剑桥商务英语Unit 11 Complaints and Claims

1、商务英语商务英语作者：作者： 阮绩智阮绩智 责任编辑：张琛出版日期：2011年12月IDPN: 308-2011-58课件章数：12 Learning Objectives Understand how to make effective complaints and claims; Handle complaints and claims; Write letters for complaints and adjustments. No discord, no concord A Chinese ProverbSpeaking TaskStarting Up 1Listening Task2

2、3Reading Task 5Writing TaskFollow-up Practice64543216ContentsIntroductory Remark In business, if the buyer can prove that it is the sellers _for the loss of the goods, he can make a_. The seller is obligated to _the buyer. Generally speaking, claims arise because the wrong goods may have been_; the

3、quality may have been found_; the _may have been found damaged, short, missing, late; the prices charged may be excessive or not as agreed. There is also another kind of claim. It is made by _who find _ with the goods as an _to escape from the contract, either because they no longer want the goods o

4、r because that they can get them _ elsewhere. If a claim has to be _by the buyer, the matter should be _ in detail and these details should be laid before the party charged. We must _ claims with the principle of on the first grounds, to our advantage and with restraint and settle them _to the satis

5、faction of all _ concerned.responsibilityclaimcompensatedeliveredunsatisfactoryshipmentbuyersfaultexcusecheaperinvestigatedhandleamicablypartiesmade11.1 Starting Up11.1 Starting Up 11.1.1 Work with your partner to discuss as many causes as you can for customer complaints and claims and put them in t

6、he following web.inferior qualityInadequate packingNon-delivery or part-deliveryWrong deliveryDelayed deliveryShortage of the goodsDiscrepancies in specificationDamage to the goodsCommon Causes for Complaints & Claims11.1.2 When you purchase a product that is defective or doesnt perform properly

7、, how do you lodge a complaint that will get results? Discuss with your partner to work out as many tips as you can for effective complaints. For example: Tips for Effective Complaints1. Be prepared. Keeping supporting documents, such as sales receipts, contracts, manuals and warranty information, i

8、s very important. 2. Act quickly. Some companies may limit their responsibility for responding to complaints to a certain time period.3. Talk to the right people, in the right order.4. Be polite. Youll get better, and maybe quicker, results if you explain the problem and ask for a resolution without

9、 resorting to anger or threats.5. Be prepared to negotiate realistically.6. Keep good records. Note the names of people you talk to, as well as the dates, times and outcomes of the conversations.7. Its often best to explain the problem in writing. 8. Always keep a copy of each letter you write for y

10、our own files.1) Which do you think are the most effective complaint tips you have worked out above? Why?2) Do you have any experience of making a complaint about the goods you bought? How was it settled? Were you satisfied with the settlement?3) Which means do you think is efficient in handling cus

11、tomer complaints: face to face, by phone call, through emails, faxes or letters? Why?4) What do you think is the best way of achieving customer satisfaction?11.1.3 Discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups.Documents generally required for making a claim against an insurance company or

12、 shipping company1. Survey Report (检验报告)2. Certificate of Inspection (检验证书)3. Mates Receipt ( 大副收据)4. Invoice (发票)5.Insurance Policy (保险单)6.Weight Certificate (重量证明)7.Marine Protect (海难证明书)8. Packing List (装箱单)9. Shortlanded Certificate (短卸证明书)10.Damage Report (破损证明)11.Weight Note (磅码单)12.Tally-List

13、 (理货单)In this part you will listen to a dialogue and two passages about complaints and claims. Try to finish the exercises while listening. Are you ready?11.2 Listening Task 11.2.1 Listen to the passage and answer the following questions.1) What must the buyer do if he is going to make a claim? Answ

14、er:_2) What are used as evidence when making a claim? Answer:_3) What is the seller obligated to do if the buyer indeed can prove what he has claimed?Answer:_4) When does the conflict appear between the buyer and the seller?Answer:_5) What would the seller do when he was negligent in supplying the p

15、roper quantity at a time when he was still responsible for the consignment during shipping on a CIF basis?Answer: _The buyer must prove that it is the sellers responsibility for the damage or loss of the goods.The inspection certificate and B/L(提货单提货单).The seller is obligated to compensate the buyer

16、.The conflict appears when the goods are found to be damaged or of short weight when reaching the destination. In that case the seller would most likely seek to find a way to satisfy his customer.11.2.2 Listen to a call about customer complaints and fill in the following form. Callers Name: 1) _Call

17、ers Company Name: 2)_ Goods Ordered: 3)_Quantity: 4)_Date of Shipment: 5)_Date of Arrival: 6)_Contract No.: 7)_Problem: 8) _Quantity of Goods in Bad Condition: 9)_ Surveyors Statement: 10)_ Compensation Asked for: 11)_Solution: 12) _ _ Customer ComplaintsEdward SmithCBD Internationalair dried garlic

18、 granules 200 cartonsSeptember 20 October 15Contract No. 201068the goods contaminated with moths30%not well fumigated before shipment USD 6,000 make a thorough investigation before a reply tomorrow11.2.3. Listen to the following passage and fill in the missing parts. Customer complaints offer busine

19、sses an opportunity to correct _. In addition, they frequently provide _ for improving products, _, upgrading services, or _ promotional material and product information. While _ with service of merchandise are, to some extent, _, dissatisfied customers are not. Companies can learn to _. A good reco

20、very can turn _ customers into _ ones. Recognizing the importance of _ fairly and efficiently to _ in the marketplace, many businesses have established _systems for resolving _. Within any industry, those companies with a _ and a reputation for fair complaint-management have a _. A management philos

21、ophy that_ customer satisfaction as a _of business, instead of _ the company in the face of complaints, can change the _for companies. It shifts the emphasis from the _ of pleasing a customer to the _of doing so, and trusts front-line _ to use their _.immediate problemsconstructive ideasadapting mar

22、keting practicesmodifyingoccasional problemsinevitablerecover from mistakesangry and frustratedloyalrespondingbuyers disappointmenteffective and innovativecustomer complaintspositive philosophycompetitive edge employeesprimary goaldefendingrules of the gamejudgmentvaluecostemployees In this part you

23、 are going to read three dialogues and then you will be asked to answer some questions about what you have read.Please read louder!11.3 Speaking Task 11.3.1 Conversation 1Mr. Hudson is calling Brown Furniture Company to make a complaint about the goods he bought from the company. He is very angry no

24、w.1）Why did Mr. Hudson want to talk to the general manager in person? Answer: 2）Why didnt the secretary put him through to the general manager first?Answer: 3）Why did the secretary put him through to the general manger then?Answer: 4）What did Mr Nelson complain about?Answer: 5） What is the general m

25、anager going to do about it?Answer:6）How would you handle such a complaint if you were the manager?Answer:Because he had already talked to some departments of the company but they didnt solve his problem. So this time he has to talk to the general manager.Perhaps the secretary didnt want to trouble

26、the manager with trifles. So she said that the manager was not available and offered help herself.Because he found the customer was really angry and insisted on talking to the general manager.He bought a bedroom suit from their store six weeks ago and they promised to deliver it within three days. O

27、ver a week later a van arrived at his house with the wrong goods. It took another two weeks for them to sort that out. The next time they delivered goods, it was damaged. Now he has been waiting for a replacement for another three weeks.（Open）. He is going to make some inquiries himself right away,

28、and then call back when hes sorted things out. 11.3.2 Conversation 2The goods delivered to Mr. Porter are found not up to the standard and about 20 % of them are moldy. So he comes to see Mr. Tang, the seller, about this matter.1）What does Mr. Porter indicate by saying “something very unpleasant”？An

29、swer: 2）What does Mr. Porter demand initially for settlement of the complaint?Answer: 3）Why does Mr. Chen say that the case complained is impossible？Answer: 4）What does the London survey report certify?Answer: 5）What is the possible cause for damage according to Mr. Chen?Answer: 6）Who does Mr. Chen

30、suggest Mr. Porter should turn to? And why?Answer: The quality of the dehydrated onion flakes he mentioned in his fax of October 20th. He demands a full refund of the amount paid. Because it is known to all that their dehydrated vegetables enjoy a good reputation for fine quality in the world market

31、, and such a case has never happened.It certifies that the packing of the goods is sound and intact at the time of survey. So it is clear that the goods were not well-dried before loading.The damage must have taken place in transit. He suggests Mr. Porter may approach the shipping company or the ins

32、urance company for compensation. Because the goods were bought on a FOB basis. 11.3.3 Conversation 3A Chinese company has ordered some machines from a British company. Upon delivery, some rollers are found to be defective. Mr. Wood is sent by the British company to take up the matter with Mr. Chen f

33、rom the Chinese company.1）What was Mr. Woods purpose of coming to China?Answer: 2）What was wrong with the rollers?Answer: 3）What was the cause of the problem according to Mr. Chen?Answer: 4）Did Mr. Wood accept Mr. Chens explanation about the rusty rollers? What would he do about the problem then? An

34、swer: 5）What happened a week later?Answer: 6） What did they do about the rusty rollers in the end?Answer: He came to China to solve the problem about the rollers. Some rusty spots on five rollers were found. The cause of rust was due to poor workmanship. Their experts held that the rust was not scou

35、red off completely before electro-plating. As a result, the chrome coating would certainly not hold.He thought his explanation sounded plausible. He would ask for their manufacturersto probe into the matter. If they proved the Chinese companys findings were the same as theirs, the faulty rollers wou

36、ld be replaced by new ones.Mr. Wood came to the Chinese company again and told Mr. Chen that their manufacturers apologized for the trouble and promised to replace these rusty rollers by new ones. Mr. Wood would take back two of the worst ones for examination and leave the others to Mr. Chen with so

37、me charge for the cost of the material only.In this part you are going to read a passage and then you will be asked to answer some questions about what you have read.11.4 Reading TaskPre-reading questions for pair work 1) Do you think the art of complaining and handling complaints is difficult to le

38、arn? Why or why not?2) What are the good things for customer complaints on the part of companies? 3) What are wise ways for a company to handle customer complaints? Answer the following questions 1）What may cause customers to make complaints?Answer: 2）What may customer complaints result in?Answer: 3

39、）Which do you think are the four most important actions for handling customer complaints? Why?Answer: 4）When customer complaints have occurred, what is considered to be important for a company to do?Answer: 5）Can you add more tips as advice for handling customer complaints?Answer: Errors and misunde

40、rstandings may cause customers to make complaints.They may result in losing future sales from customers and from everybody else who hears about their bad experience.(Open).When customer complaints have occurred, the manner in which you as the owner or representative of your company respond to your c

41、ustomer is important and worth your careful consideration. (Open) In this part you are going to learn how to write letters of complaints and adjustments. A complaint letter requests some sort of compensation for defective or damaged merchandise or for inadequate or delayed services. While many compl

42、aints can be made in person, some circumstances require formal business letters. The complaint may be so complex that a phone call may not effectively resolve the problem; or the writer may prefer the permanence, formality, and seriousness of a business letter. The essential rule in writing a compla

43、int letter is to maintain your poise and diplomacy, no matter how justified your gripe is. Avoid making the recipient an adversary. 11.5 Writing TaskLetters of Complaints and AdjustmentsComplaint Letters1. Identify early the reason you are writing to register a complaint and to ask for some kind of

44、compensation. Avoid leaping into the details of the problem in the first sentence. 2. State exactly what compensation you desire, either before or after the discussion of the problem or the reasons for granting the compensation. 3. Provide a fully detailed narrative or description of the problem. Th

45、is is the evidence. 4. Explain why your request should be granted. Presenting the evidence is not enough: state the reasons why this evidence indicates your request should be granted. 5. Suggest why it is in the recipients best interest to grant your request: appeal to the recipients sense of fairne

46、ss, desire for continued business, but dont threaten. Find some way to view the problem as an honest mistake. Dont imply that the recipient deliberately committed the error or that the company has no concern for the customer. Toward the end of the letter, express confidence that the recipient will g

47、rant your request. Complaint Letters 1. Begin with a reference to the date of the original letter of complaint and to the purpose of your letter. If you deny the request, dont state the refusal right away unless you can do so tactfully. 2. Express your concern over the writers troubles and your appr

48、eciation that he has written you. 3. If you deny the request, explain the reasons why the request cannot be granted in as cordial manner as possible. If you grant the request, dont sound as if you are doing so in a begrudging way. 4. If you deny the request, try to offer some partial or substitute c

49、ompensation or offer some friendly advice. 5. Conclude the letter cordially, perhaps expressing confidence that you and the writer will continue doing business. Adjustment LettersReplies to complaint letters, often called letters of adjustment, must be handled carefully when the requested compensati

50、on cannot be granted. Refusal of compensation tests your diplomacy and tact as a writer. Some suggestions: Sample Complaint LetterDear Mr. Smith Order No. 68197I am writing to inform you that the goods we ordered from your company have not been supplied correctly.On 15 January 2011 we placed an orde

51、r with your firm for 12,000 ultra super long-life batteries. The consignment arrived yesterday but contained only 1,200 batteries.This error put our firm in a difficult position, as we had to make some emergency purchases to fulfill our commitments to all our customers. This caused us considerable i

52、nconvenience.I am writing to ask you to please make up the shortfall immediately and to ensure that such errors do not happen again. Otherwise, we may have to look elsewhere for our supplies.I look forward to hearing from you by return.Yours sincerely,Sample Adjustment Letter Dear Mr. ColemanOrder N

53、o. 68197Please accept our apologies for the error made by our company in filling your Order No. 68197 dated 15 January 2011. You ordered 12,000 size ultra super-long-life premium batteries, but our dispatch office sent 1,200. This was due to a typing error.The balance of 10,800 batteries was dispatc

54、hed by express courier to your store this morning and will reach you on 28 January 2011. Since we value your business, we would like to offer you a 10% discount off your next order with us.We look forward to receiving your further orders and assure you that they will be filled correctly.Yours sincer

55、ely, Writing Practice1) Write a letter to complain about late delivery/inferior or wrong quality/shortage of the goods you have received or bought.2) Write a letter responding to the complaint letter you have received from one of your classmates that responds negatively or positively to the complain

56、t. 11.8 Follow-up Practice Yes, lets do it!We will practice what we have learnt in this unit.11.8.1 Write down what you would say to each of the following questions or answers and then practice the dialogues with your partner.1) A: Our customers complain that the goods they received last week are mu

57、ch inferior in quality to those you delivered in the past B: _2) A: Im sorry to tell you that a lot of cases are broken and the contents are badly damaged. B: _3) A: The computer we bought from you last month is broken down. B: _ 4) A: We ordered chairs but received tables. B: _5) A: The cases are f

58、ound to be badly damaged. This was apparently attributable to faulty packing. B: _ 6) A: The goods we received are not what we ordered, which made us suffer a heavy loss. So we have to lodge a claim with you. B: _7) A: We placed an order on 14 May for tables, but still havent received them. B: _8) A

59、: _ B: Im sorry about the mistake. Ill look into it right away.9) A: _ B: Im sorry. Its our fault. We are ready to permit 15% off the invoice price if you can accept the goods wrongly delivered.10) A: _ B: Our product enjoys high prestige. I guess its not a matter of inferior quality.11.8.2 Choose t

60、he best reply below to each of the complaints. a. We regret the delay, but it is due to circumstances beyond our control. b. Im very sorry. Weve had problems with the dispatch department. Could you send the calculators back? Well refund the costs.c. I do apologize for his behaviour.d. Im sorry that the