![]() CATEGORIES: BiologyChemistryConstructionCultureEcologyEconomyElectronicsFinanceGeographyHistoryInformaticsLawMathematicsMechanicsMedicineOtherPedagogyPhilosophyPhysicsPolicyPsychologySociologySportTourism |
Dealing with complaints
1 Speaking 1 In groups, discuss how you would handle the following people a A drunk customer in the hotel restaurant complaining loudly about the slow service. b A guest who can't speak your language very well, complaining about the size of his/her room (you think), c An extremely rude and angry guest complaining about his/her bill when checking out. d A dinner guest, who is part of a large and important wedding party, complaining about the quality of the food. e An elderly gentleman complaining about how many stairs he has to walk up to get to his room, f A foreign visitor to your country complaining about die weather, Compare your opinions with other groups. 2 Write down three or four similar descriptions of complaints. Pass diem to 78 Unit 7 Dealing with complaints 2 Reading 1Before you read the arricle which follows, discuss this question: How do you think a computer could hdp to train waiters to cope with people who complain? 2 Read die article and answer the questions which follow.
oe* your computer make ruik remarks 10 yon? While rn;mu-fiiclures struggle lo make (heir machines more tiser-fnendly. Richard Margerts. a catering lecturer ;ii GranviUt Coik-jie, in Yatk&i'tt, 6as devdoptsja program that ptisilively encourages ihc computer to be nasty towards its "Mi.i-lur. The software,called Custom, has been funded by (he employment department's learning leehM'il-.sek1* uiiil. and Ls designed to help hotel and catering irumecs lo cope vvilh customers' mm-plainls. Such com plain is can make or break a busafcsk fht kicklor ihe program grewoui ol an unpicaiantevening Mr Margelts and' his will' had at a hotel. In a scene thai could have tome from Fawlly Towers, the BBC television comedy series, the couple were tell standing in the hotel lobby while the receptionist continued making a persona! telephone rail. During the me;d they were ignored by the waiter and had to order I heir drinks at I fie bar .md tarry ihcm back to the table, Tilt1 couple toniplained to Uie manager who sympathized bill silid it was difficult to train stuff in cBttoiaer care. "Britons are very complii-cent ahoDi complain Is.' *ay-s Mr Margetts, who used 10 run his iinn rest^UTaut. ■Good service h not seen as heiris very important.' Hence the computer-based Lraininji package. Tht' fim part analyses luuv iom-plamis arise. The L-ompJ;iims included, those fnim the Efctt customers who go to u rest a ilia in determined to mtikc a EilS*, perhups in ihc hope o)'y Tree meal Mr Margetts says: 'Within the pro^nnn we have included ways <>i" spotting those complaints. a«d those thai can arise becau.se of a bad experience sofflebody has had even before entering the restaurant. The pmgram will ajso idemiry the complaints that can occasionally arise merely from customer boredom. Somebody may have decided he canuot stand his dining, companion, for example, itnd laics his unhappmess imt du ihe food or the imt'or-lunak1 waller.' The waiters assemble a customer profile, liou .mi I dressed - ih/i^hv. .iveriHyc or immacnliite?1 [he cornpuif.-r risk:, is my atcent local or iiiiii-local"? Do 1 ■speak perfect English or might [ be a tourist'.' Am I iiluuc ui with a group? h it a mixed-sc-iL group? What is my age hiiickcf' How much alcohol do 1 seem to havedrunk'1' Thi; Louiputer then suggests successful ways of tackiing the customer. Mr Mar^etts says: 'The idea is th;tl the trainee sees that personal attributes ^uch iis accent or dress are a weai indicator of how a customer will respond during a i/ompliiint, whereas attitafe and ;ik-nh.)l ;i i,.- much stronger." In Nie second nun nflhe program, the computer becomes less than friendly. The trainee ukes panin role-play simulations in which lite computer acts like a complaining oistomer. The computer can be pro-grammtai to-be angry, rude, reusonablt!. or rambling. The iminLv's task, is U> reciyni/c the warnm^ signs ynd calm ihesitufiiion, AI (he end of a -session. tntmees are told how many ciitempls it hai taken lo reach ihc correcl. respon.se. fhe results are saved ("or the course Inlor Lo r?ad. But although Ihc programuses graphics and lest to good effect, it taimui yci convey complex factors such eta [lit cyjtomcj'a njnt: of voice, body posiure. or faciuJ e.vpression. Future versions may use viiieo pictiirre and sound for greater realism. However, Mr Marges says thepe are no plans to incorporate u robot arm that grabs the user by the lapels. George Cole
Vocabulary nasty = unkind make or break = cause either success or complete failure make a fuss = cause a lot of problems with no real reason shabby = dressed in old, untidy clothes immaculate = perfect, very neat rambling = talking in a long, unorganized way Source: The Times Unit 7 Dealing with complaints 79 a What is Mr Margetts's job? b Who is the software program going to help? c What two things did Mi and Mrs Margetts complain about? d What was the manager's response? e The article mentions three causes of complaints which are nothing to do with the quality of service or food. What are they? f What questions does the computer ask. in order to construct a customer profile? g Which factors decide how a customer will react during a complaint? h During the role play, what must the trainee try to do? i What does the program not do yet? 3 Do you think this form of training is effective? Give reasons. 3 Listening 1 Listen to this conversation between a guest and a receptionist. a Make a list of the things the guest is complaining about, b What does she want to do? c What is the outcome? 2 Now listen to the second conversation. What is the outcome this time? 3 Listen to both conversations again. In what ways does the receptionist 80 Unit 7 Dealing with complaints 4 Language studyPresent Perfect Passive Look at these examples from the conversations, where something needed to be done but wasn't: ► The bath hasn V been cleaned. > The sheets haven t been changed. 1 March up these nouns and verbs and make similar sentences- 1 bed 2 carpet 3 floor
4 bin 5 shelves 6 wash-basin a dust b make c clean vacuum e empry t sweep Example: The bed hasn't been made. 2 Look at this picture of a hotel at the start of the summer season. It is in very bad condition. Discuss what hasn't been done. Look at the garden, the walls, the paintwork, and so on.
These verbs may help: cut mend repair f\x replaster Should have {done) Look at these examples from the conversation. ► They should have cleaned it. ► You should have complained earlier. paint tile Unit 7 Dealing with complaints 81 1 Use the same examples that were used in the Present Perfect Passive Example: They should have made the bed. 2 Develop each of these statements with ^should have sentence. Example: This room is filthy! You should have cleaned it. a This room is filthy. b Why didn't you tell us? c Why did that old lady carry her heavy suitcase herself? J You're going to belare for work. e 1 didn't know it was going to rain. f The hotel turned out to be worse than the one we stayed in last year. g I missed the last bus and had to walk home. h We've been robbed! Responding to complaints Look at this example of responding to a complaint. Complaint Apology Action ► This room is filthy! I'm terribly sorry. I'll send someone up to clean it immediately. Now respond to the following complaints in a similar way. a This soup's disgusting! b I'm sorry to trouble you, but I don't seem ro have any towels. c It's really noisy. Can't you do something about it? d The central heating's not working. e Look. Our sheets haven't been changed. f Sorry, but I ordered tea, not coffee, g I can't seem co gee the shower to work. Unit 7 Dealing with complaints Word study When a speaker wants to emphasize an adjective or make it stronger (especially during an emotional exchange such as complaining and apologizing), it is common to use an intensifying adverb, e.g. 'I'm extremely sorry.' However, nor all combinations of adverb and adjective are possible. 1 Which adjectives can be used with which adverbs? Tick (/) the
extremely d absolutely D very D terribly D quite □ □ □ □ □ LI □□ fcj n □ D D A r n a □ a □ Can you work out any rule? 2 Complete the following sentences with an appropriate adverb/adjective combination from the ones above.
that I didn't make any international phone calls
with the hotel, considering that so many people had recommended it to us. c The standard of the food was terrible. It was____________ d The swimming-pool obviously hadn't been cleaned for ages. It was
that it's so noisy. Unfortunately, it's unavoidable
because we're having essential repairs done. f The chef is obviously a perfectionist. He gets. slightest thing goes wrong. Speaking Divide into pairs, A and B. Choose one of these areas of complaint (or invent your own):
dirty room bad/slow service noisy room no bathroom bed too small rude staff Unit 7 Dealing with complaints A You are the receptionist. You want to calm the guest down. Your tactics are a) to get the guest to say exactly what the problem is; b) to 'buy' time; and c) to offer something that is acceptable and possible. B You are the guest. You are extremely angry. Think about a) what exactly is wrong; b) what you expected; and c) what you want to happen. Now act out the conversation. 7 Reading 1Look at this advertisement for The Country Village Hotel. a What facilities does it offer? b What type of guest would be attracted to the hotel? The Country Village Hotel Rural... Romantic ... Relaxing ♦ Enjoy the peace and quiet of The Country Village Hotel, set in ♦ Relax in our luxurious pool, with pool-side bar. ♦ Dine in our romantic restaurant. ♦ A short bus-ride from the delightful town centre of Buckingham. ♦ We'll look after you. ♦ Phone us now for a reservation on 0790 36143. Unit 7 Dealing with complaints 85 a Who is the letter from? b What is the writer complaining about? c Was there anythingpositive? d What action does the writer want the hotel to take? e What is the rone of the letter? f Underline expressions used to complain. Compare them with the 8 WritingYou are the manager of The Country Village Hotel, and you must reply to the unhappy guests. You don't want to make excuses but you know iluTe were reasons why the things promised in the advertisement did not happen. Here are your notes:
Write a letter to one of the guests apologizing for the difficulties they had, and explaining the reasons. If you want to, you can offer some compensation. Follow this structure: Paragraph I: Thank writer for letter. Make general apology. Paragraph 2: Make specific apology and give explanation/reasons for each complaint. Paragraph 3: Offer some compensation (if you want). Paragraph 4; Repeat general apology and make closing temarks. Here are some expressions which may be useful: Thank you for,.. / was sorry to bear... I would tike to explain ... I can assure you ... As a sign of our concern, we would like to offer.., I hope ... Please accept... Listening Unit 7 Dealing with complaints You are going to listen to a woman talking about a disastrous time she had when she stayed in a hotel. Before you listen, think about these questions: a Have you, or has anyone you know, ever had a disastrous stay in a hocel? What went wrong? b What could go wrong in these areas? front desk/checking in the guest's room in rhe restaurant checking out/rhe bill Now listen to the woman speaking. What things went wrong during her stay? Listen again. Are these statements true (T) or false (F)? a □ The woman had seen an advertisement for the hotel in a shop window. b □ The couple went to the hotel to celebrate a birthday, c □ The man at the front desk had probably been arguing. d D They were given the key to room 106, e □ The woman complained about rhe size of the bathroom. f D They didn't complain in the restaurant. g □ They didn't sleep very well because they heard a screaming noise. h D They quite enjoyed the breakfast. i D They went to another hotel after checking out. j □ The murder took place in room 107. Activity Divide into two groups, A and B. In your groups, prepare for the role play by reading your instructions. Group A, your instructions are on page 143. Group B, your instructions are on page 148. Unit 7 Dealing ivith complaints 2 Feedback discussion: a How well did the waiters cope with the pressure? b Can you work out any general strategies for dealing with 'difficult' guests? c Has the experience changed your ideas about a waiter's job in any way? 11 Activity 1 Read the summary of answers to a hotel feedback questionnaire: a Do you think the manager will be pleased with the results? b In which areas of the hotel service were the results most disappointing? 2 In small groups, discuss what can be done to improve the hotel service. a What changes can be made? b How will you approach the different members of staff involved? Compare your opinions with other groups.
A Question of Service (AH figures are %} 1 II you stayed between Monday 2 Did the Lobby Manager axplam 3 Were you asked about your 4 Did you feel that you received a 5 If you received a message while 6 Were you addressed by name in 7 Were you addressed by name In S tf you received a morning call, was It on time? 9 Were you addressed by name when receiving your morning cail? 10 Were you offered a choice of 11 Were you offered a choice at
12 it you asked tor the one-number to your satisfaction? 55 13 II you look breaklast during your 14 Did you receive your breakfast within your time expectations? 5 15 Was table service available in the 16 Reception and Lobby 17 Bars 16 Restaurant - quality of service 19 Lunch/Dinner - quality of food 20 Breakfast - quality of food 21 Bedrooms
22 In general, having experienced the 23 As a result of the service and Vocabulary Unit 7 Dealing with complaints annoyed p. 82. Fairly angry apologyp. 81. statement to say that you are sorry for something appallingp. 161 (tapescript}. shocking or terrible arguingp. 86, sayingthings (often angrily) to show that you do not agree with somebody calmor calm downp. 78. become or make somebody become quiet when they are angry or upset complainp. 65. say that you are not satisfied or happy with something, n complaint p. 78 complimentaryp. 160 {tapescript). given free of charge cope withp. 78, deal successfully with disastrousp. 66, very bad or harmful disgustingp. 81, causing a strong feeling of dislike dustp. 80, remove small pieces of dirt from shelves and surfaces with a cloth emptyp. 80, remove the contents of something (e.g. ashtray, waste-paper bin) filthyp.8l,verydirty ignoredp. 73, paid no attention to lapelsp. 78, rhe two parts of the front of 3 jacket that are folded back lobbyp. 87, encrance-hall make excusesp. 85, give reasons (true or untrue) in order to explain a mistake or bad behaviour overcooked p. 161 (tapescript), cooked too much repairp.80,putsomethingoldor damaged back into good condition: mend replasterp. 80. repair walls by covering them with a special mixture of sand, lime and water to make them smooth ruralp. 83, of or In the countryside sessionp. 78, period spent doing one particular thing sweep p. 80, clean by removing dirt or dust with n brush sympathizedp. 78, understood and shared somebody's feelings tastelessp. 161 (tapescript), having no taste or flavour threatened top. 161(tapescript), warned that tiiep. 80,puctites (thin pieces of batced clay used as a roof covering) on a. roof traineesp. 78, people being trained for a job unacceptablep. 82, not good enough vacuump. 80, clean (a carpet) with a special machine weedp, 80. remove the unwanted plants from a garden Off-site services
Reading Hotels arrange off-site services for guesrs. These may be excursions, walking tours, sporting activities, and so on. What excursions and extra events do you think these hotels will offer? 1 Sheraton Towers City Hotel, San Francisco 2 Arina Sands Beach Hotel, Crete 3 Greenacres Counrry Hotel, England Look at the excursions and extra events below, and decide which ones would be offered at each of the three hotels. a Plane trip over the Grand Canyon. b Drinking, dining, and dancing! Greek village night. c Come on a romanticevening Bay cruise to the Golden Gate. d If you like sea and sun, you'll love our cruise to Santorini. e Trip to wine country. f Enjoy the Countrysidehire a bicycle. g Agricultural Museum and Park- special discount tickets available. h Thirsty? Then what about coming on the pub evening? i Car hire. Excellent rates. j Feeling adventurous? Why don't you try water-skiing? k Experience the outdoot beauty from horseback. Come pony-trekking. 1 Visit the archaeological site of Knossos: the earliest civilization. m Tour of the caves by boat. n Bring the kids to the Cable Car Museum: they'll love it! o Do you want to come hill-walking? p All-day deep-sea fishing trip. Why not catch your own supper? Unit S Off-site services 2 Listening Look at the excursion booking form for rhe Anna Sands Hotel: a What do the abbreviations Dr and Pax stand for? b How much does it cost for rwo adults and one child to go on the 'Cultural Crete' excursion and the 'Who pays rhe ferryman?' excursion? Don't forget to include enttance fees, c Can guests pay in dollars? Thomson Holidays Excursion booking form Name:_____________________ Hotel:_____________________ Room No:____ Day I; ,i i Excursion i Cultural Crete .............. NB I I hi 1.1 ''"lull i hi id ............... Price in Dr 5100 ■i,. ,, ■1 ] 00 Pax Total fyesti Wednesday : ■ Men, tied, Thu. Knov o Rah i .,■■: Bki ■ 'itng Win I \:iV , Mh. ferrym s,i : ■ I fe'Cn Explorer I i iSOS Wl i' i .■ . i . Samaria Adventurf hi n, ■ ■■ n I 5____ " 7 ;::hl Id /.■In I I ui i i d Aillill Child Adult CMIct A. I u I r Adull Child Ai.!,ri t CI i : A111 j t C n 11 d .,1, i: Child Mi : ,■ [) ... 3200 3900 I M 0 5B00 ■, ffi ■ ;■ n UOOO fi&gfl ■
* All entrance fees are extra ■ I 400DH churn. ' 4 400D.P". eritrarfEe .'"i.iiR P'ha^SJ oj * 5- SSiiDR- ■■■■■i 4{tgJQfI:, ii i. v '."i.I i * 2- 4DOOR ■ ".■■■' ' '- I Kftbfiboat 4Q.OI5R Hona'-f c !'y 500DP ' 3 -Iiu'iOUN ...| i;-,:iiu* ' .■ HOfJDR transfer lUiit'DP seUffl to ptir-r. I'ltJW nuke V.1I1] bunking ul ilic writt>tire puny id Mil ill ..Lfl.'lr.diiL'jM. dH \'1.f ■•■- LdnillU' hi}l>ri.ii;ini.Til ,,i I it ^.i mI- ■ I'uymcni liJKCPicdindrilctlilinM'iiK ■ All CriVObUure IliJJj i ■ fiirtwlLditid feet will be i iuurr«l iMa > I tia n 24 ItJilri'.' rifiiiLt; in ieivch. 2 You are going to listen to a representative at the horel talking to guests about the excursions they can take. As you listen, complete the missing information on the Excursion Booking Form. \te services 3 Listen again and nore the details of these three tours: a Knossos b Raki and Syrtaki evening c Samaria adventure 3 Language studyFirst Conditional In the talk, a number of First Conditional sentences were used. Look at these examples. If + Present Tense, will ► If you come on the tour, you 'II see a fine example ofMinoan civilization. ► If you are fit and like adventure, you 11 love this trip. If + Present Tense, modal verb ► If you have any questions, you can ask me when I come round. If+ Present Tense, Imperative *■ If you come, bringplenty of water. Note: the 'result' clause can come first. Example: What will we do if it rains? or If it rains, what will we do? 1 Expand these sentences about the excursion to Santorini: a if/go/Sanrorini/see/votcanic island b if/go/Santorini cruise/return/midnight? c Have/donkey ri de/if/go/San to rini d If/sunbatKe/not forget/sun-cream 2 Use the noces you made about the other excursions to make similar UnitS Off-site services Giving advice Look at the ways the representative gave advice: ► Why don 'tyou come on the Cultural Crete excursion? ► If I were you, I'd wait till the Thursday or Friday. ► You could always spend a day or two exploring the town here.
1 Can you think or other ways of giving advice? 2 Now give advice to the person making the statements below: a I've lost my passport. b I've got a terrible headache. c 1 can't find my keys. d We'd like to eat some traditional local food. e What should I visit while Vm staying here? f What's a good present to take home? g Which wine do you recommend with the chicken? h I can't think where to go for my next holiday. Speaking Look at this description of Charleston In the USA:
Divide into pairs, A and B. A, your instructions are on page ] 44. B, your instructions are on page J48. Unit 8 Off-site services 93
Place theatre
stadi cinema Find out which of these events the restof the class like going to in their free time. 2 Look at this List of facilities offered on a coach tour. Fill in the gaps with one of the words underneath. a from your hotel b __________ at your hotel c expert and _ ._______ guide d _________ charges included in price e lunch ______ - in price f modern coach with ______ or heating g ------------- seats h no _______ charge i ,________ on the coach j _________ in own language k tea and coffee _____ ___ . on the coach air-conditioning drop-oft' pick-up available entertaining reclining cancellation entrance toilets commentary included 6 Reading Unit 8 Off-site services Car hire is another service which many hotels provide. 1 Discuss these questions with a partner: a What things should you look for or check when you hire a car? b What type of things can go wrong? 2 Read the information sheet about hiring a car from Hertz, and match What's included Drive away with ease Delivery free to your door If you book with Hertz ... Availability guaranteed Excellent value for money The highest standards of service
iii) delivered FRLIE to your p .nil! .ill at a great value price ihar.»hard r>> beat. Your car will usually he no more than seven months old. or will have covered tio more than 31,000 (50,000 kms) AND will have passed? 19-point delivery check un all important mechanical and other parts prior to rental. Furthermore, ill cars will be delivered to you thoroughly cleaned, both (wide and our.
You'll enjoy the reliability of a car that's: t) iimuIK j ni.miutim iA m-viii months old ii} checked, cleaned, and with full tank oi petrol To help you make the most of your holiday motoring. Hertz willgive you an area road map. Parents can rest assured that all four-door cars are equipped widi rear-door child-proof locks and that child safety seats are normally available at a small additional charge. Unit 8 Off-site services
d Not only are the prices very competitive, but they are inclusive of: i) deliveryand collection ii) unlimited mileage iii) 3rd party, fire and theft insurance iv) collision damage waiver, which covers the renter's responsibility lor accidental damage to the vehicle v) all local taxes Your car will He delivered 10 your hotel or apartment free of charge with .1 full i.ink ill p. 11.1) .milcollected from you again at the end of the rental- -Should you experience any difficulty with the car, a replacement vehicle, if necessary, will he delivered to you as quickly as potsible. When you pre-book your Hertz car, availability is guaranteed, provided that you indicate your requirement at the time of booking your holiday. Delivery and collection to and from your hotel or apartment. Unlimited mileage. ii) iii)
Insurance cover for: third Source: Thomson Summer Hun brochurr Are these statement true (T) or false (F)? a □ Cars are never more than seven months old. b □ You have to collect the car from a garage. c □ When you get the car it will nor be dirty. d D You do not need to buy a local road map. e □ You must pay local taxes. f D If you have a problem with the car it will be changed. g D You can drive as far as you want without paying extra. h D You muse pay for any oil and maintenance repairs you need. Speaking Divide into pairs, A and B. A is the representative of a car hire company working at a hotel desk. B is a hotel guest. When you have prepared your roles, act out the conversation. A Ask the guest about the following things: How long for? When? licence? Type of car? Method of payment? Be prepared to answer any questions the guest may have. B Think about the following tilings: How long for? When from? How many people? Type of car? Find out exactly what is included in the price and what isn't. Unit 8 Off-site services 8 Listening Listen to this guided tour of Charleston. 1 As you listen, put diese attractions into the order in which they are mentioned by the guide.
a □ St Michael's Church b n Calhoun Mansion c D The Old Market d D King Street e □ Battery/White Point Gardens D Ashley River Memorial Bridge D Gibbes Museum of Art D Charles Towne Landing □ USS Yorktown D Heyward-Washington House Can you identify the points on the map?
Unit 8 Off-site services Listen again and indicate whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). a □ The driver's name is Tom. b D The air-conditioning needs to be adjusted. c D St Michael's Church was built In 1671. d D One of the historic houses was built by George Washington. e D The Battery is also known as White Point Gardens. f O The tour arrives at the Calhoun Mansion at 4 p.m. g D The Charles Towne Landing is on the other side of the river. h D At the end, the guide takes the group shopping. Activity You are going to read about the Evan Evans full-day coach rour to Leeds Castle, Canterbury, and Dover. Divide into pairs, A, and B. A, your text is on page 145. B, your text is on page H9. When you have read your text, write the questions you must ask to find out the missing information from your partner. Then ask your partner chfi questions and fill in the gaps in your leaflet. At the end, you can check your answers by looking at your partner's leaflet. Activity Choose an area you know well - for example, your home town. Make a list of the attractions and local facilities which might interest a visitor. Make notes about each of the places you have listed. Draw a rough map of the area and decide on the best route for a tour (either walking or by coach). Divide into groups of three or four (if possible, each member of the group should have chosen a different place). Imagine you are a guide leading a group of visitors (the others in your group). Take them on a 'guided tour' of your map telling them about the places they are seeing. 'Visitors' can ask questions if they want. Unit 8 Off-site services 11 Writing Write a leaflet desctibing the attractions and facilities of the area you made notes about in 10 Activity . The leaflet is lor inclusion in the 'Welcome Information' pack of a hotel. Include information on: attractions and sights sightseeing tours entertainment and shopping Look ar these examples taken from a leaflet about Charleston to help you. Date: 2015-12-24; view: 2670
|