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BEP 140 – Dealing with Problems over the Phone

Business English, Customer Service, Intermediate English, Telephone English /

In this Business English Pod lesson we’re going to look at discussing problems over the phone. For the example today, we’ll focus on chasing up an outstanding invoice, or a bill that hasn’t been paid on time.

In business, it’s not unusual to have a customer who’s late with a payment. Sometimes an invoice just hasn’t been received; other times the customer might not have the funds to cover the bill. Eventually, you need to call, discuss the problem, and try and work out a solution.

In today’s podcast, we’ll practice phrases for introducing the problem, clearly stating the details in a polite but firm manner, making an offer and proposing a solution.

The dialog features Marcy, who works for Computer Solutions. Marcy’s company provided software and training for Jack Fountain’s department at ATI Communications. Months have passed since Marcy submitted her first invoice, but no payment has been made. Now she’s calling to find out why. First, she speaks with Donna in the Accounts Payable department.

Listening Questions:

1) Where does Jack think Marcy’s invoice might be?
2) What are the payment terms that Jack agreed to?
3) What solution does Jack suggest?

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BEP 139 – Sailing Idioms: Company Performance (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms, Intermediate English /

This is second of a two-part Business English Pod series on business idioms related to the sea, ships, and sailing.

You’ll often hear sailing idioms used in business discussions. A company is compared to a ship and employees are the ship’s crew.

In the last episode, two colleagues named Lakisha and Warren were talking about the decline of Trussock’s, an engineering firm. They felt that Trussock’s problems were caused by the new CEO’s poor management. It seemed he had no concrete business plan and employees were confused and very unhappy. Today, Lakisha and Warren discuss ways that Trussock’s could become a viable, or successful, company again.

Listening Questions

1) What does Lakisha think should happen with Trussock’s management?
2) How might Trussock’s employees help the company’s situation?

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BEP 138 – Sailing Idioms: Company Performance (1)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms, Intermediate English /

In this Business English Pod episode, we’re going to look at how business idioms related to ships and sailing can be used to describe company performance.

The image of a ship is a powerful one in business. The ship is like a company – a huge entity that must be steered toward success, maintained properly, and carefully guided away from dangers like storms and rocks. Employees are often seen as a crew of sailors, a group that must work together as a team. So sailing idioms frequently appear when we discuss business in English.

Today’s episode starts a two-part series on sailing idioms. Lakisha and Warren are two colleagues discussing the decline of Trussock’s, an engineering firm that has been faltering since a new CEO took over.

Listening Questions

1) What are the major differences between Trussock’s old CEO and the new CEO?
2) What do Lakisha and Warren think will help change the situation at Trussock’s?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice | PhraseCast

Download: Podcast MP3