Dealing with customer service issues in the UK

Everyday English Conversations

A printable worksheet for conversation-based English lessons.

Difficulty: Upper Intermediate B2

PDF: Dealing with customer service issues in the UK

Warm-up

Have you ever had a problem with customer service?

Vocabulary Match

compensation •• annoying
fingers crossed •• turned on
frustrating •• payment
sorted •• said sorry
activated •• fixed
apologised •• good luck

Vocabulary Answers

compensationpayment
fingers crossedgood luck
frustratingannoying
sortedfixed
activatedturned on
apologisedsaid sorry

Conversation

Fill in the blanks with words from above.

Emma and Jake discuss her internet setup issues with BT and explore solutions, including contacting customer service again and asking for a manager to expedite the process.
Emma:Hi, Jake. I've been trying to set up my internet with BT, but I'm having problems.
Jake:Oh yeah? What's wrong?
Emma:Well, I signed up last week, and they said my internet would be ________ yesterday. But it's still not working.
Jake:That's ________. Did you call customer service?
Emma:Yeah, but I was on hold for nearly 40 minutes. When I finally got through, they said there was a problem with the activation and that they'd look into it.
Jake:That's annoying. Did they at least offer any ________?
Emma:Not really. They just ________ and told me to wait three more days. But I need the internet for work.
Jake:I'd call them again and ask to speak to a manager. Sometimes they sort it out faster if you push a bit.
Emma:Good idea. I'll do that. Hopefully, it gets ________ soon.
Jake:________!
Emma:Hi, Jake. I've been trying to set up my internet with BT, but I'm having problems.
Jake:Oh yeah? What's wrong?
Emma:Well, I signed up last week, and they said my internet would be activated yesterday. But it's still not working.
Jake:That's frustrating. Did you call customer service?
Emma:Yeah, but I was on hold for nearly 40 minutes. When I finally got through, they said there was a problem with the activation and that they'd look into it.
Jake:That's annoying. Did they at least offer any compensation?
Emma:Not really. They just apologised and told me to wait three more days. But I need the internet for work.
Jake:I'd call them again and ask to speak to a manager. Sometimes they sort it out faster if you push a bit.
Emma:Good idea. I'll do that. Hopefully, it gets sorted soon.
Jake:fingers crossed!

Quiz

  1. What company is Emma having trouble with?
  2. How long was Emma on hold with customer service?
  3. What did the customer service say was the problem?
  4. What does Jake suggest Emma should do next?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. BT
  2. Nearly 40 minutes
  3. A problem with the activation
  4. Call them again and ask to speak to a manager

True or False

  1. Emma's internet was activated on time. T F
  2. Jake suggests Emma wait three more days without doing anything. T F
  3. BT might fix the issue quicker if Emma pushes them. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. False
  3. True

Discussion

  1. Do you get frustrated with technology?
  2. What would you do if your internet stopped working?
  3. Do you think companies should offer compensation for service issues?
  4. Have you ever asked to speak to a manager?
  5. What's the most annoying customer service experience you've had?

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