English Vocabulary in Use Advanced » Unit 34: Here to help: customer service

Word List
  • accommodating
  • availability
  • backlog
  • browse
  • dispatch
  • FAQ
  • get back to
  • helpline
  • home page
  • immediate
  • immediate dispatch
  • impeccable
  • impersonal
  • incompetent
  • in-store
  • nationwide
  • obliging
  • privacy policy
  • prompt
  • put you on hold
  • query
  • responsive
  • secure site
  • secure transactions
  • sense of urgency
  • set up an account
  • shoddy
  • site index
  • substandard
  • track
  • uncooperative
  • under guarantee
  • under warranty
Exercises

34.1 ‣ Fill the gaps with appropriate words or phrases from the opposite page. There may be more than one possible answer.

  1. I rang to complain and they put me _____ for about 15 minutes. Then I spoke to someone who promised to ring me again, but they never got _____ me. I’ll have to call them again.
  2. They promised immediate _____ of the goods I ordered, but I’ve been waiting over a week now, and nothing has arrived.
  3. I’ve always found the company very _____ to complaints and enquiries.
  4. I was expecting a _____ reply to my email, but I’ve been waiting two weeks now, and still haven’t had an answer.
  5. I asked why they hadn’t dealt with my order yet and they said there was a _____ of orders which had built up over the New Year’s holiday.
  6. In my opinion, the goods and the service were both pretty _____. I would have expected better quality from such a famous firm.
  7. Staff in that shop are so _____; they are genuinely helpful.
  8. I rang the _____, but they couldn’t solve my problem.
  9. I think you need to try a musical instrument before you buy it, so I would recommend you buy your guitar _____ rather than online.
  10. Most online stores ask you to _____ an account before you can buy things.

34.2 ‣ Here are some links from internet sites. Match them with the list of functions.

  1. _____
  2. _____
  3. _____
  4. _____
  5. _____
  6. _____
  7. _____
  8. _____
  9. _____
  1. a) look through the range before buying
  2. b) the most commonly asked questions
  3. c) rules for protecting your personal details and whether the site may leave tracking and other soft ware on your computer
  4. d) with one look you can see what the website contains
  5. e) goods you have chosen but not yet paid for
  6. f) see if the goods you want can be supplied
  7. g) look at pictures of something or someone
  8. h) rules for sending back goods you are not satisfied with
  9. i) follow the progress of your order

34.3 ‣ Replace the underlined words with words from the opposite page.

  1. The plumber we got lacked the necessary skills and he caused a flood in our kitchen.
    _____
  2. If you have any questions about the service, there’s a helpline you can ring.
    _____
  3. The new TV came with a two-year promise to repair or replace a faulty item.
    _____
  4. The service has no feeling of human warmth about it; they just treat you as a number.
    _____
  5. Do they offer a service that covers the whole country?
    _____
  6. The service they gave me couldn’t have been better.
    _____
  7. It’s a website which safely protects all your personal details.
    _____
  8. It didn’t feel like a business exchange that was safe, so I cancelled it and logged off .
    _____

34.4 ‣

Over to you

To find more vocabulary connected with customer service on the internet, visit the websites of online stores and read their terms and conditions, privacy policy, etc. Note down useful words that you find.
Answer Key
A ‣ Good service

Read these comments by someone about a company they recently used.

They’re a good company. They always make sure you get a prompt1 reply to any query2 and they’re very responsive to3 complaints. When I rang to ask if I could change the delivery date, they were very accommodating4 and got back to5 me within ten minutes with a new date. Whenever I ring, I get impeccable6 service; they’re always very helpful and obliging7, whatever the problem is.

1 quick, without delay
2 /ˈkwɪəri/ question or enquiry
3 they listen, take things seriously and act
4 willing to understand and help 6 100% perfect
5 called (or wrote) with an answer
7 willing and happy to do things for someone

B ‣ Adjectives connected with bad service

adjectivemeaningexample
incompetentfailing through insufficient skill, knowledge or trainingIt wasn’t just bad service; they were completely incompetent.
impersonallacking a personal element or feeling of human warmthI find some big shops so impersonal.
shoddypoor quality (of service or of goods)They repaired my car but the work was very shoddy.
substandardbelow the standard expected (often used about actions)It was a substandard performance altogether for such a big company.
uncooperativenot supportive, unwilling to work togetherThe secretary was very uncooperative, so I ended up doing it myself.

There’s a huge backlog of orders and they can’t deliver for three weeks. [number which are waiting to be dealt with]

They never seem to have any sense of urgency when you ring them. It’s exasperating. [feeling that your request is important or urgent]

They have a helpline, but it’s useless; they always put you on hold every time you ring. [telephone number where you can get help if you have problems] [make you wait]

The home button on my tablet stopped working but it was still under guarantee/warranty so I didn’t have to pay to get it repaired. [having a written promise by a company to repair or replace a faulty product]

C ‣ Service encounters on the internet

Most big companies offer a secure site where you can set up an account, and they have a privacy policy guaranteeing secure transactions. [web address where no outside person can read your details] [enter all the details necessary to open an account] [set of rules to make sure your account is private] [business exchanges which protect, e.g., your credit card from use by someone else]

The hotel website lets you check availability and has all the information you need on its home page. [whether they can supply something, e.g. a room for when you want it] [main or first page of a website]

This site has a very good FAQ link where you can find answers to the most important questions. [frequently asked questions (pronounced as initials)]

This online bookshop is excellent: you can browse and it has a very good site index. [look at the list of goods/services offered before buying] [alphabetical list of contents of website]

Most large online stores offer immediate dispatch and a nationwide service. [goods will be sent at once] [covering the whole country] You can also track your order so you know when it will be delivered. [follow]

Do you buy clothes online or do you prefer to buy them in-store? [in a real shop]

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