Dealing with a Consumer Complaint
A customer calls a company's customer service department to complain about a faulty product or unsatisfactory service and seeks a resolution or refund.
Un cliente llama al departamento de servicio al cliente de una empresa para quejarse de un producto defectuoso o un servicio insatisfactorio y busca una resolución o reembolso.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
issue
A problem or concern, often used politely when complaining about something like a product or service.
Un problema o preocupación, a menudo usado cortésmente al quejarse de algo como un producto o servicio.
troubleshooting
The process of finding and fixing problems with a device or system, like checking connections or restarting.
El proceso de encontrar y solucionar problemas con un dispositivo o sistema, como verificar conexiones o reiniciar.
defective
Something that has a flaw or doesn't work correctly from the start, often used for faulty products.
Algo que tiene un defecto o no funciona correctamente desde el principio, a menudo usado para productos defectuosos.
refund
The return of money paid for a product or service, usually when there's a problem and you want your money back.
La devolución del dinero pagado por un producto o servicio, generalmente cuando hay un problema y quieres tu dinero de vuelta.
replacement
A new item given in exchange for a faulty one, allowing you to get a working version instead of money back.
Un artículo nuevo dado a cambio de uno defectuoso, que le permite obtener una versión funcional en lugar de devolución de dinero.
factory reset
Restoring a device to its original settings, erasing all data to fix software issues.
Restaurar un dispositivo a sus configuraciones originales, borrando todos los datos para solucionar problemas de software.
frozen
When a screen or device stops working and doesn't respond, like being stuck or unresponsive.
Cuando una pantalla o dispositivo deja de funcionar y no responde, como si estuviera atascado o sin respuesta.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'm calling about an issue with a product I purchased from your website last week.
This is a polite way to start a complaint call; use it to introduce your problem clearly, including details like when you bought it. The past tense 'purchased' shows completed action.
Esta es una forma educada de iniciar una llamada de queja; úsala para introducir tu problema de manera clara, incluyendo detalles como cuándo lo compraste. El tiempo pasado 'purchased' muestra una acción completada.
Can you please tell me more about what's wrong with the product?
A customer service question to gather details; it's useful for service reps to ask politely with 'please' and 'what's wrong' to understand the issue. The contraction 'what's' makes it natural.
Una pregunta de servicio al cliente para recopilar detalles; es útil para los representantes de servicio preguntar cortésmente con 'please' y 'what's wrong' para entender el problema. La contracción 'what's' lo hace natural.
It stopped responding to commands entirely after just three days.
Describes a product failure; useful for explaining problems with specifics like time ('after just three days') and adverbs ('entirely') to emphasize severity.
Describe una falla del producto; útil para explicar problemas con detalles específicos como tiempo ('después de solo tres días') y adverbios ('por completo') para enfatizar la severidad.
Have you tried troubleshooting it, like restarting the device or checking your internet connection?
Suggests basic fixes before escalation; the present perfect 'have you tried' checks past actions, and 'like' gives examples, common in tech support.
Sugiere soluciones básicas antes de escalar; el presente perfecto 'have you tried' verifica acciones pasadas, y 'like' da ejemplos, común en soporte técnico.
I've tried everything in the manual, even a factory reset, but nothing works.
Shows you've attempted solutions; present perfect 'I've tried' indicates recent efforts, and 'even' highlights extra steps, useful when proving the problem persists.
Muestra que has intentado soluciones; el presente perfecto 'I've tried' indica esfuerzos recientes, y 'even' resalta pasos extras, útil al probar que el problema persiste.
We can certainly arrange for a replacement or a full refund. Which would you prefer?
Offers options in customer service; 'certainly' shows confidence, and 'which would you prefer' politely seeks preference, a key pattern for resolutions.
Ofrece opciones en el servicio al cliente; 'certainly' muestra confianza, y 'which would you prefer' busca educadamente la preferencia, un patrón clave para resoluciones.
I'd prefer a full refund, please. I've lost confidence in this particular model.
States your choice clearly; 'I'd prefer' is a polite way to express preference over 'I want,' and explains reason, helpful in negotiations.
Expresa tu elección claramente; 'I'd prefer' es una forma educada de expresar preferencia en lugar de 'I want', y explica la razón, útil en negociaciones.
It should appear in your account within 3-5 business days.
Gives a timeline for action; 'should' expresses expectation, and 'within' means 'in less than or up to,' common for processing times like refunds.
Proporciona un cronograma para la acción; 'should' expresa expectativa, y 'within' significa 'en menos de o hasta', común para tiempos de procesamiento como reembolsos.