A phone call from a customer

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

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

Task 2

Discussion

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Average: 4.4 (612 votes)

Submitted by TEACHER VIRY on Tue, 16/05/2023 - 17:38

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I am an english teacher in Mexico and I love to use this activities becase my students all the time improve their skills. Excellent page

Hello Teacher Viry,

Great! We're very glad to hear this. 

If your students are adults, you might want to have a look at the Learning hub as well. If you students are children, I'd suggest having a look at LearnEnglish Teens.

Best wishes!
Kirk
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Romsco on Mon, 15/05/2023 - 14:54

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Good lesson for learning, for my own, I could do a favor for the big client because in the business, we have to do flexible to earn money.

Submitted by DAISY01 on Thu, 11/05/2023 - 22:38

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Excellent lesson for practicing listening, by the way, I do favours for important clients

Submitted by marwahadi on Wed, 10/05/2023 - 10:53

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yes i do . I am a lawyer , in my work it is common to provide a favour or make exception to earn the cleint and establish a good relationship with them .

Submitted by Andre de Souza… on Tue, 02/05/2023 - 00:49

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Hey guys. I'm a civil engineer and I work at a bank called Caixa Econômica Federal. In my work, it is very common and necessary to make favors or exceptions for important clients, for example: extending the deadline for receiving the project.

Submitted by Ali Sabry on Fri, 28/04/2023 - 15:42

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I'm not employed. I am a student.

Submitted by M.Thant on Tue, 18/04/2023 - 00:51

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I'm not an employee but I'm helping in my family business. So many same things like one in the lesson and we make the best offer we can. As a return, the clients need to make their own promise. I always try and help to figure out my clients's cash flow issues. So My clients and me will be in a good business relationship.

Submitted by victguevara on Sat, 15/04/2023 - 18:51

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Well, I have been working for a multinational company that sells software to customers around the World. Sometimes, some customers have trouble with their cash flow and they request exceptions in their payment term for 30 or 60 days while their balance moves to positive when they either begin a new project or their customer pays them

Submitted by Nanita on Sun, 09/04/2023 - 00:05

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You always can do the best effort to find solutions specially if your client or customers are the most important part of your business. It is not easy but you can doing it. Because, you are listening the needs or your clients in that moment.

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