AGENDA: Customer service CUSTOMER SERVICE Indirect questions Enquiries and Complaints enquiries and complaints
(Source: https://medium.com/@SiriusLMC/1-3-af66296caf4e, June 10th, 2020) 1. Overall objectives
By the end of this unit, students will be able to: - make - make and deal with
- talk about their customer service experience in which they made a complaint 2. Key language knowledge
Vocabulary related to customer service 24-hour service (r) s s/ handle (v) after-sales service look into /l alternative (n) / t v/ misunderstanding (n) compensate (v) mpense t/ s nd stænd 56 | P a g e compensation (n) n/ mix-up ks p/ evaluate (v) / væljue t/ promptly (adv) mptli/ evaluation (n) / n/ refund (n) nd/ follow up l. . p/
replacement (n) /r ple sm nt/ get back to / straight away /stre t we / guarantee (n) warranty (n) r nti/ Language Focus
1. Indirect questions: are used to ask politely some information. Expression used to introduce indirect questions: ? Do you hav ? . . ? ?
Remember to make the following changes when a direct question becomes part of a longer indirect question:
Keep the verb tense and only change the word order in the indirect question to
the same as a normal sentence.
Direct question: What time will the package be dispatched?
Indirect question: Could you tell me what time the package will be dispatched?
If there is no question word, do not use do, does, did
Direct question: Did you receive the original receipt?
Indirect question: I was wondering if you received the original receipt.
If there is a question word, use the same question word (what, when, where, etc.
Direct question: How can I receive a refund for this faulty product?
Indirect question: I would like to know how I can receive a refund for this faulty product. 57 | P a g e
2. Useful expressions for enquiry or responding to an enquiry Enquiry Respond
Can you tell me a little about...?
Can/ May I have some information
Would you mind giving me further
3. Useful expressions for asking what happened, making complaints and handling complaints a. Asking what happened
What seems to be the problem / matter?
May I ask what the problem is? Is something wrong?
Is there anything I can help you with?
What exactly is the situation? Is everything OK? b. Making complaints I have a complaint to make There is a problem with I ordered 58 | P a g e c. Handling complaints Apologizing Clarifying the information
Do you mind if I just go over that again? Listening carefully Showing sympathy I would feel the same way. speak.
I can understand the reason for your complaint.
What a difficult situation this puts you in. Taking responsibilities
Saying how and when the problem
There seems to be a misunderstanding. will be solved - up.
It seems that the order was not handled this inconvenience. promptly. you back. Offering an alternative
Assuring the client of follow-up
If this solution does not meet your back to you in/ by Friday) alternative.
Ask if the customer is satisfied with
Ending with a friendly, helpful tone the solution
Thank you for bringing this problem to Would that be acceptable? our attention. Would that work?
Is there anything else I can help you with today? any more problems. 59 | P a g e 3. Online learning checklist
Look at the list of online learning tasks below and tick the tasks you have completed. Online learning task Task focus Completed Vocabulary Presentation
Words related to customers service - Presentation Task 1 Words - word writing Task 2 Word synonyms - Matching Task 3 Noun phrases - Matching Task 4 Words - Multiple choice Task 5 Words - Gap filling Section test Words - Gap filling Grammar Presentation 1
Indirect questions - Presentation Presentation 2
Useful expressions for enquiry or responding to an enquiry - Presentation Presentation 3
Useful expressions for complaints - Presentation Task 1
customer-friendly equivalents - Matching Task 2
Complaints and solutions - Matching Task 3
Indirect questions - Multiple choice Task 4
Useful expressions - Completion Task 5
Indirect questions - Sentence completion Section test
Useful expressions - Multiple choice Listening Task 1
Hotel enquiries - Short answers Task 2 Complaints - Gap filling Task 3 Note completion - Gap filling Task 4
Hotel enquiries - Multiple choice Task 5
Enquiries and requests - Matching Task 6
Product order - Multiple choice Reading Task 1 Passage - Completion Task 2
Email of complaint - Multiple choice 60 | P a g e Task 3 Passage - True or False Task 4 Passage - True or False Task 5 Passage - Short answers Task 6 Email - Multiple choice Writing Task 1
Useful expressions - Sentence arrangement Task 2
Useful expressions - Sentence building Task 3
Complaint letter - Sentences arrangement Task 4 Apology email - Gap filling Task 5 Apology letter - Gap filling Task 6 Apology - letter writing
4. Face-to-face class materials 61 | P a g e LESSON 1 ENQUIRIES AND REQUESTS Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to enquiries and requests. Warm-up: Music box
Listen to a song, pick a card from the box and perform the task required in the card. Activity 1: Making enquiries
Work in pairs. Making enquiries based on the following situations using both direct and indirect questions.
Sample: You are watching an advertisement of an Italian watch, model number
JKL4589. Then you call the shop assistant to ask for the price of this watch.
Direct question: How much does the watch with model number JKL4589 cost?
Indirect question: Could you tell me how much the watch with model number JKL4589 costs?
1. You are calling about a faulty television. It may still be under guarantee. You need
to know the guarantee policy of this product.
2. You are waiting at a station for a train that is over an hour late. You think it may
have been cancelled and go to the information desk to find out.
3. You have just placed an order for computer mice and you want to know the time for delivery.
4. You want to order a Panasonic washing machine on Amazon. You want to enquire about the guarantee period.
Activity 2: Making and dealing with enquiries and requests
Work in pairs. Use indirect questions to make enquiries or requests and reply them
basing on the suggestions below. 62 | P a g e
Situation 1: You go to a Ford automobile showroom to buy a Ford Ranger car. Ask the color options of the Respond: white, black, navy, Ford Ranger dark red, grey
Situation 2: You are calling about your faulty mobile phone you bought two months
ago. Last week you dropped it in water and could not turn it on again. Ask about the guarantee Explain the guarantee policy: policy of your mobile phone - 12 months on smart phone
- Not cover damages resulting from misuse,
natural disasters, or accidents
Situation 3: Your flight to New York at 9 pm should take off in 10 minutes, but you
heard any announcements of the boarding time. Ask if there are any flights
- Apologize for the unexpected delay departing at 9 p.m.
- Boarding time: in 30 minutes, at 9.30 p.m.
Situation 4: Your company often pays the office rent on 10th every month. Your
company wants to pay 5 days later starting this month because of some financial issues. - Accept the request
Ask to change rent date to the - Promise to make this small fifteenth of the month change to rental agreement 63 | P a g e
Situation 5: The printer you ordered will be delivered next Tuesday morning.
However, you need to be on a business trip on that day. - Accept the request
Ask if you can change delivery
- Ask for the name of customer, time to next Monday morning product order number
Activity 3: A good customer care officer
Work in pairs. Make a conversation for the following situation.
Student A: You work as a customer care officer at Homepro store. Look at the use indirect
questions to ask her/him for some information (name of product, model number,
quantity, place of delivery, delivery date).
Student B: You are a purchasing officer and you want to buy electric fans for your
office. Look at the information on the table on page 114, ask customer care officer
about some information (material, color option, special features, price, after-sales service), and Student A Material Metal Color options Blue and gold Special features
Have 5 speeds and 360° oscillation
Hook up a USB cable to this electric fan and charge it from
computer => very convenient Price $70 After-sales 2-year guarantee service
10% discount for next purchase 64 | P a g e Activity 4: Role-playing
Work in pairs. Complete the table with your own
information. Make a conversation based on the following situation.
Student A: You are a customer watching the
advertisement of a mobile phone on TV. You call
the customer service for some more enquiries about the product.
Student B: You are a customer service officer based on the table Name of product Sam Sung Galaxy Note 10 Platform Display and storage Features Retail price After-sales service 65 | P a g e