Engleză economică

vocabulary

1. Complete the flow chart with the following words.

build negotiate provide renew request win

2. Match the expressions 1-6 with their explanations a-f.

1 acknowledge a customer

2 hold on to a customer

3 woo a customer

4 lose a customer

5 approach a customer

6 develop a customer

a win a customer over to doing business with you

b keep a customer

c build up a long-term relationship with a customer

d show a customer that you know they are there

e make contact with a customer

f fail to keep a customer

3. learning tips

One way to remember new vocabulary is to tell or create stories which use the new words.

Example assistant - exchange - voucher - returns policy - Head Office

I took back a shirt on Saturday. I told the assistant that it didn't fit. He said I could exchange it for another shirt or take a voucher to the same value; that was the company's returns policy. When I said I would write to the Head Office, he just gave me the address!

Make up your own story which links these words together. You may use them in any order.

customer - shop - return - refund - disgruntled - complain - Head Office - letter - customer satisfaction

reading

1. Read the article below about call centres. In most of the lines there is an extra word. It is either grammatically incorrect or does not fit with the meaning of the text. If a line is correct, write CORRECT. If there is an extra word in the line, write it in CAPITAL LETTERS.

Call centres in crisis

2. Read the article about customer service over the phone. Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D below. For each question 1-1 5, mark one letter (A, B, C or D).

First impressions are (0) B over the phone. Prospective customers are considering (1) , or not to do business with you. Irate customers are (2) how helpful and competent you are. For best results, incorporate two easy elements: pleasantness and sincerity.

Pleasantness: A pleasant greeting is (3) to a successful call because it sets the stage emotionally. In general, listeners tend to (4) or 'catch' the emotional states of speakers. In other words, people (5) to what they hear. If we answer the phone gruffly, chances are the caller will become gruff. If we answer the phone pleasantly, chances are the caller will be pleasant, and we all know which caller is easier to work with.

One of the easiest ways to (6) an emotional state quickly is to concentrate carefully on your (7), language. I recommend that professionals establish a (8) before answering the phone. In order to sound pleasant, we need to be carrying ourselves accordingly. My routine is to sit up on the (9) of my seat, pull my shoulders back, take a deep (10) , smile, let the phone ring twice, then answer. I never answer my phone unless I've gone through this process. My business is too (11) Sometimes I’ll even stand before I answer the phone if I need an extra jolt of (12)

Sincerity: I am against scripting greetings because they sound insincere and (13) to irritate callers, and discourage employees. Scripted greetings usually include some kind of (14) 'Hello. It's a beautiful day here at the XYZ Company' Now I don't care where you work. It can't be that good all day. You want the greeting to be (15) , which also makes it easier to sound pleasant consistently.

0 A useful

1 A how

2 A deciding

3 A needed

4 A act

5 A respond

6 A evolve

7 A foreign

8 A style

9 A point

10 A puff

11 A worthwhile

12 A energy

13 A mean

14 A saying

15 A open

B critical

B why

B thinking

B essential

B mime

B talk

B have

B body

B ritual

B corner

B sigh

B important

B life

B tend

B motto

B natural

C effective

C whether

C concluding

C urgent

C pretend

C speak

C attain

C new

C behaviour

C kerb

C breath

C interesting

C fear

C try

C slogan

C straight

D interesting

D if

D agreeing

D necessary

D mirror

D answer

D be

D child

D rule

D edge

D pull

D enjoyable

D electricity

D aim

D quote

D clear

listening

You will hear three telephone conversations or messages. Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.

Conversation 1 (Questions 1-4)

Look at the notes below. You will hear a message about travel arrangements.

Answer phone message 5-STAR TRAVEL

Date

Caller

Message

Booking ref

Action

14 June Time: 18.45

Sally (1)

Tickets not arrived. Flight departure on (2)

(3)

Call back. To arrange pick-up

Tel: 09467 (4)

Conversation 2 (Questions 5-8)

Look at the form below. You will hear a man calling about a delay.

ACT PARKING LOG

Customer

Josh Stanton Car Type

Laguna Flight No.

(5)

Arr Time

(6) Car Registration

(7) Pick-up point

(8)

Conversation 3 (Questions 9-12)

Look at the form below. You will hear a woman complaining about a lost suitcase.

AIRCARE BAGGAGE HANDLING REPORT FORM

Passenger Name: (9) Donovan

Arrival Date: (10)

Flight No: GB987

Luggage Tag No: GB987 (11) Action: Deliver to Mercury Hotel

(note: check with Mermaid)

Call back Jenny on

0278 (12)

writing

You work in the Customer Service department of a Travel Agent's. You have collated the customer satisfaction response forms for June and made some notes. You have also drafted the monthly report below for your Head Office. Read the information carefully. Then read the report and correct any mistakes in the grammar or content. There are eight mistakes.

Collated results of customer satisfaction response forms

Main areas of complaint No. of complaints

Delays

Hotel standard

Lost luggage

Others 35

22

26

15

- delays caused by air traffic control.

If not, level around 20

- hotel standard: Hotel Mercury 18

complaints - problems with drains