Customer Service Unit Menu: Grammar, Vocabulary, and Professional Skills, Schemes and Mind Maps of English

Download Customer Service Unit Menu: Grammar, Vocabulary, and Professional Skills and more Schemes and Mind Maps English in PDF only on Docsity! 9 CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT MENU Grammar: question forms Vocabulary: customer service terms, personal qualities, multi-word verbs Professional skills: handling telephone conversations Case study: improve customer service CUSTOMER SERVICE 82 Aims and objectives In this lesson students will: • listen to people discussing customer service • focus on vocabulary relating to personal qualities • discuss different situations and how customer services could deal with each one Speaking CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS Exercise 1, page 76 Focus students’ attention on the photos before eliciting what they show. Ask students to discuss the saying in pairs before opening the discussion to the class. Encourage students to justify their opinions. Exercise 2, page 76 Students work in pairs or small groups, exchanging experiences about customer services. Round up by eliciting some examples, perhaps beginning with one of your own. Ask students if they think people tend to share good or bad experiences more, and why that is. Briefly discuss the value of good customer service to any company. EXTRA ACTIVITY Students discuss cultural differences in attitudes towards customer service. In pairs, they decide on the top three countries where they have had excellent customer service. Listening CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCES Exercise 3, page 76 Tell students they are going to listen to four speakers recount their experiences of customer service. Students makes note as they listen and discuss ideas with a partner before class feedback. Check vocabulary, e.g. shrug and good will. 1 in a restaurant – good experience 2 in a restaurant – bad experience 3 in a hotel – bad experience 4 with an airline – bad experience that turned into a good experience Exercise 4, page 76 Make sure students read the statements before listening again and noting down who uses which phrases. Go through the answers with the class. Problems: 3 – (They) had no idea what they were doing. 2 – There was no record of the reservation. 3 – There didn’t seem to be any network at all. 4 – There was a mechanical problem. 2 – All the tables were taken. Customer service: 4 – gesture of good will 1 – complimentary box of chocolates 4 – It shows they care. 1 – on the house 4 – frequent-flyer mileage credit Audio script Track 9.1, Exercises 3 and 4, page 76 1 I’ve got an example of good service in a restaurant. It was my brother’s first wedding anniversary and so he organized a little party in a restaurant near where he lived. When he and his wife arrived, the manager presented them with a bouquet of flowers and a complimentary box of chocolates on the house. 2 That’s great, but my most recent experience in a restaurant is a bad one. I’d booked a table in a restaurant for a group of friends to celebrate us passing our exams at the end of the university term but when we got there, they told us there was no record of the reservation and all the tables were taken. OK, that can happen … and I was disappointed but not particularly angry or anything – there are plenty of other restaurants. Anyway, I asked to see the manager because he was the one who’d taken the booking and normally you’d expect a manager to immediately say ‘How can I help you?’ or something like that. But this English for International Tourism Intermediate Teacher’s Book CUSTOMER SERVICE 83 manager he just took one look at me and said ‘I’m far too busy to talk to you’. Incredible! I asked him how can you manage a restaurant and not be available when there’s a problem or a complaint. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I’ve never met anyone so unfriendly, impolite and incompetent. 3 Yes, I hate it when people are incompetent and can’t do their jobs. I stayed in a hotel recently and the brochure said there was Wi-Fi access in every room, and when I tried to connect to the internet, I couldn’t. There didn’t seem to be any network at all. When I told reception about the problem, they just sent me some facilities person who obviously had no idea what they were doing and couldn’t help. I found out later that in fact the hotel’s central network router had caught fire, or at least that’s what another guest told me. I’m not going back there again. 4 I can tell you about a bad experience with an airline which actually turned into a positive one. Last year, I was in the USA and flying from Denver to Chicago. I was really tired after a long trip and I just wanted to get on the plane and go to sleep, but on my way to the airport I received a text message that the flight was 30 minutes late. By the time I’d checked in and gone through security, the delay had already reached an hour. I went to the departure lounge to wait and every 15 minutes, my phone would buzz with another alert telling me the flight was delayed even longer. It turned out there was a mechanical problem with the plane in Chicago. So instead of taking off from Denver at three, we ended up leaving at eight. But the good part is that, a week later, I received an email apology from the airline together with a 5,000-mile frequent-flyer mileage credit. It’s the kind of gesture of goodwill that keeps me flying with this airline. It shows they care and makes me feel as if my custom is important to them Exercise 5, page 76 Ask students to work in pairs and discuss how the two negative experiences could have been better handled. Round up by asking students to share ideas and if time, ask the class to choose the best suggestion for each situation. Vocabulary PERSONAL QUALITIES Exercise 6, page 77 Students complete the text, checking answers in pairs before going through them as a class. Ask students if they would add any other points. 1 welcoming 2 loyal 3 appropriate 4 reliable 5 competent Exercise 7, page 77 Look at the first adjective and ask the class which prefix goes with it. Students then add in the remaining ones, working alone or in pairs, before class feedback. Check pronunciation as needed, focusing on number of syllables and syllable stress if useful. 1 inappropriate 2 dishonest 3 impolite 4 incompetent 5 disloyal 6 unreliable 7 inefficient 8 impatient 9 disrespectful 10 unfriendly 11 impersonal 12 unwelcoming Exercise 8, page 77 Students complete the sentences, comparing answers with a partner before checking them as a class. 1 inappropriate 2 incompetent 3 disrespectful/impolite 4 honest 5 impersonal 6 unreliable 7 competent/efficient/friendly 8 unwelcoming Speaking SHOWING YOU CARE Exercise 9, page 77 Students work in pairs to discuss the situations and decide what they would do in each. Round up by asking students to share their ideas with the class. If time, encourage the class to reach a consensus on the best gesture of good will for each situation. RESEARCH GOOD AND BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE Students look into customer service using the internet, researching examples of positive and negative experiences. In a subsequent class, they present their findings to the class, or in groups. English for International Tourism Intermediate Teacher’s Book CUSTOMER SERVICE 86 1 Can you tell me what kind of room your director would prefer? 2 Do you know how many nights he will be staying? 3 So he’ll need to be picked up from the airport? 4 Could you tell me what time he will be arriving? 5 I was wondering if he will have all his meals in the hotel. 6 Have you any idea when he will be checking out? Speaking A FEEDBACK QUESTIONNAIRE Exercise 7, page 79 Put students into pairs and refer them to the questionnaire in File 20, page 110. Remind them to take turns to be the hotel guest and the customer service employee. Monitor throughout the interviews, checking on polite question forms and intonation. Round up by eliciting responses and by giving feedback on the use of question forms. See Pairwork files. Homework suggestions • Students write a short questionnaire (12–15 questions) on a topic of their choice, using a mix of question types as covered in the lesson. In a subsequent lesson, students work in pairs, interviewing each other and then sharing something they found out with the class to round up. • Students write an article for a hotel and tourism site, explaining the importance of customer feedback, the best ways of obtaining it and how to deal with both positive and negative feedback. (200–250 words) PROFESSIONAL SKILLS HANDLING TELEPHONE CALLS Aims and objectives In this lesson students will: • focus on useful phrases for telephone conversations • read about telephone etiquette • study multi-word verbs Vocabulary USEFUL TELEPHONE PHRASES OPTIONAL LEAD-IN ACTIVITY Students work in pairs and discuss how often they make calls in English, finding out who they usually need to talk to, the type of things they discuss and what they find difficult and why. Exercise 1, page 80 Introduce the focus of the lesson and if your students are thinking of taking the LCCI Level 2 Certificate in Spoken English for Tourism, remind them that the effective handling of telephone calls would, in the exam, demonstrate an understanding of how communicative skills such as conveying information clearly and listening carefully contribute to the successful operation of a tourism business or organization. Elicit the American English for mobile phone or mobile (cell phone) before asking students to complete the conversations and allow time for them to compare answers with a partner. Exercise 2, page 80 Students listen to the conversations, checking their answers. Discuss any questions and if time, ask students to practise the conversations in pairs. Check intonation sounds polite. 1 How may I help you? 2 Could you tell me who’s speaking, please? 3 I’m calling about 4 Martin speaking. 5 Who shall I say is calling? 6 you through 7 look into it 8 Would you like to leave a message? 9 pass on your message 10 gets back English for International Tourism Intermediate Teacher’s Book CUSTOMER SERVICE 87 Audio script Track 9.3, Exercise 2, page 80 1 TA = Travel agent, C = Customer TA Hello, Aphrodite Travel, Constantin speaking. How may I help you? C I’d like to speak to Mrs Castellanos, please. TA Could you tell me who’s speaking, please? C My name’s Robert Taylor. I’m calling about a booking I made recently. TA Fine. Can you give me the reference number, please? 2 CS = Customer Service operator, C = Customer CS Hello, Customer Enquiries. Martin speaking. How can I help you? C I’d like to speak to the Chief Operations Officer, please. Maria Tardelli. CS Yes. Who shall I say is calling? C It’s Lars Vandenbosch from Belltours. CS I’m putting you through. C Thank you. 3 C = Customer, R = Receptionist C Good morning. My name is David Saada. I’m calling from a landline at the airport. I checked out this morning and I think I left my cell phone in room 218. I was wondering if anyone has found it. R Oh right, well, I’ll look into it straightaway and see if the room has been cleaned. C Thank you. I’ll call back in ten minutes. 4 R = Receptionist, C = Customer R I’m sorry, she’s in a meeting at the moment. Would you like to leave a message? C Yes, please. Can you tell her that Mrs Castell phoned about the meeting in Zurich at the end of the week. I need to change the time of the appointment. R OK. I’ll pass on your message and make sure she gets back to you as soon as the meeting’s finished. Does she have your number? C Yes, but I can give it to you just in case. It’s 00 33 1 60 63 61 40. R OK, I’ve got that. Reading TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE Exercise 3, page 81 Check students understand what is meant by etiquette (good manners) before focusing their attention on the Professional skills box. Students complete the tips and compare answers in pairs. Round up by discussing answers. 1 Answer 2 Turn away 3 ask 4 interrupt 5 Smile 6 Adapt 7 Take notes EXTRA ACTIVITY Students discuss in pairs what protocols they follow when answering the phone at work. Speaking TELEPHONE NUMBERS FACT FILE In telephone numbers 0 is usually pronounced as ‘oh’ in the UK and ‘zero’ in the USA. In the UK, when giving a repeated number in a phone number, it is normal to say double plus the number, e.g. 66 would be double six. In the USA, however, you would say the number twice, e.g. six six. Exercise 4, page 81 Tell students they are now going to practise writing down phone numbers and explain that they will hear a mixture of American speakers (1, 4 and 5) and British speakers (2, 3 and 6). Before playing the recording, point out the different ways of saying the number 0 and how double numbers are said. Afterwards, allow time for students to compare answers with a partner before checking them as a class. 1 07735 497 820 2 0207 987 4647 3 3211 8880 4 00 8 095 987 8871 5 00 34 660 524 633 6 0800 810 901 Audio script Track 9.4, Exercise 4, page 81 1 You can always catch me on my cell phone – 07735 497 820. 2 The office number is 0207 – that’s the code for central London – 987 4647. 3 His direct line is 3211 8880. 4 I’ll give you the number where I’m staying in Moscow – that’s 00 to dial abroad, 8 for Russia and 095 for Moscow – I think you leave out the zero if you’re dialling from overseas – and then 987 8871. 5 I can give you Belinda Leon’s cell phone number – she’s the rep in Valencia – it’s 00 34 660 524 633. English for International Tourism Intermediate Teacher’s Book CUSTOMER SERVICE 88 6 I couldn’t find their number on the website, the only thing they’ve got is one of those 0800 numbers – 0800 810 901. Exercise 5, page 81 Students discuss how to pronounce the numbers before class feedback. Find out what the country dialling code is for their country/ies. EXTRA ACTIVITY Find out if students know the dialling codes for the following countries (you may want to add to the list others which the students will find useful): 1 France 2 The USA 3 The UK 4 Italy 5 Germany If students do not know the answer, tell them and ask them to write it down. Answers 1 33 2 1 3 44 4 39 5 49 Vocabulary MULTI-WORD VERBS Exercise 6, page 81 Focus students’ attention on the multi-word verbs before asking them to complete the expressions (alone or in pairs) so they have the same meaning. Go through the answers with the class. 1 put you through 2 Hold on 3 get back 4 pass on 5 cut off 6 hang up 7 run out 8 get through 9 look into 10 sort out EXTRA ACTIVITY Explain that in natural speech words link together and they connect differently depending on the sounds at the end and beginning of each word. For example: a consonant sound at the end of a word links directly with a vowel at the beginning of the next word, e.g. hold on /həʊldən/ rather than pronouncing this as two separation words: hold on. /həʊld/ /ɒn/ Ask students to underline all the links in the multi- word expressions and go through these with the class before they practise saying the sentences. Monitor and help as needed. Speaking A HOTEL BOOKING Exercise 7, page 81 Tell students they are going to roleplay making a hotel booking. Put them into pairs and allot roles A and B. Allow preparation time and help as needed. With a weaker class, As (and Bs) could prepare in pairs before returning to their original partners. Monitor the conversations during the activity, making notes on intonation, good language use and aspects to revise. Round up by discussing how the calls went. See Pairwork files. Homework suggestions • Students create a short ‘customer service’ orientated telephone call between two people, using phrases covered in the lesson and their own ideas (three to five minutes). These could be practised and roleplayed in a subsequent lesson. • Students write ten sentences of their own using the multi-word verbs given in Exercise 6. Encourage students to use structures previously covered as well as other language from the unit. Photocopiable notes 9.2 (page 128) What do you say? (Pelmanism page 130)