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.
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.
troubleshooting
The process of finding and fixing problems with a device or system, like checking connections or restarting.
defective
Something that has a flaw or doesn't work correctly from the start, often used for faulty products.
refund
The return of money paid for a product or service, usually when there's a problem and you want your money back.
replacement
A new item given in exchange for a faulty one, allowing you to get a working version instead of money back.
factory reset
Restoring a device to its original settings, erasing all data to fix software issues.
frozen
When a screen or device stops working and doesn't respond, like being stuck or unresponsive.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.