0.5x0.6x0.7x0.8x0.9x1x1.1x1.2x1.3x1.4x1.5x1.6x1.7x1.8x1.9x2x2.1x2.2x2.3x2.4x2.5x
00:00
-08:11
1x
Embed
<iframe width="700" height="480" src="https://player.timelinenotation.com/talkingonthejob/22681/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
00:00
Start
00:06
::
Hotel employee: I’m glad you enjoyed your stay with us, see you again soon.
SaveCancel
00:10
::
Customer: Bye!
SaveCancel
00:15
::
Hotel employee: Now sir, will you be checking out on behalf of your entire party?
SaveCancel
00:20
::
Rahim: I, eh, yes. But first, I have a complaint about the conference we hosted yesterday.
SaveCancel
00:30
::
Hotel employee: Oh, I am very sorry to hear that sir, if you could please fill out this feedback form, I would be happy to pass it on.
SaveCancel
00:42
::
Rahim: Eh, well no, I really need to give you feedback now. There was nobody at reception yesterday when we needed help…
SaveCancel
00:57
::
Hotel employee: I’m sorry sir, I really need to take this… Hello FT Towers Hotel, how can I help you?
SaveCancel
01:05
::
Rahim: What’s happening here? This guy isn’t listening to me?! We have booked so many conferences with this hotel chain. We are loyal customers! The service yesterday was unacceptable, we expected much better and so did our clients. My boss will be so angry if the hotel doesn’t try to make things right. I need to do something, but what?!
SaveCancel
01:37
::
Conor: Yikes! Rahim is not happy! The receptionist isn’t taking him seriously at all!
SaveCancel
01:53
::
Welcome to today’s episode of Talking on the job. My name is Conor and I’m your host and business English mentor. I’m here to help you navigate the world of English in a variety of business contexts. I’m calling today’s episode, Horror Hotel. We just heard Rahim trying to make a complaint about a sub-standard conference experience. He needs to communicate what went wrong and then try to get some compensation for his company.
SaveCancel
02:22
::
Let’s look at how to complain in style! Because, let’s be honest, there will always be situations where we are unsatisfied with a service. So, learning how to do it, in English, will surely come in handy one day!
SaveCancel
02:39
::
So, first things first. Rahim needs to speak with confidence, and make sure the hotel receptionist listens to him. He should be firm, but polite.
SaveCancel
02:50
::
When making a complaint, you should follow these 3 simple steps:
SaveCancel
02:55
::
Number one: state the problem. You can phrase this positively by stating what you think the correct service or situation should have been.
SaveCancel
03:04
::
Rahim: Ehm, I think there has been a misunderstanding. We requested the executive conference room…
SaveCancel
03:12
::
Conor: Number two: explain how the problem affects you. It is important to explain how this has had a bad impact on you or your business.
SaveCancel
03:21
::
Rahim: This has negatively impacted both our reputation and our potential revenue for this quarter.
SaveCancel
03:30
::
Conor: And finally… Number three: ask for action. This can be tricky. You need to be confident but not rude.
SaveCancel
03:38
::
If you are looking for money back or compensation, ask for more than you expect to get. It also doesn’t hurt to mention the effect bad service might have on future business for that company.
SaveCancel
03:51
::
Rahim: We would be willing to accept a 30% discount on our next booking…
SaveCancel
04:00
::
Conor: Ok, let’s see if Rahim can assert himself and work out a good deal!
SaveCancel
04:08
::
Rahim: Excuse me please. I think there has been a misunderstanding. We requested the executive conference room with deluxe catering for 80 people. We also requested three dongles for internet access.
SaveCancel
04:28
::
Now, the conference room we actually got, it only had space for 30 of our clients. And, the canapés were stale and the dongles you provided were faulty. That meant that we lost internet connection more than once. I must say, all of this has negatively impacted both our reputation and our potential revenue for this quarter.
SaveCancel
04:58
::
Hotel employee: I’m sorry sir, but we stated at the time of booking that we couldn’t guarantee the executive conference room. You need to understand that…
SaveCancel
05:10
::
Rahim: I’m sorry to interrupt you, but we are loyal customers of this hotel and we have always booked the executive conference package. This experience has really made us consider not coming back. But we would be willing to accept a 30% discount on our next booking. But only if we have your promise that this will not happen again.
SaveCancel
05:40
::
Hotel employee: Eh, well, let me speak with my manager, one moment please sir.
SaveCancel
05:55
::
Ok, we can offer you a 20% discount on your next booking and our promise that this will not happen again.
SaveCancel
06:07
::
Rahim: I appreciate that, thank you.
SaveCancel
06:10
::
Hotel employee: Was there anything else I can help you with?
SaveCancel
06:20
::
Conor: Nicely done Rahim! You were confident and polite and you worked out a good deal for your company. Now, just before we wrap up, let’s have a quick look at some of the words Rahim used.
SaveCancel
06:33
::
First one, “dongle”. No it’s not a place in Ireland, it’s a tech device, like a USB that you plug in to a laptop so you can get instant access to the internet. But the dongles at the hotel were faulty, so they didn’t work!
SaveCancel
06:51
::
Next, “canapés”. We often borrow words from other languages and here’s an example of a French word that we use to describe finger food. Unfortunately, the finger food was not the freshest, so Rahim complained about the stale canapés.
SaveCancel
07:07
::
And finally, “discount”. This is when a percentage of a price is deducted or taken off the original price, so it’s cheaper! Wuhoo!
SaveCancel
07:25
::
Before you go, would you like to practice your negotiation skills? We at Babbel have a course all about Negotiations. You can find it under Business English Competencies in our app. 
SaveCancel
07:35
::
And if you are hungry for more, you can read the famous book: Getting to Yes! I’ve linked a description in the episode notes.
SaveCancel
07:43
::
Right now, I’ve got to complain to Netflix customer service as they've canceled my subscription. Don’t worry! I’ll definitely be getting a discount, as I’ll deal with them in a confident and polite manner. I’m way behind on Bridgerton! Till next time! 
SaveCancel
End
Rahim needs to complain about a poor hotel conference experience. The finger food was stale and the equipment was faulty. Can Rahim negotiate some compensation for his company? Learn more in the Babbel lesson - “Business English: Competencies - Course 8: Negotiation”: https://bit.ly/business-english-negotiation You can follow this link to the book mentioned in the podcast - “Getting to Yes!” by Roger Fisher and William Ury: https://bit.ly/book-getting-to-yes Key vocabulary: dongle - a portable internet modem canapés - bite-sized snacks discount - a deduction from the usual cost faulty - having faults or defects