Narrator: Ah hello! Welcome back to Tip Top Trading – the UK's leading wholesaler of
imitation fruit. Today you're joining us in the middle of the action! Anna is
with an important client Mr Lime, from Citrus Ventures. He's angry and
she'll have to calm him down. She could cope brilliantly here or this could
be a horrible mess!
Anna: Well Mr Lime, how can I help you?
Mr Lime: On Monday I was meant to receive 8,000 plastic grapefruit from Tip Top
Trading.
Anna: Yes.
Mr Lime: The delivery was made on Tuesday.
Anna: Oh dear.
Mr Lime: And instead of 8,000 plastic grapefruit, I got 800,000 plastic pineapples!
Narrator: Right Anna, this is serious. You're going to have to apologise and show
that you really mean it. Say: I'm really sorry to hear that.
Anna: I'm really sorry to hear that, Mr Lime.
Mr Lime: What on earth am I going to do with 800,000 plastic pineapples?
Narrator: Show Mr Lime that you understand the problem. These are phrases you
can use:
That's totally unacceptable.
That must have been very inconvenient for you.
And then promise to fix the problem. Say:
You have my word that we will sort this out.
We can do something to make up for the inconvenience.
It won't happen again.
Mr Lime: 800,000 plastic pineapples!
Anna: That's totally unacceptable.
Mr Lime: I didn't even have anywhere to put them - and pineapples are so much
bigger than grapefruit! English at Work © British Broadcasting Corporation 2012
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Anna: It must have been very inconvenient for you.
Mr Lime: It certainly was! When he took my order, your colleague Tom told me that
Tip Top Trading was the most reliable firm in the industry!
Anna: You have my word that we will sort this out. We'll remove the pineapples
and have your grapefruit sent via express delivery this afternoon.
Mr Lime: Good. Thank you.
Anna: And we could include some of our latest-edition imitation oranges to make
up for the inconvenience.
Mr Lime: Oh! Well, that would be nice!
Narrator: Tip top Anna! Excellent work and excellent words.
Anna: They're made with revolutionary premium faux-orange, laser-curvedefinition
technology... you will be the first to have them!
Mr Lime: Wow, now that's good customer service! Tell me, do you have any other
artificial fruits in this range?
Anna: Yes. Well, it's a bit of a secret, but you're a trusted client, so I think I can
tell you...
Mr Lime: Go on...
Anna: We're about to unveil a new Imperial Lemon.
Mr Lime: Really?
Anna: I can't tell you any more for now. But…
Mr Lime: Yes...
Anna: Maybe we could present it to you more formally in a couple of weeks, when
it's ready for release...?
Mr Lime: Sounds perfect.
Anna: You would be the first to see it!
Mr Lime: Excellent. Thank you, er... Anna, isn't it?
Anna: Yes.
Mr Lime: A very pretty name.
Anna: Thanks. It's spelled the same forwards and backwards. English at Work © British Broadcasting Corporation 2012
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Mr Lime: Is it really?
Anna: Anyway, Mr Lime, we'll fix this grapefruit problem for you, and I promise
you, it won't happen again.
Mr Lime: Good, good. You're new here, aren't you Anna?
Anna: Yes.
Mr Lime: Well I look forward to working with you.
Narrator: What a success! Mr Lime has come away a very happy customer! Here are
the phrases Anna used while apologising:
I'm really sorry to hear that, Mr Lime.
That's totally unacceptable.
It must have been very inconvenient for you.
You have my word that we will sort this out.
And we could include some of our latest-edition imitation oranges to make up for the
inconvenience.
I promise you, it won't happen again.
What will Anna's boss Paul have to say about her work today? Join us next
week to find out.