Invoice no GDB\00\06 Customer no GDB-75 Date October I
Item:
Vranac Quality Red Wine Krstac Supenor White Wine
No:
PG-34A PG-K55
Units:
200 100
Price per unit: Total:
ˆ4 ˆ800 ˆ3.5 ˆ350
Grand Total: 1,150
page 2 of 2
Q Use the following notes to write Mr Debacker's reply to Mr Lekic.
• acknowledge receipt of fax
• order incomplete (only the white has arrived)
• waiting for rest of delivery
• full payment as soon as all goods are received
• prompt delivery essential as end of the year is approaching
Customer service
Vocabulary
Q Complete the text with the best word.
Customer service
The way a company approaches customer service is one of the most important factors in determining its future success or failure.
No matter what a company does, it is always in the business of ÐÕ0Ó}4\Ù.^ customer service. If you take a
look at companies that are not doing well or have gone..................... [1], one of their common features is their
inability to deliver reliable and efficient customer service. All successful companies, on the other hand, understand and deliver what their customers want and strongly believe in the value of customer service training for management and.................... [2] employees.
Companies which fail to view customer service training as an..................... * are likely to remain in business
only if they manage to keep a large number of first-time customers. Moreover, they will probably end up
losing market.................... [3] and experiencing a................... [4] in profits unless they keep introducing new
products and spending massively.................... 7 advertising.
Successful companies, however, are the ones which have grasped that in today's extremely competitive marketplace, being good is just not good enough anymore. Customers have become much more .................. 8 and expect nothing less than..................... 9 in customer service.
One of the keys to success is for a company to develop efficient means of communication between management and employees. This invariably has a direct positive effect on the customer. As a matter of fact, a company which is good to work for is usually one which is good to....................... 10 business with.
a) providing
b) giving
c)
selling
d) caring
a) away
b) over
under
d) across
a) shopfloor
b) foreground
c)
front-line
d) workshop
a) earning
b) expenditure
interest
d) investment
a) share
b) demand
niche
d) place
a) rise
b) drop
c)
level
d) plateau
a) in
b) for
c)
over
d) on
a) awkward
b) requested
c)
complex
d) demanding
a) excellence
b) goodness
c)
quality
d) expertise
a) deal
b) do
c)
make
d) work
Vocabulary +
Î
Replace the words in italics with the correct form of an idiomatic expression from the box.
to slip somebody's mind (to be) the last straw
to get to the bottom of the problem to get straight to the point to pass the buck to rip somebody off to talk at cross purposes
1 I intended to tell the manager a lot of customers had complained, but she was in a hurry and / completely forgot..... it.&Pf¹d.WJ.ffliP.4..
2 If you are dissatisfied with their service, don't hesitate, talk about it directly and tell them what sort of compensation you expect.
þ Customer service J
3 When we are sure we are to blame for a problem, our policy is never to avoid responsibility.................................................................
4 Avoid the Regency Hotel. They have a reputation for charging far too much.
Language review
5 It is not enough just to compensate customers when their complaints are justified. We have fo find the real cause of the problem to make sure it doesn't happen again................................................................
6 Not only did they refuse to admit that the video I had bought wasn't working properly, but they also refused to give me a replacement. That was the last in a series of unpleasant eventsl...................................................................
7 I wanted a refund and they kept offering me a replacement. We were obviously misunderstanding each other....................................................................
Q Complete the sentences with a gerund from the box.
Gerunds
working letting being ignoring listening
I 10 Customer service
Q Circle the correct form(s) of the verb in the text.
NEWS DIGEST
A t_ Deltelfone, staff are encouraged put I (^ojmiyputting1 themselves in the customer's shoes and find a solution instead of opt I to opt I opting1 for an easy way out.
As a cellphone service provider, Deltelfone endeavours provide I to provide I providing3 its customers with the highest level of service.
Miguel Fernandez, customer services director of the company, says the first priority is ensure I to ensure I ensuring 4
that customers receive their bills on time and that the accounts are accurate. Most people prefer structure I to structure I structuring5 their monthly bill payments, and if bills are late it can inconvenience them, Fernandez says.
Bill I To bill I Billing6 on time requires have I to have I having7 the appropriate technology in place. Deltelfone interacts with its customers through its franchised dealer network and through its own call centre.
Writing
Editing
Q Read this short text about demanding customers.
• In most of the lines 1-14 there is one extra word which does not fit. Some lines, however, are correct.
• If a line is correct, put a tick (✓) in the space provided.
• If there is an extra word in the line, write that word in the space.
Demanding customers are certainly not new. What is new is their increasing numbers.
It can be argued that, to a large extent, it is the explosion in the number of people using the Internet which has been a primarily responsible for increased customer frustration. It seems that if the speed of the Internet and the number of cell phones, websites and so on and have increased customer expectations. And when their expectations are not met, customers become quite demanding. What do customers will expect? Customers expect e-mails to be answered in a matter of hours, not for days. Ver\ often, the) expect to be able to find the answers to their questions on a company websites. Moreover, they must also expect to be able to talk to a live customer service rep or when the} want to and generally would like their problems to be resolved as quickly. One thing it is certain: companies that want to survive in the future will have to address these issues quickly.
Letters of ô Unscramble the sentences and re-order them to make two different letters of Complaint complaint. Write the sentence numbers in the table.
1 As a matter of fact, the above invoice was settled on 10 October, i.e., exactly five days after our order had been received.
2 As a result, I will have to consider changing my supplier unless you can guarantee that such errors will not happen again in the future.
3 As usual, we paid by bank transfer.
þ Customer service j
4 Every time, those errors have had an adverse effect on our production schedules.
5 Further to our telephone call this morning, I am writing to complain about a number of items which are either missing or faulty in the above order.
6 I am sorry to have to remind you that this is the third time we have had occasion to complain of such mistakes.
7 Please find enclosed a detailed list of both missing and faulty items.
8 We enclose a copy of a statement from our bank confirming that payment was indeed made.
9 I hope you will take the necessary action to resolve this matter speedily.
10 We would advise you to check your records carefully.
è With reference to your reminder of l December, it seems to us that an error has been made.
Mr M. Hopkins The Golden Boot 23 Birchington Road Chelmsford Essex CM4 5FG
We were very sorry to receive your letter complaining .. d.t>QUt...' a damaged and incomplete consignment, order ref 20G/FF/I03.
Our staff has been..................... 2 great pressure recently to deal with an unusually large
number of orders, and unfortunately mistakes have occurred. We have already arranged ............... 3 all replacements and missing items to be shipped to you.
You will also be pleased to hear that, under the circumstances, we have decided to offer you a 6% discount instead of the 4% formerly agreed.
Please accept our apologies.................. 4 the inconvenience caused, and rest assured that we
will do our utmost to ensure that such mistakes do not occur again..................... 5 the future.
We look forward....................... 6 doing business..................... 7 you again,
Yours sincerely,
Sales Director
0 Write a reply to the second letter in exercise B.
Use a similar structure to the letter above: apologise for the mistake, explain how it happened, explain what you have done or intend to do to put the mistake right, apologise again and end on a positive note.
UNIT
Crisis management
Vocabulary
Q Complete the text with the best word.
Fire safety tips for managers
Fire is the most common of all hazards. Every year, in many countries around the world, fires cause thousands of deaths and . .'/i^nes..1 as well as extensive property damage. If you are a manager and have a sense of responsibility, here are a few things you should do.
• First of all, have your premises........................... 2 for fire hazards, and ask
about fire rules and........................ 3.You should also ask your insurance
company to recommend fire prevention and protection............................... 4.
• Secondly, make sure employees are given proper fire safety information.This should focus on how to prevent fires in the workplace,
how to...................... 5 a fire, how to......................... 6 the building and where to
................... 7 a fire.
• You should also instruct staff to use the stairs, not lifts, in a fire. Instruct
them to....................... 8 on their hands and knees when escaping a hot or
smoke-filled area.
• Finally, conduct regular evacuation drills, and post maps of evacuation 9 in prominent places.
Place fire extinguishers in appropriate locations, install smoke detectors, and if possible install a fire alarm with automatic notification to the fire brigade. It is also of vital importance to ensure that key personnel are ................... 10 with all fire safety systems.
a)
wounds
b)
injuries
c)
accidents
d)
fatalities
a)
controlled
b)
renovated
c)
inspected
d)
adapted
a)
laws
b)
regulations
c)
codes
d)
signals
a)
steps
b)
engines
c)
machinery
d)
measures
a)
contain
b)
destroy
c)
take out
d)
hold on
a)
flee
b)
avoid
c)
evacuate
d)
depart
a)
announce
b)
report
c)
tell
d)
describe
a)
crawl
b)
crouch
c)
creep
d)
cringe
a)
paths
b)
roads
c)
ways
d)
routes
a)
informed
b)
knowledgeable
c)
familiar
d)
instructed
Vocabulary +
ô Complete the noun phrases on page 45 with a word from Box A if the first part is missing, and with a word from Box  if the second part is missing.
Box A
decision effects fear interest percentage range stress
1 Airport and airline safety managers are usually aware of the advantages of having well prepared emergency. .pr.Qcecjures..to minimise both the social and financial ..effects. øø2 of an accident should one ever occur.
2 One wrong decision, even a small one, of a business.......................... 3 could be
the cause of a serious business......................... 4. It is therefore not surprising
that the..................... 5 of making mistakes is one of the most important
.................. 6 factors for executives.
3 It is in the 7 of every company to deal with stress as effectively as
possible. In companies where stress is ignored, there tends to be a relatively high...................... 8 of employees being 'off sick'.
4 In a crisis management team, each member must be a 9 makerin
their area of...................... 10. They must also be able to cope with conflicting
information, make meaningful recommendations and develop appropriate courses of.....................
5............................................................................. According to a recent survey, the majority of 12 are not suitably
prepared to respond to a wide....................... 13 of problems.
ô Complete the sentences with a suitable linker from the box.
Linking words
although despite however in spite of
1 . J?PAPit$.. being well known for its ability to bounce back, the company never recovered from the food poisoning scandal.
2 When a plane crashes, the cargo and baggage may be considered less
important than the passengers. To the fire and rescue crew,..............................
flammable materials or chemicals are matters of life or death.
3 the new legislation requires airlines to be more responsive to the
needs of victims' families after crashes, there are still too many examples of crises that have been handled insensitively.
4 The railway authorities were sharply criticised.......................... their effective
handling of the disaster.
5 They failed to forestall a crisis........................ they had faced similar difficulties
in the past.
6 The organisation had carefully analysed the situation............................ , their
action plan foundered.
Q Rewrite the sentences in exercise A using the linker in brackets.
1 (however) The company was well,known, for .its ability.to. bounce .back
. H°¹YrTtM.Ë?Ó?Ã. ruoyexedfrpm the food poisoning.scandal.
Q Circle the correct linker in each of the sentences.
1 In times of crisis, it is important for a company to communicate honestly with its customers and shareholders as well as/furthermore with its employees.
2 Moreover/In addition to giving a large press conference, they issued numerous press releases.
3 Managers should not be unduly worried about making mistakes. In fact/As well as, they should make a point of learning from them.
4 As well as /Moreover being innovative, their crisis management team always reaches quick decisions.
5 Their speed of response was astonishing. Moreover/In addition to, they kept everyone informed throughout.
0 Complete the text with the appropriate linkers from the box.
Linking ideas
secondly nevertheless
as a result
finally even
firstly even
thirdly
yet
Much has been written about safety at work.. Nwe-rthe-kss. \ it still often remains an area of employment where the attitude taken is that 'accidents
happen to others'........................ 2 there are many good reasons to suggest that
much more attention should be paid to health and safety issues.
.................. 3, far too many employees are killed or injured each year as a direct
result of their work.
.................. \ managers can be prosecuted, fined or........................... 5 jailed if it is
found that they do not provide adequate safety standards.
.................. 6, any employee who suffers injury or ill-health caused by or at work
can make claims against the employer for negligence........................... 1, additional
costs may be incurred because of sick pay, lost production, etc.
.................. 8, companies with poor safety records soon have their reputation
damaged with customers, shareholders and......................... 9 the local community.
Editing Q Read the text below about handling a crisis.
• In each line l - è there is one wrong word.
• For each line, underline the wrong word in the text and write the correct word in the space provided.
The best thing you can do when you have a crisis on your hands is to remain as responsive as possible and cooperate fully with the authorities. If you are not complete sure what you are talking about, resisting the temptation to give out information just for the sake of seeming cooperatively. Make sure you have facts to deliver, and not just a vacuum to feel. Always remember to focus on the people affect by the crisis. If there are victims, theirs families will need to be informed, comforted and looked after. Money might needed to be made available to solve urgent issue.
If you do not deal adequately over the provision of information or the people affected by the crisis, your company reputation might have seriously or even fatally damaged.
1 ñîòðØó
10 .....................
è ............
Reporting a Q Put the sentences in the body of the letter in the correct order.
Although the surveyors have not produced their final report yet, they seemed positive that the fire was caused by a faulty component rather than by careless installation.
In our interest as well as in yours, we recommend that you have all indoor units in that series thoroughly inspected, starting with ours.
The fire spread quickly, causing extensive damage to one of our offices.
We are writing in connection with the Delux Cool & Heat-4000 air-conditioning system we purchased on 5 September and which was installed by one of your engineers two days later.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We would also be grateful if you could supply a replacement unit as soon as possible.
Yesterday evening, one of the indoor units caught fire.
□
□ □
□ □
□
Yours faithfully,
Fred Edgerton
23 AtEXANDRA road bournemouth bh4 7nb
Q Use the following notes to write the reply from Atmos to the advertising agency.
• express sympathy
• many Delux Cool & Heat-4000 sold and installed over the past three years / never a single complaint
• suggest operating instructions were not followed
• promise to deliver a replacement and send an engineer
• end on a positive note
Management styles
Vocabulary
Q In the grid below, twelve words connected with management qualities or styles are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally. One has been found for you. Find eleven more.
Ñ 0
S
ñ
A
Â
L
E
M
T H
è
G
H
T
F
U
L
M 1
A
F
R
M
A
L
S
T
E N
E
R
G
E
T
Ñ
D
F D
E
Ñ
S
V
E
R
V
À Ñ
Ñ
E
S
S
Â
L
E
A
1 R
A
P
A
M
F
T
R A
R
P
R
F
L
A
T
E
E F
F
Ñ
E
N
T
E
N
E P
S
T
N
N
G
T A
Ñ
T
F
è
L
G
U
N
Ñ
Write the opposite of the adjectives in exercise A in the correct column.
un-
in-
-less
de- / un-
l unsoc
able-
l
l
l
0 Complete the sentences with the most suitable adjective from exercise A or B.
1 It was . thp.u$hf!?P?.. of you to offer the contract to such a disreputable firm.
2 I would find it very................................ if I didn't get any recognition for my work.
3 Most of the staff interviewed said they expected a manager to be in other words, easy to speak to, 'within reach'.
4 Some people think she is rather................................. because she addresses
everyone by their surname.
5 What do you mean, 'Maybe yes'? Sometimes I wish you were more
6 If you took some exercise, you'd surely feel more
12 Management styles J
0 Complete the text with the best word.
Effective leadership
As we all know, effective leadership is hard to define and even harder to find. 'Like parenthood,' says a Harvard psychologist, 'leadership will never be an exact science.
..ÍÎÌÑ-ÓËÑ.....1, research can help business leaders get a clearer............................ 2 of what it takes to
lead effectively, in the same way as it has helped parents in recent years.'
One may............................. 3 to what extent such an analogy is helpful. In fact, research on parenting
provides very............................. 4 results, and there seems to be a theory to.................................... 5 every
opinion. In the............................... 6, the majority of parents work things out for themselves through a
process of trial and............................... 7.
But what about leadership? Different styles have been identified: democratic, coercive, coaching, authoritative, pacesetting, etc. A 'coercive' leader, for instance, would expect you to do as you were told, whereas a 'coaching' one might simply make a suggestion.
........................... 8 one is talking about parenting or leadership, the trick is of course to know which
style to adopt when, and unfortunately research is not very useful in this respect. So it seems that for both parents and leaders, it is back to trial and error and...................................... 9 instinct.