Warm-up
Customer Service & Handling Complaints
Customer Service & Handling Complaints
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key customer service and complaint vocabulary
- Apologise, show understanding and offer a solution
- Use the passive voice to sound neutral and professional
- Say no politely and escalate a problem
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Have you ever made a complaint? What happened?
- What is the worst customer service you have ever received?
- Do you deal with customers or clients in your job?
- How do you feel when someone is angry with you at work?
Say it out loud
Practise a first reaction to a complaint. → I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. Let me look into this right away.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Customer service vocabulary
Useful customer service phrases
| I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. | Мені дуже шкода за незручності. |
| I completely understand how frustrating this is. | Я чудово розумію, наскільки це прикро. |
| Let me look into this right away. | Дозвольте мені одразу з цим розібратися. |
| What I can do is… | Що я можу зробити, це… |
| I'll escalate this to my manager. | Я передам це своєму керівникові. |
| I'm afraid that isn't possible, but… | На жаль, це неможливо, але… |
| Is there anything else I can help you with? | Чи можу я ще чимось допомогти? |
| Thank you for your patience. | Дякую за терпіння. |
Try out the new words
Say what you would do if your product was faulty. → If my product was faulty, I would ask for a refund or a replacement.
Describe a delay you have experienced. → The delivery was delayed by …, so …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
The passive voice: neutral and diplomatic
| Form | be + past participle: The order is shipped. The parcel was damaged. |
| Present simple | Refunds are processed within five days. (regular process) |
| Present continuous | Your complaint is being investigated. (happening now) |
| Past simple | The package was damaged in transit. (finished event) |
| Present perfect | Your refund has been processed. (result now) |
| will / modals | You will be contacted within 48 hours. / The item can be replaced. |
| Why use it? | It keeps the focus on the problem, not on who is to blame: "A mistake was made" sounds softer than "We made a mistake" or "You ordered the wrong size". |
| The agent | Add by + person only if it is important: The report was written by our legal team. Usually we leave the agent out. |
Active or passive?
Choose the correct passive form
Open the brackets
Make it passive and more diplomatic
Rewrite the sentence in the passive voice.
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Give one passive sentence about something that is being done at your company at the moment. → At the moment, … is being …
Reading
Read: a complaint email and the reply
Customer email: "Dear Sir or Madam, I ordered a coffee machine on 3 March. It was delivered on 12 March, nine days late, and the box was damaged. When I plugged the machine in, it did not work at all. I have tried to call your helpline twice, but nobody answered. I would like a full refund. Yours faithfully, Karen Holt."
Company reply: "Dear Ms Holt, thank you for contacting us, and I am very sorry for the inconvenience. I completely understand how frustrating this must have been. Your complaint is being looked into, and a mistake has clearly been made — the machine should not have been shipped in a damaged box. What I can do today is arrange a free replacement, which will be sent by express delivery. If you prefer a refund, that can be processed within five working days. You will be kept updated by email, and a tracking number will be sent to you this afternoon. Thank you for your patience. Yours sincerely, Tomas Reid, Customer Care."
True or false?
The coffee machine arrived on time.
The customer reached the helpline on the second try.
The company apologised and offered a replacement.
The company blamed the customer.
A refund is possible if the customer prefers it.
The customer will receive a tracking number tomorrow.
Answer the questions
What were the three problems Ms Holt had?
How does Tomas show understanding?
What does he offer to do today?
How will the customer be kept informed?
Find the passive voice
Write the passive phrase from the reply.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a strong reply?
Your own opinion
- Is a replacement or a refund better for the customer? Why?
- What would you add to the reply to make it even better?
- How would you feel if you received this reply?
Practice
Picture the conversation
Listen → Apologise → Look into it → Offer a solution → Confirm the next step.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Make it more diplomatic
Rewrite the sentence so it sounds more neutral and polite.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A customer service fact
Speaking — Keep the Customer
How to use this section
Your tutor plays an unhappy customer (or a colleague). Stay calm, apologise without blaming anyone, offer a solution and say no politely when you have to. Use the passive voice to keep the tone neutral.
Receiving a complaint
Customer: "My order is two weeks late and nobody replies to my emails!"
Starter: "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. I completely understand how frustrating this is. Let me look into this right away."
Calming an angry customer
Customer: "This is unacceptable! I want to speak to your manager!"
Starter: "I hear you, and I'd like to resolve this today. May I ask a couple of questions so that the problem can be fixed as quickly as possible?"
Offering a solution
Task: offer two options and let the customer choose.
Starter: "What I can do is arrange a free replacement, which will be sent today. Or, if you prefer, your refund can be processed within five days."
Saying no politely
Customer: "I want a refund, although the warranty ended last year."
Starter: "I'm afraid a full refund isn't possible, as the warranty has expired, but what I can do is offer a repair at a reduced price."
Escalating the problem
Task: you cannot solve the issue alone. Explain what will happen next.
Starter: "I'll escalate this to my manager, and you will be contacted within 24 hours. I'll keep you updated."
Making a complaint yourself
Task: you are the customer. Complain politely but firmly about a faulty product and say what you want.
Starter: "I'm calling about a coffee machine I bought last week. It doesn't work, so I'd like a refund or a replacement, please."
Following up with a customer
Task: call a customer to say the problem has been solved and check that they are happy.
Starter: "I'm calling to let you know that your replacement has been sent. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Full customer service call — no stopping
Handle a full complaint call with your tutor: listen, apologise, look into it, offer a solution, say no to one request, and finish with a clear next step — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- Which phrase helped you stay calm?
- Did you use the passive voice naturally?
- What would you do differently with a real customer?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key customer service and complaint vocabulary
- Apologise, show understanding and offer a solution
- Use the passive voice to sound neutral and professional
- Say no politely and escalate a problem
Quick self-check
How do you form the passive?
Why is "A mistake was made" softer than "We made a mistake"?
What phrase helps you say no politely?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor one phrase you will use with an unhappy customer. → I will say: …
Homework
- Do the exercises below and press Check in each one. Green = correct. Red shows what was expected.
- Do the writing and speaking tasks and tick them when they are done.
- Write your name and press Copy my result, then send the text to your tutor.
Words to remember
| a complaint | скарга |
| a refund | повернення коштів |
| a replacement | заміна (товару) |
| to apologise for | перепрошувати за |
| to escalate | передати вище (за рівнем) |
| a faulty product | несправний товар |
| to look into | розібратися, дослідити |
| compensation | компенсація |
| a warranty | гарантія |
| to resolve | вирішити (проблему) |
| customer satisfaction | задоволеність клієнтів |
| an inconvenience | незручність |
| to be out of stock | немає в наявності |
| a delay | затримка |
| a tracking number | номер відстеження |
| to keep someone updated | тримати в курсі |
Fill in the missing word
Fill in the passive
Choose the correct passive form
Make it passive
Rewrite the sentence in the passive voice.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a reply (6–8 sentences) to a customer whose order arrived late and damaged. Apologise, show understanding, offer a solution and use at least two passive sentences.
Practise out loud
Say your reply aloud twice. Check that you sound calm, polite and clear.
Read aloud
Read the company reply from the Reading section aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I wrote a reply to a customer (6–8 sentences)
- 8.8 I said my reply aloud twice
- 8.9 I read the company reply aloud twice