Warm-up
Crisis Management & Apologies
Crisis Management & Apologies
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key crisis management vocabulary
- Explain what had happened before a problem was discovered
- Use the past perfect together with the past simple
- Apologise formally and explain what will be done
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Have you ever been part of a work problem that became a crisis?
- Who should speak first when something goes wrong?
- Why is an honest apology important for a company?
- How do you feel when a company apologises well?
Say it out loud
Explain what had happened. → By the time we noticed the problem, the system had already stopped working, so we immediately called the technical team.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Crisis management vocabulary
Useful crisis and apology phrases
| We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. | Щиро вибачаємося за незручності. |
| We regret to inform you that the delivery will be late. | З жалем повідомляємо, що доставку буде затримано. |
| By the time we noticed, the damage had already been done. | Коли ми помітили, шкода вже була завдана. |
| We are investigating the root cause. | Ми досліджуємо першопричину. |
| We had not expected such a large problem. | Ми не очікували такої великої проблеми. |
| We have taken immediate action. | Ми негайно вжили заходів. |
| This will not happen again. | Це більше не повториться. |
| We will compensate all affected customers. | Ми компенсуємо збитки всім постраждалим клієнтам. |
Try out the new words
Apologise for a delay in two sentences. → I’m very sorry for … We will … as soon as possible.
Explain what had happened before you noticed a problem. → Before I noticed the problem, … had already …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
Past perfect and past simple
| Form | had + past participle for all persons: We had finished. She had not seen it. Had they called? Contraction: I’d, he’d, we’d, hadn’t. |
| Use | the past perfect shows the earlier action; the past simple shows the later one: When I arrived, the meeting had started. By the time we noticed the error, the customer had already complained. |
| Time words | before, after, by the time, when, already, just, never, yet: After the server had crashed, we called IT. We hadn’t backed up the files before the system failed. |
| Reasons in the past | the past perfect explains why something happened: The delivery was late because the lorry had broken down. |
| Formal apologies | We apologise for + noun / -ing: We apologise for the delay / for causing a problem. We regret to inform you that … I’m afraid that … Please accept our apologies. |
Which sentence is correct?
Complete with the correct word
Which came first?
Join the two events with the word in brackets. Several answers are possible.
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
Explain a problem that happened to you or your company. → When I arrived, … had already …
Reading
Read: a public statement after a crisis
A public statement: service interruption on Monday
Dear customers,
On Monday morning, our online service stopped working for about six hours. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused to you and your business.
By the time our team noticed the problem, thousands of users had already tried to log in. We later found that a software update had been installed the night before, but it had not been tested properly. This was our mistake, and we take full responsibility.
As soon as we understood the root cause, we took immediate action. The old version was restored, and by noon the system had recovered. We are also investigating how the problem happened in order to prevent it in the future.
We know that this incident has affected our reputation. In order to compensate affected customers, we will add one free month to every account. We regret that it happened, and we will continue to inform you openly about our progress.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
The Customer Support Team
True or false?
The service was not working for about six hours.
The update had been tested properly.
The company blames the customers.
The old version was restored.
Customers will get one free month.
Answer the questions
What happened on Monday morning?
What had caused the problem?
What immediate action did the company take?
How will customers be compensated?
Find the key language
Write the word (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a good text?
Your own opinion
- Is this apology good enough? What would you add?
- What makes an apology sincere?
- Have you ever received compensation from a company? What for?
Practice
Picture the situation
Admit it → Apologise → Investigate → Fix and compensate. A clear, honest message is the best way to keep trust in a crisis.
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
Say it in your own words
Write one sentence. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A useful tip
Speaking
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a customer, a journalist or your boss. Explain what had happened, apologise, report action and answer difficult questions. Use the past perfect with the past simple, and formal apology phrases.
Telling a customer bad news
Task: a delivery is delayed. Apologise and explain what had happened.
Starter: "I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your order will be late because the lorry had broken down. I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience."
Reporting to your boss
Task: you tell your boss about a serious incident. Explain what had happened before you noticed.
Starter: "By the time I noticed the problem, the system had already stopped. Fortunately, we called IT immediately."
Answering a journalist
Task: a journalist asks what went wrong. Be honest and calm.
Starter: "A software update had not been tested properly. We take full responsibility, and we are investigating the root cause."
Offering compensation
Task: a customer lost money because of your mistake. Offer a solution.
Starter: "We regret that this happened. To compensate you for the problem, we would like to offer a full refund and a discount on your next order."
Explaining the next steps
Task: tell your team what the company will do to prevent a new crisis.
Starter: "First, we will check all systems. Then we will train everyone, so that the same mistake will not happen again."
Apologising by phone
Task: you call a client to apologise for missing a meeting.
Starter: "I’m calling to apologise. I had forgotten to update my calendar, and I realised it only when the meeting had already started."
Rebuilding trust
Task: a month later, report the improvements to the customers.
Starter: "Since the incident, we have taken several steps. The process has been changed, and we have not had a single problem since then."
Full conversation — no stops
Run through a crisis call with your tutor: explain what had happened, apologise, describe your action and offer compensation — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- Which apology phrase sounded the most sincere?
- Was the past perfect easy to use with the past simple?
- How would you like a company to treat you after a mistake?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key crisis management vocabulary
- Explain what had happened before a problem was discovered
- Use the past perfect together with the past simple
- Apologise formally and explain what will be done
Quick self-check
How do we form the past perfect?
Which action comes first?
How do you apologise formally?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor about the last time someone apologised to you. → The last time … apologised to me was when …
Homework
Words to remember
| a crisis | криза |
| an incident | інцидент |
| the root cause | першопричина |
| to investigate | розслідувати |
| damage control | обмеження наслідків (шкоди) |
| a setback | невдача, затримка в роботі |
| to compensate | компенсувати |
| to prevent | запобігати |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short public apology (6–8 sentences) for a problem at a company (a late delivery, a system failure or a mistake in an order). Use at least two past perfect sentences, one formal apology phrase and one sentence about the action you have taken.
Practise out loud
Say your apology aloud as if you were talking to customers. Use a calm, sincere voice.
Read aloud
Read the text “A public statement: service interruption on Monday” aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I wrote a public apology (6–8 sentences)
- 8.8 I said my apology aloud
- 8.9 I read the public statement aloud twice