people; showing kindness
4. considerate
b not adequately considered
a something artificial and not realmeant to fool someone
5. fraudulent b dishonest, done in a cheating or deceitful manner to ones benefit

3
Listening 2
! aspects What parts of the job do they discuss? aspects
Play Track 39 again, and have students check off the subjects that
SG p. 34
are discussed from the list in Activity 2b. [Everything but absenteeism
and customer complaints.]
Check answers.
Track 39
Post-listening
Audio Script
Ask: How did Tunde (the job candidate) demonstrate that he is a
people person? Did you think he was charismatic? Would you
hire him?
3. Performance
! the customized student goal.
SG p. 34 Pairs. Role-play. Tell students they will conduct interviews with
each other for a customer service position. Give students a few
moments to prepare the personality traits they are looking for (for
the interviewer) and the ones they possess (for the interviewee).
Supplements Refer to the resume (CV UK) found in the Supplements on page 51
as a starting point and reference tool for students. Students may use
the Points to Hit outline in Activity 3 on page 34 for guidance.
activity.
their lesson goal.
Ask: What is a basic difference between someone who has a good
Level 56 attitude and someone who has a negative attitude?
Does someone with a good attitude think everything is possible,
optimistic (rev.) even when faced with a pretty difficult situation? optimistic
pessimistic What about someone with a bad attitudein the same situation, do
! they think everything is hopeless and cant be done? pessimistic
SG p. 34 Are you generally pretty optimistic or pessimistic? If you were
interviewing someone, would they appear more favorable
(favourable UK) if optimistic? Have you ever heard the phrase the
the glass is half
glass is half full? Is that what an optimist or a pessimist says?
full/empty
What would a pessimist say? [The glass is half empty]

Interview for a customer service position
2b 39 Are you a team player?
Topics:
Name:
Absenteeism
Tu___
nd___
e _____
Stress
___ High volume
Difficult customers
From: Customer complaints
Employee relationships
______________
Customer relationships
Interview questions
What experience do you have with ?
How would you handle ?
Give me an example of a time when
What aspect of your job do you like best?
Why did you choose to leave your current company?
What does having a good attitude mean to you?
3 Points to hit
A. B.
Greet and introduce yourself.
Confirm job position. Ask about background.
Respond.
Ask why candidate wants to work here.
Respond.
Ask about education, experience, personality.
Respond; reference a rsum if need be.
Ask how candidate handles difficult clients.
Give (an) example(s).
Thank and invite for second interview.
Ask any further details and thank.

personality, attitude, charismatic, entrepreneurial to win over, to pull (ones) own weight, knack
passionate, proactive, people person, aspect credentials
pessimistic, the glass is half full / empty

4
Practice
Change the following phrases from pessimistic to optimistic. Model
for students what they have to do, if necessary.
1. My job is difficult. My job is challenging.
2. This is no fun; I dont know anyone here. Theres an
opportunity to meet so many new people here.
3. Im not qualified to work here. I have the opportunity to learn
and grow at this job.
4. Customers irritate me so much. Im learning how to handle
different types of people.
5. My coworker talks so loud in the cubicle next me. I now have
an excuse to try my new noise-canceling headphones
Extension 2 Ask: What university/universities did you attend? What degrees do

you hold? Have you completed any training/received a certificate?
Level 78 Were you recognized for any unique talents/abilities? Have you
won any awards?
Are there any other academic achievements or qualifications you
credentials can say you have? credentials
What are your work credentials? [achievements, memberships,
certificates, licenses, degrees, experience, awards/recognition]
Tell students they are competing for a promotion at their job or an
entirely new high-level position with another company. The
interviewer asks: Why should we hire you for this job? Instruct
students to give their credentials in a convincing manner.
OR
Tell students they are a customer service consultant who helps
companies become more customer focused. You are bidding for a
job and the interviewer asks: Why should we hire you for this job?
Instruct students to give their credentials in a convincing manner.

Interview for a customer service position
2b 39 Are you a team player?
Topics:
Name:
Absenteeism
Tu___
nd___
e _____
Stress
___ High volume
Difficult customers
From: Customer complaints
Employee relationships
______________
Customer relationships
Interview questions
What experience do you have with ?
How would you handle ?
Give me an example of a time when
What aspect of your job do you like best?
Why did you choose to leave your current company?
What does having a good attitude mean to you?
3 Points to hit
A. B.
Confirm job position. Ask about background.
Respond.
Ask why candidate wants to work here.
Respond.
Ask about education, experience, personality.
Respond; reference a rsum if need be.
Ask how candidate handles difficult clients.
Give (an) example(s).
Thank and invite for second interview.
Ask any further details and thank.

personality, attitude, charismatic, entrepreneurial to win over, to pull (ones) own weight, knack
passionate, proactive, people person, aspect credentials
pessimistic, the glass is half full / empty

Unit 18 Can I interest you in a brochure?
1
Unit 18: Can I interest you in a brochure?

to network, prospect, to convert (prospects), unique selling point (USP), to mingle with (s.o.)
catalog (catalogue UK), flyer, lead (n.), to rub prototype, beta testing, bug (=error) (extension
shoulders/elbows with , jargon, talking points, activity)
demo, launch, bulk discount, to compile
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Convert prospects to clients at an industry event
Write trade show (a.k.a. trade fair) on the board and ask students to
Warm-up trade show (rev.) define it. [An organized exhibition where companies in a specific
industry can show their latest products and services.]
! Does your company attend trade shows? [If N] What industry event
do you attend, if any? [conference, exhibition, educational]
SG p. 35
Note: If students dont attend trade shows and are not interested in the
topic, customize lesson to events related to their industry.
What happens at a trade show? Have students decide whether the
statements in the warm-up activity are true or false.
[ANSWERS: 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. T]
Check answers.
Why is it important to attend trade shows? [See whats new in your
industry, know what the competitors are doing, meet potential
business clients, etc.]
Do you meet a lot of new people and create new contacts at a trade
to network show to potentially further business interests? to network
prospect someone identified as a potential customer (targetable), but one that
convert hasnt yet shown interest in your company prospect
(prospects) to turn an interested attendee(s) into a paying client convert
(prospects)
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to convert prospects
to clients at an industry event. Write it on the board.
Presentation
1. Write the following words on the board:
catalog, flyers, contact, brochure, prospect, lead, stand/booth
SG p. 35
Assist with vocabulary as needed.
catalog Printed or digital list, often with photos, of products available for
(catalogue UK) sale catalog (catalogue UK)
flyer Piece of paper with information such as an advertisement given to
many people flyer

Unit 18
Can I interest you in a brochure?

In this lesson, What happens at a trade show? True or False?
1 . Companies exhibit their newest or most
you will ___
popular products.
Convert
___ 2. Many people keep an eye on their competition
to see where they are headed next.
prospects ___ 3. Employees trade, company secrets, especially
to clients at new technology, so that everyone is equal.
an industry ___ 4. Trade shows are only for company
event employees; clients, the media, and the
general public are never allowed.
___ 5. Exhibiting at a trade show can be costly
considering space rental, display setup,
design, marketing, and the employees it
takes to run it, but many companies think
the cost is worth it.
1 Brochure, flyer, or catalog?

I hope youll pick up one of our
________________ . Also, if you leave me
(typically one page and (of better quality and your ________________ details, Ill be glad
short lived, meant to design, includes more to send you our latest _______________
announce or inform detailed information

of one thing) for reference) by the end of the week. And if you
would like to order today, Ill make
sure you receive our introductory
price. Thank you for stopping by our
Literature _______________ .
Sandra! I was able to generate ten

_______________ today. I must have
spoken to at least 18 _______________
who all came down to our

_______________ because they picked
(lists products available up our _______________ at the front
for sale, typically entrance. Your idea is working!
with photos and order
information)

2
Convert prospects to clients at an industry event (contd.)

lead (n.) In business, this is a potential customer who is interested in your
rub shoulders product and in a position to purchase it lead
/elbows with Are there famous/important people you have the opportunity to
meet and socialize with? rub shoulders/elbows with ...
Practice
Ask questions to practice the new vocabulary.
Does your company use printed catalogs? Where can you pick up a
flyer? Why is a lead important to a company? How can you make a
prospect aware of your products? Which celebrity would you most
like to rub shoulders with?
! Ask students to look at Activity 1 on SG page 35. Have them
complete the blanks in the chart and monologs with the words on
SG p. 35
the board. Ask students to check their answers with a partner.
[ANSWERS: Chart: flyer, brochure, catalog
Monologs : brochure, contact, catalog, stand/booth, leads, prospects,
stand/booth, flyer]
Presentation
2. Substitution: When speaking with a new, potential client, do you
use highly specific language that only a few industry people
! jargon
understand? jargon
(At least not unless that is the customers expertise too.)
SG p. 36 talking points So what are the things you talk about? talking points
pros and cons benefits and shortcomings of the product pros and cons
(rev.) Do you show them how something works? demo[nstration]
demo Is the product already on the market? [N] When will it become
launch (n.) available? launch
Practice QAQ.
Pre-listening
Ask: What kind of products can you expect to be on exhibit at a
technology trade show?
Track 40 Listening
Tell students they will hear a prospect and a company exhibitor
Audio Script discussing a new kind of digital technology. The employee notices
the prospect looking at the display booth. Listen for the polite
version of the phrases listed in Activity 2. Rewrite them to make
them more polite and effective. Play Track 40.
[POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 1. Would you like to know more about our product?
2. Would you like to try the product? 3. Can I interest you in a brochure?
4. Please feel free to ask me any questions. 5. May/Could I have your
name? 6. Ill email/phone you next week. 7. Here is my business card.]
Check answers.

What are the exhibitors talking points? When does the product
launch? Would you be interested in a demo if you were at the
show? Is the speaker formal or casual? What techniques does he
use to formalize speech? [indirectness, use of would, could, may]

Unit 18
Can I interest you in a brochure?

In this lesson, What happens at a trade show? True or False?
1 . Companies exhibit their newest or most
you will ___
popular products.
Convert
___ 2. Many people keep an eye on their competition
to see where they are headed next.
prospects ___ 3. Employees trade, company secrets, especially
to clients at new technology, so that everyone is equal.
an industry ___ 4. Trade shows are only for company
event employees; clients, the media, and the
general public are never allowed.
___ 5. Exhibiting at a trade show can be costly
considering space rental, display setup,
design, marketing, and the employees it
takes to run it, but many companies think
the cost is worth it.
1 Brochure, flyer, or catalog?

I hope youll pick up one of our
________________ . Also, if you leave me
(typically one page and (of better quality and your ________________ details, Ill be glad
short lived, meant to design, includes more to send you our latest _______________
announce or inform detailed information

of one thing) for reference) by the end of the week. And if you
would like to order today, Ill make
sure you receive our introductory
price. Thank you for stopping by our
Literature _______________ .
Sandra! I was able to generate ten

_______________ today. I must have
spoken to at least 18 _______________
who all came down to our

_______________ because they picked
(lists products available up our _______________ at the front
for sale, typically entrance. Your idea is working!
with photos and order
information)

3
differentiate Post-listening Level 7-8

(rev.) When your company does something very different from a
unique selling competitor, is that a good talking point? [Y] differentiate (rev.)
point Also, USPs unique selling points
Introduce: What really differentiates our [product/company] is
If someone is interested in your product and wants to find out more,
where do you send them? Internet, website
mingle with (s.o.) Introduce: A number of resources can be found on our website.
Go around the show meeting other industry professionals
mingle with (s.o)
Skit. Students are mingling at a trade show while representing their
respective companies. Take turns playing the representative and
client who gauge leads and try to convert prospects. Ask students to
try to use their companies real products/services.
Pre-task
3.
Present and practice:
when you buy a large quantity of the same product, sometimes to
SG p. 36 bulk discount
resell, you may get a special discount bulk discount
to compile
Make/put together/prepare to compile
How do you let people know you want to keep in touch with them?
So now that youre back at the office after the tradeshow, what do
you say if you want to contact someone you met while there?
Task
Refer students to the Supplements from page 52. Have students put
Supplements
the scrambled conversation back in order.
[ANSWERS: _1_ Well, thanks for taking me through that demonstration.
_2_ Yes, it was my pleasure. Would you like to take a brochure and catalog home
with you today?
_3_ Sure, it cant hurt.
_4_ Great, and if I could have your name and email address, Ill send you
information about the bulk pricing discounts I mentioned.
_5_ Here, just take my business card; it has all my contact information on there.
Im looking forward to that email.
_1_ Hello Carla, this is Hailey from the trade show last week. It was so nice
meeting you. We spoke about decreasing the amount of abandoned calls to your
call center.
_2_ Oh hello, Hailey. Its nice to hear from you. Yes, Im still looking for a
solution.
_3_ Have you had a chance to look at our brochure of training programs and new
technologies?
_4_ Honestly, no, unfortunately. Im sorry, but Ive been so busy with the trade
show.
_5_ Thats no problem. Id be happy to compile a personal report for your
company once I have a few more details about it. Id like to set up a meeting
between my team and yours, if thats alright.
_6_ Yes, that sounds perfect. Ill contact my team. How about sometime next week
so we have a chance to look over the brochure? ]
Check answers.

Convert prospects to clients at an industry event
2 40 What is another way to say it?

1 . Do you want information
about our product? ____________________________________________________
2. Do you want to try the product? ____________________________________________________
3. Do you want a brochure? ____________________________________________________
4. Ask me a question if you want. ____________________________________________________
5. Who are you? ____________________________________________________
6. Ill contact you soon. ____________________________________________________
7. Take my business card. ____________________________________________________
3 Follow-up
USEFUL PHRASES
Setting up a follow-up
Ill contact you next week.

May I have your business card so I can email
you the ?
Id like to keep this conversation going; what is
your number / email?
Do you mind if I contact you next week to ?
May I stop by your office next week?
Following up
Follow up can be used as both

It was so nice meeting you at the last week.
a noun and a verb. For example: I hope you found our brochure helpful.
I have so many Id like to set up a meeting between
follow-ups to
send. (noun) Tip! Im sending you the quote I promised.
I need to follow up
Id like to discuss further options.
with her soon. (verb) Did you receive the I sent you?

to network, prospect, to convert (prospects) unique selling point (USP), to mingle with
catalog (catalogue UK), flyer, lead (n.) prototype, beta testing, bug (= error)
to rub shoulders / elbows with, jargon, talking points
demo, launch (n., v.), bulk discount, to compile

4
Post-task/Performance
Pairs. Role-play. Tell students they represent a large electronics
company (or company of their choice) that manufactures mobile
phones. They just launched their newest phone in time for the
annual consumer electronics trade show. Start a conversation with
an intrigued lead (potential distributor) whos at your booth now.
activity.
their lesson goal.
Extension 1 Ask: What are the available methods for following up with someone
after you meet? Write students responses on the board.
Level 56 Do you typically want to remind people how you met when you
initiate contact with them? [Y] How would you say that? Write
students ideas on the board.
Introduce:
It was nice meeting you at [name of trade show] last week.
Hello [name], we met at the [name of trade show] two days ago.
Add any more to the list.
Make the first follow-up contact with someone you met at a trade
show via email, phone, or in person by using the phrases on the
board.
Extension 2 Ask: Are all the products on display at a trade show already on the
market? [N] Not always ...
Level 78 prototype When you build a new product, do you first build one model?
prototype
Specific to electronics or software, do these products go through
lots of testing before being released to the public? [Y] Who tests
them? (engineers or internal testing team) And after they test the
beta testing products, do a small number of people outside the company test
bug (=error) them? [Sometimes, Y] beta testing
small technological malfunction bug
What is the purpose of beta testing? (feedback; get the bugs out)
Say: Someone at a trade show is interested in your prototype that is
still going through testing. Network with them and tell them you
will send them more information as the project develops.

Convert prospects to clients at an industry event
2 40 What is another way to say it?

1 . Do you want information
about our product? ____________________________________________________
2. Do you want to try the product? ____________________________________________________
3. Do you want a brochure? ____________________________________________________
4. Ask me a question if you want. ____________________________________________________
5. Who are you? ____________________________________________________
6. Ill contact you soon. ____________________________________________________
7. Take my business card. ____________________________________________________
3 Follow-up
USEFUL PHRASES
Ill contact you next week.

May I have your business card so I can email
you the ?
Id like to keep this conversation going; what is
your number / email?
Do you mind if I contact you next week to ?
May I stop by your office next week?
Following up
Follow up can be used as both

It was so nice meeting you at the last week.
a noun and a verb. For example: I hope you found our brochure helpful.
I have so many Id like to set up a meeting between
follow-ups to
send. (noun) Tip! Im sending you the quote I promised.
I need to follow up
with her soon. (verb) Did you receive the I sent you?

to network, prospect, to convert (prospects) unique selling point (USP), to mingle with
catalog (catalogue UK), flyer, lead (n.) prototype, beta testing, bug (= error)
to rub shoulders / elbows with, jargon, talking points
demo, launch (n., v.), bulk discount, to compile

Unit 19 Its the latest client communication solution
1
Unit 19: Its the latest client communication solution

platform, browser, domain, desktop, helpdesk, field You wouldnt happen to , would you?
(n.), chatroom, internal, EOD, SEO, learning curve, to be in over ones head
to utilize cloud computing (extension activity)
client engagement (extension activity)
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Optimize use of client communication technology
Warm-up Ask: Why do we use technology at work? [Make processes faster

and more efficient, collect data, eliminate risk of human error, etc.]
What kinds of technologies are available to communicate with
! clients? [Students may name the program(s) they use at work.
SG p. 37 Alsosocial media, blogs, telephone, etc.]
Substitution: What program (operating system or software) do you

use to keep track of all the interactions you have with customers?
platform platform
Were you trained on how to use the platform? Did it take some time
to get used to?
Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to optimize the use
of client communication technology you use at work. Write it on
the board.
1ab. Presentation
Build-up: Do you use the Internet at work? [Y] What do you use to
browser look at websites? browser
! domain In the website address www.(google).com, what is the .com part?
SG p. 37 And the part after the @ in an email address? domain
What other (top-level) domains are there? [.edu, .gov, .co.jp, .de]
The first screen you see when your computer turns on where all
desktop your programs are found [computers] desktop
helpdesk (Note: This is not to be confused with the desktop computer that is
designed for use at a fixed location.)
resource for the client or consumer to provide information about a
companys products/services helpdesk
Ask a volunteer to read the advertisement in Activity 1a.

Unit 19
Its the latest client communication solution

In this lesson, Why do we use technology
you will at work?
Optimize use of What kinds of technologies

client communication are available for communicating
technology with clients?
Are they all easy for you to use?
1a Everything you need in one place
Presenting Medeo Contax, the newest client communication management technology available!
M edeo unifies each point of contact into tickets,

no matter how the inquiry was initiated. That
allows you to know that the client who left a voicemail is
Benefits of Medeo Contax
Unites each point of contact into traceable tickets
the same one who emailed three days ago with the same
request! Link and update your companys social media Easy-to-use platform
platform, keep track of bank statements, invoices, and Medeo has its own email domain
other client transaction documents, as well as any current
promotions your company is running. This browser- Access important documents and figures within
based platform doesnt require you to download large the same browser
desktop programs. Purchase the Medeo software once Create and manage scripted (but customizable!),
and a license key for each user and youll be ready to
provide quality customer service in no time! ready-responses for limitless situations
Use Medeo Contax for all your client communication management needs! Visit our website for a demo and free two-week trial!
1b Keep track of it with a ticket!

1. _______________ : program designed to perform many functions that run in an Internet browser
2. _______________ : the person or department receiving a customer request or inquiry
3. _______________ : to join or bring together in a single unit
4. _______________ : the part that follows the @ symbol in an email address, e.g., JSmith@xyz.com
5. _______________ : begun, brought about, started
6. _______________ : a code that allows a user to access software they purchased
7. _______________ : this particular programs way of referring to a customer request or inquiry
something that can be acted upon
8. _______________ : a test of something
9. _______________ : the act of asking for information
10. _______________ : software that performs a certain function (such as playing music, entering data) found
on your computers home screen; does not necessarily need the Internet to run

2
Optimize use of client communication technology (contd.)

Do you have a program at work to perform the same functions as in
the advertisement at work? What is similar and what is different?
Practice
! Pairwork. Students get together to discuss possible definitions for
SG p. 37 the bolded words and then fill in the blanks with their answers.
[ANSWERS: 1. Browser-based platform 2. Point of contact 3. Unify
4. Email domain 5. Initiate 6. License key 7. Ticket 8. Trial 9. Inquiry
10. Desktop program]
Check answers.
What is your favorite Internet browser? What programs do you

have on your desktop? Which email domain do you use? Is it a
popular one? Who typically initiates contactyou or the client?
Does your company also call client requests/inquiries tickets?
2. Pre-Task
Instruct students to look at the computer screen illustration in
Activity 2. Tell me what you see. Is this a browser-based
! communication platform? [Y]
SG p. 38
Substitution: space for the company representative to write a
message in response to the clients request [message] field
field (n.) Are the company employees communicating by sending short
chatroom messages to each other? [Y] Is there only one topic being discussed
internal on this message system? [Y] chatroom
EOD Is this chat only visible to company employees? [Y] internal
SEO If a project is due today, what is the latest possible time you can
turn it in? (Unless otherwise specified) EOD (end of day)
process of using the best keywords to make it easy for search
engines to find your content SEO (search engine optimization)
Practice QAQ.
Task
Have students label each arrow to indicate what its pointing to.
[ANSWERS: clockwise from top left: browser, domain, request progress
(ticket status), message field, internal chatroom, SEO keywords.]
What is the benefit of this kind of platform? Why is SEO important

in social media? Do you use an internal chatroom at work?
Post-task Level 5-6

Do you think its helpful to have all of this information on one
screen? Is there an element missing that you would like there or do
you think its perfect? Describe the system you use at work to
communicate with clients.

Unit 19
Its the latest client communication solution

In this lesson, Why do we use technology
you will at work?
Optimize use of What kinds of technologies

client communication are available for communicating
technology with clients?
Are they all easy for you to use?
1a Everything you need in one place
Presenting Medeo Contax, the newest client communication management technology available!
M edeo unifies each point of contact into tickets,

no matter how the inquiry was initiated. That
allows you to know that the client who left a voicemail is
Benefits of Medeo Contax
Unites each point of contact into traceable tickets
the same one who emailed three days ago with the same
request! Link and update your companys social media Easy-to-use platform
platform, keep track of bank statements, invoices, and Medeo has its own email domain
other client transaction documents, as well as any current
promotions your company is running. This browser- Access important documents and figures within
based platform doesnt require you to download large the same browser
desktop programs. Purchase the Medeo software once Create and manage scripted (but customizable!),
and a license key for each user and youll be ready to
provide quality customer service in no time! ready-responses for limitless situations
Use Medeo Contax for all your client communication management needs! Visit our website for a demo and free two-week trial!
1b Keep track of it with a ticket!

1. _______________ : program designed to perform many functions that run in an Internet browser
2. _______________ : the person or department receiving a customer request or inquiry
3. _______________ : to join or bring together in a single unit
4. _______________ : the part that follows the @ symbol in an email address, e.g., JSmith@xyz.com
5. _______________ : begun, brought about, started
6. _______________ : a code that allows a user to access software they purchased
7. _______________ : this particular programs way of referring to a customer request or inquiry
something that can be acted upon
8. _______________ : a test of something
9. _______________ : the act of asking for information
10. _______________ : software that performs a certain function (such as playing music, entering data) found
on your computers home screen; does not necessarily need the Internet to run

3
Post-task Level 7-8

Have you ever been the first to receive an inquiry that you couldnt
answer? Did you have to ask a colleague for the answer? How do
You wouldnt you ask a colleague for an answer/clarification?
happen to , Introduce: You wouldnt happen to , would you?
would you? Example: You wouldnt happen to know when the price quote will
be finalized (finalised UK), would you?
What if this is something you have never seen before or cant
to be in over handle and you feel like you cant figure it out? to be in over
ones head ones head
Skit. Students pair up to create a short dialog that necessitates one

of those two phrases. Switch roles, and use the other phrase in a
second dialogue.
3. Presentation
Definition: When you were first trained on your computer system,
did you operate everything smoothly? [N] Did you learn everything
you needed to know over the course of a few days? learning
learning curve curve
What can you tell someone if he/she makes a mistake while
learning to drive? Dont worry; theres a learning curve!
Substitution: If you have a car that you can take to work, do you
utilize (utilise use it? utilize [it] (utilise UK)
UK) How long is the learning curve for someone learning to drive a car?
Do you utilize a company car for long trips? If you have a question,
would you utilize an internal chatroom?
Practice QFS
Have students offer advice to a fellow employee asking for help.
Model what needs to be done.
1. How do I find out information about the market? Utilize a
market research firm/service!
2. How do we add more users to our app? Utilize social media
for promotion!
3. How do I keep track of multiple projects? Utilize the project-
management software!
4. How do I send an email to a customer that is not from my
personal email address? Utilize the company domain!
5. Im sorry for all of the questions! Dont worry; theres a
learning curve!
4. Performance

Optimize use of client communication technology
2 W
Worldwide communication is key
Worl
Ultra Navigator Corporate edition
http://www.MedeoContex.co/internal/host/C3PO/gbl.htm
ww.MedeoContex
o Reader
Home Management Program
Ticket #11288 / St
Status:
atus
t Open Open
Sept. 19, 7:20am by Julia S. ID#2116 Pending

Type: Business Inquiry Priority:
Priority High
Big Brewery sent detailed inquiry with brewery space On Hold
Date Started:
dimensions for beer bottling. Solved
Space dimensions: 12,000 square feet (1,115 sq. meters).
September 18, 2015 / Time: 20:00
Sept. 18, 8:00pm, Elizabeth, tinlizzy@bigbrewery.com

Hello Julia, we consulted with the contractor today. Our available space for the brewing barrels is
12,000 square feet (1,115 sq. meters). Please send us the final price as soon as you have it; demand
is really high right now and wed like to ramp up production asap!
Type Post to Priority Status

Text + Photo Urgent Open Submit
LoudMouth
SocialCircle
SayAnything
Check out photos of our latest clients successful new bottling facility thanks to
Energy Technologies Worldwide. We were able to help our client (Saugabells)
double production without sacrificing the quality of the craft beers it brews.
Doubled Production
http://www.MedeoContex.co/internal/host/C3PO/gbl.htm R
Reader
Bottling
Chat
Technology
Big Brewery price quote
Craft Brews
Julia: Has anyone gotten back to Saugabells with a final
Craft Beer
price? They are trying to rush their bottling system.
Manufacturing Mike: Yeah, I got two emails about it this morning.
Account: Do you have the size dimensions? We will have
that to you by EOD.
Last message received at 2:56 p.m.

platform, browser, domain, desktop, helpdesk You wouldnt happen to , would you?
field (n.), chatroom, internal, EOD, SEO to be in over (ones) head
learning curve, to utilize (utilise UK), client engagement cloud computing

4
Pairs. One student plays a new employee; the other is training

him/her on the system used at work to communicate with customers.
Explain to the new employee how to access the system, what
capabilities it has, and how to perform their job, making sure to
point out what everything in the system is called.
P1: Instructor plays the new hire.

activity.

their lesson goal.
Presentation
Extension 1 occupy, attract, communicate with clients client engagement
client Where is the best place to engage with (potential) clients?
Level 56 engagement Do you engage with your clients or your favorite companies on
social media? How?
Practice
Writing. Tell students: You are the client engagement specialist at a
company that provides optics for a high-end camera maker. You are
looking for new business and you want to let the world know! Give
students five minutes to determine what they want to talk about and
how to say it before presenting their post(s) in writing.
Ask: What do you think of when you hear the word cloud? What
Extension 2 about cloud computing?
Where is a companys digital information stored? (Such as internal
Level 78 forms, some software, Internet information, etc.)
Is it on a main computer (or a few computers) that allow(s) other
server (rev.)
computers to connect to it to get that information? server
Is it possible to access software or look at digital information on
your computer if that program or file is not on your computer? [Y]
cloud computing
cloud computing
Has your server ever been down? What happens then? Just like a
lot of customer communication software is browser based, can
some computer programs also be cloud based? [Y] (Meaning it
does not have to be downloaded to the computer that youre using it
on as long as its accessible from you companys server.)
Ask students to discuss how their office computers are configured.

What are advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing?

Optimize use of client communication technology
2 W
Worldwide communication is key
Worl
Ultra Navigator Corporate edition
http://www.MedeoContex.co/internal/host/C3PO/gbl.htm
ww.MedeoContex
o Reader
Home Management Program
Ticket #11288 / St
Status:
atus
t Open Open
Sept. 19, 7:20am by Julia S. ID#2116 Pending

Type: Business Inquiry Priority:
Priority High
Big Brewery sent detailed inquiry with brewery space On Hold
Date Started:
dimensions for beer bottling. Solved
Space dimensions: 12,000 square feet (1,115 sq. meters).
September 18, 2015 / Time: 20:00
Sept. 18, 8:00pm, Elizabeth, tinlizzy@bigbrewery.com

Hello Julia, we consulted with the contractor today. Our available space for the brewing barrels is
12,000 square feet (1,115 sq. meters). Please send us the final price as soon as you have it; demand
is really high right now and wed like to ramp up production asap!
Type Post to Priority Status

Text + Photo Urgent Open Submit
LoudMouth
SocialCircle
SayAnything
Check out photos of our latest clients successful new bottling facility thanks to
Energy Technologies Worldwide. We were able to help our client (Saugabells)
double production without sacrificing the quality of the craft beers it brews.
Doubled Production
http://www.MedeoContex.co/internal/host/C3PO/gbl.htm R
Reader
Bottling
Chat
Technology
Big Brewery price quote
Craft Brews
Julia: Has anyone gotten back to Saugabells with a final
Craft Beer
price? They are trying to rush their bottling system.
Manufacturing Mike: Yeah, I got two emails about it this morning.
Account: Do you have the size dimensions? We will have
that to you by EOD.
Last message received at 2:56 p.m.

platform, browser, domain, desktop, helpdesk You wouldnt happen to , would you?
field (n.), chatroom, internal, EOD, SEO to be in over (ones) head
learning curve, to utilize (utilise UK), client engagement cloud computing

Unit 20 Cultural competence
1
Unit 20: Cultural competence

idiosyncrasy, nuance, values, upbringing, Do you mind my +ing ?
background, faux pas, hierarchy, pushy, to find That may be perceived as
common ground, to adapt, customs to come off/across as
Everybodys different mores
To each their own
Lesson Preview
Speaking Goal: Develop your teams cultural competence
Warm-up Ask: What do you think cultural competence in the title of the
unit means? (Refers to cultural awareness and the ability to
communicate and deal with people from different cultures.)
! Ask: What makes people different?
SG p. 39 Write students responses on the board under a category, such as
background if they say language. Categories are in bold
below. Add any other categories you see fit.
idiosyncracy If unmentioned, elicit: idiosyncrasies/nuances (unusual habits,
nuance mannerisms), values (what is important to a person), upbringing
values (the environment they were raised in), background (a persons
upbringing total experience, knowledge/education up until now).
background If students bring up other qualities such as race, ethnicity, gender,
and so on, discuss it briefly without writing it on the board.
Everybodys
Introduce: Everybodys different!
different
Ask: Is it okay to have different beliefs and behaviors (behaviours
UK)? [Y] What can you say to show you are accepting of
differences? To each their own
To each their
own In [students country] is it okay to call someone on vacation to
do business when its not urgent? [N] come empty-handed to
faux pas dinner at a colleagues house? [if N] faux pas
Which culture(s) have you found it challenging to interact with?
Why is cultural competence important? Why do you need it in
business? [builds better relationships that can increase the bottom
line]
Set a customized goal, for example: Create an action plan for
training your customer service team in cultural competence (name
specific culture, if applicable). Write it on the board.

Unit 20
Cultural competence
In this lesson,
you will
Do as everyone else,
Develop your teams be different.
cultural competence
1a A slice of a day in the life of

Lee Eun-haSouth Korea
Lee Eun-ha is a computer engineer in Seoul, South Korea, who is representing her company at a trade show today. When she meets her
team, she bows. She asks her colleagues about their age and university degree. Later, she is talking with a pushy American salesman who
makes her uncomfortable and a little annoyed, but she does not show it and continues to nod politely and smile; she even lets out a little
laugh to hide her discomfort. He asks her whether she will get back to him if he sends her a brochure of his product and she nods yes
and smiles purely out of politeness.
Hussein Ibrahim Al-FalihSaudi Arabia
Hussein Al-Falih ships barrels of oil and gas to various countries for a large, national natural resources company. He calls his
supervisors by their appropriate title with respect to their position at work and in society, that is, Sheikh, Your Excellency (for
government ministers), or Your Highness (for royalty). Small talk with colleagues ranges between each others families and children
in general but never direct inquiries about individual children, especially adult-age women. Husseins business meetings begin with
social conversation, then business, but there is always a chance that the meeting will be interrupted. In a negotiation yesterday,
he opened with an inflated proposal, but the conversation was always friendly and both sides expressed unresolved issues right
away. Neither insisted on an answer until the other side had time to make a decision. Although, even when an agreement is reached,
Hussein knows there is the possibility that the deal may be renegotiated later.
Dave AndersonUnited States of America
Dave Andersons day in the marketing department for an automotive company in California starts routinely. He answers emails, checks
his appointment calendar, and decides what he needs to work on first. Any coworker he sees he greets by name and his usual How
are you? His supervisor asks for Daves opinion on the appearance of a brochure and they quickly chat about their weekend activities
before going back to business. He takes a phone call from the printing department but apologizes that he has to end it early to make it to
his business lunch with clients. When there, hes happy to see that the clients were punctual to the restaurant as well, and they engage in
niceties before jumping into business shortly after.
1b Find common ground

Target culture Common ground Your culture

2
Develop your teams cultural competence (contd.)

Presentation
1ab. Write the following words/phrases on the board: communication
style, hierarchy, time/schedule commitments, relationships.
SG p. 39 Ask: What is the communication style like at your officeare
people very direct or indirect with each other? Are relationships
with colleagues considered emotional, as friendsor are they
strictly business? Are meeting times loose and relaxed or are they
expected to start exactly on time?
Introduce: Do some people hold more power and responsibility
than other people at work? [Y] hierarchy
hierarchy Is a typical salesperson very quiet and shy? [N] Can some
pushy salespeople be too aggressive and forceful? [Y] pushy
find common Even if you disagree with someone on many things, can you agree
ground on the importance of education? find common ground
adapt adjust, modify to changing environment adapt
customs In some cultures, is it okay for men to kiss three times on the cheek
as a greeting? [Y] (Greece, France, Quebec, Belgium, etc.) In
other cultures, is that considered a faux pas? [Y] customs
(unwritten rules of behavior)
Practice QAQ.
! Practice
Have students read the first profile in Activity 1a silently and
SG p. 39 answer the following questions:
Note: These profiles are not meant to define all people in these cultures;
they serve only to identify differences among cultures.
Do you commonly ask colleagues about their age (if similar) and
degree? Why did Eun-ha and her colleagues ask that of each other?
[Age and education can determine hierarchy]
Are Asian cultures very emotive or do they not show their feelings
in business? [Tend to hide feelings]
What does the mention of the American salesman imply (suggest)
about Americans? [They are pushy, too direct]
What are some Korean idiosyncrasies you noticed in the reading?
[Eun-ha said yes out of politeness]
Have students read the second profile in Activity 1a silently and
answer the following questions:
! What is a sign of respect in Arabic countries? [Formal titles]
Are there topics that should be avoided in discussion? [Y, targeted
SG p. 39 family inquiries, certainly other topics as well]
Can you expect to reach a decision upon the first meeting with
your Saudi Arabian counterparts? [Perhaps not]
Have students read the third profile in Activity 1a silently and
answer the following questions:
What does it say about Daves greeting if its described as his
usual one? [Its not sincere; hes not expecting an honest
answer.]

Unit 20
Cultural competence
In this lesson,
you will
Do as everyone else,
Develop your teams be different.
cultural competence
1a A slice of a day in the life of

Lee Eun-haSouth Korea
Lee Eun-ha is a computer engineer in Seoul, South Korea, who is representing her company at a trade show today. When she meets her
team, she bows. She asks her colleagues about their age and university degree. Later, she is talking with a pushy American salesman who
makes her uncomfortable and a little annoyed, but she does not show it and continues to nod politely and smile; she even lets out a little
laugh to hide her discomfort. He asks her whether she will get back to him if he sends her a brochure of his product and she nods yes
and smiles purely out of politeness.
Hussein Ibrahim Al-FalihSaudi Arabia
Hussein Al-Falih ships barrels of oil and gas to various countries for a large, national natural resources company. He calls his
supervisors by their appropriate title with respect to their position at work and in society, that is, Sheikh, Your Excellency (for
government ministers), or Your Highness (for royalty). Small talk with colleagues ranges between each others families and children
in general but never direct inquiries about individual children, especially adult-age women. Husseins business meetings begin with
social conversation, then business, but there is always a chance that the meeting will be interrupted. In a negotiation yesterday,
he opened with an inflated proposal, but the conversation was always friendly and both sides expressed unresolved issues right
away. Neither insisted on an answer until the other side had time to make a decision. Although, even when an agreement is reached,
Hussein knows there is the possibility that the deal may be renegotiated later.
Dave AndersonUnited States of America
Dave Andersons day in the marketing department for an automotive company in California starts routinely. He answers emails, checks
his appointment calendar, and decides what he needs to work on first. Any coworker he sees he greets by name and his usual How
are you? His supervisor asks for Daves opinion on the appearance of a brochure and they quickly chat about their weekend activities
before going back to business. He takes a phone call from the printing department but apologizes that he has to end it early to make it to
his business lunch with clients. When there, hes happy to see that the clients were punctual to the restaurant as well, and they engage in
niceties before jumping into business shortly after.
1b Find common ground

Target culture Common ground Your culture

3

Is it customary to schedule business meetings over lunch in a
restaurant in [students country]?
In all three examples, who has the authority to make decisions?
How will that influence the way you do business with them?
How would you adapt how you do business with Asian/Middle-
Eastern/Anglo-Saxon, etc. cultures?
Post-reading
Ask students to fill out the Venn diagram (or create a three-circle
one on the board/piece of paper if part of a multicultural company)
in Activity 1b based on insights into their own culture and their
! target culture from the goal. Use the words on the board to
determine differences or similarities. The idea is to identify
SG p. 39
differences students will adapt to and learn to identify the
idiosyncrasies of their own culture.
Pre-listening
2ab. Have students try to match what words they already know to their
definitions in Activity 2a. Whatever words they dont know, they
! will try to determine from context during the first listening.
Listening 1
SG p. 40
Tell students they will listen to an interview between a business
consultant and a radio reporter. Play Track 41 all the way
through.
[ANSWERS: 1. Idiom 2. Put ones foot in ones mouth 3. Awkward 4.
Off-putting 5. Blunder 6. When in doubt 7. Rapport 8. Stereotype 9.
Offensive]
Track 41
Check answers.
Audio Script Listening 2
Ask students to go over Activity 2b and to anticipate possible
answers or recall suggestions from Track 41. Play again as
needed, and ask students to write their answers on the blank lines
provided.
[ANSWERS: Ways to learn: 1. Immerse yourself in the target culture.
2. Ask colleagues who have worked with the culture. 3. Do your own
research in books and on the Internet. 4. Take a specialized course.
Things to say: 1. Im sorry if I sounded rude; I didnt mean to
2. Please dont take me the wrong way. 3. You may have misunderstood;
what I meant was 4. Do you mind if I ask ?]
Check answers.
Post-listening 5-6
Skit. In pairs, students act out the scene: Your colleague tells you
that you will be meeting with a client from New York. You were
recently in New York and start to express your distaste for the city
when your client walks up to introduce himself saying, Hi, Im
Allen from New York. He heard everything you said. Youve just
put your foot in your mouth. What can you say to make the
situation better? If more than one pair of students in class, take
turns after.

Develop your teams cultural competence
2a 41 How exactly does one achieve cultural competence?

1. ______________________: (n.) an expression whose meaning cannot be
determined from each word separately. Typically awkward
particular to one language; difficult to translate
blunder
2. ______________________: (figure of speech) to say something you regret
something stupid, insulting, or hurtful common ground
3. ______________________: (adj.) causing embarrassment or discomfort idiom
4. ______________________: (adj.) causing dislike of something or someone; off-putting
not likeable
offensive
5. ______________________: (n. or v.) a careless mistake made because of
ignorance or thoughtlessness to put ones foot
6. ______________________: (expression) said at the beginning of a statement in ones mouth
advising you to do or not do something in an rapport
uncertain situation stereotype
7. ______________________: (n.) a friendly, trustworthy connection or
when in doubt
relationship with another person
8. ______________________: (n. or v.) an oversimplified, generalized view or
opinion of other people
9. ______________________: (adj.) rude or insulting; causing someone to be
highly angry or hurt
2b 41 Im sorry if I offended you

What are some ways you can learn about your target culture?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________________
What are some things you can say if the communication is going wrong?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________________

idiosyncrasy, nuance, values, upbringing, background Do you mind my +ing ?
faux pas, hierarchy, pushy, to find common ground That may be perceived as
to adapt, customs to come off / across as
Everybodys different. mores
To each their own.

4

Post-listening 7-8
Do you mind my Introduce the following expressions:
+ing ? Do you mind my +ing (asking, taking, bringing, etc.)
That may be That may be perceived as
perceived as If someone is a very relaxed person who is okay with taking care
of things tomorrow, would he appear lazy to some people?
come off/across come off as [lazy] (also: to come across as)
as moral attitudes, habits mores
mores Have social media mores been established at your company?
Skit. Student 1 asks whether something is acceptable or not using
Do you mind my asking Student 2 replies and explains yes/no
and why using the rest of the terminology. Switch up roles
throughout.
Prompts: Do you mind my asking will my [client] be offended
if I criticize his operations? if its alright to spend a lot of time on
niceties? if its rude to end a conversation quickly if I am
scheduled to be somewhere else? etc.
3. Performance
Elicit the lesson goal from students, or remind them of it and point it
out on the board. Set or adapt the purpose/scenario according to the
customized student goal.
Give students five minutes to prepare a training strategy on how
to adapt to intercultural customers. In the presentation, students
should provide background information on the target culture (or how
to attain it) and verbal strategies in various situations (faux pas,
directness, etc.).
they use the expressions introduced in the optional Level 7-8 activity.
Give feedback, praise, and correction. Have students verbalize what
theyve accomplished and confirm that they have achieved their
lesson goal.
Introduce when in doubt. Have students interview each other for

Extension 1 advice on how to act and what to do/not do when in doubt.
Possible topics: Use simple language or idioms? Email or phone
Level 56 call if there is a time difference? Ask a direct or indirect question?
Okay to joke around? Okay to give compliments? etc.
Discussion. Get a discussion going between students about specific

Extension 2 intercultural problems they have encountered and how they
adapted. Or, if they didnt adapt, what can students offer as advice
Level 78 for future such encounters?

Develop your teams cultural competence
2a 41 How exactly does one achieve cultural competence?

1. ______________________: (n.) an expression whose meaning cannot be
determined from each word separately. Typically awkward
particular to one language; difficult to translate
blunder
2. ______________________: (figure of speech) to say something you regret
something stupid, insulting, or hurtful common ground
3. ______________________: (adj.) causing embarrassment or discomfort idiom
4. ______________________: (adj.) causing dislike of something or someone; off-putting
not likeable
offensive
5. ______________________: (n. or v.) a careless mistake made because of
ignorance or thoughtlessness to put ones foot
6. ______________________: (expression) said at the beginning of a statement in ones mouth
advising you to do or not do something in an rapport
uncertain situation stereotype
7. ______________________: (n.) a friendly, trustworthy connection or
when in doubt
relationship with another person
8. ______________________: (n. or v.) an oversimplified, generalized view or
opinion of other people
9. ______________________: (adj.) rude or insulting; causing someone to be
highly angry or hurt
2b 41 Im sorry if I offended you

What are some ways you can learn about your target culture?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________________
What are some things you can say if the communication is going wrong?
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________________

idiosyncrasy, nuance, values, upbringing, background Do you mind my +ing ?
faux pas, hierarchy, pushy, to find common ground That may be perceived as
to adapt, customs to come off / across as
Everybodys different. mores
To each their own.

1
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Unit Unit
A bulk discount 18
abominable 14 buzz words 11
accommodate (to) 15 buzz (to) 1
accountable 6 C
acknowledge (to) 7 capacity 15
adapt (to) 20 case-by-case basis 6
adequate 14 cast (ones) gaze (to) 1
aesthetic 4 catalog (catalogue UK) 18
aggressive 5 cause a fuss (to) 5
alert (to) 7 cc (to) 11
appalling 14 charismatic 17
apples to oranges 15 chat (to) 12
appliance 9 chatroom 19
approach (to) 5 chipped 13
argue (to) 5 circumstances 10
ask probing questions (to) 12 client engagement 19
aspect 17 cloud computing 19
atrocious 14 coin a phrase (to) 15
attitude 17 come off / across as (to) 20
B come under fire (to) 10
background 20 compensation 7
background noise 8 compile (to) 18
Based on your suggestions, weve implemented ... 16 complimentary 3
BCC 11 conditions 13
be in a far cry from (to) 4 conduct (n., v.) 14
be in over (ones) head (to) 19 confidential 6
bearer of bad news 7 conflicting 5
beat around (about UK) the bush (to) 7 constructive criticism 16
beta testing 18 consumer 2
blame (to) 5 consumer apprehension 4
blow something out of proportion (to) 7 controversial 1
body language 1 convert (prospects) (to) 18
break down (a task) (to) 12 corrupt 9
bribe 11 courteous 1
brick-and-mortar 2 credentials 17
brief and to the point 11 credit 13
browse (to) 9 cultural norm 11
browser 19 cumbersome 16
bug (= error) 18 customer associate 2
BerlitzEnglish, Business Modules Customer Service / Word List 11-04-14

160 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Vocabulary
Vocabulary 2
Unit Unit
customs 20 F
cut out (to) 8 face-to-face 1
D fall on (ones) shoulder (to) 7
deceive (to) 15 faulty 13
defective 9 faux pas 20
defuse (to) 15 feature 12
demo 18 field (to) 6
dented 13 field 19
deploy (to) 7 find common ground (to) 20
desktop 19 find out (about) (to) 5
dictate (to) 11 first impression 1
differentiate (to) 3 fish for (to) 15
disconnect (to) 8 flaw 16
disgruntled 14 fleet 12
disheveled 1 flustered 10
dismal 2 flyer 18
dispatch (to) 9 follow up (on / with) (to) 5
disregard (to) 2 follow up (to) 3
Do you mind my +ing ? 20 forfeit (v., adj.) 13
domain 19 freebie 15
Dont shoot the messenger. 7 frustrated 14
dreadful 14 function 12
dress up a product (to) 4 G
E gadget 9
eat (ones) own words (to) 16 gap 8
economical 4 gauge (to) 2
(email) thread 11 generic 11
empathetic 10 gesture 3
empathy 10 get caught up (to) 4
endorse (to) 4 Give someone an inch, theyll take a mile. 15
enthusiasm 11 give someone the benefit of the doubt (to) 15
entitled 15 go green (to) 16
entrepreneurial 17 go the extra mile (to) 3
enunciate (to) 8 go viral (to) 10
EOD 19 go with (to) 4
ethical 7 gossip (to) 14
etiquette 11 H
Everybodys different. 20 hack (to) 16
exceptional 14 hashtag 5
eye contact 1 hassle 6
Customer Service Vocabulary 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 161

1
Vocabulary 3
Vocabulary
Unit
Unit Unit
Unit

A have a problem on (ones) hands (to) 7 channels, advertising
It was poor ~, marketing
communication on our~,part.
promotional ~ 10
14
accountable
have trouble (+ing) (to) 12
12 check
J in (= check for messages, etc.) 6
accustomed to no for an answer.
He wont take 62 clarify
jargon 2
18
achievable
helpdesk 17
19 closed
judge question
a book by its cover (to) 113
acquire
hierarchy 204 K (= Internet)
cloud 19
add
Howthe finishing
can touches
I be of assistance? 118 collect (= gather)
keep (ones) cool (to) 52
advertise
I 10 comparatively
kit 310
all-in-one
I appreciate 107 competitor
knack 11
17
all natural
I know this must be a tough time / difficult situation. 107 compliance
L 17
allows (you) to
I take full responsibility for 148 components
lack (n., v.) 7
16
alternative
I would like my money back. 14
13 Condition
launch (n.,andv.)contrast: if + will, if not + will, 18
11
analyze (UK: analyse) unless, even though, although
Im following up on a letter you wrote regarding 142 lead 18
annoy 13 conference 1
Im sorry to hear of the hardship you endured. 10 learning curve 19
appearance 12 connect with 19
Im with you. 8 legitimate 13
appliances (rev.) 7 continue 5
idiosyncrasy 20 less a ... fee 13
arrange 7 contract (v.) 18
ignore (to) 5 level with (to) 4
as a result of 17 Contracted form: its (=it has) 5
implement (to) 2 licensing 11
assess 15 Contrast of simple present and present progressive 1
implication 7 likely 2
attract 2 contribute 16
in awe 2 lose (ones) cool (to) 5
attracted to 16 Contrast of simple past and past progressive 4
in person 1 M
audio 8 convenience 8
in place 6 make a difference (to) 3
average (income, age, etc.) 9 costly 11
in the field 2 make a scene (to) 5
B count 7
in the long run 3 make an exception (to) 10
back home 5 courteous 12
in the loop 11 May I know the nature of your call? 8
ballpark figure 14 criterion (pl. criteria) 18
in the market for 4 mediocre 14
battery 8 crucial 15
inadequate 14 merchandise 13
Bear with me 13 cuisine 6
inappropriate 14 mild 5
Before / After / When + -ing 20 cut back (on) 18
incompetent 14 mind (ones) Ps and Qs (to) 11
bells and whistles 13 cut down on 13
inconsistent 5 mind reader 12
benefit (n.) 8 D
index 2 mindful 1
billboard (UK: hoarding) 10 data mining 19
influence (to) 2 mingle with (to) 18
broadcast (media) 10 day-care center (UK: centre) 15
interject (to) 8 misleading 15
built-in 8 describe 2
internal 19 morale 12
by the way 5 designer 3
invoice 2 mores 20
C desirable 15
irate 5 motivation 12
capable of 2 detailed 17
Is there anything I can do for you? 1 mugged 10
care (v.) 11 determine 2
It looked nothing like (the advertisement). 13 mumble (to) 1
care for + noun 6 detriment 8
It was a team effort, but I believe we have resolved My sincerest apologies for (your bad experience). 14
case 168 developer 3
your issue with... N
It was not what I was promised. 13 narrow down (to) 4
BerlitzEnglish, General Business English IG5 / Word List 07-25-14

Vocabulary 4
Unit Unit
network (to) 18 pound sign (hash sign UK) 5
network server 9 practical 15
nicety 3 privacy 1
not applicable (N/A) 2 proactive 17
nowadays 3 pros and cons 4
nuance 20 prospect 18
O prototype 18
obsolete 16 pull (ones) own weight (to) 17
obvious 9 pull up (to) 8
offend (to) 14 purchase order 13
offensive 1 pushy 20
on file 7 put (oneself) in someones shoes (to) 10
on the fence 4 put pressure on (to) 6
on the ground 2 R
on the line 5 rain check (= voucher) 7
outdated 16 reasonable 5
overall 2 recall (n., v.) 7
overdo (to) 1 refund (to) 13
overhear (to) 14 regardless 7
overwhelmed 10 relay (to) 8
P reliable 4
packing slip 13 remotely 9
panicked 10 reputation 5
passable 14 resort to (to) 6
passionate 17 restate (to) 8
pay attention to (to) 11 return policy 13
people person 17 robbed 10
personality 17 rub shoulders/elbows with (to) 18
personalized (personalised UK) 3 rule of thumb 11
pessimistic 17 S
phenomenal 14 scan (to) 9
pilot program 2 sector 2
plague (to) 2 send back (to) 13
plan of action 16 sense of urgency 10
platform 19 SEO 19
point (to) 1 sincere 11
policy 6 slogan 15
political 1 slouch (to) 1
pop-up window 12 soften the blow (to) 7
posture 1 sour (to) 2
Customer Service Vocabulary 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 163

1
Vocabulary 5
Vocabulary
Unit
Unit Unit
Unit

A spiel 11 channels, advertising ~, marketing ~, promotional ~
transfer (to) 10
8
accountable
spontaneously 12
11 check in (= check
troubleshoot (to) for messages, etc.) 96
accustomed
stern to 62 clarify
U 2
achievable
stock (= inventory) 17
13 closed question (to)
underestimate 213
acquire
streamline (to) 164 cloud
unique Internet)
(= selling point (USP) 19
18
add the finishing touches
suspicious 618 collect
unkempt(= gather) 12
advertise
sustain (to) 310 comparatively
upbringing 10
20
all-in-one
swallow (ones) pride (to) 167 competitor
urgent 811
all natural vs. empathy
sympathy 107 compliance
username 517
allows
sympathy(you) to 108 components
utilize (to) 7
19
alternative
T 14 Condition
V and contrast: if + will, if not + will,
11
analyze unless, even though, although
take the(UK: analyse)
bull by the horns (to) 152 valid 13
annoy 13 conference 1
talking points 18 values 20
appearance 12 connect with 19
tamper with (to) 7 W
appliances (rev.) 7 continue 5
tech support 9 waive (to) 10
arrange 7 contract (v.) 18
technical difficulties 9 warranty 9
as a result of 17 Contracted form: its (=it has) 5
telecom 2 wary 11
assess 15 Contrast of simple present and present progressive 1
terrain 7 Well cover shipping costs. 13
attract 2 contribute 16
Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to well-groomed 1
attracted to 16
16 Contrast of simple past and past progressive 4
our attention. white lie 15
audio 8 convenience 8
That may be perceived as 20 win over (to) 17
average (income, age, etc.) 9 costly 11
The glass is half full/empty. 17 wordy 11
B count 7
the runaround (buck-passed) 5 Y
back home 5 courteous 12
Theres no pleasing them. 15 You may need an adapter; do you have a / the ...? 9
ballpark figure 14 criterion (pl. criteria) 18
threat 5 You wont look back. 4
battery 8 crucial 15
to (ones) specifications 13 You wouldnt happen to , would you? 19
Bear with me 13 cuisine 6
To each their own. 20 Youll have to forgive me, but 8
Before / After / When + -ing 20 cut back (on) 18
tragic 7 Your computer may be due for a tune-up. 9
bells and whistles 13 cut down on 13
benefit (n.) 8 D
billboard (UK: hoarding) 10 data mining 19
broadcast (media) 10 day-care center (UK: centre) 15
built-in 8 describe 2
by the way 5 designer 3
C desirable 15
capable of 2 detailed 17
care (v.) 11 determine 2
care for + noun 6 detriment 8
case 8 developer 3
BerlitzEnglish, General Business English IG5 / Word List 07-25-14

Useful Expressions
Offering assistance
Making small talk

Its a beautiful day today, isnt it?
Did you hear about the corporate merger?
Do you think the Jays have a chance of winning tonights game?
So, what do you like to do outside of work?
Asking for information

Could you tell me more about that new e-reader?
Whats the difference between these models?
Im looking for a printer. What do you suggest?
Do you know a good caterer for business events?
Im on the fence about the company logo.
Im in the market for office furniture.
Agreeing or disagreeing with a recommendation

Thats a great suggestion.
I dont know if thats right for me.
Thats a far cry from what Im looking for.
Responding to a client complaint

It seems as though weve overlooked your order.
It appears to be an oversight on our part.
Thatll never happen again.
I assure you well fix it.
I understand how frustrating this must be.
If you continue to talk in a threatening way, I will be forced to end this conversation.
Apologizing
I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
My sincerest apologies for your bad experience.
Im following up on a letter you wrote regarding your account closure fee.
It was poor communication on our part.
I take full responsibility for this oversight.
Explaining a company policy

Im afraid we dont accept returns without a receipt.
I dont have the authority to fulfill your request.
Its against company policy to disclose confidential information.
Im afraid I cant provide you with this number unless you confirm your identity.
Offering a nicety to a client

We enclosed a $10 promotion code as a token of our appreciation.
Please accept this voucher for your trouble.
Let us offer you a complimentary meal.
Its our treat. / Its on us.
Wed be happy to give you a refund.
Customer Service Useful Expressions 43
Customer Service Useful Expressions 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 165

Useful Expressions
Asking technical questions

When was the last time it was updated?
Did you follow the instructions?
Did you already troubleshoot the device?
Do you have the software you need to run the program?
Checking comprehension
You said you were sent the wrong item, correct?
Can you restate the issue?
In other words, you would like to know why you were charged for this service.
Empathizing with a client

Im sorry to hear that.
I can make an exception this time.
I hope things get better for you soon.
Considering the circumstances, I can grant you emergency access to your account.
Taking care of a disgruntled client

Please dont take this the wrong way.
Im sorry. I didnt mean it that way.
I didnt mean to offend you.
What I can do for you is prioritize your order.
That is simply beyond my capability.
Responding to feedback
Thank you for your suggestion.
We appreciate your comments.
You helped us uncover a flaw.
We will make a note to inform our IT department about the faulty software.
We will take steps to ensure that this issue never occurs again.
May I have your business card so I can email you the article you were interested about?
Id like to keep this conversation going; what is your number / email?
Do you mind if I contact you next week to arrange a meeting?
Following up
It was so nice meeting you at the trade show last week.
I hope you found our brochure helpful.
Im sending you the quote I promised.
44 Customer Service Useful Expressions
166 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Useful Expressions

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Supplements
Unit 1 Extension 1, Level 5-6

Body LanguageSometimes What You Dont Say Speaks the Loudest
In face-to-face interactions, body language may tell everything about you that youre not saying. How
you stand, where you cast your gaze, and even where you point your toes (in some countries) can be
a reason for anger, offense, or displeasure for your customer. To make sure that your body language is
saying the right thing, be mindful of the following: maintain eye contact with your customer and dont
keep looking away; square your shoulders up to point toward him / her; uncross your arms and dont be
afraid to move them for emphasis (just dont overdo it); dont slouch or sit back in your seat and sit as if
you are interested in what the customer is saying; and most importantlysmile!
Customer Service Supplements 45
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Supplements
Unit 3 Extension 1, Level 5-6
Posish HotelsA Case Study in Return on Service
Posishs motto is Runs on Service and beyond; having 30 million guests in their chain of worldwide hotels
at any given time, the company is best known for its incredible customer service. Founded in 1995, Posishs
founders immediately set their goals highthey wanted to achieve $1 billion in revenue by 2005and
to do it, they would offer the best customer service they could, the kind that went beyond the service the
hotel supplied. For a company that spends relatively little on marketing and advertising (Im sure youve
never seen an advertisement from it), most of its growth came about by word of mouth and staunch brand
loyalty, which means that going above and beyond the call of duty is the norm at Posish Hotels.
These are just a few of the ways in which Posish Hotels go the extra mile:
Late one evening, when Posish Hotels in France ran out of baguettes used to prepare their famous
Posish sandwich, the chef called up a friend and owner of a nearby bakery (which had closed for
the night) and convinced him to open again to sell him the baguettes he needed.
A woman hadnt planned on extending her stay at Posish, but an injury prevented her from
traveling home. When she checked back into the hotel, Posish delivered flowers to her room along
with an entertainment package free of charge since she was immobilized.
The company overnighted a violin left behind in the room by a musician who was performing the
next day and had forgotten his instrument when he checked out.
This is possible through an intense new-hire training session and a policy that gives Posish service
representatives certain authority to make decisions on their own. Needless to say, Posish reached its $1
billion sales goal in 2003, two years earlier than expected. In 2014, Posish was acquired by Worldwide
Hotels for $1.2 billion. As part of the deal, Posish was allowed to remain an independent entity, providing
the same service it was founded on while striving for more.
46 Customer Service Supplements
Customer Service Supplements 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 169

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Supplements
Unit 8 Activity 3, Performance
Role card A
You are the personal assistant to Prel Nakov, marketing executive at Essential
Contact, a nationwide advertising agency. Mr. Nakov is out of the office and working
off-site at one of the production centers. He and a group of people (including you)
are scheduled to have a conference call for a branding campaign tomorrow.
The phone is ringing now.
Role card B
You are the advertising coordinator for GeoCan, an electronics company that is
looking to put a new line of headphones on the market. You are scheduled to have
a conference call with Mr. Nakov and his team tomorrow to discuss your branding
campaign, but something has come up. You have to reschedule your conference,
which involves letting everybody know of the change.
Call Mr. Nakov to reschedule the conference call.

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Supplements
Unit 9 Activity 3, Task
Were having some issues
___ What exactly seems to be the problem?

___ Yes, everything is plugged in.
___ Well, weve hooked everything up and we can hear it working, but the screen is still dark. Our
presentation starts in 15 minutes. Weve really got to get this figured out.
___ Yes, its near hot right now. Weve been trying to figure this out for some time.
___ Oh. Uh, no.
___ Does the computer indicate that its connected to the projector?
1 Were having some issues getting the projector to project our presentation on the screen.
___
___ Did you give the lamp in the projector time to warm up? Sometimes it takes a few minutes before an
image appears.
___ Yes, it recognizes the device. Weve used this projector many times from this computer.
___ Dont worry; well get to the bottom of this. So the projector is plugged in and the VGA cable is
hooked up?
___ Hmm, this is going to sound really obvious, but I need to check. Has the protective cap been
removed from the lens?

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Supplements
Role card A
You are browsing online for office furniture for the new office space your company
is expanding to. You need a large amount of furnitureat least fifteen cubicle
sets (desk + chair), two lounge couches, and about ten new desk chairs. Youre not
too concerned with how the furniture looks; you just want to get a good price on
it, but you are worried about how you will get the furniture to the office and how
much shipping will cost. You are paying with your companys corporate credit card.
After a few minutes of browsing, a pop-up chat window appears from the websites
representative.
Role card B
You work in the online customer support department of a large office-furniture

supply company. You just recently got a shipment in of brand new designer furniture.
Its a little expensive, but beautiful. That means that some other older furniture is
on sale to make room for your new stock. Your company delivers the furniture at
very reasonable prices. Right now you are running a special delivery fee of $300 if
customers buy 30 individual pieces of furniture. You accept all major credit cards
and have a conditional three-month return policy with an additional $150 pick-up fee
for returned furniture. Your system just showed you a message that a customer has
been browsing the website for more than 15 minutes. You message the customer to
see if he / she needs help with anything.

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Supplements
Unit 15 Activity 2
What kind of client is this?
1 . It is best to give this client the benefit of the doubt even if you think they may be lying. If you accuse
them of lying, it will only make the client defensive. Empathize with the client and offer what you can do
for them. Either admit there was a misunderstanding or explain that companies operate differently.
_____________________
2. Explain why something cant be done if this client is insisting that you do something outside of your
capacity. Try to calm them down or involve the client in their request by asking for input on how
something can be done so that the client takes on part of the responsibility. Forward the client to a
supervisor if necessary.
_____________________
3. Try your best to prevent giving this client something to complain about. Pay special attention so that
everything is taken care of properly for them. But if you must deal with their complaint, then make them
feel like they are getting the royal treatment.
_____________________
4. Many companies will handle this client by giving them something small for free, since that is about the
only way to satisfy them. For example, they are given a free meal or dessert if something went wrong
at dinner. The best thing you can do is try to determine whether their complaint is legitimate and save
your large freebies (such as a free flight or hotel stay) for when the situation really calls for them.
_____________________

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Supplements
Tunde Kandeedat
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Tel. +1 (508) 777-9253
tk@email.com
EDUCATION
Massachusetts University Massachusetts 2006 2008

MA Communications
Stepstone University Massachusetts 2002 2006
BA Political Science
EXPERIENCE
Team Leader Insurity Global 2013 2016

Led a team of 15 in the injury insurance claims department. Implemented email initiative
and online claims forms to reduce call volume by 20%.
Insurance Claims Agent Insurity Global 2008 2013

Handled upwards of 15 claims a week. Worked on a team. Trained on the job.
President of African Politics Special Interest Group 2006 2007

Led the special interest group on organizing fundraising events, election endorsements,
and group get-togethers.
Intern NGO and co-Peace Foundation 2004 2006

Learned about proactive initiatives to keep peace in war-torn countries, implementing
educational services and fundraising.

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Supplements
Unit 18 Activity 3b, Task
Why not? It cant hurt
1 What exactly seems to be the problem?

___
___ Yes, it was my pleasure. Would you like to take a brochure and catalog home with you today?
___ Well, thanks for taking me through that demonstration.
___ Here, just take my business card; it has all my contact information on there. Im looking forward to
that email.
___ Great, and if I could have your name and email address, Ill send you information about the bulk
discounts I mentioned.
___ Sure, it cant hurt.
___ Honestly, no, unfortunately. Im sorry, but Ive been so busy with the trade show.
1 Hello Carla, this is Hailey from the trade show last week. It was so nice meeting you. We spoke about
___
decreasing the amount of abandoned calls to your call center.
___ Have you had a chance to look at our brochure of training programs and new technologies?
___ Yes, that sounds perfect. Ill contact my team. How about sometime next week so we have a chance
to look over the brochure?
___ Thats no problem. Id be happy to compile a personal report for your company once I have a few
more details about it. Id like to set up a meeting between my team and yours, if thats all right.
___ Oh hello, Hailey. Its nice to hear from you. Yes, Im still looking for a solution.

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Practice Unit 1
1 1 How did he do?
1 . Who were the speakers talking about?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What was their first impression of the person?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What did they like about the person?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What was their overall impression?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 Write the opposite
1 . The customer was well groomed. ___________________________________________________________________
2. Anita speaks very clearly when she speaks with customers. __________________________________________
3. The receptionist slouches. _________________________________________________________________________
4. The customer service representative was offensive. _____________________________________________
3 Small talk
RISKY SAFE
1 . I heard its your birthday today. So, how old are you now? ______ ______
2. What religion were you raised in? ______ ______
3. Hi, how has your day been so far? ______ ______
4. Have you seen the renovations they made downtown? ______ ______
5. Who are you planning to vote for in the city election? ______ ______
6. What is your favorite thing to do on weekends? ______ ______
4 Go further: Which have similar meanings?
1. _____ John tends to avoid eye contact. a. We need to be careful.

2. _____ We scheduled a face-to-face meeting. b. Can you please call me?
3. _____ Alan often judges a book by its cover. c. Is there anything I can do for you?
4. _____ How can I be of assistance? d. We will meet in person.
5. _____ Would you buzz me later? e. He usually looks away.
6. _____ We dont want to overdo anything. f. He makes a lot of assumptions.
Customer Service Practice 53
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Practice Unit 2
1 2 On a scale of one to five
1 . What is the purpose of the call?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What did Mr. Alva do recently?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How satisfied was Mr. Alva with his purchase?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What might be a reason for Mr. Alvas lower rating for customer service?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 Plug in a word
brick-and-mortar implement influence plague soured underestimate
1 . Did you purchase your computer online or in a _________________________ store?

2. Never _________________________ the importance of listening to a customer.
3. Low customer service ratings seem to _________________________ many industries, especially those
relating to travel and entertainment.
4. My opinion of the company _________________________ after I talked with that offensive customer associate.
5. What can we do to _________________________ you to return to our store?
6. We are planning to _________________________ a pilot program to gauge just how easy it is to use our
software.
3 Go further: Say it in different words
consumers dismal disregard implement in the field not applicable on the ground pilot program
1 . I didnt participate in that test, so this question doesnt relate to me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In the office, we may ignore what customers are saying, but representatives outside are seeing the
depressing truth.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. If we want to know what buyers really feel about our product, we are going to need to start a program
that gets customer associates outside with customers.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
54 Customer Service Practice
Customer Service Practice 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 177

Return to page 22
Practice Unit 3
1 A gesture
1
_____ Good evening, Mr. Blackwell. Im calling from City Theatre.
_____ Thank you so much. You certainly know how to treat a volunteer.
_____ Mr. Blackwell, Im simply calling to thank you for volunteering with the theatre.
_____ Oh. Hello. How can I help you?
_____ As a small gesture of our appreciation, wed like to offer you two free tickets to our next show.
_____ Well, thank you. Im happy to give the time.
2 3 Summarize the discussion
1 . The woman interviews customers to _________________________ on their experience in the store.

2. The customer just _________________________ .
3. The customer says that the sales people _________________________ to help him.
4. The customer is _________________________ to shop in this store again.
3 The good old days
Rewrite the sentence replacing the words in bold.

1 . People used to do more, but today that is unexpected.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. There are too many products on the market today. I cant see the difference between one and the other.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Our dentist used to give us free tooth cleaning kits. Now Im lucky if I get a toothbrush.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 4 Go the extra mile
1 . What was the customers complaint? ____________________________________________________
2. How did the customer service person respond to the complaint? _______________________________
3. How did the customers attitude change? ________________________________________________
5 Go further: Make a difference
1 . Describe a time when a customer service person went beyond the call of duty for you.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Going the extra mile for a customer can be costly. How can it benefit the company in the long run?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Return to page 30
Practice Unit 4
1 Can you recommend ?
Example: car / Id like / an / to look at / economical / . Id like to look at an economical car.
1 . this brand / the pros and cons / what are / of going with / ?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. aesthetically pleasing / its expensive, / but its / option / our most / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. is the / how reliable / washing machine / lower-cost / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. a little more / honestly, / one thats / going with / just / expensive / Id recommend / .
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. coffee house / I was hoping / a good / recommend / you could / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. in my opinion, / is the best / in this area / coffee house / River Roasters / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 Completing sentences
1 . Our budget was limited, so we had to ____ a. narrow down our choices.
2. Anna got caught up in ____ b. a new sponsor.
3. They missed a great opportunity because ____ c. consumer apprehension.
4. The sports team is in the market for ____ d. they stayed on the fence too long.
5. Larry suggested ways to reduce ____ e. the visuals of the presentation.
3 5 Color discussion
TRUE FALSE
1 . James is an architect. _____ _____
2. Harry and Lucinda currently use bright colors. _____ _____
3. Harry and Lucinda want to bring in more earthy tones. _____ _____
4. James recommends starting with the offices. _____ _____
4 Go further: In other words ...
1 . If you try this product, you wont return to what you have now. _____________________________
2. Please be honest, is this product really worth the money? _____________________________
3. This piece of land is very different from your city location. _____________________________
4. The athlete recommended our product on TV. _____________________________

Return to page 38
Practice Unit 5
1 Complaints
1 . blame ____ a. If you dont fix this, I will post a negative review on the web.
2. conflicting information ____ b. Ted got my order wrong. It is all his doing!
3. ignore ____ c. Four days? Yesterday you told me it would be here overnight!
4. threat ____ d. I only ordered one table cloth, but I was billed for three.
5. incorrect charge ____ e. I left five messages, and no one has called me back.
2 How upset are they?

MILD REASONABLE IRATE
1 . Dont you dare give me the runaround anymore! ______ ______ ______
2. Is there anything you can do to speed up this process? ______ ______ ______
3. Could you please look into why my order has not arrived? ______ ______ ______
4. Thanks a lot for ignoring me for the past three hours. ______ ______ ______
5. I believe theres been a mix up with my order. ______ ______ ______
6. I need someone to resolve this immediately. ______ ______ ______
3 Go further: Whats your approach?
1 . A customer is making a scene after getting the runaround. How would you respond?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. After some bad publicity, your companys reputation is on the line. How do you approach the problem?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. A salesperson is rude to a customer in your store. How can you keep the customer from losing his cool?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 6 How did we do?
1 . Why did the customer call? _________________________________________________________________________
2. How did Rick respond to the customer? ______________________________________________________________
3. Why did Rick ask the customer to stay on the line? ___________________________________________________
4. How did the customer get transferred to Ellas voicemail? ____________________________________________
5. What kind of message did the customer leave for Ella? ________________________________________________
6. What can Rick or Ella do to follow up with the customer? ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. How will the company deal with a similar situation in the future? _______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Return to page 46
Practice Unit 6
1 7 Phone duty
AMIR WILL CUSTOMERS
1 . has been fielding phone calls _____ _____ _____
2. will field phone calls later _____ _____ _____
3. apologized to customers _____ _____ _____
4. wanted to return old shoes _____ _____ _____
5. blamed Will _____ _____ _____
2 Im sorry
I apologize for the inconvenience I assure you Im afraid I regret to inform you Im sorry, but
Example: Can you mail that to me? I regret to inform you that it is against company policy.
1 . Do you do overnight shipping? _____________________________________________________
2. Is smoking allowed in the lobby? _____________________________________________________
3. May I use my cell phone on this flight? _____________________________________________________
4. Will there be any additional fees? _____________________________________________________
3 Complete the sentences
1 . Would you please confirm a. suspicious activity on your account.

2. Im sorry, but all personal information b. hassles in our delivery process.
3. Im calling to report some c. your current address?
4. I apologize for any d. must remain confidential.
4 Go further: How does it go?
1 . representatives / we assign / case by case basis / on a / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. in place / what / do we have / policies / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. look on your face / a stern / keep / you must / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. refuse to / simply / some people / take no for an answer / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. put the pressure on / the customer / really / to get / quickly / that order out / .
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Return to page 54
Practice Unit 7
1 Handle the problem
Put the steps in order.
_____ Acknowledge the problem

_____ Apologize
_____ Find a solution
_____ Follow up
_____1 Listen
_____ Provide compensation
2 Some advice
bearer bush rain check regardless blow falls recall
1 . If it _________________________ on your shoulders to report bad news, remain calm.

2. Offer an apology _________________________ of who is at fault.
3. When issuing a _________________________ , dont beat around the _________________________ .
4. If you dont have an item in stock, offer a _________________________ .
5. If you have to be the _________________________ of bad news, soften the _________________________ with
something positive.
3 8 A busy day
1 . Mr. Allen .
____ a. works for a car rental company b. is a customer
2. The problem is that .
____ a. there are too few cars b. he is in a hurry
3. Rose first offers Mr. Allen .
____ a. an apology and explanation b. a larger car
4. Mr. Allen is willing to ____ . a. accept a larger car b. wait for a car
4 Go further: Another way to say it
1 . Can you think of a way to soften the blow? ___ a. I said I have a problem.
2. Marcos promised not to shoot the messenger. ___ b. Please announce it gently.
3. Ada blew that out of proportion. ___ c. He said he would stay calm.
4. Someone tampered with the passwords. ___ d. She always speaks plainly.
5. I told them I have a problem on my hands. ___ e. Someone changed them.
6. Gina never beats around the bush. ___ f. She overreacted.

Return to page 62
Practice Unit 8
1 9 Problems with phone calls
background noise cuts out disconnected gap pulling up transfer
1 . Calls with clients often get _________________________ .

2. Sometimes theres a _________________________ in the conversation.
3. Sometimes the line just _________________________ for a few seconds.
4. Some calls get disconnected when people try to _________________________ them.
5. Once the line cut out while a customer service person was _________________________ someones records
on the computer.
6. Sometimes there is a lot of _________________________ .
2 10 Whats the purpose?
1 . a. requesting repetition b. asking for patience

2. a. interrupting to ask the client to restate a request b. clarifying understanding
3. a. giving assurance b. interrupting to ask the client to restate a request
4. a. interjecting to request a pause b. requesting repetition
5. a. requesting repetition b. giving assurance
6. a. interjecting to request a pause b. asking for patience
3 Go further: Restating advice
enunciate interject nature urgent with them
Example: When a matter is an emergency, it is OK to interrupt someone.

When a matter is urgent, it is OK to interrupt someone.
1 . Be especially polite when you insert quick comments into a conversation.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Repeat customers requests to show that you understand.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. It is especially important to pronounce your words clearly when speaking on the phone.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. When you are answering the phone, ask for the purpose of the call.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Return to page 70
Practice Unit 9
1 Find an example
1 . scan ____ a. Plugging the computer in would be a very clear solution.

2. remotely ____ b. Here are a few steps you can take to find your problem.
3. obvious ____ c. Im in India, but I can help you from here.
4. troubleshoot ____ d. I like to surf the Internet every evening.
5. browse ____ e. Im doing a quick search for viruses.
2 Technical difficulties
1 . You can call _________________________ if you cant find answers in the manual.
dispatched
2. Erin can help you with any of the new music playing _________________________ .
gadgets
3. You have to sign in to the _________________________ to download files from it. network server
4. We _________________________ two technicians to the clients office on 54th Street. tech support
3 11 Upgrade issues
TRUE FALSE
1 . The customer needs help purchasing something. _____ _____
2. The tech support person confirms what the customer has already done. _____ _____
3. The tech support person gives a series of steps to follow. _____ _____
4. The customer cannot follow the tech support persons instructions. _____ _____
5. They remove something from the device and start over. _____ _____
4 12 Troubleshooting
1 . What department does Kristen work in? _____________________________________________________________
2. What problem is Jeff having with his computer? _____________________________________________________
3. Write one question that Kristen asks Jeff. ___________________________________________________________
4. What does Kristen think might be part of the problem? ________________________________________________
5 Go further: Tech talk
1 . I cannot open the file. I think it is _________________________ . (corrupt / obvious)

2. My computer is running very slowly. I think it is due for a _________________________ . (browse / tune up )
3. Youll need an _________________________ to hook up your computer to your TV. (adapter / appliance)
4. When I try to listen to music on my new smartphone, I dont hear anything. I think my new phone is
_________________________ . (defective / installed)
5. Does the _________________________ on my computer cover accidents? (gadget / warranty)

Return to page 78
Practice Unit 10
1 13 What happened?
1 . Victor phoned Ms. Mata a. by mistake b. about a credit card account

2. Ms. Mata a. was surprised b. was mugged
3. Her backpack a. had been stolen b. was left at the bank
4. Victor a. waives payment b. is empathetic
5. This situation a. is not serious b. takes some work to resolve
2 What does it mean?
Example: The company is under fire for its recent press release.
The company is in trouble for something it said in a press release.
1 . She said she would make no exceptions for anybody.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. The new employee seemed flustered at the end of his first day.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. We need to approach this problem with a real sense of urgency.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 14 Making an exception
1 . A customer wants to renew his _________________________ license.

2. The service agent asks whether he got a renewal _________________________ in the mail.
3. The customer lost his _________________________ in a fire.
4. The service agent is _________________________ about the mans situation.
5. The agent renews the mans license and _________________________ a late fee.
4 Go further: Feeling empathetic
1 . Im sorry to hear that you were _________________________ at the ATM. (robbed / waived)
2. I know this must be a _________________________ time for you. (tough / viral)
3. I get _________________________ , too, when I have to speak to an angry customer. (cheerful / flustered)
4. Thats terrible! I cant even imagine being _________________________ . (an exception / in your shoes)
5. Im sorry to hear of the _________________________ youve endured. (hardship / urgency)

Return to page 86
Practice Unit 11
1 15 Did they say that?

TRUE FALSE
1 . The speakers are discussing company cultural norms. _____ _____
2. Ron says you should always introduce yourself on the phone. _____ _____
3. Sherry says you should cc the whole team in all emails. _____ _____
4. Norman states the importance of keeping the manager in the loop. _____ _____
5. What is the company spiel about professionalism?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 Your experience
1 . Describe a time when someone used bad email etiquette.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. When is it useful to send a BCC?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Describe a time when a manager was clearly not in the loop on an issue. What problems did this cause?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 A for appropriate or I for inappropriate
1. A
_____ Adolfo always takes a hand firmly when shaking hands.
2. _____ Yasuko shows respect to her supervisors by looking down when talking.
3. _____ To show familiarity, Blanca stands very close to people when speaking.
4. _____ Vicky often touches other female colleagues slightly on the arm to show agreement or enthusiasm.
5. _____ Ulrich gives expensive gifts when he meets with overseas clients for the first time.
4 Go further: Around the office
buzz words email thread spiel thumb to the point wary wordy
1 . I like that Megans speeches are brief and _________________________ . She saves us all time!
2. A memo that is too _________________________ is harder to understand.
3. Jerry gave the annual _________________________ about using up vacation time.
4. Ask Peggy about the latest _________________________ to use in marketing materials.
5. A(n) _________________________ can be useful for documenting group decisions.
6. Always be _________________________ of clients who give a lot of excuses.
7. As a rule of _________________________ , avoid using all caps when writing emails.

Return to page 94
Practice Unit 12
1 16 Bicycle choices
Hi, can I help you?

Yes, please. Im having (1) _________________________ figuring out what kind of bike to buy.
Well, bikes come with a wide variety of (2) _________________________ . What will you mainly use the bike for?
For fun and (3) _________________________ . I dont plan to race or anything like that.
OK. And what kinds of (4) _________________________ will you be riding on?
Some streets and some dirt trails, like in the city parks.
Great. Lets (5) _________________________ these bikes over here. Youll want medium-width tires for riding
on trails ...
2 Probing questions
1 . Circle the probing questions in the conversation above.

2. How do these questions help the sales person find the best bicycle for the customers needs?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 17 According to the conversation

YES NO
1 . Does the customer sales person ask probing questions? ______ ______
2. Has the product been easy for the customer to locate? ______ ______
3. Does the customer know exactly what she needs? ______ ______
4. Can the customer service person send the item immediately? ______ ______
5. Will the customer be able to get the product? ______ ______
4 Go further: Trying to help
Example: which / looking for / features / are you / ? Which features are you looking for?
1 . does that / functions / copier have / how many / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. into / the sales plan / we need to / manageable assignments / break down / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. useful and annoying / can be / pop-up windows / both / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. happy customers / to revisit / the same business / are motivated / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Return to page 102
Practice Unit 13
1 18 Details
1 . The caller received a package that was _____ .

a. dented b. late
2. The customer service person asks for a number on the _____
a. packing slip b. merchandise

3. One item in the package had a _____ cover.
a. chipped b. torn
4. Another item had a _____ case.
a. cracked b. defective
5. The customer can choose to get a _____ or replacement items.
a. purchase order b. refund
2 Say it more simply
conditions store credit faulty in stock refund
1 . Would you like your refund in cash, or would you like to use it to purchase something else in the store?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. This is not what I was promised. I want my money back.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. There is something wrong with this camera. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. The salesperson said that this brand is not in the store. She will have to order it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. We accept returns under certain circumstances.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 Go further: Placing an order
_____ Thank you, then, Id like to place an order.

_____ Yes, with a receipt you can return an item within 90 days of purchase.
_____ Is there a time limit for returns?
_____1 Hi, can you tell me about your companys return policy?
_____ And do you cover any shipping costs?
_____ Of course. First, you need a valid receipt for all returns.
_____ Im happy to help. So, what did you want to purchase?
_____ We do cover shipping costs, plus a small handling fee.

Return to page 110
Practice Unit 14
1 Good and bad service
1 . Why might a disgruntled employee put in less effort?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Describe a time when you received exceptional service.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How can you respond to a colleague who likes to gossip?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What type of conduct might be offensive to your customers?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 19 Need a break
TRUE FALSE
1 . Mary has been talking to an unhappy customer. _____ _____
2. Braden suggests that Mary should have apologized more. _____ _____
3. Mary is convinced that she really is incompetent. _____ _____
4. Braden sympathizes with Marys customer service experience. _____ _____
5. Mary and Braden agree that some customers cant be assisted. _____ _____
3 20 Trying to help
1 . What emotion does the customer express at the start of the conversation?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What does the customer service person do to try to help?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the customer not want to provide?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What does the customer service person offer to do while waiting for a manager?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 Go further: An example of that is
1 . adequate _____ a. throwing water on an annoying customer

2. gossiping _____ b. constantly sharing personal information about other people
3. overheard _____ c. the best customer service of any company
4. mediocre _____ d. doing just enough to complete a sale
5. abominable _____ e. barely trying to help a customer
6. exceptional _____ f. a personal conversation between other people

Return to page 118
Practice Unit 15
1 21 The customer isnt always right
Hello. I got a call to come pick up some books I (1) _________________________ .

Great. Whats your last name?
Its Gilbert.
Oh. Um. I called earlier. But I called to say we cant (2) _________________________ the request. The books
you wanted are (3) _________________________ in print. We ...
No, I was told that two were here, and the other two are on order.
Theres been a (4) _________________________ , sir. We dont have them. In fact, we ...
(5) _________________________ must have called me.
Thats not (6) _________________________ , sir, Im the only person here this morning. I can
(7) _________________________ a used book dealer if you like.
2 What word or phrase are we fishing for?
accommodate coin deceive freebie practical slogan
1 . a word or phrase used to attract attention _________________________
2. not a theory _________________________
3. to create a new word or phrase _________________________
4. to try to make someone believe something that is not true _________________________
5. something given for free _________________________
6. to provide what the customer desires _________________________
3 Go further: Say it with a saying
1 . Some people refuse to accept what you say. ____ a. You should take the bull by the horns.
2. You need to calm them down now. ____ b. Give him an inch and hell take a mile.
3. Your comparison is not valid. ____ c. Defuse the situation quickly.
4. Stephan will bully anyone who lets him. ____ d. Were filled to capacity.
5. You need to be firm now. ____ e. Theres just no pleasing some people.
6. You cant allow any more people in. ____ f. Youre comparing apples to oranges.

Return to page 126
Practice Unit 16
1 Say the opposite
constructive flawed increase obsolete streamlined
Example: Their feedback was negative. They gave constructive criticism.
1 . There has been a lack of activity. ___________________________________________________________________
2. The presentation went smoothly. ___________________________________________________________________
3. Our phone system is up to date. _____________________________________________________________________
4. The process was very cumbersome. _________________________________________________________________
2 22 A second try
1 . The woman called the customer service number and ____ before.
a. was treated rudely b. got no response
2. The customer service person says she did everything ____ .
a. in the wrong order b. correctly
3. The customer has only a(n) ____ security number.
a. obsolete b. current
4. A report of her experience could provide ____.
a. outdated information b. constructive criticism
3 Help us improve
_____ Im sorry about that. You could help us improve by filling out this comment card.
_____ Would you like someone to help you?
1
_____ Hi, did you find everything you needed today?
_____ No, I think they didnt want to help.
_____ Im sorry, did they not know where to look?
_____ No thanks, I asked two people, but they werent helpful.
_____ No, I didnt find some light bulbs I needed.
4 Go further: Revising plans and making improvements
1 . Thank you for bringing this matter to our _________________________ .

2. Based on your suggestions weve _________________________ a new plan to go green.
3. Its time to _________________________ your pride and admit that you made a mistake.
4. This plan of action will take a ________________________ effort, but with everyones help, we can make it happen.
5. The boss used to say that the customer was always right, but now that he has more contact with
customers, he is _________________________ his own words.

Return to page 134
Practice Unit 17
1 Unscramble the questions
Example: do you / people person / consider / a / yourself / ?

Do you consider yourself a people person?
1 . half full / half empty / the glass as / do you see / or / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. a / attitude / maintain / how do you / positive / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. give an example of / a time when / can you / you were proactive / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. one word / what / your personality / best describes / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. do you / entrepreneurial / like to explore / ideas / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 23 What did they think?
1 . The speakers thought Darren ____ a. pleased with the people they interviewed.
2. Darren impressed one speaker ____ b. was a people person.
3. One speaker says that ____ c. customers might react to Marlene.
4. Both speakers wonder how ____ d. as charismatic.
5. Overall, the speakers are ____ e. Marlenes sense of humor is unusual.
3 Go further: Positive answers
experience knack passionate pessimistic weight win over
1 . I have a lot of _________________________ with online content management systems.

2. I most appreciate co-workers who pull their own _________________________ .
3. I am _________________________ about promoting local charities.
4. I dont tend to be _________________________ . I usually see the glass as half full.
5. I have been able to _________________________ many difficult customers.
6. I have a _________________________ for working with tricky office equipment.

Return to page 142
Practice Unit 18
1 Trade shows
brochures catalogs demo flyers freebies leads

mingle with presentation prospects rub elbows rub shoulders talking points
Networking Potential customers Your booth
brochures
2 24 Plotting
Are you ready to (1) _________________________ with industry execs?

Mmm, Im not sure. I know Ill be helping to (2) _________________________ (3) _________________________.
I keep thinking I should come up with clever conversation openers.
My advice would be to avoid clever openers, actually. Be friendly yet (4) _________________________ .
What do you mean?
Follow your (5) _________________________ . Introduce yourself to prospects, then be
(6) _________________________ about why you approached them. Everyone is so busy at trade shows,
I like to skip the chit-chat.
Oh, good. I believe thats a better (7) _________________________ .
3 25 Go further: MyrnaTechs exhibit
1 . Where are Marcus and Jean?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why was Jean looking for the MyrnaTech booth?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What information can Jean find in the catalog?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What does Jean hope Marcus will offer?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Do you think MyrnaTech will offer bulk discounts in the near future? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Return to page 150
Practice Unit 19
1 26 Trying tech
1 . The client will _____ a chatroom.

a. host b. think about
2. The chatroom will be used for _____
a. informal meetings b. making schedules

3. Joe is _____ using chatrooms.
a. unfamiliar with b. an expert at
4. Tracy has a question about _____ used in the schedule.
a. a set of numbers b. an abbreviation
5. Deliverables will be due at the end of _____ .
a. each week b. each day
2 27 Getting set up
1 . Where is Sharla when she answers the call?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What does Tracy need assistance with?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What does Sharla ask Tracy?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the last field Tracy needs to fill in?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 What is that?
1. _____ platform a. a view of programs on your computer

2. _____ internal b. a program that lets you use the Internet
3. _____ desktop c. find a practical use for
4. _____ browser d. a program that coordinates other programs
5. _____ utilize e. not shared with your clients
4 Go further: In other words
Example: Hannah needs to contact the helpdesk. Hannah needs assistance.
1 . The project will take a while to learn. ________________________________________________________________
2. Would you happen to have the number? ______________________________________________________________
3. I dont think I can handle this project. ________________________________________________________________

Return to page 158
Practice Unit 20
1 Cultural faux pas
customs faux pas hierarchy nuances upbringing
1 . I once made the _________________________ of stabbing my rice with chopsticks.

2. The vice-president is high in the company _________________________ .
3. A person may use a word incorrectly if they miss _________________________ in its meaning.
4. Ones _________________________ tends to strongly influence ones values.
5. A cultures _________________________ may be easier to describe than understand.
2 28 Thinking about it
TRUE FALSE
1 . The team needs to find ways to build cultural competency. _____ _____
2. One person suggests surveying their coworkers. _____ _____
3. They dont think there is much diversity in their building. _____ _____
4. They agree that a survey should be anonymous. _____ _____
5. One speaker thinks stereotypes are useful. _____ _____
3 Go further: Unscramble
Example: the saying / doesnt undertand / to each their own / Katie / .

Katie doesnt understand the saying to each their own.
1 . in common / everyones different, / we all have / a few things / but / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. with the news / would you mind / the client / calling / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. laughter / as rude / did that / come across / ?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. may look like / idiosyncrasies / one groups / customs / anothers / .

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key
UNIT 1 Exercise 3
1. People used to go the extra mile, but nowadays
Exercise 1 that is unexpected. 2. I cant differentiate one
1. a person they recently interviewed 2. They felt from the other. 3. Our dentist used to give us
he was disheveled. 3. He has a great personality, complimentary cleaning kits
is polite, and has good posture. 4. Their overall
impression was positive. Exercise 4
1. The lawnmower they bought doesnt work.
Exercise 2 2. She offers to exchange it or take it back. / She
Answers may vary. 1. The customer was gives them a discount voucher. 3. She is initially
disheveled. 2. Anita mumbles when she speaks upset but happily accepts the voucher.
with customers. 3. The receptionist has good
posture. 4. The customer service representative Exercise 5
was courteous. Answers will vary.
Exercise 3
Risky: 1, 2, 5 Safe: 3, 4, 6 UNIT 4
Exercise 4 Exercise 1
1. e 2. d 3. f 4. c 5. b 6. a 1. What are the pros and cons of going with
this brand? 2. Its expensive, but its our most
aesthetically pleasing option. 3. How reliable is
UNIT 2 the lower-cost washing machine? 4. Honestly, Id
recommend going with one thats just a little more
Exercise 1 expensive. 5. I was hoping you could recommend
1. The caller is doing a customer satisfaction a good coffee house. 6. In my opinion, River
survey. 2. Mr. Alva recently made a purchase in Roasters is the best coffee house in the area.
a store. 3. He was very satisfied. 4. Answers will
vary. Exercise 2
1. a 2. e 3. d 4. b 5. c
Exercise 2
1. brick-and-mortar 2. underestimate 3. plague Exercise 3
4. soured 5. influence 6. implement True: 3 False: 1, 2, 4
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. c 1. wont look back 2. level with me 3. a far cry
4. endorsed
Exercise 4
1. ... so this question is not applicable to me. 2. In
the office, we may disregard what consumers are UNIT 5
saying, but representatives on the ground / in the Exercise 1
field are seeing the dismal truth. 3. If we want
to know what customers really feel about our 1. b 2. c 3. e 4. a 5. d
product, we are going to need to implement a pilot Exercise 2
program that gets consumer associates in the
field / on the ground. Mild: 3, 5 Reasonable: 2, 6 Irate: 1, 4
Exercise 3
UNIT 3 Answers will vary.
1, 6, 3, 2, 5, 4 1. She had a question. 2. He tried to find someone
who could help. 3. He went looking for Ella.
Exercise 2 4. Ricks assistant transferred her to Ellas
1. follow up 2. made a purchase 3. went the extra voicemail. 5. an irate message 6. Answers will
mile 4. Answers may vary. vary. 7. Answers will vary.
Business Customer Service Answer Key 73
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Answer Key
UNIT 6 Exercise 2
1. tech support 2. gadgets 3. network server
Exercise 1 4. dispatched
Amir: 2 Will: 1, 3 Customers: 4, 5
Exercise 3
Exercise 2 True: 2, 3, 5 False: 1, 4
Answers will vary.
Exercise 4
Exercise 3 1. tech support 2. His graphing program crashes.
1. c 2. d 3. a 4. b 3. Answers will vary. 4. She thinks working with
too many large files open could be a problem.
Exercise 4
1. We assign representatives on a case by case Exercise 5
basis. 2. What policies do we have in place? 1. corrupt 2. tune up 3. adapter 4. defective
3. You must keep a stern look on your face. 5. warranty
4. Some people simply refuse to take no for an
answer. 5.The customer really put the pressure
on to get that order out quickly. UNIT 10
Exercise 1
UNIT 7 1. b 2. a 3. a 4. b 5. b
2, 3, 4, 6, 1, 5 Answer will vary.
1. falls 2. regardless 3. recall; bush 1. business 2. letter 3. home 4. empathetic
4. rain check 5. bearer; blow 5. waives
1. b 2. a 3. a 4. a 1. robbed 2. tough 3. flustered 4. in your shoes
5. hardship
Exercise 4
1. b 2. c 3. f 4. e 5. a 6. d
UNIT 11
UNIT 8 Exercise 1
True: 1, 2 False: 3, 4
Exercise 1
5. In all situations, be professional.
1. disconnected 2. gap 3. cuts out 4. transfer
5. pulling up 6. background noise Exercise 2
Answers will vary.
Exercise 2
1. a 2. b 3. b 4. a 5. b 6. b Exercise 3
1. A 2. I 3. I 4. A 5. I
Exercise 3
1. Be especially polite when you interject during a Exercise 4
conversation. 2. Repeat customers requests to 1. to the point 2. wordy 3. spiel 4. buzz words
show that you are with them. 3. It is especially 5. email thread 6. wary 7. thumb
important to enunciate when speaking on the
phone. 4. When you are answering the phone,
ask for the nature of the call. UNIT 12
Exercise 1
UNIT 9 1. trouble 2. features 3. exercise 4. surfaces
5. look at
Exercise 1
1. e 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. d
74 Business Customer Service Answer Key
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Answer Key
1. What will you mainly use the bike for? and 1. slogan 2. practical 3. coin 4. deceive
And what kinds of surfaces will you be riding on? 5. freebie 6. accommodate
2. They help the sales rep narrow down the
choices so that he or she can find the best item Exercise 3
for the customers needs. 1. e 2. c 3. f 4. b 5. a 6. d
Exercise 3
Yes: 1, 3, 5 No: 2, 4
UNIT 16
Exercise 1
Exercise 4
1. There has been an increase in activity. 2. The
1. How many functions does that copier have?
presentation was flawed. 3. Our phone system is
2. We need to break down the sales plan into
obsolete. 4. The process was streamlined.
manageable assignments. 3. Pop-up windows can
be both useful and annoying. 4. Happy customers Exercise 2
are motivated to revisit the same business. 1. a 2. b 3. a 4. b
UNIT 13 Exercise 3
7, 3, 1, 6, 5, 4, 2
Exercise 1
1. a 2. a 3. b 4. a 5. b Exercise 4
1. attention 2. implemented 3. swallow 4. team
Exercise 2 5. eating
Answers may vary. 1. would you like a store
credit? 2. I want a refund. 3. This camera is UNIT 17
faulty 4. The salesperson said that this brand
is not in stock. 5. We accept returns under Exercise 1
certain conditions. 1. Do you see the glass as half full or half empty?
Exercise 3 2. How do you maintain a positive attitude?
3. Can you give an example of a time when you
7, 4, 3, 1, 5, 2, 8, 6 were proactive? 4. What one word best describes
your personality? 5. Do you like to explore
UNIT 14 entrepreneurial ideas?
Answers will vary. 1. b 2. d 3. e 4. c 5. a
True: 1, 4, 5 False: 2, 3 1. experience 2. weight 3. passionate
4. pessimistic 5. win over 6. knack
Exercise 3
1. She is irate / very upset. 2. He apologizes and
tries to reassure the customer. 3. She does not
UNIT 18
want to provide credit card information. 4. He Exercise 1
offers to stay on the line with the customer. Networking: mingle with, rub elbows, rub shoulders
Exercise 4 Potential customers: leads, prospects Your booth:
brochures, catalogs, flyers, freebies, presentation,
1. d 2. b 3. f 4. e 5. a 6. c
demo, talking points
UNIT 15 Exercise 2
1. rub shoulders 2. convert 3. prospects 4. direct
Exercise 1 5. leads 6. honest 7. strategy
1. requested 2. accommodate 3. no longer
4. misunderstanding 5. Someone else 6. possible
7. recommend
Business Customer Service Answer Key 75
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Answer Key
Exercise 3
1. at a trade show 2. She heard about their newest
release 3. Information about feature bundles,
USPs, the prototype, and future releases 4. bulk
discounts 5. Answers will vary.
UNIT 19
Exercise 1
1. a 2. a 3. a 4. b 5. b
Exercise 2
1. at a helpdesk 2. accessing a server 3. whether
shes logged into the domain 4. the confirm
password field
Exercise 3
1. d 2. e 3. a 4. b 5. c
Exercise 4
Answers will vary.
UNIT 20
Exercise 1
1. faux pas 2. hierarchy 3. nuances 4. upbringing
5. customs
Exercise 2
1. T 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F
Exercise 3
1. Everyones different, but we all have a few things
in common. 2. Would you mind calling the client
with the news? 3. Did that laughter come across
as rude? 4. One groups idiosyncrasies may look
like anothers customs. / One groups customs may
look like anothers idiosyncrasies.
76 Business Customer Service Answer Key
Customer Service Answer Key 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 199

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Audio Script 1
UNIT 1 Im fine. Thank you for asking. Youll have to

forgive me; Im a little late. This place is pretty
TRACK 1 | ACTIVITY 2A | A hidden away and a little hard to find for a first-
Well hi there. Can I help you find something time visitor.
in particular? Oh, its no problem. Im glad you made it. I
No, thanks. Im just looking. understand you wish to talk about opening a
No worries. You just let me know if you need brokerage account. Please follow me to my office.
any help.
TRACK 2 | B UNIT 3
Hello. How are you doing today?
TRACK 6 | ACTIVITY 2A | A
Im fine, thanks.
Hey Leann, are you ready for the big conference?
Your comfort is of the utmost importance to
Did you have a good flight in from Seattle last
us when youre on board. Please let me know
night?
if there is anything I can get you.
Oh, you wouldnt believe it, Matthew. My flight
No, noth... or, maybe just some water if you
was actually delayed by three hours and the
have any.
taxi I had arranged wasnt available to get me
Of course madam; Ill be over with that in just
then. Luckily, the hotel sent a complimentary
a minute. Please bear with me; the aisles are
taxi to pick me up, with snacks for the taxi ride
really crowded right now.
to the hotel! Imagine my surprise when I got in
TRACK 3 | C late and saw a taxi driver holding a card with my
Hello. My name is Michael Carter. Im here name on it!
to speak with, I believe its a certain ... How did they know your flight was delayed?
Mr Marchionne ... ? I was registered at the conference and booked
One moment, if you please. Im sorry; I dont my flight and hotel through their service.
seem to be able to find your name in his What a wonderful experience; thats so
appointment calendar. Did you make an unexpected.
appointment with him? Yeah, they really know how to take care of
Yes. Oh, but I guess it could be under the their guests.
company nameEagle Enterprises.
TRACK 7 | B
Oh yes, I see it here. Please have a seat while
So, how are you transitioning into retirement
I buzz him to let him know youve arrived.
Nicky? It must have been a difficult adjustment
Hell be right with you.
considering the fact that you spent every
TRACK 4 | D day for the last 30 years in the same building
Maam, were about to begin our Motivating the Monday through Friday. How long ago did you
Workforce workshop; will you be joining us? retire? Has it been one month now?
Yes, Im very much looking forward to it. Yes, its been one quick month. Im finally
Great! Have you completed the registration getting used to not waking up at 6 a.m. and
online by any chance? Ive found time to sew, but hey, guess what?
No, Im just dropping in. Remember Francis, from Shepard Printing?
Ah, no problem. Here, take this handout and We did business with them pretty regularly.
please fill out this questionnaire. The workshop Well, Francis sent me flowers this week on
will be held in Conference Room B. behalf of his company with a personalised note
congratulating me on my 30 years and thanking
TRACK 5 | E me for the business. Can you believe that? It
Ah, Mr. Hrit, I was expecting you. Its so nice was so thoughtful of them to do that! I would
to finally get to see you in person. Now I can never have expected it!
actually meet the face behind the voice. How Wow, Ive never heard of another company
are you? doing that, especially since you didnt work for
them, just did business with them occasionally.
What kind of flowers did they send?
Customer Service Audio Script 77
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Audio Script 1
Birds of Paradise. I had told him once that Hmm, what about something cartoon-like, since
retirement was going to be paradise! this is for children?
Thats a nice touch. Seriously, what a treat; Yes, I was thinking something like that. I would
they really went the extra mile! love to take a look at a book of sample designs if
you have one available. And please keep in mind
TRACK 8 | C that this is a start-up, so we are on a budget.
Sir, my luggage doesnt seem to be coming Yes, we offer many ready-made templates which
around on the belt. Could you check to make would be our most economical option. I can
sure its actually here? send you a copy of one of our design sample
Yes, of course. What is your baggage claim books and set you up with an appointment with
check number? one of our designers to sit down one-on-one
4-0-5-5-2. and come up with the best solution for you.
Mrs. Arnold, flight from Detroit to Miami with That sounds great. Let me pull out my calendar
a layover in Atlanta, is that correct? really quick ...
Yes.
Hmm, it seems as though your baggage didnt TRACK 10 | B
make your connecting flight in Atlanta. And Hello. What brings you in this evening?
unfortunately, you were on the last plane Hello. Im in the market for a new credit card.
from Atlanta to Miami tonight. It looks like Id love to talk you through your options.
its scheduled to fly out on the 7 a.m. plane What is the main purpose of this card?
tomorrow. It should be here by 9 oclock. Personal or business?
Oh no, thats terrible! I was afraid this would Business.
happen with my short layover time. Excellent. We offer three types of business
Im so sorry for the inconvenience, Mrs. Arnold. account credit cardssilver, gold, or platinum.
Here, just for situations like these, we have What are the pros and cons of each card?
a complimentary overnight kit prepared for Each card allows you to conveniently track your
our guests. Theres a toothbrush and other expenses and they all offer a 0% annual fee.
necessities in there to get you through the night. The main difference is that we have a tiered
And let me take down the address of the place credit line in increments of $20,000. The silver
where you will be staying. We will send a driver is our most popular option.
with your luggage there as soon as it arrives. I see, and what sort of protection services do
Oh, thank you; the kit is so unexpected! I really you offer?
appreciate it. The address is ... (trails off) We have proven identity theft protection.
Protection service members work around the
UNIT 4 clock monitoring each transaction on your
card in real time. When there is a suspicious
TRACK 9 | ACTIVITY 2 | A purchase, we will alert you within 60 seconds
Hello. Youve reached Cube Design Services. to confirm that it was actually yours.
How can I be of service today? Wow, that sounds very reliable. So tell me more
Good afternoon. Im calling for some more about the silver card
information about a new company brand image
and identity. I was hoping you could help me. UNIT 5
I need a logo, letterhead, and business cards for
TRACK 11 | ACTIVITY 2B | A
a start-up that is gaining ground.
ETD Gas and Electricity. How may I direct
Sure, we can put a team together to help you
your call?
complete all of that. Can you tell me a little bit
Hello. This is Samuel Denha with T&D Consulting.
more about the project? And do you have an idea
Im calling because I believe theres been a
for how you want it to look?
mistake on our most recent electricity bill. I see
Not really; Im not a design guy, haha. I was
on here there is a $50 charge for gas during the
hoping you could recommend an aesthetic based
month of June, but the only thing that is gas
on my service and your own design judgement.
powered in our apartment is the heating, which
This is for a smartphone application for
has been off since April. Can you tell me why I
homework help, targeted at school-age children.
am still getting charged for gas?
78 Customer Service Audio Script
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Audio Script 1
Yes sir, Id be happy to assist you. May I please I would hope so. This type of treatment is
just get your account number to locate your bill? unacceptable for guests who do business
6-9-2-1-7-8-7. here often.
Hmm, sir, this is actually a customer charge for Youre right. I agree wholeheartedly. Please
being an ETD Gas and Electricity customer who accept this voucher for a free nights stay on
is hooked up to receive gas. You get charged behalf of the Alexander Cross Hotel, for your
$50 a month every month regardless of troubles. As I said before, I will personally
whether you use gas. make sure that our staff are properly trained
Excuse me? Did I hear you right? You mean this to ensure this doesnt happen again.
isnt just an oversight on your part? Yes, well thank you. It hasnt happened before
No sir, unfortunately not. of all the times I stayed here, but I appreciate
What ... but ... how? Can you explain to me why I am the voucher.
getting charged $50 a month to be a customer?!?
Yes, its a fee we simply call the customer fee TRACK 13 | C
that is used to maintain the pipes that carry gas Is this Margaret? Margaret, this is Christina;
to your business and for any other maintenance. remember me?
Im sorry for the misunderstanding. This should Christina Lewis? Of course I remember you. Is
have been explained to you when you first everything alri...?
started an account with us. Listen, Im not calling to chit-chat. Remember
Well that still seems silly. Is there anyone I can those personal matters regarding my account
talk to about this fee? Its really quite high that we discussed last time? Well, my assistant
spoke to me about that today. She was not
TRACK 12 | B supposed to know anything about that. Did you
Hello. Id like to speak to the manager. talk with her about my account?
Good morning madam. Im the manager of the Uh, yes, I did, but ...
Alexander Cross Hotel, Timothy ODonnell. How I did not authorize you to talk to anyone else
can I be of service? about that!
Hello. Esther Johnson. I stayed here last night Mrs. Lewis, please try to remain calm. There
and I hate to do this, but unfortunately I have to may have been a misunderstanding. Just a few
voice a complaint. days ago you gave me written permission to
Thank you for choosing to stay with us, but what discuss your account with your ...
seems to be the problem? I did no such thing! If you continue to lie, I will
Its about the check-in process last night. When take this to your supervisor.
I first arrived, I was completely ignored by the Im terribly sorry for the misunderstanding,
staff at the reception desk. When I finally got but if you would please give me a minute to
someones attention, they couldnt find my check my records, I would like to show you the
reservation for 10 minutes while I stood there authorization.
waiting. I was finally escorted to the room, but I cant believe that youre continuing with this.
it was not the one I had booked. I finally asked Show me the authorization and Ill sue you for
to speak to a more experienced receptionist creating a fake document.
and I was given the total runaround! I spoke Maam, I understand you must be frustrated
to three people before they could finally find about this, but if you continue to talk in a
my reservation. It turned out to be a problem threatening way, Ill be forced to end this
because my company booked the hotel room for conversation and resolve it at a later time.
me. We book rooms here often and wed like to I dont even see what you can do, but I need this
continue coming here but not if check-in is to taken care of now
take one hour each time!
Mrs Johnson, I apologise deeply for your UNIT 6
experience. I assure you that will never happen
again. I will make an official note of your TRACK 14 | ACTIVITY 2 | A
complaint and address it at our weekly staff Good afternoon. Im calling because I need to
meeting to ensure everyone is properly trained dispute a charge on our latest phone bill.
in the reservation system.

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Audio Script 1
Yes, of course; Id be happy to help. May I please Well, I told her that I understood how upsetting
have your name and account number? this is, but I was stern with her and told her
The name is Thomas Endo; account number that it was company policy and that I couldnt
45274-0786. do anything about it unless these were
All right, Mr. Endo; I see that you are not the extraordinary circumstances. She just wanted
primary account holder on this account. May to cancel her shipment because they havent
I please have the primary account holders sold the stock yet that they previously received.
name and last four digits of their social security Well you did the right thing. Dont beat yourself
number? up about it.
Yes, thats my mother, Stephanie Endo, but Im
not sure what her social security number is. Id UNIT 7
have to ask her, but Im not with her right now.
All right, do you know her birth date? TRACK 16 | ACTIVITY 2 | A
Umm, I know what day she was born, but not the Hello. Good afternoon. May I please speak to
year. I think its nineteen ... sixty ... uhh. Mrs Galanty?
Im sorry sir, but unfortunately without that This is she.
information Im afraid I cannot proceed with Hello. This is Arjun from the Jaipur Hotel.
your request. Unfortunately, Im calling to inform you of a
But its my mom and its our account together. problem with the credit card you have on file
What does it matter that Im not the primary with us. Its possible we have an incorrect card
account holder? I have the account number, number, but the transaction for the deposit
dont I? doesnt seem to want to go through on our end.
Yes, but that is information anyone may obtain May I verify the card number with you?
easily if they pick up your bill. We cant verify Yes, but before you do, I think I know the issue.
your identify based solely on your account You see, I was the recent victim of identity
number. theft and my credit card information was
Ugh, but it is such a hassle to get a hold of her compromised. I had to cancel the card. Now that
just to get her social security number. you called, I realized I made the reservation
Then Im sorry sir, but I am unable to process with the old card by mistake.
your request at this time. Its company policy Ah yes, that would explain it. Im so sorry to
to keep confidential information confidential. hear that, Mrs Galanty. I hope everything has
Otherwise we would be held accountable should been resolved.
anyone else access your account. I hope you Oh yes, it was no problem. I have an excellent
understand this is for your protection. credit card company that alerted me of it
Yes, yes, its just a little irritating right now. right away.
Good, well, if you are ready to provide me with
TRACK 15 | B the updated card number, Id be happy to take it.
Hey Sara, is everything alright? You seem a Yes, yes, let me just pull out my card.
little down.
Ugh, I just fielded a call from a very upset client TRACK 17 | B
who was angry that her shipment for this month Hey Chris, do you have a minute? Id like to chat
wouldnt be refunded since she canceled too for a moment.
late. Its frustrating for me too because its Sure, Peter, whats the matter?
clearly written in her contract. Well, you know we have a great team here and
Yeah, thats always frustrating. we like to implement a plan before anything
And on top of it, since I was the first person goes wrong.
she reached, she just vented to me about Okay, so ...
everything she didnt like about the order Well, I spoke to a few guys in engineering and
process and then she took her anger out on me weve been getting some complaints from
for the money shes losing on this. customers and I dont want to point fingers or
So how did you react? anything, but there have been some serious
miscalculations made.

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Audio Script 1
Okay, and? TRACK 24 | G

Well, just so you know, this is something that Im calling for maintenance; one of our machines
will not happen again and were coming up with doesnt seem to be working properly.
a plan ... Excuse me, sir. I wasnt able to hear what you
Just come out with it! What happened? said; there was too much background noise.
Yes, well, weve detected a problem with the Could you repeat that?
new Heat Blade electric heater. Some have
short-circuited and burned and melted the TRACK 25 | H
internal mechanisms. There are already 10,000 How do I open and transfer the file on the
units on the market. Nobodys been injured yet, account within the same lock screen?
but were afraid that if we dont take them off Im sorry, sir. I dont quite understand what youre
the market, it may cause problems. asking of me. Can you restate your question?
Hmm, I see. Thank you for alerting me. What
steps have you taken to resolve the issue so far? UNIT 9
Weve already alerted distributors to pull them
off the shelves for now, but wed like to issue a TRACK 26 | ACTIVITY 2 | A
formal recall and thats why I came to talk Oh hi, John. Back again? Hows your computer
to you. running?
Well, not so good. Its slow.
Hmm, could you give me some more details?
UNIT 8 For the last two weeks, the reaction time has
TRACK 18 | ACTIVITY 1 | A just been really slow. Theres a delay when I
Id like to kno... tus of the pro... i... you cou... type; it takes a long time to open and close
nk you. programs and browsing the web is an awfully
Im sorry; youre cutting out. Could you slow task.
repeat that? Alright. When was the last time you updated it?
I update it pretty regularly.
TRACK 19 | B Did you scan for viruses? Could that be it?
Ihaveto mpologize, I didntmeanfor thattohappen. That was the first thing I thought of. I did a
Sir, I cant understand you. Could you speak scan. It took seven hours! But it came up
more clearly, please? with nothing.
Have you already tried to troubleshoot it?
TRACK 20 | C Uh no; Im not really sure how.
My name is Nikolaos Papadantonakis. Oh, well let me walk you through the steps.
Thank you, Mr. Papadantonakis, and how do you Here, let me just pull up the checklist
spell your name?
P as in passenger. A as in apple. P as TRACK 27 | B
in passenger again ABC Technology, this is Nathan speaking.
What is your location?
TRACK 21 | D Im in the central Sydney office.
Im sorry; could you remind me of your name? Okay, thank you. What can I help you with today?
TRACK 22 | E I cant connect to my email. Everything was fine
Sure, the last name is Johnson, first name, yesterday when I left the office.
Esther. Alright, sir. Im sorry to ask the obvious, but are
Okay Ms Johnson; let me put that information you connected to the Internet?
into my computer and Ill have your invoice up on Yes, my computer is showing that its connected
my screen in just one second. Okay ... here we are. to the Internet. Everyone else seems to be
connecting without a problem.
TRACK 23 | F Have you tried restarting your computer and
I need to speak with Mr. ODonnell. logging back in to your account after that? Or
No problem; he was expecting your call. Could have you changed any settings recently?
you hold for one moment while I transfer you? No, I havent changed any settings, and yes, I
restarted it, but that didnt seem to do the trick.

Audio Script 1
Alright, let me see if I understood correctly. You Oh, Im sure well be able to find something for
said you are connected to the Internet, didnt you today. Tell me, what is the main function
change your settings recently, and restarted this printer will fulfill?
your computer already. Am I right? It would need to print a high volume of color
Yeah, thats it. pages, often double-sided, and if at all possible,
May I have your permission to log in to your we would love if it were able to receive emails
computer remotely? directly.
Sure, anything to get this thing fixed as soon Oh yes, that feature is generally standard
as possible. I have lots of emails to catch up on nowadays. How many employees do you think
after taking the day off yesterday. will be using the printer in an average day?
Alright, sir, I reset your permissions. Go ahead Our staff consists of 20 people; not everyone
and try logging in now; see if that didnt do it. prints every day, but well need it to pump out
Hey, Im in! Thanks. paper fast for those occasional moments of
Excellent. Pleasure to be of service. heavy use.
Hmm, have you considered your maintenance
UNIT 10 costs? Perhaps it would be beneficial for you
to purchase an extended warranty along with
TRACK 28 | ACTIVITY 3 the printer.
Hello. Youve reached DC Bank, mortgage Oh yes, youre a mind reader! I was just thinking
department. How may I help you? about the warranty ...
Uh, hi. Im ... my name is Morgan Aranoff. Im
sorry; its just that I just got mugged, and Im a TRACK 30 | B
little flustered. I spoke to the police a minute ago. Hey, Michelle. Do you have a minute?
Okay ... what can I help you with? Sure. How is everything?
Well, I have a payment on my mortgage due Oh its great, wonderful actually. The sales
in about two days and I lost all my bank cards, team has met and exceeded the sales goal for
identification, and cell phone. I need more time this quarter.
to make my payment. Elizabeth, thats such good news!
Uhhhh, so what exactly do you want me to do? Yes, I think things are finally starting to turn
Im asking if you could push back my due date around. This has become the trend in the last
to Friday or at least waive my late fee because few months. Well, this is why I came to talk to
of the circumstances. Please understand; I have you. I want to host a small party for the team to
every intention of paying, I just need a little celebrate but also to keep their morale high. We
more time. have a tough quarter coming up and we need all
Ummm, so you say you can pay by Friday? the motivation we can get.
Yes, please. I would really appreciate it. Sure. Do you need my help in organizing
I guess I could do that, but I have to clear it the event?
with my manager first. Hold one moment. Yes. Ive never actually been the host of an
office party. I was hoping you could recommend
the venue, perhaps just a conference room
UNIT 12
here, something to drink, and perhaps some
TRACK 29 | ACTIVITY 1A | A entertainment?
Hi Steven. This is Eva. I was instructed to talk Why yes. I love planning these things. Do you
to you about finding a printer for our company. know what kind of food youd like to serve?
Oh yes, Eva? With the publishing company, Yes. I want to serve a specific type of vegetarian
am I right? dish, we have a lot of vegetarians on the team
Yes, thats us!
TRACK 31 | C
Well sure. What are you in the market for?
Good afternoon, Mr White. Thank you for taking
Definitely a printer, haha! I was hoping you
the time to meet with me.
would be able to help me a little bit with that.
The pleasure is all mine. Here is the list of
Im having trouble finding a good printer model
potential cars for your company to serve as
that fits our budget.
your fleet vehicles based on your specifications.

Return to page 100 Return to page 114 Return to page 116
Audio Script 1
Thank you. The S1 and E3 are both very Hmm, we may have shipped you the incorrect
attractive, but Im having trouble deciding brand. Theres a different procedure to exchange
between them. those. Well have to send what we ordered
Well, what is the vehicles most important back to the manufacturer, but I can process
feature to you? replacement headsets for you right now.
Id say, fuel economy and interior space. That would be wonderful, thanks. And what
What purpose will they be used for? about the shipping costs that weve already
For travel over significant distances but also as covered?
a loaner vehicle for our oversea managers when We will cover those costs since it was an
they are in town. We would save more money oversight on our part. Do you have the purchase
with a fuel-efficient car, but were also trying to order number available?
make a good impression on our managers.
Well, the E3 has a very high fuel-efficiency TRACK 34 | C
ranking and is pretty spacious as well. Perhaps Good morning. Have I reached Heather at
you dont want the S1, which is an SUV, even Premier Publishing?
though it does have more space than the E3. Yes, this is Heather. How may I be of service
today?
UNIT 13 This is Catherine McNeil with University Books.
We have about 20% of excess stock of our ESL
TRACK 32 | ACTIVITY 3A | A books and I would like to process a return on it.
Hi. I had recently purchased a large order of No problem, Ms McNeil. All that I ask you to do
company laptops and Im calling to return one is fill in a request for refund form.
of them. Yes of course, but please excuse me, Im new to
Youve reached the right person to help you this position and this is the first time Ive done
with that. What seems to be the problem? this. How does it work exactly?
Well, its just that it arrived in pretty bad shape. Oh, Id be happy to walk you through it. We are
One side was completely dented; it looked only able to take back up to 10% of your stock
like it had been dropped and the surface was and typically what we do is credit your account
scratched. Needless to say, it wasnt working. on the amount you return. You can use that
Oh, Im so sorry to hear that. Would you like credit towards an outstanding balance on your
to return the laptop or send it back for a account or towards future purchases with us.
replacement? I see, and if we prefer to receive the credit
Well, Id like it exchanged because it was a pretty amount directly back to us?
good deal, but Id also like it in one piece. In that case, I would ask you to fill in a request
Yes, of course. Im terribly sorry for the for refund cheque form, which we will have to
inconvenience. Do you have your packing slip authorise. We will then send you a cheque by
handy? Please give me the order number mail about 10 days after the request.
located on the slip and Ill sort this out for you. Wonderful. Where can I find this form ?
TRACK 33 | B
UNIT 15
Hello. I need to talk to someone about returning
some electronics I had purchased for our TRACK 35 | ACTIVITY 3B | A
employees. You sent me the wrong thing.
Was there something the matter with the order? Im looking at your order right now and it lists
Yes, unfortunately. We ordered some headsets the metal office chairs you said you received.
that werent exactly to our specifications. No, thats not right. I ordered the wooden ones.
We had asked for a wireless connection and There must be something wrong with your order
while we received wireless, they are not able system. I have never had this problem with my
to connect to our signal. We needed Bluetooth coffee shop where they get tons of orders every
capability, which these do not have. At first, we day! You should talk to them about the ordering
just thought we received faulty headsets and system they use.
it really took us a while to figure out what the
problem was.

Audio Script 1
Sir, thats comparing apples to oranges. It is UNIT 16

possible that there was an external mistake with
your order. How would you like to exchange the TRACK 38 | ACTIVITY 3B
chairs? Your options are ... Bank of Tomorrow web development
department. How may I help you?
TRACK 36 | B Hi, my name is Kelsey Boulanger. I was
Cant you put me on your registration list for transferred to your department by another
the product demonstration tonight? I really representative. Ive been using your banking
need to be there. app on my phone and I had a few suggestions
Im sorry. I cant. The event has been full for a for improvement. Would you be the person to
few days now. talk to about this?
Listen, Im a very important client and you Yes, thatd be me; Im the lead engineer in
want me to be there. mobile development. David Arnold, by the way.
Im sorry. I do understand how important it is You can call me Dave.
for you to be there, but the maximum number Okay, thanks, Dave. Well, there are a few major
of people have signed up and since the room things in need of improvement and a few
will be full, we cannot legally allow any more suggestions I think would just improve the app
people in. in general. First, you see, my zip code begins
Well, cant you pretend like someones name with a 0, and for some reason, I cant enter my
mysteriously got erased from the list? zip code in when I want to search for an ATM in
No, that would be unfair to the person who my area. It always eliminates the 0 as soon as I
signed up in time. If your name were on the list, enter in the rest of the numbers. I enter the city
you would expect the same treatment. name instead, but I fear that this is a problem
Oh, but you know not everybody is going to for other users too.
show up anyway. Oh wow; thank you for bringing that to our
Thats possible, so what I can do for you Ms, attention. I was unaware of this flaw.
is put your name on the waiting list and if Sure. Also, currently I dont have the capability
someone doesnt show up, we will give you a to save my username. I can understand why
call right away. a password isnt saved, but it would just save
me a lot of time if I didnt have to type my
TRACK 37 | C username in each time I wanted to use the app.
Listen, this is the third time this has happened. Hmm, so you say it wont save either your
I have gone through three different machines of username or password. Hmm, you should be
yours in the last two years and this one broke able to save your username, but Ill take your
on me again! word for it and look into that.
I understand thats frustrating and Im sorry. Thank you. And just a few more general
May I have your name for the order so we can improvement ideas.
take it in for maintenance? Fire away.
No, I dont just want you to repair it. I want a Im not sure if this is your department, but while
brand new machine so I know that it will work. I can pay bills through the app, its really quite
And I expect it to be at the office first thing a cumbersome process. To link a bill to my bank
tomorrow morning. Itd better be shipped account, I have to go through a number of pages
overnight. of information, approve the change at least
Im sorry, sir, but I cannot accommodate that. twice, and then it doesnt even take effect until
What I can do for you is prioritise your repair so the next billing date.
that you will get it back within four days from That actually isnt my department, but I will
the time we receive it. make certain to forward that comment to the
No, you dont understand; I need this machine relevant person. Thank you, Ms. Boulanger.
YESTERDAY! Ive made a note of all of these things and I will
If you are not satisfied with that offer, perhaps I bring it up at the next development meeting.
should put you in touch with my supervisor, who Do you have any more comments?
can help you with this.

Audio Script 1
No, not at this time. Otherwise your app is Ive learned over the years that everyone has
really great. I love being able to access my bank something interesting to say if you give them
account on the go. the opportunity, so I get to do that every day
Great; thank you for the feedback. Do you mind and I love it!
if I get your contact information so I can follow Interesting. This should be obvious, but I have to
up with you in a few weeks? ask anyway; how do you like working on a team?
No, thank you for taking this all into Its very important to me. I was part of a very
consideration. My contact info is encouraging and supportive environment in my
department. If I noticed someone was down or
UNIT 17 stressed, I would approach them first so they
didnt feel like they had to keep it bottled up.
TRACK 39 | ACTIVITY 2B There were definitely occasional moments of
... and thats my spiel. Now, tell me a little bit stress that we had to get through together as
about yourself. First of all, you have a very a team.
interesting name; what is your background? Give me an example of something that caused
Thanks! My name is pronounced Tunde and you stress and how you handled it?
its a Nigerian name. My family comes from Sometimes when a team member was dealing
Nigeria, but I was born in the States. I grew up with a particularly difficult customer, it was my
in beautiful Massachussetts, on Cape Cod. Im a job to step in as a mediator. I had to personally
fisherman and I love having the neighbors over assure customers their claims would be
to grill fish Sunday afternoons. processed in a reasonable time while making sure
That sounds lovely! So tell me about your job at my agent could handle the situation at the same
Insurity Global. Why did you choose to leave it? time. Also, before I was a team leader, when I first
Well, Ive been working with Insurity Global in started, sometimes there would be a high volume
the claims department for eight years now. of calls in a short time period, especially around
After working there just three years, I was the holidays which was just double the stress. But
promoted to team leader. Im sad to leave the we as a team were proactive about the issue. We
job, but I had to follow my wife to the West contacted our supervisors to set up a meeting
Coast when her company relocated her here. to discuss measures we could take to handle all
I see, and what aspect of your job did you these claims. Because of that, we were able to
like best? implement an online claims form for minor claims
I love working with people; Im a people person and we started sending out follow-up emails
through-and-through. You put me in a room with to clients so they could email us with further
a stranger and well be chatting like old best problems instead of reaching us through our
friends soon enough. telephone line. We were able to cut call volume
Haha, great. I see you have degrees in political down by 20%.
science and communications, so what inspired Impressive. And lastly, how would you handle
you to be an accident insurance claims agent? a customer you believe is making a fraudulent
Great question; theres a great story behind it. claim?
You see, my father was badly injured in an auto I follow the same motto the US court system
accident and the first agent I spoke to at my followsinnocent until proven guilty. I
insurance company became our one point-of- wouldnt accuse a customer of doing so in case
contact throughout the whole ordeal. He was I was wrong, but I would immediately alert
so caring, understanding, and considerate that my supervisor and the fraud department if
it really made our painful situation easier. I was necessary. From the customer, I would ask for
just finishing my degree program at the time any evidence of the claim with the reasoning
and looking for work. After dealing with that that in their type of claim our company protocol
company, it made me want to help other people requires a number of pieces of evidence. If need
in my situation. So I applied and got the job. The be, I would assist our fraud department in
company gave me all the training I needed and investigating the fraudulent claim.
I was already a people person, you know, grew Well, thank you for your time. Do you have any
up in a big social family, so it was a perfect fit. questions for me?

Audio Script 1
UNIT 18 UNIT 20
TRACK 40 | ACTIVITY 2 TRACK 41 | ACTIVITIES 2A & 2B
Hello, Im James Evo. Welcome to the Good evening and welcome to Business Century
GenerationU booth. Would you like to know Radio Hour with your host Zachary Vaughn.
more about our product? Our guest this evening is Mark Johnson, an
Yeah, Ive been interested in your technology international business etiquette consultant and
for a while now. I picked up your flyer on the way corporate diversity workshop trainer. He has
in. Im excited to see it for myself; I hear its a worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies
really revolutionary product. helping them manage their international
Why, thanks for the compliment. Id be happy customer service team, training them to
to tell you all about it. So what weve developed establish a good rapport with another culture,
is a glove that you put on your hand which and coaching employees transitioning for a
allows you to perform all the regular functions placement abroad. Mark, thank you for joining us.
on a computer that a mouse does, except My pleasure.
with the GenerationU glove, your motions are So lets begin by talking diversity and what
much more natural and it helps prevent health your training program promotescultural
problems like carpel tunnel syndrome, that competence. Can you explain what cultural
many people develop from bending their wrist competence is?
while holding a mouse. Certainly. Cultural competence is simply about
Excellent, excellent. So how does it work exactly? understanding another culture and behaving
Its a highly intuitive device that uses sensory naturally and respectfully towards people
motion detectors to know when you are clicking different from youits about finding common
and magnetic motion tracking to eliminate line- ground. It involves knowing what a faux pas
of-sight restrictions. within that culture is, and working to avoid it, but
Im sorry, what do you mean by that? at the same time being effective in getting your
Haha, sorry for the tech jargon. I mean that it own message across. Whats interesting about
takes very little effort for the device to do what cultural competence and what people often dont
you want it to. Its as if it already knows. And realise is that being culturally competent not
you can control your computer from far away only involves understanding other cultures but of
even if there are people or objects between you equal importance is identifying what is particular
and the computer. to your own culturewhat makes you different,
Oh wow. That sounds great. not just what makes the other culture different
The best thing is that it takes only five minutes from youand that really helps you close the
to set up with any new computer on the market, gap on your differences.
and to type, all you have to do is hold your index Hmm, interesting. So how can one start working
and thumb fingers together and speak and it will toward being culturally competent in the
enter the text. Would you like to see a demo and workplace?
then try it out for yourself? There are a million ways of achieving this. The
Why not. best possible thing you could do is immerse
Okay, let me just show you how it works. ... yourself in your target culture. Go to the country
And now, here, go ahead and try it out. and spend time with the local people and leave
Wow, this thing is really good. your hotel! We certainly know thats not always
Its the best out there right now. Would you like possible, so without ever getting on a plane, the
to take a brochure back with you? best thing you could do is ask your colleagues
Yes, please. Id like to set up discussions about who have worked with this culture for their
purchasing rights to this technology if you are advice. Otherwise, do some research on your own
willing to do that. by finding information on that culture and doing
Yes, of course. Id be happy to take down your business with that culture in books or on the
information. Could you tell me your name again? Internet. Lastly, if you have the time and you are
The names Adam. Heres my business card that taking this very seriously, you or your company
lists my email. I look forward to hearing from you. could pay for a specialised course in intercultural
competence such as the kind of workshops I lead.

Audio Script 1
Very good. Alright, so say that Ive done my

research and followed all the steps, but you still
never know how you will perform until its the
real deal. I know a great deal of people out there
may feel confident at first but something goes
wrong. What do you do in a situation like that?
Yes, well many people learn as they go, but
if youve put your foot in your mouth and are
about to lose an important contract or have
a large deal fall through, then definitely dont
get defensive; instead, be patient and calm
and try to explain yourself as best as you can.
First of all, apologise for your blunder. Say
something like, Im sorry if I sounded rude; I
didnt mean to , for whatever it is that you
did. Or, Please dont take me the wrong way.
If it was a simple misunderstanding, explain so
by saying, You may have misunderstood; what I
meant was Perhaps youve asked a question
too directly, which can be very off-putting for
some people; next time, lessen the directness by
starting out your question with Do you mind if
I ask ? and then ask about the topic without
asking the question outright until they give
you the permission to do so. This is more of a
preventative measure when in doubt.
Excellent suggestions, thank you Mark. Lastly,
do you have any general advice for someone
who often works with international customers of
all backgrounds?
Indeed, the best thing you can do is avoid
stereotypes at all costs. Dont start discussing
wine and cheese with your customer as soon as
he or she tells you they are French (unless they
are in the wine and cheese business, of course).
Be patient and forgiving, especially at first,
and try to avoid using idioms in your speech
or writing. Their level of English may not be as
advanced as yours and idioms oftentimes do not
translate well and may end up being perceived
as awkward, or worseoffensive.
Well thank you kindly Mark for joining us!
Youre welcome.

Audio Script 2
UNIT 1: PRACTICE TRACK 4

Hi, how can I help you?
TRACK 1 Yes, I bought this lawnmower last weekend and
Lets talk about the person we interviewed for it doesnt work. Heres my receipt.
the customer service position this morning. No problem. Were happy to exchange it or take
Sure. Well, I was surprised at first. He looked a it back.
bit disheveled. Im used to people looking more Oh, dont you want to know whats wrong with it?
groomed for an interview. I dont need to, no.
I thought so, too. But he has a great personality OK. But this was a real inconvenience. I really
for working in customer service. needed this to work.
I agree. He also has good posture, and hes polite. Im sorry to hear that. Please also accept this
It was a good interview overall. voucher good for 20% off any future purchase.
Yes. And hes young. I expect he would learn Oh. Well thats very kind of you.
quickly about how to dress for work.
UNIT 4: PRACTICE
UNIT 2: PRACTICE
TRACK 5
TRACK 2 Hi, Harry, Lucinda. What can I do for you today?
Thank you for taking my call, Mr. Alva. We want Thank you for meeting with us, James. Weve
to gauge how well we provide customer service. been on the fence about some interior design
We conduct these phone surveys and ask changes.
customers to rate us. We want to go with a newer aesthetic, and would
Alright. appreciate your recommendations.
You recently purchased an item in one of our Sure. What do you think of bringing in bright
stores. On a scale of one to five, with five colors?
being the highest, how would you rate your No, thats not really what were looking for.
satisfaction with the item you purchased? Some colour would be OK. Were thinking rich,
A five. earthy colours. Dark greys and browns, for
And on the same scale of one to five, how would example, and deep reds.
you rate the service you received in the store? I can see that. I recommend starting with the
A four. entry space. Then we can talk about offices.
Thank you. Can you tell me more about ...?
UNIT 5: PRACTICE
UNIT 3: PRACTICE
TRACK 6
TRACK 3 I hear we had an irate client today. Rick, what
Hi, Im interviewing customers to follow up on happened?
their store experience. Do you have time to I answered the call. I couldnt answer the
answer a few questions? womans question, but I said Id find someone
Yes, I do. who could. I tried to call Ella, but she wasnt at
Thank you. Did you make a purchase or her desk. I apologized to the client and asked
exchange in the store today? her to stay on the line.
Yes, I made a purchase. I was in a long meeting upstairs.
Were you satisfied with the service you OK.
received? While I tried to find Ella, my assistant picked
Yes. In fact, I thought the sales people really up the line. He transferred the client to Ellas
went the extra mile. voicemail.
Thats great to hear. How did they exceed your And I got the clients message two hours later.
expectations? Well, I can see why she felt that she was given
They called several other stores to find the work the runaround.
boots I needed in my size. Then they had them
delivered to this store, so I could pick them up
here.

Audio Script 2
UNIT 6: PRACTICE TRACK 10

1 . Could you say that again?
TRACK 7 2. You said you would like the item by Tuesday,
Hi, Will. How is your morning going? but its not urgent?
Hey, Amir. Its been rough. Ive been fielding 3. Im sorry to interrupt, but the line cut out. I
customer calls for two hours. missed something.
Oh, Ill be doing that this afternoon. I know that 4. Sorry, can you pause? I need to write some of
can be a hassle. that down.
Yeah. We made a mistake on a couple of orders. 5. If this call is disconnected, I will call you back
I apologized and tried to get the orders right, immediately.
but people dont want to hear a solution. One 6. Please excuse the background noise, its just
customer wanted to return some shoes he crazy here!
bought five years ago, I explained company
policy, but he still wanted to hold me personally UNIT 9: PRACTICE
accountable for his torn shoes.
You need a break! TRACK 11
Hi, I need help installing this software upgrade.
UNIT 7: PRACTICE Sure. Im happy to help. So, did you say that you
started the upgrade?
TRACK 8 Yes, but it stopped installing after a few
Good morning, my name is Rose, how can I help minutes.
you? OK. I recommend you first open the upgrade
Hi, I have a reservation. The name is Dewayne menu. Do you see it at the top of your screen?
Allen. Yes. Im opening it.
Yes. Mr Allen, we have no more cars in the Great. Select the item G O S 2, and drag it to the
compact size you reserved. I apologise. We are trash. Now empty the trash. That will take a few
unusually busy today. moments.
OK, what can you do? I have a business meeting What do I do when thats done?
scheduled in two hours. Well start the upgrade again. I will point out
Not a problem. We do have one car available. Its some steps where its easy to ...
the next larger size up, but I can give it to you
for the same price. TRACK 12
Thank you, that would be fine. Hi, Im Kristen from tech support. Are you Jeff
Barnes?
UNIT 8: PRACTICE Yes. Are you here about my graphing program?
I am. Please tell me again, whats the problem?
TRACK 9 Well, the program keeps crashing, and then my
I understand were still having some problems computer freezes.
with our phone system. Hmmm. Have you recently added any new
Yes. Our calls with clients often get programs?
disconnected. No, I havent.
Other times the call is still connected, but Are you working with more than one large file at
theres a gap in the conversation. The line just a time?
cuts out for a few seconds. Uh, yes.
Yeah, once the line just cut out while I was OK. Lets try something. Please open one of the
pulling up someones records. documents ...
Anything else?
My calls get disconnected when I try to transfer
them.
Im hearing background noise during a lot of my
calls.
Wow. We really need the new phone system in,
soon!

Audio Script 2
UNIT 10: PRACTICE UNIT 12: PRACTICE

TRACK 13 TRACK 16
Hello, this is Victor with Tri-State Bank. Am I Hi, can I help you?
speaking to Laura Mata? Yes, please. Im having trouble figuring out what
This is she. kind of bike to buy.
Im calling because your credit card payment is Well, bikes come with a wide variety of features.
14 days past due. Is there a reason for this? What will you mainly use the bike for?
Um. Ive never had an account with your bank. For fun and exercise. I dont plan to race or
According to my records, the account was anything like that.
opened three months ago. OK. And what kinds of surfaces will you be
Oh, no! I ... no ... my, my backpack was stolen six riding on?
months ago. My wallet was in it, and everything. Some streets and some dirt trails, like in the
I know thats a difficult experience. Someone city parks.
must have stolen your information. Let me give Great. Lets look at these bikes over here. Youll
you some instructions on how to resolve this. want medium-width tires for riding on trails.
Sitting upright with this handlebar style will
TRACK 14 make you more visible to drivers. If you ride up
Hi, I think this is the time of year I renew my a lot of hills you may also want ...
business licence. I work from home. Heres my
card for it. TRACK 17
Did you receive your license renewal letter in Im trying to locate a copy of your Spot On
the mail? software.
No. Actually, our home burned down in the Ill do my best to help you. What version of Spot
wildfire last summer. On do you need?
Oh. I am very sorry for your loss. Im glad you Um, the one that includes data management
seem to be doing OK. features. I dont remember which version that is.
We were lucky, really, thanks. My family and That is version three-point-one. And you said
I are all OK. But Ive been overwhelmed, and you want it on disc?
forgot about some things, like this. Yes, please.
OK. Our files show that youre late to renew. No problem. Oh, Im sorry, we have that on
Under the circumstances, Im sure I can renew backorder. But, it should be available to ship in
the license and waive the late fee. The first about ten days.
thing we need to do is ... That would be great!
Super. Lets start your order. Can I please have
UNIT 11: PRACTICE your name and address?
TRACK 15 UNIT 13: PRACTICE

Lets review the companys main points of
customer service etiquette. First, what are the TRACK 18
basics of starting a phone conversation? Ron? Hi. My package arrived today. Its dented all
You should always introduce yourself and use a over, and some items are damaged.
generic greeting. Im sorry to hear that. Can you give me the
Super. Sherry, what is the companys first nine-digit order number on the packing slip? Its
guideline regarding email and clients? in the upper ...
When in doubt, cc the whole project team. Yes, I have it. Its 2 8 3 7 1 - 5 1 - 0 2.
Yes. Um, Norman. Please tell us two important Thank you. Please tell me which items were
things to remember for in-person conversations. damaged?
Make eye contact from time to time, and dont The large-print book has a torn cover. The music
stand less than two feet from anyone. CD has a cracked case.
Yes. Andeveryonein all situations, ... And do you want replacements for these items,
... be professional. or would you prefer a refund?
Id like to exchange them.

Audio Script 2
OK. Im ordering new items to be shipped. UNIT 16: PRACTICE

Meanwhile, please find the return label ...
TRACK 22
... it still wont let me in. By the way, I called this
UNIT 14: PRACTICE
number earlier, and the person I talked to was
TRACK 19 really rude. He insisted I must be in error.
Hey, Mary. Are you OK? Im sorry. Um. I see the problem. You did
Hi, Braden. I need a little break. I just spent enter all the information you had correctly.
15 minutes on the phone with an extremely Unfortunately we just issued your new card.
disgruntled customer. So, the security number on your current card is
Oh, yeah. We all get those sometimes. And obsolete.
theres nothing you can do to make them happy. And you cant tell me the new one.
Yes. It leaves me feeling incompetent, even No, Im sorry. You need the new card in order to
when I know Im not. I can offer the sincerest register for online account access.
apologies, try to bring in other people to I wish the first person had figured this out.
troubleshoot, but sometimes nothing helps. I apologize for the wasted time. I could submit a
I know, I know. report of your experience.

I mean, seriously! The service I got before was
appalling! How do you even stay in business? TRACK 23
Im very sorry, maam. I think I see what What did you think of Darren? I think hes a
happened, and I really want to fix this for you. genuine people person.
Ugh. Fine. So, can you get my order processed? I agree. He struck me as charismatic too. Those
I used a gift card, which covered the entire are definitely useful personality traits for
order. I should not have to provide new credit working in customer service.
card info. I liked Marlene too, although theres something
Yes, I understand, and I can I apologize, I need unusual about her.
a manager to approve an override. I know, I was trying to figure it out. I wouldnt
So, youre going to pass me on to someone else? say she has a negative attitude, exactly, but ...
No, maam, if you like, I can stay on the line with I know. Its her sense of humor. I think its a little
you, I just need about one minute. on the sarcastic side.
Fine. Thank you. Yeah, maybe. I wonder how customers would
react to that.
UNIT 15: PRACTICE
UNIT 18: PRACTICE
TRACK 21
Hello. I got a call to come pick up some books I TRACK 24
requested. Are you ready to rub shoulders with industry
Great. Whats your last name? execs?
Its Gilbert. Mmm, Im not sure. I know Ill be helping to
Oh. Um. I called earlier. But I called to say we convert prospects. I keep thinking I should come
cant accommodate the request. The books you up with clever conversation openers.
wanted are no longer in print. We ... My advice would be to avoid clever openers,
No, I was told that two were here and the other actually. Be friendly yet direct.
two are on order. What do you mean?
Theres been a misunderstanding, sir. We dont Follow your leads. Introduce yourself to
have them. In fact, we ... prospects, then be honest about why you
Someone else must have called me. approached them. Everyones so busy at trade
Thats not possible, sir, Im the only person here shows, I like to skip the chit-chat.
this morning. I can recommend a used book Oh, good. I believe thats a better strategy.
dealer if you like.

Audio Script 2

Hi, Im Marcus Rigby. Im here with MyrnaTech.
Hi, Im Jean Cole. Ive been looking for your TRACK 28
booth. So, were supposed to brainstorm ways to build
Great! What did you want to know? cultural competency. I know they mean with
People are talking about the USPs regarding respect to international clients. But I propose
your newest release. we start with a survey of our colleagues. We
Yes. Heres our spring catalogue, please take could learn about the diverse backgrounds of
it. It lists feature bundles and USPs, as well as people in our own building.
prototype info and some future releases. I like that. The survey should be anonymous,
Thank you. Im wondering whether MyrnaTech though. No one should feel like theyre being
offers any bulk discounts? asked to represent a whole culture or other
We dont at this time, but thats been a popular large group of people.
question. If you would, leave your business card I agree. Also, I thought we might hire someone
with me. Ill contact you when those become to lead cultural awareness trainings. Wed learn
available. about sensitive issues in different cultures. Or
how to recognise stereotypesthose kinds of
UNIT 19: PRACTICE things.
That could be good, too.
TRACK 26 Nice! I feel like this is a good start.
The client will host a chatroom dedicated to
the Chandler project. Well use it for informal
meetings and daily communication between the
companies.
Excuse me, Dana?
Yes, Joe.
I havent used chatrooms before. Will the
company provide some assistance?
Yes! I will forward the clients helpdesk info. Feel
free to use it. They said theyre ready to help us
with our learning curve. Any other questions?
I have a question about the schedule: What does
EOD stand for?
That means end of day. It means that for any
date on the schedule, deliverables are due at
the end of that work day.
Great, thanks.
TRACK 27
Chandler helpdesk, Sharla speaking.
Hi Sharla, this is Tracy Rivera. I need help
accessing your server.
Sure. Have you logged into the domain yet?
No. Im setting up my profile now. Which fields
do I have to fill in? Some appear to be optional.
Fill in the first four fields. The last one of those
says Confirm Password.
OK, got it. Thanks!

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Language for life.

Berlitz Languages, Inc.

Copyright 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc.

Berlitz Trademark Reg. U.S. Patent Office and other countries

First Digital Edition March 2015

For use exclusively in connection with Berlitz classroom instruction.

Berlitz Languages, Inc.

1. General Business English sequentially teaches students increasingly complex general

Has modularized, self-contained units of instruction. Every unit focuses on achieving

Customer Service Preface 2014

Student Guide Pages

Lesson-specific speaking objectives At-a-glance Useful Phrases sections help

iv 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Preface

Audio scripts provide texts

Supplements allows for

English Passport, a collection

Audio CDs and downloadable

Customer Service Preface 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. v

Unit 6 Im sorry; its against company policy

Unit 6: Im sorry; its against company policy

Key Vocabulary & Expressions Level 5-6 Level 7-8

Speaking Goal: Apologize and explain a company policy

To distinguish between policies and apologies, tell students to put

Set a customized goal, for example: Our goal is to apologize and

If your language center has provided interactive

vi 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Preface

Apologize and explain a company policy (contd.)

Practice Exercises 1-4, p. 58

BerlitzEnglish Professional Modules / Customer Service / Unit 6 05-31-14

Each unit of instruction is paired with practice

Customer Service Preface 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. vii

TITLE PAGES TOPICS SPEAKING GOALS KEY TERMS

2 On a scale of 8-15 Market Ask clients about to gauge; brick-and-mortar;

4 I suggest you go with 24-31 Recommendations Recommend on the fence; to narrow

6 Im sorry; its 40-47 Company Apologize and hassle; accountable; to

8 Elora speaking; how 56-63 Telephone Communicate background noise; to

9 Ill walk you 64-71 Troubleshooting Provide tech support to dispatch; to

10 Considering the 72-79 Empathy Express empathy to a to waive; viral; to

viii 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Contents

15 The customer is 112-119 Clients complaints Respond to an misleading; to fish for; to

16 Room for 120-127 Criticism and Respond to client constructive criticism;

19 Its the latest client 144-151 Communication Optimize browser; helpdesk; to be

20 Cultural competence 152-159 Intercultural Develop your idiosyncrasy; values; faux

Customer Service Contents 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. ix

Unit 1: First impressions

Vocabulary & Expressions Level 5-6 Level 7-8

Speaking Goal: Make a good first impression on a new client

Warm-up (SGs closed)

2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. Customer Service Unit 1

1 Qualities of a customer service representative

2a 1-5 May I help you?

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________ 4. ____________ 5. ____________

Customer Service Unit 1 1

Customer Service Unit 1 2014 Berlitz Languages, Inc. 1

Make a good first impression on a new client (contd.)

2a-b. Nice to meet you. Presentation

BerlitzEnglish Professional Modules / Customer Service / Unit 01 07-31-14

1 Qualities of a customer service representative

1. General Business English sequentially teaches students increasingly complex general

Has modularized, self-contained units of instruction. Every unit focuses on achieving

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.