A phone call from a customer

Listen to the phone call from a customer to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

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Transcript

Junko: Hello, Junko Mori speaking. How can I help you?

Andrea: Hi, Junko, it's Andrea here from Red Band. I'm calling about our latest order.

Junko: Everything arrived OK, right? We got the delivery confirmation at our end.

Andrea: Yes, everything's fine with the order. I'm calling about the invoice and the payment terms. I need a favour.

Junko: A favour? What do you need?

Andrea: This is a little, er ... difficult, but I need an extension on the payment terms. I know they're usually 30 days, but we're having some cash flow problems. You'd really be helping us out if you could extend it to 60 days.

Junko: I'm not sure if I can do that, Andrea. We've got regulations at our end, and also have to manage our own cash flow.

Andrea: I promise this won't become the norm, Junko. Actually, I also want to place another new order. The same size order as last time. It's for an important customer and they pay on delivery.

Junko: I see. So your cash flow problem will be solved after this new order is delivered.

Andrea: Exactly.

Junko: That sounds good. Hold on, Andrea. Let me see what I can do. Yes, I think we can make an exception this time.

Andrea: That's great, Junko. I appreciate your help.

Junko: And we appreciate your business, Andrea. It works both ways.

Andrea: Thanks again, Junko. Can you send me a quick email confirmation of the payment terms extension?

Junko: Sure, no problem. We're happy to help you.

Andrea: Great. And I'll email you the new order.

Junko: Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for it. Talk to you soon.

Andrea: You too. Goodbye.

Task 1

Exercise

Task 2

Exercise

Discussion

Do you ever do favours or make exceptions for important clients?

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Language level

B1 Intermediate

Sometimes you have to make excepcions for a trusted clientes.

I worked many years as a teacher in the primary school. The last ten years I used to be the responsible. Collegues, children, assistents and parents had often special needs, they asked for a special help. First of all I used to listen to them very carefully, it was often enough. Sometimes I had to carry the responsability of what I considered more important than the normal rule. I was an unusual responsible because for me people were more important than bureaucracy, but sometimes this can be dangerous and morally corrupting.

No I don't because I'm at the high school but one day , when I'll work I would like to help people,especially because I dream to become an hostess because I love keeping in contact with people and I love travelling and turning all over the world.But I love being nice with people such as Junko was with Andrea so I think maybe one day I'll do a favour to someone...

Thanks all the staffs for helps. I wonder if the customer's pronunciation at this dialogue is british one or not. Thanks. Best regards.

Hello uncle choi, The customer's English is very good, but he is not a native speaker. He is probably from Italy as Andrea is a common male name in Italy and his accent also sounds Italian. ~ Peter The LearnEnglish Team

Yes I Agree. Sometimes when the customer and clients trust each other you can give a credit for payments.

yes, when I was at the courier service, I made sometimes exceptions for our regular clients, we didn't take signature on confirmation file if they were busy that time, then next time they signed it for us and previously one also.

At first, i made an exception several times in different aspects including invoice,payment,delivery and design then it became a norm and we change our business model to customization platform. We made a new regulation to solve our cash flow problem which benefit both sides.

Yes, when I worked in the company, I have ever made exception for important customers.