English & Tourism: Making a complaint

Welcome - English & Tourism - Complaining 

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rich: and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Rich: We recommend that you listen to this podcast on the Premier Skills English website because that is where we have the transcript, language examples, activities, quizzes and a discussion page to help you understand everything we talk about.

Jack: However, if you’re listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, you can leave answers to our questions in the review section. We do read all the reviews and would love to hear from you. 

Rich: In this week’s podcast, we’re continuing with our new mini-series of podcasts that focus on English and tourism. In these podcasts, you will learn lots of English connected to the things you need to do when you go on holiday.

Jack: These podcasts are also really useful for those of you who work with tourists in places like hotels and restaurants and need to speak English.

Rich: In our last podcast, we spoke about the language you need or hear when checking in at a hotel.  We introduced phrases such as ‘I have a reservation under the name of Jones’, ‘Breakfast is served between seven and ten’ and ‘sorry for any inconvenience caused’. 

Jack: We also looked at lots of vocabulary connected to checking in at a hotel such as, ‘double booked and fully booked’ ‘a double room’, ‘an upgrade’ and ‘free of charge’.

Rich: If you want to go back and do this lesson you can find it on the Premier Skills English website by clicking skills > listen > podcasts. If you are on Spotify or Apple Podcasts you’ll find it in the playlist, it’s called ‘English & Tourism: Checking In’.

Jack: We always have a football connection in our podcasts. Rich was checking in to Hotel Football which is a hotel near Old Trafford, Manchester United’s stadium.

Rich: In this podcast, we are going to talk about the language you need when you need to complain or respond to a complaint.

Jack: More specifically, we’re going to look at the phrases you need to make a complaint at a hotel reception.

Rich: You will hear a roleplay at a hotel reception. The roleplay will be in three sections and after each section, we will ask you to stop and think about the situation and the language that is being used.

Jack: After the roleplay, we will have a task for you to do, which is when we ask you to use your English. We will have more about your task later but we want you to complain about something in a polite way and respond to other listeners complaints. 

Rich: And, don’t forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have another football phrase for you to guess.

Football Phrase 1 

Jack: But, before we look at all that, let’s look at last week’s football phrase. If you didn’t hear it last week we’ll give you one more chance to guess and give you the correct answer at the end of the show when we give you a new football phrase.

Rich: The phrase was _________. The phrase means to keep playing and never stop until the referee stops the game. This phrase is also good advice because if you stop, the game might continue and the other team could score. 

Jack: Well done if you got the right answer last week. A special well done to Liubomyr from Ukraine, Elghoul from Algeria and Coreuser from Saudi Arabia who got the phrase exactly right and wrote the answer on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich: We’ll tell you the answer to this football phrase and we’ll have a new one at the end of the show. Remember, if you get the right answer and write it in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website, we will announce your name in next week’s show. 

Introduction to Roleplay

Jack: You are now going to listen to a roleplay. 

Rich: You are going to hear a hotel guest - that’s me - and a hotel receptionist - that’s Jack. It’s the morning after my first night’s stay at Hotel Football and I’m not happy.

Jack: You will hear the roleplay in three sections. After each section, we will ask you to think about the conversation and we’ll talk about the language we use.

Rich: While you listen, we want you to answer a question. The question for section one is: 

Jack: Why didn’t Rich sleep well?

Roleplay: Section 1

Jack: Good morning Mr Jones. I hope you had a good night’s sleep. Breakfast is served on the first floor.

Rich: Yes, thank you but I’m not looking for breakfast just yet. I’m really sorry but I’m afraid I didn’t get a good night’s sleep at all last night. 

Jack: Oh? I’m so sorry about that. Was there a problem with the room?

Rich: The room was fine and the bed was very comfortable but there was quite a bit of noise coming from the room next door. 

Jack: Oh, I’m really sorry to hear that. I’ll speak to the guests in that room.

Rich: Well, actually, they weren’t too bad but the main problem was the air conditioning. I think it may be broken. It was ever so noisy.

Jack: Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry about that. I’ll send someone up to your room to take a look at it right away.

Rich: That would be great. You said breakfast was on the first floor?

Jack: That’s right, sir. The stairs are right there.  

Language Focus 1

Rich: Did you get the answer to the question? Why didn’t I sleep well?

Jack: Well, it was because the air conditioning was making a lot of noise in your room. It’s broken.

Rich: That’s right. A little bit annoying. Now, let’s take a look at some of the language in that conversation.

Jack: Rich made a complaint about the noise from the air conditioning at the hotel. To complain means to tell someone you are not happy about something. You can complain about something or make a complaint about something.

Rich: When we complain about something in a place like a hotel we usually try to be polite unless we are very angry.

Jack: In the conversation, Rich wasn’t super angry, just a little bit annoyed, so he was polite.

Rich: And the hotel receptionist always has to be polite so you heard lots of polite phrases.

Jack: When you make a complaint about something in a polite way in English it is common to apologise or say sorry for making the complaint.

Rich: This is a bit strange because you have done nothing wrong.

Jack: Yes, it is, but it’s just a way of being indirect and less confrontational or argumentative.

Rich: So, I used the phrases ‘I’m really sorry but …’ and ‘I’m afraid …’ to be indirect. Actually, I put both of these phrases together when I said, ‘I’m really sorry but I’m afraid I didn’t get a good night’s sleep.’

Jack: So, when we complain about something in a polite way we can be apologetic and indirect. I  replied to the complaint in a similar way - I was very sorry - and I also wanted to take action immediately.

Rich: Jack said things like ‘I’m so sorry to hear that’, I’m really sorry to hear that’  and ‘I’m terribly sorry to hear that’.

Jack: These words ‘so’, ‘really’ and ‘ terribly’ are used to add extra emphasis and sincerity to your apology. They are all similar in meaning to ‘very’.

Rich: Terribly is a tricky word to understand sometimes. The adjective ‘terrible’ is usually used to describe something bad or serious in a negative way. It was a terrible meal or a terrible accident. 

Jack: But the adverb ‘terribly’, especially in British English, is often used much more to mean ‘very’. ‘I’m terribly sorry’ and ‘I’m terribly pleased for you’ are a couple of examples.

Rich: But it can still mean bad or badly, too. We can say ‘the player suffered a terrible injury or the player was terribly injured’.

...

Jack: OK, let’s listen to the next part of the conversation. Rich, our hotel guest, is going to breakfast. He’s speaking to the waiter.

Rich: While you listen, we want you to answer a question. The question for section two is: 

Jack: What does Rich have for breakfast?

Roleplay: Section 2

Rich: Good morning. 

Jack: Good morning, sir. Can I take your room number, please?

Rich: Yes, it’s room 246.

Jack: Sorry, sir but it doesn’t appear that breakfast is included in your room rate. The buffet breakfast is £14.95 would you like us to charge it to your room?

Rich: I’m sure breakfast was included. Maybe I was mistaken. Would you mind checking?

Jack: Hold on one second and I’ll check with reception.

...

Jack: I’m terribly sorry about all that, but there was a little bit of a mix-up. Breakfast is included in your room rate. 

Rich: Oh, good.

Jack: Please take a seat anywhere in the restaurant. You can help yourself to a full English breakfast or a continental breakfast. Would you like coffee or tea?

Rich: Coffee, please.

Jack: I’ll be right back.

...

Rich: I’m ever so sorry to bother you again but the sausages are rather cold and there are no fried eggs left. I was looking forward to a full English breakfast.

Jack: I’m afraid it’s just after ten and the kitchen is now closed. You still have the continental available.

Rich: Well, there’s not much of that left either. It looks like I’ll have to make do with this bowl of cornflakes and is this instant coffee … oh dear.

Language Focus 2

Rich: Did you get the answer to the question? What did I have for breakfast?

Jack: You had a bowl of cornflakes and a cup of coffee. You wanted some hot food but some of it was cold and there wasn’t much left. Now, let’s take a look at some of the language in that conversation.

Rich: Again, I was complaining about things and you might have heard some other phrases that can be used to make a complaint.

Jack: When Rich said ‘I’m sure breakfast was included’ he stressed the word sure which shows he is complaining to the waiter. He then added ‘Maybe I was mistaken’ when he was sure that the hotel had made a mistake and finally asked the hotel to check in a polite way by asking, ‘Would you mind checking?’.

Rich: All of this is complaining politely in a very indirect way. I also complained later in the conversation and used the phrase, ‘Sorry to bother you again but …’.

Jack: The word ‘bother’ here means to annoy or cause problems for someone so is another way of saying sorry about making a complaint.

Rich: The two types of breakfast offered in the hotel were a ‘Full English breakfast’ and a ‘continental breakfast’. I think these are important to know.

Jack: Yes, I suppose a big difference is that a continental breakfast is usually cold and an English breakfast is hot.

Rich: A continental breakfast usually includes pastries like croissants, cold meats and cheeses, yoghurt and fruit.

Jack: A full English breakfast usually includes a combination of sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, fried tomatoes, mushrooms and toast.

Rich: An English breakfast is very filling and a continental breakfast is usually a bit lighter. English people only usually eat this type of breakfast on special occasions or when on holiday.

...

Jack: OK, let’s listen to the final part of the conversation. Rich, our hotel guest, is back at reception. He’s checking out.

Rich: While you listen, we want you to answer a question. The question for section three is: 

Jack: Why does Rich want to speak to the manager?

Roleplay: Section 3

Rich: Hello there. I’d like to check out, please.

Jack: I hope you have had a pleasant stay at Hotel Football.

Rich: Actually, I’m afraid to say that my stay hasn’t been very pleasant at all.

Jack: I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything that you would like us to look into?

Rich: Well, the main issue was breakfast. I wanted some hot food but there was nothing left or what was left was cold.

Jack: Yes, I am sorry about that but breakfast is only served until ten and I’m afraid you arrived a little late. We did still offer you our continental service.

Rich: Actually, I’m quite cross about that too. The reason I was late was because I was complaining about the noise in my room. I had hardly slept.

Jack: Yes, I do understand sir and we’re sorry about the inconvenience the air conditioning unit caused you. We sent up maintenance right away and it is working now.

Rich: Well, that is too late for me, isn’t it?

Jack: All I can do is apologise for the inconvenience. Would you like an invoice?

Rich: Yes, please. Hold on a second. I have been charged for breakfast. This is absolutely ridiculous. Could I speak to the manager, please?

Language Focus 3

Rich: Did you get the answer to the question? Why did I want to speak to the manager?

Jack: You wanted to speak to the manager because you were charged for breakfast when it was supposed to be included in the room rate. You wanted to complain, again.

Rich: And the hot food was cold so I wanted to complain even more.

Jack: Yes, you were a little angrier in this part of the roleplay although you were still using polite phrases such as ‘I’m afraid to say’ and using ‘please’.

Rich: You could mainly hear the change in my tone of voice but also in the way I used the word ‘actually’. Listen to how I say ‘actually’ in these two sentences.

Rich: Actually, I’m afraid to say that my stay hasn’t been very pleasant at all.

Rich: Actually, I’m quite cross about that too.

Jack: ‘Actually’ is being used to emphasise what he says afterwards: that his stay wasn’t pleasant and that he is cross.

Rich: Yes, I was cross. I got crosser or angrier as the roleplay progressed. At the beginning, I was a little annoyed but by the end of the roleplay, I said that something was ‘absolutely ridiculous’ because I was furious.

Jack: OK, we’ve looked at lots of words and phrases connected to complaining at a hotel. On the podcast page, on the Premier Skills English website, we will look at these phrases in a little bit more detail. 

Rich: There are more explanations and activities for you to do connected to this lesson that you will find on the homepage or under skills > listen > podcasts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcliR8kAbzc

Task

Rich: This week we’d like you to take the roles of hotel guest and hotel receptionist.

Jack: First you have to think of a problem and then you have to complain about it.

Rich: The problem might be with your room, with the food, noise in the hotel, or with the facilities in the hotel.

Jack: Write your complaint in a polite way using some of the phrases that we have used in the roleplay.

Rich: Then we want you to be the hotel receptionist or manager. Reply to one of the complaints that you see in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website.

This week’s football phrase:

Jack: The final section this week is our football phrase. 

Rich: The football phrase this week is ****** *****. The Europa League Final between Arsenal and Chelsea is an example of a ****** ***** because both teams are from the capital of the UK. Last season there were six teams from the capital in the Premier League so there were lots of ****** *******.

Jack: Quite an easy one this week. Let’s see who can get it right! If you know the answer, write it in the comments section at the bottom of the page. We will announce your name in next week’s podcast if you get it right.

Rich: We also need to give you the answer to the football phrase we set at the beginning of the show. The answer as you may already know was to play to the whistle.

Jack: Right, that’s all we have time for this week. Bye for now and enjoy your football!