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

I think it important to be flexible and make exception for important clients, if I know there reputation, because this can maintain the loyalty of these customers.

I really consider that being flexible with the customer could improve the business in both sides, a payment extension could works in this case.

I think extensions must be an important possibility for many important clients, so the idea of adopting exceptions in the policies of the enterprise power it up earning clients and getting good reputation even if there are another enterprises offering similar services.

The cash flow problems create some payment delays. Especially in the period of crisis businesses should manage their own cash flows very carefully. In such cases giving an extension to costumers make happy them and make strong relationships between business and costumers.

Well, I'm not a bussiness man actually, but sometimes I've made exceptions to my friend, as long as the essential game's rules remain.

Yes, I do an exception for my important customers. Therefore, they buy my products, or they choose my delivery service.

Yes, sometime we make the requests to suppliers because our payment process taken long time. I am afraid to do that but I have to.

Can someone please explain the sentence - "I promise this won't become the norm". What does that mean?Thanks.

Hello ye wint kyaw min,

'the norm' means regular or typical. In other words, Andrea is promising that he won't regularly ask for an extension. He's trying to assure Junko that this is a one-time or unusual situation.

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team