UNIT 8 DEALING WITH PROBLEMS
8.1 What seems to be the problem?
A. Look at these pictures:
- What do you think has happened? They are having some problems.
- What are the people going to say? They are upset and not talk to each other.
- What would you do in each situation? I will organize my work schudule, my work staff and also find the correct words to speak to one of the people.
C. Discuss these questions with your partners.
- What problems have you had in your work or work experience that led to complaints or apologies? None, because I’m easygoing person.
- What is the worst mistake you’ve made in your work or work experience? When I a cashier I gave the wrong change.
What happened? How could you have avoided it? My manager told me to be more carefully.
8.2 We all make mistakes – sometimes!
A. You work in the buying department at Zenith Internacional. You have just got back from holiday. While you were away Max, the 19-year-old son of your director, was in charge of your office…
This is a note you left for Max before you went away:
Max, while I’m away please place an order for 45 x 100 metre reels of 40mm MCL88 cable from Uniflex SpA in LaSpezia, Italy. All the details are in the files.
This is a repeat order – just copy the previous one and charge the dates.
and this is a note that Max has left to you:
MCL 88 cable ordered as you instructed. You’ll be pleased to know that the price has gone down since your last order! And Uniplex seem to have moved from La Spezia to Pisa.
Their new address is:
Uniplex srl, viale Dell’Industria 131,
56100 Pisa
Best wishes,
Max
P.S. Hope you had a good holiday!
What do you think may have happened? What should you do? First I will make a phone call to the company and I would apologize and try to negotiate a lower price from UNIFLEX and I will visit them if it’s necessary.
EXCERSICE C: Role- play:
VISIT TO UNIFLEX:
Sulema: Hello Mrs.Donato, How are you?
Lucia Donato: I’m fine, and you?
Sulema: I’m Fine Thank you. I need to speak with you about the last order.
Lucia Donato: oh ok, please take a seat.
Sulema: I need to cancel the last order it was sended to you by mistake.
Lucia Donato: mmm let me think the problem its that I ready did your order if you want me to canceled you need to pay some tax.
Sulema: Oh ok that’s not a problem to me.
Lucia Donato: ok ready.
Sulema: Thank you so much!
VISIT TO UNIPLEX:
Sulema: Hello Mr. Conti, Can I speak with you?
Piero Conti: sure, come in.
Sulema: How are you?
Piero Conti: Fine, thank you for asking!
Sulema: I’m here because there’s been a misunderstanding with the orders.
Sulema: I need to cancel order. I’m really sorry.
Piero Conti: oh no!! that’s not good for my company. Are you sure?
Sulema: Yes, I’m sure.
Piero Conti: Ok. So you will have to pay a commission for the canceled order.
Sulema: Ok that’s not a problem to me. Thank you so much and please accept my apologies.
Piero Conti: Don’t worried
Sulema: Thank you again.
EXCERSICE D: Draft a fax or e- mail, which you could have sent instead of visiting Uniplex and UNIFLEX.
Email to UNIFLEX:
From: Sulema Santiago Mora, Zenith International.
To:Uniflex
Subject: Order Number 0123
Date: January 18 2011
Dear Ms. Donato:
Hello there,
The reason of this email is to let you know about the order 0123 you sended to us.
Uniplex company in Pisa, Italy, is offering the same items as uniplex but with a price 7 ½ lower than yours, so I wonder if there’s a possibility to negotiate a lower price with Uniflex.
Please if you have any questions contact me at my office or either send me a mail, I hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you so much have a nice day.
Yours sincerely:
Sulema Santiago
Zenith International’s Buying Department Manager.
Email to UNIPLEX:
From: Sulema Santiago, Zenith International.
Subject: Order Number 1
Date: January 18 2011
Dear Mr. Conti:
Hello there, I’m not quite sure how to put this, but there’s been a misunderstanding with our order and I need to cancel it.
We will pay any commission for canceling, just send us the invoice, and we will proceed to pay.
Please accept my apologies and have a great day.
Sincerely yours:
Sulema Santiago.
Zenith International’s Buying Department Manager.
D. Draft a fax or e-mail to Uniplex and other to UNIFLEX, which you could have sent instead of phoning or visiting them.
From: Zenith International
To: Uniplex srl
Hello there, I placed an order for 45 x 100 metre reels of 400mm MCL88 cable. I send the wrong order to your company. I would like to cancel the order soon as posible. I sorry about the mistake.
Please accept my apologies
Sincerely,
Sulema Santiago.
8.3 Complaining and apologizing
B. Complete each sentence. Then decide what to write in your reply to each as if it was your fault in each case.
- We are concerned that the order we placed by letter on 8 June may have got lost in the post. Could you please check if the letter has arrived?
- The order has not yet arrived at our warehouse, even though we received advice of shipping from you ten days ago. Would you please wait until the order
arrives?
- According to your scale of charges the price of a single room with bath is $55 including tax. However, on checking my account later I discovered that I was charged $69.50 per night. Will you please correct the mistake?
- Our order was for 80 boxes containing 144 items each. Each box we have opened so far contains only 100 items. Will you please send us the missing items?
D. Look at this information and decide what other excuses you can add to the list below.
If things have gone wrong, the person you’re talking to will want to know the reasons.
He or she may assume that someone (or everyone) in your firm is to blame and that they’ve been:
- Inefficient
- Clumsy
- Slow
- Careless
- Impolite
- Forgetful or unhelpful
- Distracted
- Inrresponsible
- Useless
If you don’t want to accept responsibility or blame another person, you could offer an excuse. For example:
- A clerical error
- A computer error
- A shortage of staff
8.4 Friday afternoon: Delivery problems
4. Decide what you are going to do:
- What will you tell Mr. Robinson? I will wait for the right moment.
- Will you telephone Ocean View, fax, e-mail or send them a letter? Send an e-mail or fax them.
- What will you say or write? No idea maybe accept the apology.
C. Discuss these questions:
- How do you prefer to deal with problems: face-to-face, by phone or in writing? Why?
Maybe Face-to-face because I think is the best way to express your self or your feelings.
- Is it best to take the blame, or to blame someone else for your mistake? I think is to
take the blame because its my problem not someone else prlblem If I did the mistake I have to take the blame and learn from it.
- Is it always best to tell the truth when someone is at fault? Why/Why not? I don’t mess with others person’s problems.
8.5 Only the best is good enough…
Which do you agree with and which do you disagree with?
-“Customers will pay top prices for a high quality product.” Agree
- “Customers generally prefer a low cost product.” Agree
- “Nobody’s perfect – we all make mistakes sometimes.” Agree
- “In every firm there are some people who aren’t interested in improving the quality of the products.” Disagree
- “You can’t rely on workers to produce high quality goods unless someone supervises their work all the time.” Agree
- “A company can’t influence its suppliers’ manufacturing methods.” Disagree
- “It’s easy for big companies to force small suppliers to obey their rules” Agree
By: Sulema