UNIT 10 SORTING OUT PROBLEMS AGENDA Situations Action Talking about Sorting out problems Exercise 1] problems Problems with the product Exercise 2 Problems involving delivery Exer
Trang 1UNIT 10 SORTING OUT PROBLEMS AGENDA
Situations Action Talking about Sorting out problems Exercise 1]
problems Problems with the product Exercise 2
Problems involving delivery Exercise 3 Problems involving service Exercise 4 Problems involving payment Exercises 5 and 6
Datafile: Clarifying
_ | Finding Playing for time Exercise 7
| solutions Accepting responsibility Exercises 8, 9 and 10
Denying responsibility Exercise 11
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Talking about problems
Exercise 1 Sorting out problems
Look at the diagram It describes the process of defining and solving various commercial problems Each step of the process is numbered Now look at the phrases below and decide which phrase corresponds
to which numbered step on the diagram The first one has been done for you
a) Im afraid it’s not my d) Can I come back to you on department this in a couple of hours? b) It doesn’t work e) There’s a major problem c) The last consignment was f) We're not happy about
four days late your after-sales service
PRODUCT PROBLEMS
DEFINING AND COMMUNICATING THE PROBLEM
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g) I’m terribly sorry
h) I may be able to suggest an answer
i) We will replace all the faulty parts
j) For the time being, I
1) It’s entirely my fault
m) This invoice still hasn’t been paid!
n) Let me just make sure I’ve got that
e) ff) _— g)
FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM
OFFERING COMPENSATION
OR
SOLUTION
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OFFERING (POSSIBLE) SOLUTION
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Exercise 2 Problems with the product
Below are a number of different products Next to them are words that can be used to describe associated problems In each case write down a complete sentence about the problem
van computer security alarm system
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Trang 5UNIT 10 SORTING OUT PROBLEMS TALKING ABOUT PROBLEMS
Exercise 3 Delivery problems
Listen to your customer, who has left a message on your telephone answering machine When you have fully understood the message note down the complaints on the form below
CUSTOMER COMPLAINT FORM 10455
A COMPANY NAME COMPANY LOCATION
CONTACT PERSON
CODE CODE CODE
Quantity ordered Quantity delivered
Delivery time
Tapescript
Hello, this is Ben Reich, that’s R-E-I-C-H, of Federal Consolidated Industries, that’s F-E-D-E-R-A-L C-O-N-S-O-L-I-D-A-T-E-D, in Newark, N-E-W-A-R-K, New Jersey Now, it’s about these spare parts you sent us, the C-404s and C-406s There were problems with the last two consignments, serious problems, so can you take down the details and do something about it right away? O.K., the C-406s were two weeks late arriving When they did arrive we found that the packaging was ali wrong: you packed them in plastic boxes instead of the metal containers we asked for As a result 700 units were damaged severely, another 200 slightly damaged The C-404s were undamaged but the consignment was one week late and you sent the wrong quantity; we requested 500 units and we received 5,000 units This is just not good enough and we'd like you to do something about it immediately
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Exercise 4 Problems involving service
Read this letter of complaint from a client then look at your
company’s reply Fill in the missing words from the list given below; use your dictionary if necessary
DATABANK UNIVERSAL
TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT FORD BUILDING, GROSVENOR AVENUE, BRISTOL
The Personnel Director
Hardware Services International 8 January 1993 Dear Sir
I must complain about the performance of your installation
and servicing team who called upon us on 28 December
The men in question refused to inspect or service the older
computers in our data centre They left our offices after 30 minutes and we subsequently discovered that one of the new
machines was non-functional, while the AB4 terminal had
been wrongly installed
We were very disappointed by these events, especially since
we have always enjoved a high standard of service from your company in the past
I await your comments, Yours faithfully
Exercise 5 Problems involving payment
In the left hand column below you can see what vou say to vour clients or customers In the right-hand column vou can see what you write in a letter or fax Match the fax with the appropriate spoken words
1) PAYMENT OF THIS INVOICE IS
a) The total was $4,000 and OVERDUE you have sent us $4,500
2 b) You have not kept to the PAYMENT IS NOW DUE terms of our contract
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HARDWARE SERVICES INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORTING YOUR SYSTEMS
M Feld Technical Director
Dear Mr Feld Please accept our sincere _——s for the — caused to you This_ — was due to errors in the instructions issued to our personnel, We have taken stepsto_— — — that this wil not happen again
I have instructed our chief technician to call on you within the next two days to carry out a complete and overhaul
We will not, of course,_ — — — you for the previous visit
Once again please accept our apologies and let me you
owe us £1,500 4 YOU HAVE UNDEHPAID BY
$1,000 PLEASE ADIUST ACCORDINGLY
d) This invoice should have
been paid a month ago 5
THE AGREED TEHMS OF PAYMENT HAVE NOT BE ADHEHED TO
ACCORDING TO OUR RECORDS THE AMOUNT OF $1,500 IS STILL OUTSTANDING
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Exercise 6 More payment problems
What would you say to your customer in these situations? Try to answer without looking at Exercise 5 What would you write?
d) INVOICE | ©] Contract f) [DUE PAID
$14,006 no later tnan 1 Jun 6,500 ư
When you receive news of a problem or complaint it is very important to double-
check the information and note it down accurately These are some of the phrases
you can use
| see Just a moment
Can you hold on while | make a note of that? You say the shipment was delayed by rough weather?
Let me check that I’ve got that You say that the goods were lost in transit?
Let me just run through that again You say some of the goods were damaged en route?
Let me see if | have understood You say that the
last batch was held up at Customs? Can you go through that again, slowly?
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UNIT 10 SORTING OUT PROBLEMS TALKING ABOUT PROBLEMS
f CAN DO
BACK TO YOU
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Language input When we talk about a future obligation or necessity we use the
future form will + have to
Example I'll have to check this with my boss
Now practise playing for time in the following situations Begin your sentence with one of the phrases listed above and then use will + have to Example Leave it with me II have to get permission from the accounts department
a) Get permission/accounts f) Look this up/procedure department guide
b) Contact/carriers g) Check this/legal department c) Consult/head office h) Look/invoice
d) Check/records i) Pass on/information/ e) Investigate this my superiors
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Trang 10UNIT 10 SORTING OUT PROBLEMS FINDING SOLUTIONS
1) apologize 2) explain 3) offer
This means saying This means giving This means offering you are sorry Keep _a_ reason for the a solution or
Look at the phrases below Are thev apologies, explanations or offers? Write the appropriate number 1, 2 or 3 by each
a) We will refund your money immediately
b) We’re very sorry
c) We’re having trouble with our suppliers
d) Please accept our apologies
e) This is due to a clerical error
f) I’m terribly sorry
g) The next delivery will be free of charge
h) I'll arrange a replacement straight away LHƯIEHE.HEHIEIT
send/balance/immediately You overcharged us £500 on the last batch
refund/whole sum/by return The generator has broken down again
send electrician/first thing tomorrow
We have a problem with the production line
fix it/immediately There’s been a misunderstanding about commission
adjust/invoice/accordingly
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Exercise 10 What's your solution?
Listen to these clients with their problems; you must reply to them
© 2) Try to do it without looking at the tapescript or at Exercise 9
Exercise 11 Denying responsibility
It is wise to be polite and helpful, even when denying responsibility for a problem
I am very sorry, but this is not my department
I see the problem but I don’t think we can help you
I sympathize, but this is not really our responsibility
I'm afraid you have come to the wrong people
Use the phrases above to deny responsibility in the following cases Example I see the problem, but that is not really our
responsibility
a) Your service department has let us down again
b) That package you sent was open when it arrived
c) I need three more weeks to raise the money
d) We have lost production time because of you
e) Can your people help me organize the shipment?
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Trang 12UNIT 10 SORTING OUT PROBLEMS DEALING WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS
Dealing with major problems
Exercise 12 Dealing with crises
SEPT The Economic Community DEC: Kanching
introduces import quotas for nationalizes all
high-technology articles foreign-owned
revolution in San Carlos JUN Mbala repudiates
50% all foreign debts devaluation
of the dinar
mJ The map shows some of the crises that affected MULTINAT, vour
|cmø| parent company, during one year of its activities On the cassette,
one of your colleagues is asking about these crises Tell him what happened, using the past simple tense
Example You hear What happened in March?
You say There was a revolution in San Carlos
Tapescript
What happened in March?
I see, and what did the EC do?
M-m-m, what happened in Africa?
Was there any trouble in the Middle East?
And what did the government of Slovatia do?
Were there any nationalization problems?
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Exercise 13 Contingency plans
Language input When we propose a solution we can use should before the verb
Example We should contact our local agent at once
THE EC RAISES TARIFF ::-3$$90n 4$ possible BARRIERS FOR HI-TECH ©
PRODUCTS
send in financial analysts and consider re-investing locally
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Exercise 14 Long-term solutions
Language input As we saw, you can use should to offer advice or indicate necessity
Other words you can use are must or have to if we think the necessity is strong; could if we are not absolutely sure about it, or
if we are offering one alternative among many
Example We must change our investment policy
Example You have to redesign the old model
Example We could close down the plant completely
If we are very sure about the solution we are advising, we can introduce our advice by | am convinced that If you are not very
sure you can introduce your advice by | think perhaps
Example | am convinced that we must discontinue at least two models | think perhaps we should review our policy
Pull out at once
Political Take out extra insurance
instability in Withdraw in stages over ten region 3 years
Dismiss union members Labour Offer productivity deal problems/strikes Close affected plants reducing profits
Trang 15UNIT 10 SORTING OUT PROBLEMS PROGRESS CHECK
Exercise 15 Giving your advice
What do you think we should do about the drop in sales in area 4? We’re finding that our middle management is not competent; what can we do about this?
c) Your client complains; “All the parts are damaged’ your boss later asks: ““What did he say?” You say:
d) How could you apologize for bad service, at the start of a written reply to a customer?
e) How can you end the same letter?
f) According to your records, 500 dollars is still outstanding on a client’s account What do you say to him?
g) What do you say to a telephone caller when you want him to
wait while you write down the details?
Finding h)_ If you can’t give a client an answer until you speak to your solutions boss, what can you tell the client in order to play for time?
i) When you apologize, you can say: ‘We're very ss’, cor,
‘Please accept our j) Your customer has overpaid; offer him ‘compensation’:
k) Your client says: ‘“We have a problem with the assembly line’
What can you say?
1) Your client complains about service, but your responsibility is accounts What can you say to deny responsibility?
Major problems m) A client company has cancelled a large contract at short notice;
you say: ‘As an ———s measure, we ask for
Trang 16is too slow ¢) The plug does not fit the socket a) The printer is faulty
¢) The meat has gone bad f) The batteries are too small g) The notebook computer is incompatible with the electrical supply &) My portable phone
is not working, i) The container is broken ƒ) The van has broken down k) This computer is obsolete 1) The security alarm system is not functioning Exercise 3 Check complaint form against tapescript
Exercise 4 (in order) apologies, inconvenience, misunderstanding, ensure, inspection, invoice, assure, service
Exercise 5 a3; 65; ¢6; dl; e4; £2 Exercise § a3 You have overpaid by .; b2; c4 You have underpaid by Please adjust accordingly dl; ¢5;
f6 According to our records the amount of is still outstanding
Exercise 7 a) I'll have to get permission from our accounts department 6) PU have to contact the carriers ¢) UH have to consult head office 4) PN have to check (in) the records e} PU have to investigate this 1 CH have to look this up in the procedure guide g) [ll have to check this with the legal department Ja) PU have to look at the invoice 1) PH have to pass on this information to mv superiors
Exercise 8 a3, bl, e2, đi, e2, f1, g2 (and 3), h3
Exercise 9 We will arrange a replacernent at once We will send rhe balance
iramediately We will refund the whole sum by rerarn We will send an
electrician first thing tomorrow We will fix it ummediately We will adjust the invoice accordingly
Exercise 16 See Exercise 9 Exercise 11 See example
Exercise 12 There was a revolution in San Carlos The EC introduced import quotas for high technology articles In June Mbala repudiated ail foreign debts Yes, E! Khabir banned all imports from Western sources The government of Slovatia announced a 30% devaluation of the dinar Yes, Kanching nationalized all foreign-owned businesses
Exercise 13 Slovatia: We should suspend all shipments and, in the meantime, request payment in Deutschmarks The EC: We should send in financial analysts as soon as possible and consider re-investing locally
Mibala: As a possible solution, we should take legal action in the
international courts El Khabir: As an interim measure, we should look for new outlets in the Middle East San Carlos: For the moment we should close the factory and move the personnel out Kanching: To protect our position, we should ask the Kanching government for compensation
Exercise 14 See table Exercise 15 See Exercise 14
Progress check 2) Down b) Incompatible c) ‘He said all the parts were damaged’ d) Please accep? our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused to vou ©) Once again, please accept our apologies and ler me assure you of our continued service f) I have checked and you still owe us
500 dollars g} Can you hold on while ] make a nore of that? b) YN have
to consult/check this with/speak to my boss i} Sorry, appologies j) We wil arrange a refund/to refund the whole sum by return &} We will fix it immediately BD Pm very sorry, but this is not my department, nevertheless m) Interim, should, m) We could take legal action 0} (1 am convinced thar)
we must take legal action
Now that you have finished this unit, try to manage, by yourself, without the book Use Unit 10 an cassette 2, side 2, On the cassette you will practise dealing with problems that you may meet in various business situations Practise until you can do the unit, which lasts about five minutes, without stopping your machine
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