ESL Responding to Customers Complaints

Introduction: 

Mistakes are going to happen in the business world. When they do, customer service representatives from the company should handle any customer complaints. 

Dialogue: 

Jared recently purchased a stereo from an electronics store, Best Buy. He’s having some trouble with the stereo and calls the customer service number to complain.

(phone rings)

Representative: Thank you for calling Best Buy Customer Service. This is Jill. How may I help you?

Jared: Hi. I bought a stereo from you guys a few weeks ago and I’m having some serious problems with it.

Representative: What seems to be the problem?

Jared: Well, it’s not working properly. The volume dial won’t work and the CD tray won’t open either.

Representative: I’m very sorry to hear that the stereo isn’t working correctly, sir. Have you tried unplugging it and then trying again?

Jared: Yes. I’ve tried that and it didn’t do anything.

Representative: OK. Well, at Best Buy we take pride in maintaining a reputation for excellent products, so your problem with the stereo is unacceptable to us. Let me gather some more information and we’ll see what we can do to fix this.

Jared: Thank you.

Representative: No problem. Do you have the receipt for your stereo purchase?

Jared: Yes.

Representative: OK. Can you give me the date of purchase listed on it and the number printed at the bottom of the receipt?

Jared: Sure. The date of purchase was July 19th, 2007 and the number printed on there is 2-7200-1526-0854-9968-8

Representative: Thank you for that information. Are you able to look at the stereo at the moment as well?

Jared: Sure. I’m right next to it.

Representative: OK. There should be a sticker on the back with a number. Can you give me that number?

Jared: Let’s see. OK, I see it. It’s 8564312000125.

Representative: All right. Could you hold for just a moment, please?

Jared: Sure.

Representative: Thank you for holding, sir. I’m sorry, but the product you purchased has been recalled due to electrical malfunctions.

Jared: How can you tell?

Representative: The number you gave me allows me to pull up information on your specific product. With that, I was able to see that the stereo was produced at a certain factory that made the recalled products.

Jared: So what do I do now?

Representative: The easiest option is just to bring your stereo, with your receipt, back to your local Best Buy store. They can exchange the faulty product for a new stereo for you.

Jared: OK. I can do that.

Representative: Just take the stereo to the customer service desk and the staff there should be able to take care of the problem for you.

Jared: All right.

Representative: Is there anything else I can do for you today?

Jared: No, that was it.

Representative: OK. And again, on behalf of the Best Buy Company, we are very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you. We value your business; so, if you have any other questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Jared: OK. Thanks.

Representative: Have a nice day.

Jared: Bye.

Vocabulary:

customer service representatives: a company employee that deals with customer complaints and questions 

handle: take care of, fix 

take pride in: to be proud of 

recalled: a defective product that is taken off the market 

malfunctions: failures in operation 

faulty: defective

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever complained about bad service or a bad product to a company?

-Yes, I have. For example, I received very bad service from a gas company in the past. They were charging me for the gas service that the people across the street from me were using! I had to call many times and the representatives were very unhelpful. Eventually, I had to write a letter of complaint to the company.

2. Is it customary to complain about a business that does not provide good service in your country?

-Yes, it’s customary to complain about a business’ bad service in the U.S. Most companies have customer service numbers that you can call to discuss any problems. I think most people feel entitled to complain about bad service because they are paying money for that service.

3. If you received bad food at a restaurant, would you complain? Why or why not?

-Yes, I would. I’d complain because I am paying for good food and, if there were something wrong with it, I’d want them to know.

4. Do you ever have to deal with customer complaints at your job?

-Yes, I do. I see a lot of students at my job. Many of them come in to my office and want to complain about things. It can be hard to handle sometimes, but I just listen to what they have to say and offer suggestions on how they can fix their complaint.

5. Is it a good idea to get mad while complaining to a business?

-No, it’s not. Complaining to customer service representatives can be frustrating and can make you feel very angry. However, becoming angry will only make the problem worse. It’s better to stay calm and you’ll probably get better help with your problem.

6. How do you feel when you get put on hold when you call a customer service number?

-I feel so frustrated! I’ve had to wait on hold for half an hour or forty-five minutes before when calling customer service. Sometimes I feel like they are putting you on hold just so they don’t have to talk to you. It makes you feel like people don’t want to listen to you and that you’re not important to them.

7. Do you think good customer service is important to businesses today? Why or why not?

-I think that good customer service is not important to a lot of business today.

Many businesses are too concerned with making a lot of money and they don’t treat their customers very well.

8. Are you allowed to return faulty products in your country?

-Yes, we are. In the U.S., we can return most things, as long as we have our receipt. Without a receipt, many places will not accept returns.

9. Have you ever purchased a faulty product? What was it?

-Yes, I have. Many years ago, I purchased a new refrigerator. After having it for about 7 days, it just quit working. All of my food went bad or melted. I had to call the company and have them replace my fridge with one that worked. 

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