Ustorre satisfaction survey

Minerva A.G. sent questionnaires to all its customers. Here is an extract from the Marketing Department's report.

3 Our customers say:

3.1 Minerva A.G. has very few 'great new products for customerb with busy lifestyles.

3.2 The range of products is not аь wide as it used to be

3.3 There arc too man}' high-tech products. Customers want fewer products but more original ones.

3.4 Most products are over €100. Customers w ho are looking for gifts think they are too expensive.

3.5 There arc not enough special offers to encourage customers to spend more.

Eed for new products

Chairperson Ulrika Nielsen and her directors have invited several foreign firms to present their new products to the Minerva A.G. board. All the companies are well-known for their innovation. The directors will choose the best and most exciting products for Minerva A.G.'s stores.

COMPANY A

Weight Monitor

Special features:

• Measures how much body fat you have

• An LCD display shows changes in your weight

• Easy-to-read graphs and charts

• Holds health and we^;ght records for up to five years

• Price: €45

Personal Satellite NavigationSystem

Special features:

• Pocket-sized

• Download any world city map from your computer

• No need to carry a street map ever again Includes tourist information Slim, lightweight Colours: silver or black Price: €3^o

COMPANY D

Virtual Passenger

Special features:

• Chats, tells jokes, plays music, asks questions

• Keeps you awake

• Stops boredom

• 20,000 word memory - knows your interests

• Automatically opens windows

• Alarm function if diiver falls asleep

• Ideal for sales reps

• Price: €530

Floating Globe

Special features:

• Appears to float in the air because it is controlled

by magnets

• Rotates

• Lights up

• Many physical features highlignted. for example mountain ranges

• Ideal for the home or office

• Price: €220

Work in small groups. Choose one of the companies above and prepare a presentation on its product. (Or, if you prefer, think of another product which the company is about to launch.) Invent any information you wish.

Form new groups and present your products. Try to persuade the Minerva A.G. directors to buy large quantities. When you are not presenting, play the role of a Minerva A.G. director and ask questions about the products.

After all the presentations, discuss which product is the most exciting and innovative.

Wrilmg

As a Minerva A.C. director, write a short report on one of the products which you saw presented. Recommend whether Minerva A.G. should place a large order for the pioduct or not.

Writing file page 135

15evision

Conflict

Choose the best words to complete this text.

To recognise conflict situations and deal with them before they get very bad is one of the responsibilities of anvbody who is in a management position. A good number of personal qualities are necessary in order to handle conflict successfully.

First of all, you have to be..................... towards the two sides involved, and

show that you really want to understand their problem.

It is often a good idea to try ar.d solve the................... ² side of the conflict

to begin with, because it is difficult for people to think or even express themselves clea-ly as long as they are full of feelings such as anger, fear or hatred. Of course, you yourself cannot become angry or upset, because if vou

run out of..................... ³, you will only make things worse. As some people

say, you should try and remain cool,.................... ⁴ and collected at all times.

Secondly, a certain amount of............ will also help you, as very ofien

you cannot apply old solutions to new problems.

Another key quality is..................... ⁶. Indeed, if you change your behaviour

or attitude depending on who you talk to, you will probably make eremies and you may soon lose your ⁷.

Read this e-mail from Max, a senior sales representative, to Jeff, his sales manager. Then complete it by putting each phrase (a-e) in the correct space (1-5).

Dear Jeff,

I was hoping to be abb to ta'k to you about my problem, but as you know I ha' 'e

to vis't a lot of customers thip week................................. ¹ Whenever I'm in the

office, you are in a meeting or in one of our branches.

For that reason, I ha> e decided to wnte instead So at le^st when we meet we'll both have had time to think about what to do

I'll go straight to the point. I have been here lour years, I love this company, and I think our sales team is grea^{f 2}

Since Dan, Bert and Phi¹ started working here, things have deteriorated a lot I and my colleagues certainly do not mind them being much younger than the rest of us.

............................. ³ For example they never share any information about

customers with us. Besides they are arrogant and sometimes even rude not only towards us out towards customers as well Some of our long-standing customers have told us ⁴

It has become very difficult for me to work with those new reps They have destroyed our team spirit, and I'm afraid they are damaging the image of our company as well. 1 think that customer service is important that's why I was proud of working here

I and some of my colleagues are now quite dei notivated .............................. ⁵

I hope we can meet next week to discuss all this. Thanks for your time.

Best wishea

Max

a) I would be very surprised if you hadn't heard any of those complaints yomself.

b) Maybe I should say it was great.

c) I'm afraid that if things do not improve, I won't be able to work here much longer.

d) What we do mind, though, is their being so un-cooperative.

e) I am aware that you are extremely busy as w?ll

Write Jeff's reply to Max's e-mail above.

• Thank Max for his e-mail. Sav why it is important for you to know about this problem.

• Explain why you cannot meet Max next week. Say when you will be available.

• Say what you. plan to do in the meantime.

• Tell Max you vaUe his work. Ask him to be patient.

• End on an optimistic note.

Across

l Many economies contain a mix of

public- and private-.....................

businesses. (6^

5The percentage of people without

jobs is called the.......................

rate. (12)

6...................... are increasing, so the

balance of trade is beginning to look better. (7)

8The purpose of tax..................... is

to encourage business activity. (10)

9The....................... rate is the cost

of borrowing money. (8)

Down

1Paying low taxes and having

...................... staff are important

conditions for people starting new businesses. (7)

2Some experts say that building г good

...................... is the first step when

starting a new business. (4)

3GDP star.ds for 'gross.....................

product'. (8)

4A continuing increase in the prices of goods and services. (9)

7 The price at which one currency can buy another is called the exchange .(4)

Match the sentence halves to make appropriate sentences.

1I wouldn't recommend investing there

2Our visitors would like to see our new laboratory

3As soon as the goods have arrived,

4Until their economy is stable,

5While I go through the contiact,

6In some countries, you never talk business

7We can only decide who's best for the job

a)af⁺er we've interviewed all the candidates.

b)maybe you could phone our new supplier.

c)until the government offe.s adequate tax incentives.

d)we II let you know.

e)when salaries go up

f)you shouldn't invest iri that region

g)before they leturn to Beijing tomoriow.

h)while you're having lunch

Products

Complete these sentences with the missing words. Then write the words in the grid

below.

1If you..................... products, you buila or make them.

2A...................... -....................... product is one that many people buy.

3If a product is...................... you cannot trust it to do what you want it to do.

4To..................... a product means to introduce it to the market.

5If you..................... a product, you make it available to customers after it has been

produced.

6 If you say that a product is....................... you mean that it is reasonable in price.

Now work out the hidden word in the shaded boxe£ and use it to complete this sentence.

A...................... product is one that is popular at a particular time.

Complete the text wi*.h the appropriate passive form of the verbs given.

Guarana energy drinks.................... ¹ {sell) at outdoor music festivals in

Europe for over a decade. However, it was only in July 2006 that the first Guarana

Shop...................... ² (launch) in Valeport. A wide range of guarana products

can...................... ³ (buy) there. The shop is so popular in the Valeport area

that it...................... recently....................... ⁴ (extend). Maybe more

Guarana Shops..................... ⁵ (setup) acioss the country in the next few

years. If that happens, more guarana products................. ⁶ (import) from

Brazil. Meanwhile, the people of Valeport are delighted that all guarana products

available locally..................... ⁷ (test) by the Regional Food & Hygiene

Commission on a legular basis So far, all products ........................ ^[39] (approve)

by the Commission.

Look at the products in the Skills section on page 111. The company you bought this product from asked you for some feedback. Write an e-mail to the Product Development Manager.

• Say when you bought it, how often and where you have used it.

• Describe two things that you like about it.

• Describe one problem that yo'j have with it.

• Say why you will or will not recommend this product.

• End suitably. 1

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 2957