Practice Listening Business English Exercises for B1 – Customer service

A

Call 1:   The woman called about her internet connection not working.

Call 2:   She called to query her high mobile phone bill.

B

1 busy   2 May I have   3 How can   4 account

5 just ask   6 give me   7 put you through

8 speak up   9 on hold   10 assist you with

C

1   the phone number

2   the automated system does not understand what she wants

3   because she wants to talk to a person not a machine

4   because she went to a country (Andorra) outside the European Union and there was a roaming charge

5   to reduce the charge on her phone bill

6   to phone customer services or check the website before travelling abroad / to check roaming charges before she travels

Audioscript

1

R1 = Recorded message 1   D = David   A = Angela   K = Kabir

R1:   Welcome to Noderphone. This call may be recorded and monitored for training purposes. All our agents are busy right now, please hold.

All our agents are busy right now. You can also visit the Noderphone.com website for customer service information.

D:   Good afternoon, my name is David. May I have your name, please?

A:   Yes, it’s Angela Parsons.

D:   How can I help you, Angela?

A:   My internet connection isn’t working.

D:  Is the account in your name?

A:   Yes, it is.

D:    Can I just ask for some further identi­fication? Can you give me the phone number for this account, Angela?

A:   Yes, it’s 0208 892 2149.

D:   Thank you, Angela. I’ll put you through to our customer service agents. Can I ask before you go, do you have any mobile phone numbers you’d like to add to your account? There is a special offer right now.

A:   No thank you, David. I only have one mobile and it’s already on this account.

D:   OK, just transferring you now.

R1:  All our agents are busy right now, please hold.

K:   Hello, Angela, my name is Kabir, how can I help you?

A:   I just told your colleague, my internet isn’t working.

K:   I see. Have you tried switching off the router and turning it on again, Angela?

A:   I’m sorry, I can’t hear you very well. Could you speak up, please?

K:   Yes, of course. Have you tried switching off the wifi­ router and turning it on again?

A:   Yes, I’ve done all that. The lights don’t come on as usual though.

K:   OK, I’ll re-boot it from here. This will take a few seconds. I’ll just put you on hold …

K:   Hello Angela, can you tell me if the lights start to come on on the router?

A:   Yes, something’s happening. They’ve started coming on. There’s a yellow light, and now two blue on the left, oh, and another yellow one on the right.

K:   Are you in front of your computer?

A:   Yes, I’m just trying to get into my email. Yes, it’s working now.

K:   Is there anything else I can assist you with this afternoon, Angela?

A:   No, that’s ­ ne, thanks.

K:   Have a nice afternoon.

2

R2 = Recorded message 2   A = Angela   J = Judith

R2:  Welcome to Noderphone. This call may be recorded and monitored for training purposes. Please say the phone number about which you have an issue. If it is the phone from which you are calling, say ‘It’s this phone.’

A:   It’s this phone.

R2:  How can I help you today?

A:   I have a query about my mobile phone bill.

R2:  I’m sorry, I don’t understand. For internet services, press one; for television services, press two; for … press seven; for technical support, press eight; or please hold to speak to an agent.

J:   Good morning, this is Judith speaking. Can I have your name, please?

A:   At last! Yes, it’s Angela Parsons. It’s taken me fifteen minutes just to speak to a real person.

J:   I’m sorry for the long delay – we’re receiving lots of calls today. How can I help you, Angela?

A:   I want to query my mobile phone bill for last month. It’s ninety-three euros thirty-eight cents. That’s more than three times what I normally pay.

J:   Can I just ask your date of birth for veri­fication purposes?

A:   Yes, it’s 23rd June 1988.

J:   Thank you, Angela. I’m just looking at your bill on the screen. Yes, I see you were in Andorra and there was a roaming charge of forty-six eighty-seven.

A:   What? A roaming charge? Why?

J:   Andorra isn’t a European Union country. It falls into our Rest of the World, Zone 2.

A:   But … I don’t remember using the phone’s data, I used the hotel’s wi­fi connection and I only called my mum a couple of times. Look, could you possibly reduce the charge?

J:   I’m sorry, we can’t do that, Angela. We always recommend contacting customer services to check roaming charges abroad before you travel. Next time don’t forget to do that. You can also ­find the information on our website.

A:   Well, I’ll certainly remember to look for a cheaper operator as soon as I can.

J:   Can I help you with anything else today?

A:   Yes, could I speak to your supervisor, please?

J:   I’m afraid she’ll give you the same information.

A:   Well, I still want to speak to her anyway.

J:   OK, I’m just transferring you now.

A

1   Ideas come to us at any time.

2   They disappear, either through forgetfulness, being afraid of being laughed at or due to lack of a system for capturing them.

3   The manager wants to hear ideas about how to generate ideas, how to share ideas and how to capture those ideas.

4   The group must come up with a list of ideas of how to generate ideas and not lose them.

B

1 generate   2 share   3 enough   4 ways   5 lose

Audioscript

We all have good ideas. They come to us when we’re reading or listening to music, in conversation with friends, or alone with our thoughts. But most of the time, they just disappear. I think there are many reasons for this. We may simply forget. We may be afraid of being laughed at. But I think mostly it’s because we don’t have a system for capturing them.

So I want to hear your ideas about how we can generate more ideas, and how we can share them with each other. But it’s not enough just to have good ideas. What I want to do in this session is to brainstorm ways we can capture those ideas to make sure we don’t lose them. Yes, we need to be creative, to experiment, to innovate, to explore, to imagine. But we also need to think about how we put our creativity into practice. So in your groups, in thirty minutes, I’d like you to come up with a list of ideas – not only for how to generate great ideas, but also how not to lose them.

The speakers who talk about ways to record ideas are:

1 (brainstorm using lists), 2 (use a notebook or smartphone), 3 (draw a mind map) and 5 (draw pictures). Speakers 4 and 6 do not mention recording or capturing ideas.

Audioscript

Speaker 1

We think the ­first thing we need to do is to make lists. So we should brainstorm as many ideas as possible, and write them all down. Quantity not quality is the key. We can decide what we want to keep later.

Speaker 2

We think that the big problem is those ideas which come to us when we are not expecting them. How do we record them? We suggest everyone needs to get into the habit of carrying a small notebook. Another way is to use the recorders on our smartphones. The thing is, it’s got to be easy, otherwise we won’t do it.

Speaker 3

Our team would like to push the idea of mind mapping. Basically, starting with a word or phrase, and then simply writing down all the ideas that come from that phrase. So it’s a bit like brainstorming, which the ­first group mentioned. But then we need to connect the ideas so that we end up with things that are related to each other.

Speaker 4

We like the idea of using different viewpoints to generate ideas. So everyone takes on a different role to normal, a different personality, and then tries to think like that person might think. For example, if you are thinking about ideas for improving customer service, you could take on the role of a customer, or one of the suppliers.

Speaker 5

Our team came up with the idea of visualisation, or of using pictures to record our creativity. So not just writing down the idea in normal words, but drawing a picture or a diagram which summarises the idea. Doing this helps to think the idea through.

Speaker 6

We like the devil’s advocate approach. Basically every time someone comes up with an idea or an innovation we take the opposite view and question everything about the idea. The risk is that we make people upset or angry, but what we want to do is make sure that we really think through the issues, instead of just accepting them. It helps prevent group thinking.

1 Act   2 facts   3 contact   4 priority   5 a solution   6 loyal

7 customer-facing   8 training   9 respect   10 records

Audioscript

This morning I’m going to talk about dealing with unhappy customers and how to turn a bad situation around. When things go wrong, many people’s ­first reaction is to be very angry and demand that it be dealt with immediately. So whether the complaint is on social media, the phone or in an email, act as quickly as you can to resolve the situation. However, don’t go making offers without checking the facts as that can be almost as bad as not resolving it. Customers like to know that a company cares about them.

With social media and emails, respond immediately by apologising and indicating that you are looking into the complaint and will contact the person as soon as you can. But then don’t fall into the trap of taking too long. It’s important to treat each complaint as a priority. If necessary, imagine that if you do not solve the problem, you could lose your job. That’s a good way to focus your mind. Then get back to the customer with a solution as quickly as you can. And if you can give a customer a little more than they expect, they are likely to become your most loyal customer.

Many employees in customer service are dependent on the manager to give them permission to solve problems. All customer-facing staff should be able to solve as many complaints as possible without referring back to someone who may not be available at the time. This is where a comprehensive company policy and good training can be invaluable. These can help to ensure that similar problems don’t occur again. A company must create a culture of good service and respect for the customer. It should keep accurate records of every communication between the company and the customer for each complaint so that everyone knows what’s happened or is happening and can use this information to either improve a service or make sure something similar doesn’t happen again.

1 b   2 c   3 c   4 b   5 c

Audioscript

1   I think there’s something wrong with our order.

      a   I have to say that your colleague is wrong.

      b   Your colleague has already filled me in on the details.

      c   I want to make sure everything is okay.

2   Your colleague says the order will be sent later today.

      a   I’m confident we’ll come up with a solution.

      b   She’s filled me in on what’s wrong.

      c   She’s correct about that.

3   What are you going to do about this problem?

      a   I see your point.

      b   You are correct about that.

      c   I’m sure we’ll come up with a solution.

4   You’ve charged me too much for the service.

      a   I can see both sides of the situation.

      b   Let me just check with my colleague.

      c   You have filled me in on the details.

5   I want to make sure that everything is OK.

      a   Your colleague included the discount.

      b   What are you going to do about it?

      c   There are still a few problems.

1 c   2 a   3 b   4 c   5 c   6 a   7 a   8 c

Audioscript

1   Why does the man choose Focus Airways?

I always fly Focus Airways if I’m going to Europe or Asia. They offer a premium service at a reasonable price. They’re not the cheapest – I don’t like the no-frills airlines – but they’re rarely late. This is so important when you’re in business. You can only take hand luggage weighing 10 kg, which is fine for business trips. You can take more, up to 23 kg, but it’s very expensive to do that.

2   What is the customer complaining about?

I’m not happy about my flight. It’s the worst I’ve ever had. The seats were a bit small, but the real problem was that I was ill after eating the lunch and I wasn’t the only one. After I got off the plane, I felt awful while I was waiting to get my luggage. Thank goodness you didn’t lose that! I was sick for a week and had to take time off work.

3   What does the man want to do?

A:   Hello, I’m calling about my new phone. It isn’t working.

B:   What’s your name, please?

A:   Alan Jones.

B:   It says here your bill hasn’t been paid this month. That’s why it isn’t working.

A:   I always pay bills immediately. I changed to your company two months ago. Are you sure you’ve got my payment details correct?

B:   Oh, the manager’s made a note here. Ah, he didn’t complete the payment form properly. I’m really sorry.

A:   Can I pay now with my credit card?

B:   Of course.

4   What has the woman forgotten to order?

A:   Hello, I’m calling from GrangeCo. I ordered some business cards last week and photo frames, but I’ve only received the cards. When can I expect the rest of the order?

B:   The last order from your company was for 2,000 business cards. There’s nothing about photo frames.

A:   Oh dear. Can I order them now?

B:   Of course. By the way, are you happy with the phones you bought from us last month?

5   What do the man and woman agree on?

A:   We must talk about Jack. I don’t think he can write the report. We should give it to someone else.

B:   I disagree. He needs experience writing reports, but I was thinking about asking someone else to help him.

A:   We don’t need to do that. If we give him more training, he’ll be able to write the reports we need.

B:   Okay. That sounds good. I’ll organise it.

6   What samples do the man and the woman decide to send to customers?

A:   Now that we’ve developed the water resistant material, we need a sample product to send to customers.

B:   A T-shirt would be good – imagine one that never gets wet or dirty.

A:   I’m not sure. I’d prefer a shopping bag. It’s eco-friendly, keeps everything dry and folds up really small.

B:   Mmm, very practical. But what about car seat covers?

A:   Too expensive to make.

B:   I guess your idea’s the cheapest so let’s go with that.

7   Why is the woman worried about the meeting?

A:   I’m worried about tomorrow’s meeting.

B:   Why? They’ll love our new product range.

A:   I don’t doubt our products, I just find it difficult to convince buyers to take them. Last time the Chief Buyer said the quality wasn’t as good as our competitors. He was quite rude actually.

B:   Didn’t you hear? He’s just left the company. There’s a new buyer. I hear he’s very nice.

A:   Oh, even worse. I know nothing about him!

B:   You’ll be fine, don’t worry!

8   How is the man planning to thank a supplier?

A:   I’m so pleased with how the supplier met our requirements on time that I’m putting an ad in the trade journal to thank them.

B:   Really? Wouldn’t a simple email do? It’d be much cheaper.

A:   Yes, but they saved us lots of money and the contract. I want people to know how good they are.

B:   I assume you’ve already phoned to thank them.

A:   Actually, I haven’t. They’ll see the ad in tomorrow’s newspaper.

1 a   2 b   3 b   4 c   5 a   6 c   7 c

Audioscript

E = Emma   P = Peter

Listen to a meeting between a supplier, Emma, and a customer, Peter.

E:   Peter, I’m so sorry about the order problems. Let’s see what we can do about it.

P:   Great. Last week, part of our order was missing and this isn’t the first time this has happened. We ordered parts for our BHX455 machines but you sent us ones for the BHX454.

E:   Oh dear. Sorry. Our order department says it was a mistake. I can’t apologise enough.

P:   But this isn’t the first time. The last three orders were delayed and two of them were completely wrong. You’ll have to sort this out, otherwise we need to look for another supplier.

E:   We’ve just installed a new automated system and some staff are having problems with it. I’m sure we can find a solution.

P:   Can you tell me that there won’t be any other issues? We’ve had to keep customers waiting because of your mistakes. They’re not happy and we can’t afford to lose any.

E:   I really understand your situation and I will do everything in my power to solve this. I’ve discussed this with my supervisors and we’re starting a new priority system. Your orders will be handled by a supervisor who’ll check them and send them out as soon as we receive them from you.

P:   That sounds really good, if it works.

E:   It will. Priority customers will get a personal supervisor. They’ll make sure your orders are correct and delivered on time. Also they will find solutions to any problems that occur, such as sourcing stock from other companies if we haven’t got the stock.

P:   OK.

E:   Your supervisor will be George. I’ve asked him to organise a driver to deliver the missing parts later today. We won’t charge you for them either. We really want this business relationship to continue and hope you can give us another chance.

P:   Fine. Thanks. And in future if there are any problems, I just contact George?

E:   Yes. You’ll have his mobile number. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss today?

P:   Well, we urgently need some parts for one of our battery-operated machines.

E:   You need batteries? For which machines?

P:   The XLB2. But not batteries. We need three of the white casings that hold the switches. If possible, I’d like to take some back with me today.

E:   Right. I’ll check if we have any casings in stock. And do you need any switches?

P:   No thanks. Not today.