Grammar in Context: Telephone Phrasal Verbs

The following are common phrasal verbs we often use while on the telephone. Match the correct

meaning with each phrasal verb.

1. hold on g 4 a. put the receiver down

2. put (a call) through e 7 b. return someone’s call

3. get through j 8 c. answer a call, lift the receiver to take a call

4. hang up a - colgar 9 d. stop talking on the phone

5. call up l - llamar 2 e. connect one caller to another

6. hang on m 12 f. deactivate (a cell phone)

7. call back k 1 g. wait

8. pick up c 13 h. talk louder

9. get off (the phone) d 11 i. to be disconnected abruptly during a telephone

conversation

10. get back to (someone) k 3 j. to be connected to someone on the phone

11. cut off i 7,10 k. return someone’s call

12. switch off/turn off f 5 l. make a telephone call

13. speak up h 6 m. wait

Some phrasal verbs are separable (e.g., call someone back); others are not. Complete the chart

below by putting the phrasal verbs above in the correct column.

Separable Non-separable

Put a call through Hold on

Hang up Get through
Call him up Hang on
Call me back Get of
Pick this up Get back to
Cut off Speak up
Switch off/ Turn off

Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verbs.

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1. Caller: Hello. Could I speak to Lucia Rodriguez, please?

Receptionist: She’s not in the office at the moment. Can I _PUT_you _THROUGH_to her voice mail?

Caller: Yes, thank you.

2. Caller: Could I speak to Emma, please?

Emma’s mother: Sure. ___HANG ON____a second and I’ll get her.

3. Automated Operator: Please __HANG UP__and try your call again. This is a recording.

4. Mother: Magdalena, could __GET_ OFF_ the phone? I need to call Dad.

Daughter: Okay, mom.

5. Chairperson of a meeting: I would appreciate if everyone could _SWITH OFF _their cell phones. We
have a lot of important things to discuss and we don’t want to be interrupted.

6. Caller: Hi, it’s Ahmed Mohamed calling. Could I speak to Martin Switzer please?

Receptionist: I’m sorry. He’s not in at the moment. Can I take a message?

Caller: Yes, could you ask him to __CALL__me__BACK_ when he gets in? It’s urgent.

Receptionist: Certainly.

7. Voice mail recording: Hi, you’ve reached Josh Wills in Accounting. I will be out of the office until July 2
but will be__PIKING UP____ my messages while I’m away. So please leave yours at the sound of the
tone. Thanks and have a great day!

8. Voice mail recording: You’ve reached Julia and Ben. We’re not available to take your call right now, but
if you leave a message, we’ll _GET BACK__to you as soon as we can. Thanks.

9. Caller: I can’t seem to___GET THROUGH_ . The line is always busy.

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What Would You Do or Say?
In small groups, discuss what you would do and/or say in the following situations. Make a list of
expressions that could be used in each situation and present them to the class.
1. You have been on the phone with someone for a few minutes but didn’t write down their
name at the beginning of the conversation. You need to ask them for their name again.
2. You are calling for information and the person is speaking too quickly.
3. You are on the phone trying to write down the details about a job interview (e.g., time,
location). You didn’t understand the street name and the speaker has already repeated the
name twice.
4. You didn’t hear a phone number that the caller gave you.
5. You are talking to someone on the phone and not sure if they are listening because there is
silence at the other end.
6. You want to make sure you have understood the directions to a location.
7. Someone wants to leave a message, but you don’t have a pen and paper handy.
8. You are in the middle of an important task and you receive a telephone call. You need to
finish what you are doing before you can talk to the person.
9. You are on the phone with someone and receive a call on another line. What do you say to
the person you are speaking to?
10. Someone has kept you on hold for the last 10 minutes. When they finally get on the line,
they apologize for the long delay.
11. You are listening to an automated voice menu that is too fast for you to understand.
12. You are talking to a friend on the phone and suddenly get disconnected.
13. You call a friend to chat. A few minutes into the conversation, you hear her turn on the tap
and rattle some plates. What could you ask?
14. You are returning a friend’s call. Your friend called you four days ago.
15. You are a receptionist in a large company. There is a call for your boss and you know that he
is in the washroom.

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Telephone Etiquette
The following quiz tests your knowledge of telephone etiquette. Discuss with your classmates
whether or not you agree with each statement.
1. Generally, you shouldn’t answer your cell phone when you are in a social situation
(e.g., on a date, at a friend’s for dinner). T F
2. It’s okay to explain that a colleague at work is not available to answer the phone
by saying the person is at lunch. T F
3. You should always identify yourself when you make a telephone call, e.g.,
This is Michelle Brown. May I speak to ...? T F
4. If your call is unexpected, you should ask the person if it is a convenient time to talk. T F
5. A caller who has been put on hold is likely to get impatient after holding for one minute. T F
6. You should leave information on your voice mail greeting about the reason why you
are not answering your phone. T F
7. It’s important to use active listening words on the phone such as Yes, I see, and Okay. T F
8. When you return to a caller after putting them on hold, you should say Thank you
for holding. T F
9. Hello is an appropriate greeting when you answer the telephone at work. T F
10. Before you put a caller on hold, you should inform the caller that you will do this. T F
11. It’s okay to answer the phone at home saying Yes? T F
12. When you dial a wrong number, you should say, What number is this? T F

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Social Calls

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1 Audio 7.4: Listen to two friends talking on the phone. Write the phrases you hear:
1. A phrase the caller uses to identify herself:

2. A phrase the caller uses to find out if the recipient is free to chat:

3. Phrases the two friends use to change the topic:

4. A phrase the recipient of the call uses to signal that she wants to end the conversation:

5. A phrase the caller uses to cooperate in ending the conversation:

2 Listen to the recording again. Listen for the phrases below and write their

1. In ages
2. I’m off until January
3. Time for yourself
4. Have someone over
5. Seeing a
man/woman
6. Kind of faded away
7. He was in IT
8. I should let you go
9. Take care

3 With a partner, take turns interviewing each other using the questions below.
1. Is there anyone you haven’t spoken to in ages? Who is it?
2. What do you like to do when you have time for yourself?
3. When was the last time you had someone over?
4. Can you think of anyone from your past who has faded away? Who is it?

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Expressing Sympathy and Empathy
There is a difference between expressing sympathy and expressing empathy. We usually express
sympathy when someone experiences a personal loss or is going through a difficult time.
Expressions of sympathy generally consist of conventional expressions of condolence such as
I’m very sorry for your loss and I’m very sorry to hear that.
When we express empathy, we generally name the emotion that we perceive the person to be
experiencing, and we show that we accept that emotion without judgment. Examples of
expressions of empathy include: I can understand how frustrating this must be for you and It
sounds like this was a very bad experience for you.
1 Audio 7.21: Listen to a telephone call between two friends. Answer the questions.
1. Record the words/expressions the caller uses to:
a) open the conversation

b) make a polite request

c) express thanks, appreciation

2. Record the words/expressions the recipient of the call uses to:

a) express sympathy

b) express surprise

c) ask for more details

d) confirm information

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2 With a partner, role-play a telephone call between two friends. Include phrases to:
• Open and close the conversation
• Make a polite request
• Express thanks and appreciation
• Express sympathy
• Show active listening
• Ask for details
• Confirm information

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Identifying Yourself on the Phone
Many companies have their own guidelines for how employees answer the phone. For example, an
employee may answer the phone by giving just his/her first name, his/her first and last names, or the
name of the department or company he or she works for. It often depends on the workplace culture and
the size of the company. Here are some examples of typical workplace greetings:

• Cooper Accounting Services. How can I help you? • Good morning. Economy Movers.

• Good afternoon. Dr. Ramen’s Office. • Norman Walker speaking.

• Human Resources. Michael Best speaking. • Hello, Benefits Department.

• Town of Grimsby Public Works. Tamara Bolnik speaking.

With a partner, discuss possible greetings for each of the following situations.

1. You are an assistant accountant in a large corporation (Billings and Sons Inc.). You do not receive calls
from outside clients.

2. You are the receptionist at your LINC centre. You receive calls from outside callers requesting
information.

3. You are responsible for taking orders in a small manufacturing company (Tops Manufacturing).

You take calls from customers all day.

4. You do the payroll for a small printing company (Major Press). Usually, you receive just calls about

payroll issues from staff.

5. You work in the appliance department of a large department store (Zee’s Department Store).

You receive calls from other staff at the store as well as customers enquiring about the availability

of certain appliances.

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2 Match each greeting with a situation. Then, discuss in what situations you would not need to

identify yourself when making a phone call. Explain why.

1. Hi. It’s Joan. a. You say this in when the person you’re calling does

not know you and you need to introduce yourself.

2. Joan Andrews speaking. b. You may say this when answering the phone at work.

3. My name is Joan Andrews and c. You say this when answering the phone at work.

I’m calling from ABC company.

4. You have reached Joan Andrews. d. You say this in a phone call to request information.

5. This is Joan Andrews. We spoke e. You say this on your voice mail greeting.

last week at the conference.

6. Here is Joan Wallis. f. You say this when the person you’re calling knows

you very well. It’s informal.

7. Hello. I wonder if you could tell g. You say this in a phone call or in a voice mail

me if you have any quarter-inch message when the person you are calling knows

plywood in stock? you but not well, and you want to be more formal.

8. Sudsy Carpet Cleaning. How may h. We don’t use this expression on the phone.

I help you?

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Calling for Information
Calling to get information is a common reason for making a telephone call. When making enquiries, we
often preface our question with an introductory word or phase. This way, the question does not sound
abrupt. It also sends a message to the listener to pay attention. Below are some introductory phrases
you can use when you are calling for information.

Sample Introductory Phrase Question

Yes, … Can you please tell me your hours?

Can you tell me please … Could you possibly check a product for me?

Yes, I’d like to get some information, please … Do you have parking at your store?

I wonder if you can help me … What time do you close tonight?

How much is a Canon 1200 digital camera?

Do you sell Sealy mattresses?

Do you make house visits for computer repairs?

When is your next information meeting?

Indirect questions are often considered more polite than direct questions. Consider the differences in
the following sentences.

Direct Question Indirect Question

• What time do you open on Saturday? • Can you tell me what time you open on Saturday?

• Where are you located? • Could you tell me where you are located, please?

• When will the new product be available? • Could you possibly tell me when the new product

will be available?

• Can I get an appointment this afternoon? • I was wondering if I could get an appointment

this afternoon.

• Are you open this evening? • Can you tell me if you are open this evening?

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For each of the telephone calls below, write a direct question that you might ask the person who
answers your call. Then practise changing those direct questions into indirect questions.

1. You want information about the weather. Call Environment Canada and ask for the phone number

of the weather hotline.

2. You have a job interview at Eazy Car Company. Call and ask for the nearest intersection.

3. You are too sick to leave your house, and you need some medication. Call the pharmacy and

enquire about home deliveries.

4. You need a new toner cartridge for your HP LaserJet 1200 printer and you’re not sure if the

computer store near your home has it in stock. Call and find out.

5. You want to join a gym and are calling around to compare prices. Call and ask about yearly
membership fees.

Asking for Information

Complete the following telephone conversation with questions each person might ask. Role-play the

completed dialogue with a partner.

A: Good morning, City Resource Center. How can I help you?

B: I’d like some information about your courses.

A: Certainly. What would you like to know?

B:

A: Certainly. We have seven levels of LINC classes. We also have an advanced conversation class and a

TOEFL class.

B:

A: Yes, we do. We offer Microsoft Word (beginner and advanced), and Simply Accounting.

B:

A: The LINC classes are free but there is a fee for the computer classes. The MS Word classes are $200

for 30 hours of instruction and the Simply Accounting is $230 for 21 hours.

B:

A: Our LINC classes are held during the day, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Computer courses are in the

evening, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. except for the Simply Accounting courses, which are on Saturdays from

9:00 a.m. to noon.

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B:

A: Let me check …. I’m sorry, but our Simply Accounting courses are full right now. The next sessions

begin in June. If you’d like, I can put your name on a waiting list, and someone will call you when

the registrations begin. Should I do that?

B: Yes, that would be great.

A:

B: Sumati Rajibagavi.

A:

B: S-u-m-a-t-i R-a-j-i-b-a-g-a-v-i.

A:

B: 555-123-4567

A: Good. So Sumati, we will let you know as soon as a space comes up.

B: Thanks.

A: No, I’m sorry there are no online registrations. You’ll have to register in person.

B:

A: Yes. We’re at 922 Reba Ave. That’s at the corner of Caloo Street and Reba Ave. The registration office

is on the second floor. If you ask the receptionist at the front desk, she will direct you to my office.

Active Listening Strategies

1 Audio 7.3: Listen to a guest on a radio talk show discussing active listening. Circle the correct

meaning of each word or phrase based on what you hear.

1. undivided attention

a) focusing on what the other person is saying without thinking about something else

b) thinking about something else while someone is speaking

2. response

a) a question

b) an answer

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3. distracted

a) planning your schedule

b) thinking about other things while someone is talking

4. build rapport

a) develop a bad relationship with someone

b) develop a good relationship with someone

5. vocalizing

a) using your voice in some way

b) being outspoken

2 Listen to the recording again and answer the following questions.

1. How does Linda define active listening?

2. Why is active listening important?

3. Why are verbal cues so important on the phone?

4. What other things can we do on the phone to show that we are listening actively?

5. Which active listening strategies did Sara use during the interview?

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Telephone Language Review
A. Match the sentence halves together to form common telephone expressions.

1. Hello, can I speak ....... a. who's calling?

2. Could you put me through to ....... b. a message?
3. Wait a moment. I'll ....... c. he is out at the moment.
4. May I ask ....... d. to David Johnson, please?
5. I'm sorry, ....... e. calling. Is Theresa there?
6. This is Michael Wilson ....... f. I help you?
7. Could you tell her ....... g. call back in an hour.
8. Can I take ....... h. put you through.
9. No, that's alright. I'll just ....... i. to call me back, please?
10. ABC Real Estate, how may ....... j. the Finance department?

B. Which telephone expressions above are used by a 'caller' and which are used by a

'receiver'? Write the numbers on the lines.

Caller: .........................................................................................................................

Receiver: .....................................................................................................................

C. Choose the correct prepositions to complete the telephone phrasal verbs.

1. I'm afraid she's not at / on / in. Could you call back later?

2. I'm calling for / about / over our meeting tomorrow. I need to confirm some details.

3. If you call over / back / through in fifteen minutes, he should be available.

4. Could you please put me over / through / with to Mr. Green?

5. Thank you for / on / about your help.

6. Please hold at / over / on, I will transfer your call to his Assistant.

7. Just a second, I need to write this on / down / through.

8. Can you please repeat that? The line is breaking over / up / in. I couldn't hear you.

9. I'm afraid no one is picking in / on / up. They must have left for the day.

10. I'll send you a confirmation email as soon as I hang down / up / on the phone.

11. Could you put me through / into / across to the manager, please?

12. Sorry, we were cut by / up / off in the middle of our conversation.

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Be Polite
Rewrite the telephone dialogue to make it more polite and appropriate.

A: Yes? A: .....Hello?...................................................................

B: Smart Communications Ltd? B: Is that Smart Communications

Limited?........................................................................

A: Yes. What is it? A:........................................................................

B: Let me speak to William Carter. B........................................................................

A: Wait. Maybe he's here. A:........................................................................

B: OK. ........................................................................

A: He's out.........................................................................

B: When is he back?........................................................................

A: I don't know. Call back later. ........................................................................

B: No, I want to leave a message. ........................................................................

A: What is it? ........................................................................

B: Tell him to call me. ........................................................................

A: Who are you? ........................................................................

B: Elijah Saunders. ........................................................................

A: What? ........................................................................

B: I said Elijah Saunders.........................................................................

A: Spell your name. ........................................................................

B: E-L-I-J-A-H S-A-U-N-D-E-R-S. ........................................................................

A: Phone number? ........................................................................

B: 07565-162-1721.........................................................................

A: Alright. I'll tell him.........................................................................

B: Good.........................................................................

A: Bye.........................................................................

B: Bye.........................................................................

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Telephone Strategies
Understanding others on the telephone can be difficult. Misunderstandings can happen easily, partly
because we can’t see the speaker’s body language, facial expressions or lip movements. You can avoid
miscommunication by using various strategies. For example:

• Repeat back or paraphrase what the other person said to confirm understanding: So, the school is on
Birch St. Is that correct? Or: So, your number is 555-233-5678?

• Ask questions to clarify information: Is the office on the first floor or the third floor?

• Ask for repetition: Could you say that again?

• Use a spelling alphabet (using words that stand for specific letters): My last name is Kast. That’s K as in
key, A, S as in sorry, T.

1 Audio 7.13: Listen to the recording and write the specific expressions the customer service

represenbtative uses to do the following:

Repeat information back to confirm understanding:

QUH; Calquhoun;

Ask questions to clarify information:

Ask for repetition:

Use the spelling alphabet:

2 With a partner, prepare and role-play a dialogue for the following scenario.

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Student A

You have a job interview at NYB Trucking. The secretary will call you to give you information about the
date, time and location of the interview. He/she will also tell you the names of the people who will
interview you.

• Take down the information

• Use any of the strategies above to clarify information you do not understand

Student B

You are the secretary at NYB Trucking. Call your partner to invite him/her to a job interview on

September 9 at 10:15 a.m. at 68 Trethewey Ave (near Yonge and Sumach Streets). The interviewers are

Nick Popodopolous, Tina Campanelli and Dafna Weisner.

• Begin your call with a professional greeting

• Clarify information your partner does not understand

• End the call appropriately

A. Put the words in the correct order to create questions.

1. .............................................................................................................................?

want / read / do / you / to / that / me / to / back

2. .............................................................................................................................?

make / that / does / sense

3. .............................................................................................................................?

clear / that / is

4. .............................................................................................................................?

you / do / have / questions / any

5. .............................................................................................................................?

you / following / me / are

B. Use the questions to complete the telephone dialogue below.

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Kate: Hi Glen. Are you ready to take down the details of the wedding?

Glen: Hi Kate. Yes. I've got a pen and paper ready.

Kate: Good, then let's get started. So, the main wedding ceremony is to be held on the 3rd of

October in the garden between 5 and 6 p.m.

1. ....................................................................................................................?

Glen: Yes, Kate. I am.

Kate: This will be followed by a reception in the main dining room between 6 and 10 p.m.

2. ....................................................................................................................?

Glen: Yes. That makes perfect sense.

Kate: Good, let's go on then. The starter, main course and dessert will be served to the guests

half an hour apart, so the bride and groom can make their speeches.

3. ....................................................................................................................?

Glen: Yes. The courses will be served half an hour apart so the speeches can be given.

Kate: Great. Also, the band will start at 8 p.m. and finish at 10 p.m.

4. ....................................................................................................................?

Glen: Um, just one. When will they be cutting the cake?

Kate: The bride wants the cake to be cut at 7:45 p.m. before the band starts playing.

5. ....................................................................................................................?

Glen: Yeah. Very clear.

Kate: Great. I'll leave it to you to organize the seating, and we'll talk again next week.

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Making Inquiries About a Product or Service
1 Audio 3.9: Listen to a dialogue between a customer and a restaurant manager. Answer the

questions below.

1. What product or service does the customer enquire about? What are her general requirements?

2. What are the specific items that the customer would like to have included in her order? How will

the manager accommodate those needs?

3. Circle the items from the menu that are not mentioned in the conversation:

• mini pizzas • drinks • steak • Caesar salad • cream filling

4. What is the final order that the manager wants the customer to confirm?

5. How and when will the order be finalized?

2 Listen to the recording again. Record the phrases and expressions you hear. Then, with a partner,

add your own expressions to the list.

 Asking for information:

 Clarifying information:

 Changing the topic:

 Closing the conversation:

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Arranging a Delivery
A. Complete the arranging a delivery dialogue between a shop assistant and a customer

with the words from the box.

Cell phone charge address between by order delivery

elevator 0113245 until call after weekend postal code

SA: Hello. This is Stan from Sofa World. I'm calling to arrange a (1) ........................... time for the sofa you
bought.

C: Hi. Sure, no problem.

SA: Can you confirm your name and (2) ........................... number?

C: Yes. It's Ned Green, and the order number is (3) ...........................

SA: Okay Mr. Green. Can I have your delivery (4) ..........................., please?

C: Yes. It's Apartment 4, 2 East Street, and the (5) ........................... is L5B 4T6.

SA: Okay. We can deliver your sofa Tuesday morning. Will anybody be at home then?

C: Oh dear. No. My wife and I both work. I should be home (6) ........................... 3 p.m. though. Could I
have it delivered then?

SA: I'm afraid our drivers only work (7) ........................... 1 p.m. How about Friday morning then?

C: No. I won't be home until (8) ........................... 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Would it be possible to have it
delivered on Saturday?

SA: Yes, we can deliver on Saturday, but there will be a $5 (9) ........................... delivery charge.

C: That's fine. I don't mind paying the weekend delivery (10) ........................... What time can I expect the
delivery to arrive?

SA: The driver will be there (11) ........................... 9 and 11 a.m. Are there any details the driver needs to
know about?

C: Great. It's a second floor flat, but there's no (12) ........................... Fortunately, there aren't many
stairs, so it should be quite easy to get the sofa in.

SA: Okay then, Mr. Green. And do you have a (13) ........................... number the driver can reach you on?

C: Yes. It's 647 664 342. Will he (14) ........................... before he arrives?

SA: Yes, he'll call when he's nearby.

C: That's great. Thanks for your help. Goodbye.

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Making Arrangements on the Phone
1 Audio 7.12: Listen to a dialogue between a travel agent and a caller. Circle True or False.

1. The caller didn’t want to book the flight online because the flights were quoted in American dollars. T
F

2. The caller says he wouldn’t mind a stopover in New York. T F

3. The flight is returning on October 7. T F

4. The flight from New York leaves from JFK airport. T F

5. The cheaper flight has two stopovers. T F

6. The caller has a seating preference. T F

7. The travel agent will send José an email outlining all the travel arrangements. T F

8. The travel agent will send the tickets by email. T F

2 Complete the sentences below with words or phrases used in the dialogue.

1. To arrange a flight is to .

2. Another term for a non-stop flight is .

3. To have a seating preference means .

4. If a flight goes directly to its destination, it means there are no .

5. To send something electronically means to send it by .

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Name: Date

Imagine that you are José. Listen to the dialogue again and take notes about the two travel

options. Send an email message to your friend at work to tell her about the two options and ask

her which one she would prefer

To:
From:
Subject:

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Making and Responding to Complaints
Making and responding to complaints politely requires some diplomacy. Here are some tips for
complaining politely:

Before we make a complaint, we usually make a neutral statement that provides some context:

• I’m calling about a product I purchased in your store two weeks ago.

• I’m calling about an experience I recently had with one of your agents.

Then we state the problem or complaint, often using “hedges” to reduce the impact of a statement:

• There seems to be a discrepancy on my bill.

• There appears to be something wrong with the keyboard.

We use the passive voice to avoid blaming someone directly:

• The wrong order was shipped (instead of You shipped the wrong order).

• I was overcharged (instead of You overcharged me).

To soften your language, you can also express uncertainty and avoid using negative adjectives:

• I don’t think it’s working the way it’s supposed to.

• I’m not very happy with your service (instead of I’m unhappy with your service).

When responding to a complaint, it is important to show the customer that you are taking the complaint
seriously and that you empathize with his/her situation. For example:

• I’m sorry to hear that …; I apologize for the inconvenience that has caused you; I can understand how

frustrated you must be about …

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1 Rewrite the following sentences to make them more polite by using diplomatic language.

1. That will be too long! I can’t wait until next week for the delivery.

2. You made the delivery to the billing address instead of the delivery address.

3. It’s not my fault the dishwasher isn’t working. (said by CSR)

4. Your agent was not helpful.

5. You made a mistake on my bill.

6. You have no Internet connection? Too bad! (said by CSR

2 Audio 7.14: Listen to a telephone conversation between a customer service representative and a

customer. Answer the questions.

1. What is the complaint about?

2. Describe the customer’s tone of voice.

3. What diplomatic phrase does the customer use to make her complaint?

4. What strategies does the customer service representative use to clarify information?

5. How does the customer service representative express empathy?

6. What does the customer service representative do to address the customer’s complaint?

3 With a partner, prepare a telephone dialogue about one of the following situations. If you are

the caller, make a polite complaint. If you are the receptionist, be sure to convey empathy towards

the customer.

1. Your cable is not working properly. The picture on the screen is scrambled and you can’t get any

reception on certain channels.

2. You cancelled an insurance policy last month. This month there was a withdrawal from your

chequing account for the same insurance policy.

25
3. You booked a hotel room for two nights. When you received the confirmation, it was for the

wrong dates.

26
Responding to Complaints on the Phone
Here are some tips for responding to customer complaints on the phone:

• Always respond to a complaint in a polite and professional manner (even if the customer is not
behaving politely).

• Listen carefully to what the customer is saying and ask questions to clarify information. This shows that
you are taking the complaint seriously and trying to understand it.

• Apologize and show empathy. Statements like, I’m sorry about that and I can appreciate how frustrated

you must feel go a long way to making an angry customer feel validated.

• Apologize again and offer a solution to the problem.

• Find a resolution to the problem as quickly as possible.

1 In small groups, brainstorm a list of expressions you could use for each of these functions.

• Confirm and clarify the problem

• Apologize

• Express empathy

• Promise action

• Offer a solution

2 Audio 7.22: Listen to two phone calls relating to a customer complaint. Write numbers to put the
elements of each calls in the correct sequence.

Note: CSR–Customer Service Representative

____ CSR apologizes and offers a solution. CSR empathizes with the customer.

____ Caller provides context. Caller rejects the offered solution.

____ CSR confirms his understanding of the problem. Caller describes the problem.

____ Caller accepts the offered solution. CSR promises action.

____CSR apologizes again and accepts responsibility The CSR calls back and offers another solution

for the problem. to the problem.

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3 Discuss the following questions about the phone calls.

1. What was the customer’s complaint?

2. Describe how the customer makes her complaint.

3. How does the CSR express empathy?

4. How is the complaint resolved?

1 Read the following email from a customer and respond to it by phone. Write notes in preparation

for a telephone call to the customer. With a partner, role-play a telephone call responding to

the complaint.

In your telephone call, don’t forget to:

• State why you are calling

• Summarize the complaint to confirm your understanding of the problem

• Get additional details

• Apologize and express empathy

• Offer a solution

Message

Hello,

I ordered a lunch from your catering company for an important meeting at my company on September

24. I have to say I was not very impressed. The lunch was supposed to arrive by 11:00 a.m. It didn’t

arrive until 1:00 p.m. By then we were all starving! The bread in some of the sandwiches was stale. The

vegetables in the salad were either not ripe (the tomatoes) or past their prime. Also, we ordered for 10

people, but there was enough salad for only about seven of us. I specifically asked for a variety of

desserts, but we got only one kind – chocolate brownies.

I wanted to let you know that we will not be using your company again.

Jake Allen,

Project Manager

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Your notes

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Responding to Telemarketers
1 Discuss the following questions with a partner.

1. How often do you receive telephone calls from telemarketers? What do they try to sell you or offer
you?

2. How do you usually handle calls from telemarketers? How do you end the call?

2 Read the following article about deceptive telemarketing.

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3 Find synonyms in the article for the following words.

1. get _______________ 7. profits_______________

2. dishonestly _______________ 8. very large; huge_______________

3. increased in size_______________ 9. vulnerable_______________

4. are more than_______________ 10. victimize_______________

5. honest_______________ 11. unwilling_______________

6. common _______________ 12. the object of attention _________________

Circle True or False.

1. Fraudulent telemarketers sometimes pretend to be legitimate charities seeking a donation. T F

2. All telemarketing is dishonest. T F

3. Many fraudulent telemarketers are never caught and punished. T F

4. Fraudulent telemarketing is attractive to criminals because of the potential to make

large amounts of money with little investment. T F

5. Organized crime is responsible for most telemarketing fraud. T F

6. Fraudulent telemarketers target seniors because they have more money. T F

7. A victim of telemarketing fraud is at higher risk of being victimized again. T F

8. Seniors may not report being victimized by a telemarketing fraud because they are afraid of what their
family will say. T F

5 Audio 7.23: Listen to two calls from a telemarketer and discuss the questions.

1. For each call, how does the telemarketer open the conversation?

2. Do you think the telemarketer’s techniques are effective?

3. How would you respond to this telemarketer?

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Ending a Phone Call
Match the two phrases to form sentences used to a phone call.

Answer key

1. Got to go. There's someone on the other line.

2. Thanks for calling. Bye.

3. It was great talking to you again. Bye.

4. I'll talk to you next week, okay? Bye.

5. Mum's calling me for dinner, so I've got to go. Bye.

6. I must go. I'm late for a meeting.

7. I know you're busy, so I'll let you go now.

8. Goodbye. Have a nice day.

9. I'll call you again tomorrow evening. Good night.

10. Bye-bye. Good luck with your exam tomorrow.

11. I'll get Sam to call you when he gets home. Bye

12. Bye now. Please call me any time you want to talk.

13. I'm sorry, but I have to go.

14. Bye-bye. Hope you feel better soon.

15. Bye Tim. Say hello to Margaret for me.

16. I've got to go. I have to answer another call.

17. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Bye.

18. I'll call you back later

Come up with a suitable sentence ending the call that matches the situation using the sentences in the
matching activity as a guide.

1) End the call by telling the other person that someone else is trying to call you.
2) End the call and tell the other person when you will call them again.
3) Say goodbye and thank the other person for calling.
4) End the call to a friend. Give a reason why you have to go.
5) End the call and tell the other person that you enjoyed your conversation.
6) End the call, telling your friend that they can call you any time they need to talk.
7) End the call because you think the other person is busy.
8) End the call. Tell the other person to say 'hi' to someone else for you.
9) End the call and tell the other person when you will see them again.

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10) Your sister is not at home. Her friend has called her. End the call, promising that you will tell your
sister to call them.
11) Say goodbye and apologise to the other person for ending the call.
12) End the call to your sick friend. Tell them to get well soon.
13) Your friend has an important match tomorrow. End the call and wish them luck.
14) End the call and tell the other person to have a nice day or evening

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