English for Aviation Business Administration

OVERVIEW
 Listening
Customer service
 Discussion
Customer complaints
Vocabulary
Handling complaints
 Reading
Customer first
 Language review
Gerunds
 Skills
Active listening
 Case study
Deal with complaints

STARTING UP

A. Which of the following irritate (khó chịu) you the most when dealing with
customer service departments?

On the phone Face-to-face Repairs and refunds

• Being put on hold • Unhelpful customer service • Delays on repairs
• Speaking to a disinterested personnel • Delays in getting
person • Stressed or indifferent staff money back
• Choosing a series of • Salespeople with poor • No replacement
options during your call product knowledge equipment while
• Finding the Customer Service • Too few staff at peak times repairs are carried out
number is continuously • No company policy on
engaged customer service or complaints
• Being cut off

B. How important to a company's success is customer care? Is it possible to have

too much customer care?

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LISTENING CUSTOMER SERVICE

A. Sarah Andrews is Retail Sales Director at Harrods. What do you know about
Harrods? Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London,
England.Harrods remains at the height of British luxury retail, attracting millions of loyal
customers from across the globe with its unrivalled product selection, world-class service,
innovative retail theatre and historic setting. The store was opened in 1849 by Charles
Henry Harrod as an expansion of his humble East End grocery and tea business. Today, it
is one of the most distinguished names in the world. The shop's 330 departments offer a wide range
of products and services. Products on offer include clothing for women, men, children and infants,
electronics, jewellery, sporting gear, bridal trousseau, pet accessories, toys, food and drink, health and
beauty items, packaged gifts, stationery, housewares, home appliances, furniture, and much more.

Sarah Andrews

B. Track 21 Listen to the first part of the interview and decide if the statements
below are True / False / Not given.

1 Good customer service at Harrods is about meeting(kì vọng) customer expectations. F

2 Harrods customers expect a level of service as good as other retailers. F

3 Harrods employees are trained in a seven step(adj) customer service programme.T
4 Harrods employs people to test the customer service in different departments. T
5 Harrods employees are given feedback on their performance once a month.F
6 Employees receive champagne if they score 100% in the mystery(huyền bí)shop tests. F

C. Track 22 Listen to the second part of the interview and complete the
sentences according to Sarah Andrews.

1 Good customer service helps retailers to.. .have customer loyalty

2 The problem retailers face these days is… that products that you offer because most of the
things that are available also here in Harrods are available elsewhere
3 Companies which don't take customer service… seriously will doesn't stick with them and
may move from one retailer to another dependent on what's on offer
D. How does Sarah think new technology can help improve customer service?
Does she think this is useful for Harrods?
NO. Harrods I'm not sure how effective that is.
Track 23 Listen to the third part of the interview and fill in the missing
verbs to create the Seven Steps to Exceptional Service.
1 .Is to Welcome our.. customers within one minute of arrival.
2 . is to approach ..customers at an appropriate time and ..initiate. a conversation.
3 .Is for us to ask.... questions to....establish our..... customers' needs.
4 .Is for them to use.. product knowledge to ..select….items to.. Meet those. customer needs.
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5 .Thing we ask to do is to highlight ..the features and benefits of products to customers.

6 . We do is to offer …related products to.. maximise ..the service.
7 .Make sure that we finish.. the whole process very well the start are encouraged to thank
…customers and invite…them to return.
E. Work in pairs. Using the above seven step programme as a guide, write a dialogue
between a Harrods employee and a customer in one of the following departments: a)
luggage, b) cosmetics, c) TV and Hi-fi. Role play the conversation

DISCUSSION
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

Group A Dealing with customer Group B Dealing with customer

complaints complaints

1. Show the customer you are listening by 1. Keep an open mind at all times.
checking that you understand. 2. Do not end up arguing with the
2. Allow the customer to show their customer.
emotions if they are upset or angry. 3. Do not be defensive.

3. Say you are sorry that the customer is
upset.
4. Admit that the problem was your fault as
soon as possible.
5. Make sure you get full details of the
problem.
6. Summarise and make sure that the
customer understands what you have said.
7. Ask the customer to put the complaint in
writing.
8. Be firm if you are sure of your facts.
4. Concentrate on the situation not the
personalities.
5. Don't force your solution on the
customer.
6. Try to find out what result the
customer wants.
7. Tell the customer what you can and
cannot do.
8. Offer compensation of greater value
than the goods or service complained
about.

Work in two groups, A and B. Choose the five best suggestions from your group's advice
sheet. Then form new groups. Negotiate a single list of the six best suggestions from both
sheets. Deal(handle) +with + St

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VOCABULARY HANDLING COMPLAINTS

A. Complete the beginnings of sentences 1-5 with words from the box. Then finish each
sentence with a sentence ending a)-e).

standards products rapport+with(mối quan hệ tốt) complaints

reassure(bảo hiểm lại)

1. When you handle .complaints..... it is

a) ............ when they are worried.
important ..........e.......
b) ............ will lose customers.
2. You can establish a rapport......with a
c) ............ they are faulty.lỗi
customer if ........d...........
d) ............ you know about their
3. A key element (yếu tố) in customer care is
buying habits.
to ..standards..... people ....a...........
e) ............ to be diplomatic. (khôn
4. Companies which do not meet their
khéo, biết sử lí vấn
...reassure...... đề)(tính
of service ngoại
..b......
giao)
5. Many companies will replace.... products...
free of charge if .........c..........

B. Match the idiomatic(thành ngữ) expressions 1-7 to their meanings a)-g).

1. pass the buck(vượt qua số tiền) a) forgot to do something.5
2. get to the bottom of the problem b) paid far too much for something.6
3. it was the last straw(rơm)(giọtnướctrànli) c) avoid responsibility.1
4. got straight to the point d) find the real cause of something.2
5. Slipped(trượt, thoát) my mind e) talked about the subject directly.4
6. ripped off(bị bán đắt) f) the last in a series(chuỗi) of irritating events.3

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7. talking at cross purposes(với nhiêu mục g) misunderstanding what someone else is

đích) referring to.(hiểu lầm những j đang đề cập) 7

C. Use the idiomatic expressions to complete the sentences appropriately.

1. She was very helpful. She promised to...4....and find a solution(giải pháp, sự giải quyết).
2. He's the person responsible. He shouldn't try to ........2......................... and blame(khiển
trách, đổ lỗi) others for his mistakes.
3. Several(vài) customers have complained about our service contract. They say they're
paying far too much and feel they have been.......6
4. I meant to send him a brochure but we were very busy and it....3.....
5. They wanted to place a larger order. I thought they wanted a bigger discount. We
were........1.......
6. They ignored(lờ đi) my complaints, but......7......when they refused to refund my money.
7. I saw no point(chả ích) in arguing with him. I.......4.... and said I wanted my
money back.

READING
A. Read the article and answer these questions
1. What customer service problems did the author) have? His new HP printer- scanner-
copier refused to scan when he bought it
2. What examples are given of poor customer service by British utilities(cty tiện ích)? not
turning up at the appointed time and then claiming to have rung the doorbell and so found
no one home. Some seem to have cut back on the essentials of customer service training:
please, thank you - that sort of thing.
3. What answer does the author give to the question: 'Why is customer service important?' 'It
is the customer who determines what a business is. It is the customer alone whose
willingness to pay for a good or for a service converts economic resources into wealth,
things into goods.
4. Why is customer service difficult to implement(thi hành, thực hiện)? Give three reasons.
Others may have found a way of providing the same goods at far lower prices, in which case
costs will have to be looked at again and you may have to move jobs to low-wage countries.
the bigger your business becomes and the more widespread your suppliers and customers, the
harder it is to deliver. You may need information technology systems to keep track of supplies
and to ensure that when your customers call, it takes you no more than a few seconds to call
up the information you need.

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CUSTOMERS FIRST: THE MESSAGE FOR THIS OR ANY OTHER

YEAR
By Michael Skapinker
caller from Hewlett-Packard wanted to know, did I think the big business issues would
be this year? Well, I replied, in Hewlett-Packard's case, I thought the issues should be that my
new HP printer- scanner-copier refused to scan when I bought it and it took me weeks to sort
it out. Also the machine could not print oWhat, then lightweight card, as it was supposed to,
without jamming.
The man from HP laughed nervously. Were there any other big business issues I would
like to mention? No, I said. If HP took care of those small ones, the big ones would take care
of themselves.
I could have talked for longer, but I had to call Powergen. I should not have been using
the FT's time to sort out my electricity difficulties but no one had answered the 24-hour
Powergen helpline the previous evening. This time I got through and, after a few false starts,
they sorted out my problem.
Why is it so hard for companies to get things right?
The British utilities seem to have surrendered all their post-privatisation customer-
service improvements. Some have gone back to their tricks of 20 years ago, including not
turning up at the appointed time and then claiming to have rung the doorbell and so found no
one home.
Many banks, retailers and the rest are no better. Some seem to have cut back on the
essentials of customer service training: please, thank you - that sort of thing.
I know this is not just a British phenomenon: every time I write about deteriorating
customer service, many of you e-mail from elsewhere with the same complaints. What is the
problem? Some of it is industry-specific: either there is insufficient competition or dissatisfied
customers cannot be bothered to change because they doubt they will find anything better.
But I sense a deeper problem: many companies seem to have forgotten what business is about.
They think it is about cutting costs: hence the mania for outsourcing. I am so not
attacking outsourcing as such; it is not, on its own, responsible for deteriorating customer
service. Rather, the problem is the mindset that so much outsourcing represents: the idea that
a startling reduction in employment costs is all you need to succeed.
Costs do matter. If they exceed revenues, you have no profit - and no company or
individual, can carry on for long without profits.

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But making a profit, essential though it is, is not the purpose of business either. It is its
consequence. As Peter Drucker wrote: 'Profit is not the explanation, cause or rationale of
business behaviour and business decisions, but rather the test of their validity.'
The purpose of a business is to provide something that a customer wants at a price he or
she is prepared to pay. In Prof Drucker's words: 'It is the customer who determines what a
business is. It is the customer alone whose willingness to pay for a good or for a service
converts economic resources into wealth, things into goods.' Lợi nhuận không phải là lời giải
thích, nguyên nhân hoặc cơ sở lý luận của hành vi kinh doanh và các quyết định kinh doanh,
mà là sự kiểm tra tính hợp lệ của chúng.'
It is a simple idea. You provide goods or services that customers are pleased with - so
pleased that they come back, and tell all their friends to buy from you too. You then sell
more. Result: happiness.
Carrying this out, of course, is less simple. Others may have found a way of providing
the same goods at far lower prices, in which case costs will have to be looked at again and
you may have to move jobs to low-wage countries.
There is also the difficulty of execution: the bigger your business becomes and the more
widespread your suppliers and customers, the harder it is to deliver. You may need
information technology systems to keep track of supplies and to ensure that when your
customers call, it takes you no more than a few seconds to call up the information you need.
But when the new IT system has been installed, or the foreign factory built, or this or
that activity put out to contract, there is only one test of whether it was worth it: are the
customers happy?
It is with the customer that all business decisions should start and end.
From the Financial Times

B. Read the article again. Which of the following points does the author make?
1. The British utilities are improving their customer service.
2. Some companies need to spend much more on customer service training.
3. Outsourcing often has a negative effect on customer service. T
4. The key to business success is reducing costs. T
5. Many companies do not have the right objectives.

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C. Give an example of good and bad customer service you have experienced.

A few years ago, i bought lap. A one year later, my lap was system error and i went to
the store have them to checked and fixed. So, they were happy and excepted repaired
my lap.

LANGUAGE REVIEW GERUNDS

AAgerund
gerundisisformed
formedfrom
fromaaverb
verbbut
butbehaves
behaveslike
likeaanoun.
noun.

ItItcan
canbebethe
thesubject
subjectofofaasentence
sentenceororclause:
clause:Aiming
Aimingforforcustomer
customerdelight
delightisisall
all
verywell...
very well...

ItItcan
canbebethe
theobject
objectofofaasentence
sentenceororclause:
clause:Many
Manypeople
peopledo
donot
notlike
liketalking
talkingtoto
machines……
machines

ItIt often
often follows
follows aa preposition:
preposition: Customers
Customers receiving
receiving goodgood service
service will
will
stimulatenew
stimulate newbusiness
businessbybytelling
tellingup
uptoto12
12other
otherpeople
people......

AAuseful
usefulway
waytotouse
usegerunds
gerundsisisininlists.
lists.(See
(SeeStarting
Startingup
upExercise
ExerciseAA'On
'Onthe
the
phone'.)
phone'.)
Most gerunds
Most gerunds areare formed
formedby byadding
adding-ing
-ingtotothe
thebase
baseform
formofof the
theverb:
verb:
answer,answe
answer, answerirningg handle,
handle,handling
handling get,getting
get, getting

A. The article “Customers first: the message for this or any other year” has many
examples of the gerund used. Find:
a) one example as the subject of a sentence;

one example as the object of a sentence or clause;I can’t prevent him from smoking
b)
c) three examples following a preposition.
I used to go fishing with my friend when I was young

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Thank to
Appologize

B. Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or infinitive, but the choice can
lead to a change in meaning. Match the sentences with their meanings:
For example:
He remembered to reply to the complaint-he didn't forget.
He remembered replying to the complaint - he has a clear memory of this.

1. I'm too tired to deal with this
complaint b
2. I'm tired of dealing with this
complaint a
3. They stopped producing the customer
service manual. C
4. They stopped to produce the customer
service manual.D
5. We tried to explain the reasons for the
fault E
6. We tried explaining the reasons for
the fault F
C. Complete the guidelines for improving customer service with suitable gerunds.
Add some tips of your own.
a) I'm fed up with the complaint and don't
want to deal with it anymore.
b) I may deal with this complaint later
when I have more energy.
c) They stopped the production of
something else in order to produce the
manual.
d) They stopped the production of the
manual.
e) We made an effort to explain.
f) We did the explaining as an experiment
to see if it was effective.

Improving customer service

Recommended ways of improving customer service include:
1. ... returning .... calls promptly.gọi kịp thời
2. key customers special discounts.Giảm giá đặc biệt cho KH
3. research to find out what customers need.
4. staff training programmes in customer care.
5. procedures so they are customer-focussed.
6. clear performance targets. Mục tiêu hiệu suất rõ ràng
7. results in order to review progress. KQ để xem xét tiến bộ

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8. quickly with complaints. Dealing

9. the customer is happy with the outcome.
10. from complaints.

SKILLS ACTIVE LISTENING

A. How do you know if someone is not listening to you? How does it make you
feel?

B. Which of the following do you do to show people that you are listening to
them? Can you add any other suggestions?

• look people directly in the eye at all times;

• nod your head often to show interest;
• repeat what the speaker has said in your own words;
• be aware of the speaker's body language;
• interrupt the speaker often to show you are listening;
• think about what you are going to say while the speaker is talking;
• use body language to show you are attentive;
• try to predict what they are going to say next;

• ask questions if you do not understand;

• say nothing until you are absolutely sure that the speaker has finished.

C. Track 24 -26 Listen to three conversations in which people are talking about
customer service.
1. Make notes under the following headings:
a) Product or service
b) Reasons why service was good or bad
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2. Listen again. Tick the words and phrases in the Useful language box that you hear.
Then add other words and phrases of your own.

D. Work in pairs. Describe two examples from your own experience where the
service you received was:
a) excellent b) poor

When your partner is speaking, make an effort to listen actively. Use some of the
language from the Useful language box.

USEFULLANGUAGE
USEFUL LANGUAGE Clarifying
Clarifying
Areyou
Are yousaying...
saying...??
Showing interest What(exactly)
(exactly)dodoyou
youmean
meanby...
by...??
Really? What
Couldyou
Could youbebemore
morespecific,
specific,please?
please?
That's interesting. Summarising
Right / OK / Mmm / Yes / Summarising
(So)you
(So) youthink...
think...
No (So)what
whatyou're
you'resaying
sayingis...
is...
Showing empathy (So)
Repetition/ /Question
Repetition Questiontags
tags
I know what you mean. How
awful! AAWe've
We'vereduced
reducedcustomer
customercomplaints
complaintsby
by
30%.
30%.
Asking for details
So what happened? What did BB 30%?
30%?/ /Have
Haveyou?
you?

you do?

CASE STUDY DEAL WITH COMPLAINTS

Background

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You are members of the Customer Services Department of Air France, a career of
high standard of customer service in the airline industry. You sometimes receive
correspondence, telephone calls and voicemail messages from customers who are
unhappy with the service of your company. You have to deal diplomatically and
effectively with these dissatisfied customers and to come up with solutions to their
problems.

Task
1. Work in pairs. One of you is the Customer Service Manager and the other is the
Assistant Customer Service Manager. Read the written correspondence.
Because you are so busy, decide which complaint you will handle now as a priority
Discuss how you are going to deal positively with the complaint you have
prioritized.
2. As one group, discuss the ways you are going to deal with the other complaints
and how you could improve the service you offer to your customers.

WRITING

Write a short report for the Director of Customer Services summarizing the
problems that customers have experienced and make recommendations for
improving the service to customers.

Complaint 1

To: Customer Service

Air France is not your choice with a connecting flight from Paris.
Booked my ticket in Air France from Boston to Bangalore as the total travel
time was 19 hours compared to an average of 21 hours in other airlines. The
wait time at Paris for the connecting flight was 3 hours. The departure from
Boston was delayed by 2 hours due to technical faults. The plane landed at
Paris airport at 9:25 am. The connecting flight departure time was 10:35 am.
For a moment I was happy that I had one hour to catch my connecting flight to
Bangalore. 12
To my disappointment, the plane could not get a parking for 1 hour, and I
English for Aviation Business Administration

Complaint 2

I was traveling from Atlanta to New Delhi via Paris end May 2011. Upon arrival
in Delhi airport one of my suit cases was found missing and was delivered to me
later by Air France on the next day in a damaged condition. Some of the items
were also stolen. Though they repaired my suit case, they were insisting for bills
to reimburse towards items stolen: shoes, clothes, chocolates, etc. They have
refused to accept my submission that I do not carry bills for everything that I
carry in anticipation of loss and that the small value items are meant for daily
use. I do not know how to proceed further. Please help me. The amount involved
is small, less than US$ 500 and I am unable to appreciate their stand. The item
stolen is not gold chain that may warrant production of bills. Air France should
have some limit below which they should pay without bills. Please help me.

Capt. of Pune, Other on Nov. 18, 2011

Complaint 3 on AF 218 on 29 Aug'2011 from Paris CDG to Mumbai. A certain
I was flying
employee by name 'Laetitia' was working at the check-in counter in CDG on
that date. I stood in queue for the check-in like everybody else. When I
presented myself at the counter, this lady wanted to know why I reached the
counter on my own. It seems Air France follows a procedure whereby the clerk
at the counter has to accompany you to the counter. There was no notice put
up to this effect. How should an unsuspecting customer become aware of such
a rule?
This clerk was rude and insulting and went to the extent of refusing to check
me in. I waited for several minutes but she walked out from her desk to talk to
another friend. She was simply trying to insult me and show off her
importance. I was amazed by the cheek of this lady. I had to move to another
counter for the check-in. Later I spoke to a kind looking Indian lady (also an AF
employee at CDG for several years) about her behavior. Probably you could
train your staff better in etiquette and professional good manners.
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Complaint 4

FAX TRANSMISSION

I am very tall, so I had chosen a middle bulkhead seat on an Air France flight from Paris to Los
Angeles. A couple who spoke very little English asked me to move to the aisle seat so that they
could sit together. I attempted to politely explain that I had been assigned the seat months ago,
and needed the middle seat so that my legs would not stick out into the aisle. Being the
troubleshooter and peacemaker that I am, I then went to the flight attendant to see if he could
accommodate them elsewhere. Meanwhile the couple starting raising hell to a female flight
attendant, and she was LAUGHING at me as I sat between these two extremely rude people.
They were talking loudly over me on each side as if I didn't exist. I had to sit in between to
obnoxious selfish people, and the flight attendant thought it was amusing. The service on Air
France is horrible. I will not fly with them ever again.
Complaint 5

Ryan of North Salt Lake, UT on Dec. 16, 2008

Flying to Paris last year for my HONEYMOON, the airline lost my wife's
baggage. My wife had to go without all of her clothes and items for 13 days,
as we received the bag on our doorstep at home 2 days after returning to the
U.S. We spent $1300 on clothes so we could manage the trip, and like Barbara
from Texas we never were told we had max 21 days to submit our claim, just
a polite letter denying us any remuneration. This is obviously the abridged
version, but again, nothing was ever said about the 21 DAY LIMIT TO
SUBMIT A CLAIM.
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I will do my best never to fly on Air France again.
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