Customer service: using polite language to handle complaints

Customer service β€” a B1 English lesson. Practise using modal verbs for politeness and expand vocabulary around handling complaints.

Customer service: using polite language to handle complaints
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Summary

This ESL lesson for B1 English students explores Business English customer service. Using a real audio as the basis for discussion, students develop listening comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar skills across a 90-minute class.

The grammar focus is Modal verbs for polite requests and offers (could, can, would, may). Key vocabulary includes complaint (noun), empathy (noun), inconvenience (noun) and more, all drawn directly from the source material. The practical English section gives students useful phrases for real-life situations: Responding to a customer complaint about a faulty product or poor service..

Activities

Vocabulary focus

The vocabulary section introduces B1-level words and phrases related to Business English customer service. Key terms include complaint (noun), empathy (noun), inconvenience (noun), resolve (verb), solution (noun). Students practise using these terms in context through exercises drawn from the source material.

Grammar focus

This lesson focuses on Modal verbs for polite requests and offers (could, can, would, may). In customer service, it's important to be polite and not too direct. We use modal verbs like 'could', 'can', 'would', and 'may' to make our language softer and more professional.

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