Manual 0358 - Língua Inglesa - Atendimento No Serviço Pós Venda v2

INGLÊS TÉCNICO
UNIDADE 0358– LÍNGUA INGLESA – ATENDIMENTO NO

SERVIÇO PÓS-VENDA
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Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda
Índice
Introduçã o / Enquadramento................................................................................................................................... 4
Complaining - introduction........................................................................................................................................ 7
The articles – grammar............................................................................................................................................. 10
Complaints book.......................................................................................................................................................... 14
Example of a complaint form................................................................................................................................. 17
Types of complaints................................................................................................................................................... 18
Complaining – video, vocabulary and exercises............................................................................................. 20
Verb tenses in Customer Service – Simple Present.......................................................................................26
Simple Present – rules and exercises.................................................................................................................. 26
Modal verbs – can, could and must (rules)....................................................................................................... 31
Modal verbs – can, could and must (exercises).............................................................................................. 35
Types of customer complaints - examples........................................................................................................ 38
A Suggested Customer Complaint Procedure (face-to-face).....................................................................39
Types of clients – first impressions..................................................................................................................... 40
Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future................................................................................................ 45
Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future - exercises..........................................................................49
Complaining service – step-by-step..................................................................................................................... 51
Steps to Squash a Customer's Complaint........................................................................................................... 51
Written complaints – structure of a business letter......................................................................................55
Business letters in English – some rules............................................................................................................ 56
Written complaints – examples of complaint letters and e-mails...........................................................61
Complaint letter........................................................................................................................................................... 61
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Written complaints – example of a complaint e-mail...................................................................................62
Prepositions of Place - rules................................................................................................................................... 64
Prepositions of Place - exercises........................................................................................................................... 68
Complaints – on the phone...................................................................................................................................... 69
Face to face complaints – some rules before starting................................................................................... 71
Body language.............................................................................................................................................................. 71
Complaints – face to face.......................................................................................................................................... 72
Idiomatic expressions – the most common business idioms....................................................................74
Bibliografia.................................................................................................................................................................... 76
Anexos............................................................................................................................................................................. 79
Propostas de Correçã o.............................................................................................................................................. 80
The articles – grammar - correction.................................................................................................................... 80
Complaining – video, vocabulary and exercises - correction....................................................................82
Simple Present – correction of exercises........................................................................................................... 86
Modal verbs – can, could and must (exercises) - correction......................................................................90
Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future – exercises (correction)...............................................92
Complaining service – step-by-step (translation)......................................................................................... 95
1. Read and translate the information from the article below. Then, comment on it.................95
Steps to Squash a Customer's Complaint........................................................................................................... 95
(Passos para enfraquecer/aniquilar uma reclamaçã o do cliente)..........................................................95
Prepositions of Place – exercises (correction)................................................................................................ 98
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Introdução / Enquadramento
Este manual de Língua Inglesa – unidade 0358 – atendimento no serviço pós-

venda (básico) visa ilustrar e fundamentar a aquisição ou aperfeiçoamento de
competências técnicas da língua inglesa na área de atendimento ao cliente/reclamações
por parte dos formandos cujo intuito é contactar e adquirir competências com a língua
estrangeira numa área técnica. Desta forma, encontrarão respostas para as suas
necessidades profissionais e, em simultâneo, aprenderão a comunicar em língua
estrangeira de maneira adequada.
Assim sendo, o presente manual servirá de referência para a aquisição e desenvolvimento

de conhecimentos em Inglês Técnico na área de Comércio, servindo as seguintes fichas
(que poderão ser adaptadas consoante as necessidades do público-alvo), como exemplo da
informação teórica e prática a ser ministrada nas sessões, o que permitirá um adequado
desenvolvimento do perfil de proficiências proposto no referencial de competências-chave
desta unidade.
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Referencial de Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda –

Unidade 0358
Objetivos
 Adquirir e aplicar vocabulário específico da língua inglesa, na comunicação verbal

com clientes estrangeiros, no serviço pós-venda.
Conteúdos
 Linguagem básica aplicada às diferentes fases da gestão de reclamações
 Expressões idiomáticas
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Complaining - introduction
1. Read and comment on the following.
What is
a
1. a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with

something;
2. the act of saying or writing that you are unhappy or

dissatisfied with something;
3. something to be unhappy about: something that people

complain about;
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complaint
complaint?
2. Translate the previous information.
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__________________________________________________________________________
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Why do people complain?
A consumer or customer complaint is “an expression of dissatisfaction on a

consumer’s behalf to a responsible party” (Landon, 1980).
It can also be described in a positive sense as a report from a consumer

providing documentation about a problem with a product or service.
Consumer complaints are usually informal complaints directly addressed to a

company or public service provider, and most consumers manage to resolve problems with
products and services in this way, but it sometimes requires persistence. 1
4. Comment on the following picture.
Notes:
1
Uma reclamação do consumidor ou cliente é “uma expressão de insatisfação da parte do consumidor para a
pate responsável” (Landon, 1980). // Pode também ser descrito no sentido positivo como um relatório do
consumidor que fornece documentação sobre um problema com um produto ou serviço.// As reclamações do
consumidor são normalmente queixas informais diretamente direcionadas para uma empresa ou fornecedor de
serviços públicos, e a maior parte dos consumidores consegue resolver problemas com produtos e serviços
desta forma, mas por vezes requer persistência.
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_________________________________________________________________________________
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5. Answer the following questions based on your personal experience.
a) Do you complain often? Why?

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b) Did you ever complain about anything? If so, explain about what you complained
about.
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c) Name three reasons why people complain nowadays.
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d) Comment on the cartoon below.
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The articles – grammar
1. Read and study the following grammar.
Definite Article
 O artigo definido é the. O artigo indefinido pode ser a ou an.

 Usa-se o artigo the (artigo definido), quando está bem claro qual a coisa a que nos
referimos. Usamos a/ an (artigo indefinido), quando o receptor não sabe
exactamente a que coisa / pessoa nos referimos.
E.g. There was a man talking to a woman in your garden.
(Estava um homem a falar com uma mulher no teu jardim).
The man was tall and bald.
(O homem era alto e careca).
Entre outras excepções, o artigo definido THE não se usa essencialmente antes
dos seguintes casos (o que se chama de Zero article):
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a) Nomes próprios (Peter, Mary…)2

b) Possessivos (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)
c) Refeições (breakfast, lunch…)
d) Países no singular (Portugal, England, France, Spain…)
Indefinite Article
 a é usado antes de consoante, h aspirado ou semi-vogal
e.g. a map; a house; a watch; a unity.
 an é usado antes de vogal ou h mudo.
e.g. an apple; an hour.
 O artigo indefinido não tem plural , usando-se some para traduzir uns/
umas/ alguns / algumas.
O artigo indefinido não se usa:
o antes de substantivos no plural.

e.g. There are books on the table.
o Antes de substantivos que não se contam (uncountable nouns).

e.g. water; ink; rice; sugar.
Exercises
Por exemplo com nomes de rios, mares, oceanos, desertos e montanhas principais usa-se excecionalmente o
THE.
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1. Fill in the gaps with the or Ø (zero article).
a) _________ man is gorgeous.

b) _________ Sahara is very hot.
c) This is _______ my table.
d) _______ Queen Victoria was very pretty.
e) ________ girl is at school.
f) ________ Mary is in the garden.
g) ________ U.S.A.
h) ________ lunch is at 1 p.m.
2. Put in a or an.
a. It’s ________ map.

b. It’s ________ calendar.
c. It’s ________ car.
d. It’s ________ kangaroo.
e. It’s ________ egg.
f. It’s ________ hour.
g. It’s ________ apple.
h. It’s ________ hospital.
i. It’s ________ year.
j. It’s ________ exam.
k. It’s ________ university.
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3. Articles: A or AN? Choose the correct article:
a) My boyfriend is ________ actor.
1) a 2)an
b) Her cousin has ________ very good job.
1) a 2)an
c) That was ________ interesting game.
1) a 2)an
d) She is ________ honest person.
1) a 2)an
e) We had ________ really good time yesterday.
1) a 2)an
f) Bring ________ umbrella. It is going to rain.
1) a 2)an
g) Tomorrow will be ________ hot day.
1) a 2)an
h) I want to eat ________ apple.
1) a 2)an
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Complaints book
1. Read and comment on the following after underlining important

information.
What is a complaints book?
A complaints book, according to Reverso dictionary 3, is a number of printed or

written pages bound together along one edge and usually protected by thick paper or stiff
pasteboard covers. But this online dictionary, however, doesn’t specify the rest of it.
So, we can always try to define a “complaints book” as a number of pages put
together in order to register disagreements, complaints, or protests that aim to be solved
somehow by a regulating entity. Nevertheless, this doesn’t happen all the time. But what is
for sure is that this type of book “is where the consumer can file a complaint in reference
to supplier of goods or provider of services” 4.
How do you file your complaint?
The latest edition of the book is now in Portuguese and English. Complaints are
recorded in the book in triplicate and must be completed in a clear and concise
manner.
http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/book%20of%20complaints
4
http://pigletinportugal.com/2010/10/28/how-to-make-a-complaint-livro-de-reclamacoes/
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The business/establishment must give you a copy of the complaint within

five days and send the second copy to the authority responsible for their field of business
for review. The third copy of the complaint remains in the book.
– Use a ball-point pen so that the complaint cannot be erased.
– Write clearly and in block letters so it is easier to read.
– Identify the place or service provider (name and address), yourself (your name,
address and Residence Card or Passport number)
– Note the reason(s) for your complaint along with the date and time it occurred.
– Keep all documentation relating to the complaint i.e., invoices, brochures, photos,
contracts etc) plus a copy of the complaint.
– If there are any witnesses take their contact details – you may need their
testimony later to support your complaint.
The complaint is reviewed by the relevant authority who will decide if the
complaint is upheld and what penalty will apply if appropriate. Insufficient
information on the complaint will result in the business/establishment having
ten days to present mitigation in their defence.
Who do you contact when Complaints book denied?
If the complaints book is denied you may either call the police to report that your
request to file a complaint in the Complaints Book has been denied or you can send a letter
to the appropriate authority, responsible for the activity or service.
A fine from €3,500 to up to €30,000 can be incurred by the business/establishment

if the Complaints Book is denied. However, if the police intervene there is a minimum fine
of €15,000 euros. The threat of calling the police is often enough.
But how does it look like?
2. Analyse and comment on it in the next pages.
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In Portugal, all public establishments have a complaints book. Not having one is against the
law and this is what it looks like.
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Example of a complaint form
3. Analyse and translate the following form.
Date Complaint raised by Action taken by and date
Details of complaint – Please be specific, dates – times – names – witnesses
Action taken
Further comments or suggestions by either party
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Types of complaints
1. Read and translate the following information.
Consumer Complaints
There are many types of customer complaints apart from complaining about damaged and
unsatisfactory goods. Consumer complaints might be about:
 lack of communication or rudeness from the sales representative or seller

 delay in providing the goods or bought from the retailer or service provider
 costs that were not initially brought to the attention of the consumer
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 liens (right to keep a client's property until he or she pays an agreed amount of
money)
Translation
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Complaining – video, vocabulary and exercises
1. Watch and analyse the following video.
«Complaining at a Restaurant - Food English Conversation - English lesson

about food»
In https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpkjfj7G73Y (until minute 2:56)
Notes:
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2. Now, in pairs, translate the sentences from that video.
NOT ENOUGH OPTIONS
1. Are you ready to order, sir?

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2. I wanted to try something new today, but I don’t see anything interesting on the
menu.
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3. What kind of food are you looking for?

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4. Hummm… nothing specific. Actually I’ve tried all the dishes that are listed here and
I was looking to explore new ones.
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5. Let me talk to the chef. I’m sure you can suggest something.
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6. No. that’s okay. Let me just suggest that you add some more food variety to your
menu. I haven’t seen any changes in it for a while now.
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7. You’ve been one of our more regular customers. I’ll definitely take your suggestion
to the manager.
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8. That’s good. For now you can bring me the red sauce pasta and potato wedges.
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THE SOUP WASN’T GOOD
9. Excuse me. Are you out of vegetables today?

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10.I am sorry, sir. I don’t understand…

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11.I ordered a creamy vegetable soup and there aren’t many vegetables in it. It’s
mainly just broth.
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12.I really apologize for that. Allow me to replace it with a better one.
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13.No. that’s alright now. I’ll just fill up on the main course.
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14.I assure you it won’t happen again. As a token of our apologies, we won’t charge
you for the soup.
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15.That’s good. I hope I won’t be disappointed with the food quality.

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16.You will not, sir.

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THIS IS NOT HOW I ORDERED IT
17.Excuse me! Would you mind telling me who’s the cook?

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18.What’s wrong, sir? Is there anything I can help you with?

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19.Well, as you can see, I ordered a chicken parmigiana and the chicken is not well-
cooked.
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20.I really apologize for this mistake. Allow me to get you a better dish.
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21.That’s alright, but you people have been running this restaurant for so long! Usually
such things do not happen here.
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22.It’s a random mistake. I apologize on behalf of my chef.

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23.I would appreciate it if you can replace it with a well-cooked dish.

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24.Sure. Thank you for your patience.

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IT IS TAKING TOO LONG
25.Excuse me, Captain!

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26.Yes, sir. How can I help you?

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27.Well, it’s been twenty minutes since I placed my order. We haven’t received any
appetizers or even any drinks yet.
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28.Kindly give me a couple of minutes. I’ll check the status of your order.
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29.Please do so. I’m in a hurry and I don’t have much time today.
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30.I’ll bring your drinks now, and your order will be on your table within the next five
minutes.
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31.Thanks a lot.
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32.
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Verb tenses in Customer Service – Simple Present
When you are welcoming someone of performing a good customer service there are
some verb tenses you shall bear in mind.
1. Read and study the following information.
To explain general things when welcoming someone you shall use the Simple Present.
To a better understanding of this verb tense the explanation is in Portuguese.
Simple Present – rules and exercises
Os verbos só se alteram em inglês no Simple Present (Presente Simples) na 3ª

pessoa do Singular:
HE / SHE / IT
Nas restantes (I, YOU, WE, YOU, THEY), fica tudo igual (isto é, colocamos o verbo
sem TO).
Assim, neste tempo verbal iremos ter alterações apenas quando estivermos perante
a 3ª pessoa do singular (he, she, it) ou algo equivalente.
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Neste caso, temos de ter atenção aos verbos terminados em:
 Verbos terminados em -o ---» fazem a 3ª pessoa em –es (e.g. do, does)

 Verbos terminados em -ch, -x, -sh, -z, -s ---» fazem a 3ª pessoa em –es (e.g.
kiss, kisses; watch, watches…)
 Verbos terminados em vogal + -y ---» só acrescentamos um –s (eg. play,
plays…)
 Verbos terminados em consoante + -y ---» o –y passa a –i e acrescentamos –
es (e.g. cry, cries…)
Quando um verbo não termina em –o, -ch, -x, -sh, -z, -s ou em –y, acrescentamos
somente um –S, que é a regra geral.
RESUMO!!!
Assim sendo,
1 – regra geral: ACRESCENTAR –S

2 – quando os verbos terminam em –O, acrescentamos –ES.
3 – quando os verbos terminam em -CH, -X, -SH, -Z, -S, acrescentamos –ES.
4 – quando os verbos terminam em –Y, há que ter atenção:
*VOGAL + -Y ---» apenas se acrescenta –S
*CONSOANTE + -Y: o –Y passa a –i e acrescentamos –ES.
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2. Write the verbs in the Simple Present.
1. They ____________ (to be) in the restaurant.

2. She ____________ (to write) business e-mails.
3. She ____________ (to speak) English to welcome clients.
4. My parents ____________ (to like) fish, but they ______________ (to complain) about
that restaurant.
5. Anne____________ (to have) lots of complaints in after-sales service.
6. Andy's brother ____________ (to work) in an after-sales service, at this office.
7. Leroy ____________ (to try) to answer clients faster.
8. Jim and Joe ____________ (to water) the flowers every week.
9. Yvonne's mother ____________ (to ride) a motorbike and she ______________ (to
complain) about its performance every week.
10. Elisabeth ____________ (to drink) cola but she _________________ (to prefer) water.
11. Melanie ____________ (to play) tennis not handball.
12. Shakespeare’s descendants ____________ (to witness) a lot of prejudice and some
people ___________________ (to say) they ________________ (to complain) about that
fact.
14. Peter ____________ (to smash) a big apple when the apple trees _________________
(to be) full of apples and he ____________ (to laugh) a lot.
15. Samantha ____________ (to watch) a TV show about customer complaints.
16. They always complain, but they ____________ (to fly) with Martha and Arthur every
year, they ___________ (to go) to France together. They ____________ (to stay) a big
house with a beautiful garden and a cute yellow dog. The dog’s name ___________ (to
seem) very strange.
17. Fritz, the dog, _____________ (to relax) in the lawn.
18. Priscilla _____________ (to miss) her work in after-sales service a lot.
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3. The use of the Simple Present in Customer Service. In pairs, try to complete
the following dialogue using the words below.
speaking
inconvenient
number
going
order
After-Sales
apologies
complaint
send
details
help
instead
note
have
packaging error
moment
inconvenience
problems
seems
book
won’t
Receptionist “Cosmo Editions. Can I (1) ______________________ you?”
James Grey “Good afternoon. The After-Sales service, please.”
Receptionist “One (2) ______________________, please.”
Mary Turner “Mary Turner, (3) ______________________.”
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James Grey “Good afternoon, this is Mr. Grey of Unforgettable Readings

(4) ______________________.
I have a (5) ______________________ to make about the
(6) ______________________ I received this morning.”
Mary Turner “What (7) ______________________ to be the problem?”
James Grey “Well (8) ______________________ of 150 «Family

Destinations for long Weekends» you sent me 120 of
«Expensive Destinations for Dreamers» and the (9)
______________________ is in French and not in English.”
Mary Turner “Can I have the order (10) ______________________, please?”
James Grey “Yes, it’s LM 889745, 1st May 2015.”
Mary Turner “Okay. I have the order (11) ______________________ here. It

must be a (12) ______________ ___________________ in
dispatching. Please accept our (13) ______________________.
We’ll send the right ones immediately.”
James Grey “Okay. It is really very (14) ______________________ but I

suppose we’ll (15) ______________________ to manage. And
what are you (16) ______________________ to do about the
expense of returning the books?”
Mary Turner “Well, we will, of course, (17) ______________________ you a

credit (18) ______________________by return.
I am very sorry for the (19) ______________________ caused.
I assure you it won’t happen again.”
James Grey “Well, I’ve never had (20) ______________________ with

Cosmo Edition before.”
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Mary Turner “And you (21) ______________________ again! Goodbye, Mr.

Grey.”
James Grey “Thank you. Goodbye, Ms. Turner.”
4. Underline the verbs in the Simple Present.

5. After this, study and role-play the dialogue pretending you are on the
phone. You can record it and then watch it to better analyse your
performance.
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Modal verbs – can, could and must (rules)
1. Some modal verbs are used in customer service, such as the following. Study and
underline relevant information.
Notes:
*For a better understanding the explanation is written in Portuguese.
*When you use modal verbs you don’t apply the rules of the Simple Present
explained before.
Can
Can é usado para expressar capacidade, habilidade, possibilidade, permissão

informal e pedido informal:
You can park here.

(Pode estacionar aqui. / Permitido estacionar.)
It can happen to anyone.

(Isto pode acontecer a qualquer um.)
She can speak French very well.

(Ela sabe falar Francês muito bem.)
We can see the lake from our bedroom.

(Conseguimos ver o lago do nosso quarto.)
Can I go with you?

(Posso ir consigo/contigo?)
I can't have slept more than one hour!

(Não posso ter dormido mais de uma hora! / Não é possível que eu tenha dormido mais de
uma hora!)
It can be dangerous.
(Pode ser perigoso.)
Can you help me?

(Pode ajudar-me?)
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Could
Could é usado para expressar capacidade, habilidade, possibilidade, permissão

formal e pedido formal; geralmente é usado em perguntas dando-lhes um tom mais
educado, formal. Pode expressar também capacidade ou habilidade no passado, sendo,
neste caso, o passado de can:
Could you open the door, please?

(Poderia(s) abrir a porta, por favor?)
You could have told me before.

(Poderia(s) ter dito antes.)
You couldn't smoke in the presence of your parents at that time.

(Não se podia fumar na presença dos pais naquela época.)
I could see that she was nervous.

(Eu pude / podia ver que ela estava nervosa.)
He could swim when he was eight years old.

(Ele sabia nadar quando tinha oito anos de idade.)
You could have called me.

(Poderia(s) ter ligado.)
Could you answer me this question?

(Poderia(s) responder-me a esta pergunta?)
Could you pass me the bread?

(Poderia(s) passar-me o pão?)
It could be better.
(Poderia estar melhor.)
The milk was so hot that I couldn't drink it.

(O leite estava tão quente que eu não consegui bebê-lo.)
After dinner, we could go to the movies.

(Depois do jantar, poderíamos ir ao cinema.)
You could invite Roberta for your birthday's party.

(Poderia(s) convidar a Roberta para a sua/tua festa de aniversário.)
If I were very rich, I could buy a mansion.

(Se eu fosse muito rico, poderia comprar uma mansão.)
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He couldn't have been so foolish!

(Ele não poderia ter sido tão tolo! / Não é possível que ele tenha sido tão tolo!)
I couldn't do it because it was against my principles.

(Não fiz / Não pude fazer porque era contra os meus princípios.)
She could go, but she doesn't want to.

(Ela poderia ir, mas não quer.)
Must
Must é usado para expressar obrigação e dedução (quando usado na afirmativa) e

proibição (quando usado na negativa):
The doctor said you must stop smoking, otherwhise you will die.
(O médico disse que tem que parar de fumar, caso contrário você vai morrer.)
The children must be sleeping now. There are no lights on in their room.
(As crianças devem estar a dormir agora. Não há luzes acesas no quarto delas.)
You must stop. (Você deve parar.)
He must be at home.
(Ele deve estar em casa.)
We must help her.

(Nós devemos ajudá-la.)
You must wear your coat, it is too cold outside.

(Deve(s) colocar o seu/teu casaco, está muito frio lá fora.)
You must not shoot this place.

(Não pode(s) filmar este local.)
Children mustn't see this movie.

(Crianças não podem ver este filme.)
He must be very rich.

(Ele deve ser muito rico.)
You have been working all day, you must be tired.

(Trabalhou/trabalhaste o dia todo, deve(s) estar cansado.)
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Como must não tem forma passada, a forma had to deve ser empregada
para expressar a ideia de obrigação no passado:
Yesterday I had to stay up working until one O'clock in the morning.

(Ontem tive que ficar a trabalhar até à uma da manhã.)
Quando must é usado para indicar probabilidade no passado, usa-se have

seguido do particípio do verbo principal:
Michelle must have worked hard because she was exhausted.

(A Michele deve ter trabalhado muito porque ela estava exausta.)
That car must have cost a lot of money.

(Aquele carro deve ter custado muito dinheiro.)
Para expressar obrigação, na afirmativa, must pode ser substituído por have to.
No inglês coloquial, have to é usado com mais frequência. Mas, lembre-se, essa
substituição só pode ser feita na afirmativa, na negativa, must not não pode ser
substituído por don't have to:
I must study for my next exam.

(Eu tenho que estudar para o meu próximo exame.) = I have to study for my next exam.
I must go now. (Tenho que ir agora.) = I have to go now.
You must pay this bill today.

(Tem/tens que pagar esta conta hoje.) = You have to pay this bill today.
I must finish this paper by tomorrow.

(Eu tenho que terminar este trabalho até amanhã.) = I have to finish this paper by
tomorrow.
Porém, em frases negativas, mustn't não pode ser substituído por don't have to:
You mustn't go now. (ação obrigatória)

(Não pode(s) ir agora)
You don't have to go now. (ação não obrigatória)

(Não tem/tens que ir agora.)
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Modal verbs – can, could and must (exercises)
Can/Can’t
1. Fill in the gaps with CAN or CAN’T.
a) Mrs. Smith has to wear glasses. She _____________________ very well. (see)
b) Bill is broke. He _____________________ a ticket for the match. (buy)
c) Bob uses a wheelchair. He _____________________ upstairs. (go)
d) I think that Archie _____________________ very well. (ski)
e) I'm afraid Mr. Smith is deaf. He _____________________ what you say. (hear)
f) "Sam and Mary, you _____________________ in class!" (chat)
2. Now, translate the previous sentences.
a) ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b) ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
c) ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
d) ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
e) ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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f) ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Could/Couldn’t
3. Fill in the gaps with COULD or COULDN’T.
Google cartoon
a) When I was young, I _____________________ play the guitar: it was too difficult
for me!
b) Her grandmother was bilingual: she _____________________ speak both English
and Spanish.
c) Yesterday, Peter _____________________ do that exercise alone. So, he called
me for help.
d) In 1950, people _____________________ use mobile phones.
e) When his mother was young, she _____________________ skate but she can't do
it any longer.
f) We _____________________ open the door: it was locked from the inside!
g) In 1900, people _____________________ watch TV.
h) Mary's grandfather _____________________ play chess and he was the best!
i) In 1945, people _____________________ play video games.
j) But they _____________________ play chess!
k) Peter _____________________ play tennis last Monday: he had broken his arm!
l) When Ann was a teenager, she _____________________ watch a horror film: it
was too frightening for her!
m) Last Sunday, we _____________________ take any photos in the museum: it was
forbidden.
n) Mozart _____________________ play the piano when he was 5.
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Must / Musn’t
4. Fill in the gaps with MUST or MUSTN’T.
a) It's late. You _____________________ make so much noise.

b) We _____________________ be home by 9 o'clock. The film starts at 9:15.
c) I _____________________ finish this essay today. It has to be handed in by
tomorrow.
d) Passengers _____________________ talk to the driver whilst the bus is in motion.
e) This is a dangerous tour. Children _____________________ be accompanied by
an adult.
f) People _____________________ stand on this bus.
g) We _____________________ do more exercise to stay fit.
h) There _____________________ be something wrong with the engine of this car.
i) We _____________________ give up when we are so close.
j) This was a nice evening. We _____________________ meet again.
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Types of customer complaints - examples
1. Comment on this cartoon.
Cartoon in https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/c/complaining.asp
2. There are several types of customer complaints. Read and

comment on the following information.
A. Product-Specific – the product is not what it seemed to be or it doesn’t work as it

should.
B. Wait Times – the customers wait too much.
C. Misunderstanding – problems with communication.
D. Delivery Error – the product doesn’t arrive or it disappears.
E. Personnel – employees sometimes are rude, aggressive or impolite.
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A Suggested Customer Complaint Procedure (face-to-face)
1. Translate the sentences below.
2. After the translation, comment on the procedure.
1. Provide customers with the opportunity to complain.

2. Give customers your full and undivided attention.
3. Listen completely.
4. Ask the key question: "What else?"
5. Agree that a problem exists; never disagree or argue.
6. Apologize
7. Resolve the complaint. (Ask again: "what else?")
8. Thank the customer for bringing the complaint to your attention.
All customer service personnel need to be trained in handling customer complaints
effectively and being empowered to respond in a positive manner.
Translation
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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0358
Types of clients – first impressions
1. In pairs, comment on these types of clients, bearing in mind that very

often the complaints received in an after sales service are due to the type
of clients you’re dealing with.
1. Mr. I’m not really sure what I want
Description Constant change of ideas; says one thing on a call but has a
completely different opinion in an email an hour later.
What to do Get everything in writing once the client decides something;

reject major course-correction after that.
2. Mr. Hey, I thought this was included
Description Insistence of getting a little bit more each time you talk;
frequent requests to expand what he/she’s getting.
What to do Agree to do or add more only at an added cost.
3. Mr. I needed this done yesterday
Description General lack of awareness of the space-time continuum; belief

that simply having ideas means work / service is completed.
What to do Be straightforward – if they expect the impossible, educate

them to reality.
4. Mr. everything is an emergency
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Description Firm belief that he’s the only client you could possibly have
and therefore deserves 100 percent of your time.
What to do Establish clear timetables and comply with all the deadlines so
you can show the client everything is on track. Remind them
that you do have other clients.
5. Mrs. We don’t have a deadline… oh yes we have and it’s tomorrow
Description Flightiness, often in terms of being out of the corporate loop.
What to do Agree on a timeline as soon as possible, and remain confident

in rejecting requests that will endanger deadlines or projects
for other clients.
6. Mr. I don’t really care
Description Completely hands-off approach, lack of key information even

when pressed for it.
What to do Take advantage of the freedom this client provides, but always
require client buy-in at critical stages to head off major
reworking.
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7. Mrs. I care so much that it hurts
Description Comes with an extremely specific approach with little room for
your ideas, so much that you question yourself if she really
needs your help or services.
What to do Be clear on what she is trying to accomplish, but don’t be

afraid to frankly tell her when her approach won’t work for
what she wants.
8. Ms. I don’t know what I want, but I know it isn’t that
Description This client may not know what she wants, but she certainly
know what she doesn’t want, and it’s probably everything
you’re proposing.
What to do This type of client can cause a lot of headaches on the seller,
but you must try to help her and make other proposals, even if
sometimes you feel like saying the shop is already going to
close.
9. Mr. Will this cost extra, I spend all my money here
Description Penny-pinching, bean counting, whatever you want to call him,

this client is extremely concerned about the budget – to the
very last coin.
What to do Agree with him but tell him the truth: if he can’t pay more for
the extras he wants, you just can’t do it or can’t sell him what
he’s asking.
10.Mr. what’s a weekend
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Description This client sends e-mails at 3 a.m. almost every day, he tries
to schedule meetings after business hours, questions when
you don’t complete the project or service on Christmas or
other meaningful holidays.
What to do Don’t be afraid to say no or to ask for more time to get him
something or finish a service if what he’s asking is impossible
in such a short period of time.
11.Mrs. I hate that colour for no reason
Description Propensity for grumble with everything without a reason.
What to do Don’t ask her favourite colour, ask what she wants to
accomplish. Display your expertise by recommending options
that achieve her goals.
12.Mrs. Won’t this take five minutes?
Description A belief that she can do what you do in a much shorter time
frame than it’s possible.
What to do As this person is clearly detached from reality, tell her why
what she wants won’t take just five minutes.
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13.Mr. / Mrs. Decision by committee
Description Usually housed at large corporations, this client does

everything by committee – even deciding on minor wording or
irrelevant aspects for projects.
What to do Force them to agree on a single contact person responsible for
a majority of the relationship, even if you are still dealing
directly with other in the committee. This will allow for, at
least, one comprehensive view of the entire project.
14.Ms. Lurker
Description Disappearing for weeks or months at a time, then suddenly

bombarding you with requests that need to be done
immediately.
What to do The best way to block a sneak attack is to be prepared; set the
same expectations for all clients. This is, if your project or
services take three weeks for the other clients, it will take
three weeks for her as well.
15.Mrs. What you did was great but now we want something completely
different
Description Dream client – until you finish the project or services and she
realises she wants something completely different.
What to do Make it clear that additional costs may apply if what she is
asking for is far beyond the scope of the original price quote.
16.
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Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future
1. Read and study the following information.

For a better understanding the information is written in Portuguese.
Em Inglês há dois tipos de futuro, o futuro com will e o going to future. Apesar
de podermos indicar que o primeiro é mais fácil, ao ser mais incerto, não será tão
adequado quando usado no atendimento aos clientes (seja antes, durante ou após
a venda). Por isso mesmo, o tempo verbal mais adequado no atendimento será o
Going to Future5.
O Simple Future
O Simple Future constrói-se com Will + infinitivo (afirmativa) ou will not ou

won’t + infinitivo (negativa).
Expressa previsão:
The businessman will have more profits soon. (o homem de negócios terá mais lucros em
breve).
Isto, apesar de também se poderem usar formas como o Present Continuous ou o Simple Present
para indicar uma ideia futura.
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O Going To Future:
O Going to Future forma-se com am / are/ is + going to + Infinitivo.
Expressa uma intenção de fazer de facto alguma coisa:
That man is going to buy a suit at the store today (Aquele homem vai comprar um fato
na loja hoje.).
Prevê um acontecimento futuro:
Look at that poor woman. She’s going to complain for sure. (Olha para aquela pobre
mulher. Ela vai reclamar de certeza.)
Uso
Be going to é uma estrutura que pode ser usada para falarmos de planos futuros de
forma informal. Going to enfatiza a ideia de intenção, de uma decisão que já foi tomada.
Ex.: Mark is going to cross Ireland.

His friends are going to help him.
Um outro uso do going to é o de prever o futuro devido a um indício presente.
Ex.: Look at the sky! It's going to rain.

They drive dangerously. They are going to crash.
Forma
Esta forma de futuro é um tempo verbal composto, formado pelo verbo to be no presente
simples (am, is, are) e going to, ao que adicionamos a forma natural do verbo que
desejamos colocar no futuro.
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0358
Ex.: I am going to travel to Europe next year.

I am going to write a novel.
Forma Interrogativa
Basta colocarmos o verbo to be antes do sujeito.

Ex.: Is he going to be here today?
Forma Negativa
Coloca-se o "not" entre o verbo to be e o "going to":
Ex.: Paul is not going to marry her because of the baby.
*As regras para abreviar são as mesmas usadas para o verbo to be.
Quais são, então, as diferenças principais entre o “Will-future” e o “going to-

future”?
Will- Future Going To- Future
O "Will" quando usado para falar de algo no Use GOING TO:
futuro geralmente vem acompanhado de

* para falar sobre uma ação, facto ou
expressões que indicam incerteza.
situação previamente planeada;
Veja as expressões abaixo: * para expressar uma ação que
acontecerá num futuro imediato ou certo;

 I think... (Eu acho que...)
* para dar um aviso a alguém sobre uma
 Probably, ... (Provavelmente, ...)
situação perigosa.
 I guess... (Eu acho...)
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 I'm not sure, but I think... (Não

Exemplos:
tenho certeza, mas acho que...)
 I don't know, but I think... (Não 1. I am feeling horrible. I’m going to
sei, mas acho que...) get sick.
 Maybe... (Talvez...) 2. Now that I have all the money, I’m
going to buy a new car.
3. Where are you going? I’m going to
fetch some coffee.
Como as expressões de incerteza estão Caso tenha a certeza do que vai fazer, não
presentes nas frases, a palavra que indica o lhe restam dúvidas sobre o que fará no
futuro a ser usada é "will". Assim sendo, futuro, já está decidido e praticamente
teremos: acertado, então o que deverá dizer é:
 I will probably go to London in  I'm going to London this year.
December.  I'm not going to the party next
 I don't know! But I think I will not Saturday.
go to the party next Saturday.  We're not going to be here
 Maybe we will not be here tomorrow.
tomorrow.
Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future - exercises
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Google cartoon
1. Fill in the gaps with the Simple Future (will; will not/won’t).
Jim asked a fortune teller about his future, because he is always complaining, whether
it is at home, at work, when he buys things and in many other situations. Here is what she
told him.
a) You ________________________ (to earn) a lot of money.

b) You ________________________ (to travel) around the world.
c) You ________________________ (to meet) lots of interesting people.
d) Everybody ________________________ (to adore) you.
e) You ________________________ (not / to have) any problems.
f) Many people ________________________ (to serve) you.
g) They ________________________ (to anticipate) your wishes.
h) There ________________________ (not / to be) anything left to wish for.
i) Everything ________________________ (to be) perfect.
j) But all these things ________________________ (to happen / only) if you marry
me.
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2. Fill in the gaps with Going to Future.
a) He ________________________ his friend. (to phone)

b) We ________________________ a new computer game. (to play)
c) My sister ________________________ TV. (to watch)
d) You ________________________ a picnic next Tuesday. (to have)
e) Jane ________________________ to the office. (to go)
f) They ________________________ to the bus stop this afternoon. (to walk)
g) His brother ________________________ a letter to his uncle today. (to write)
h) She ________________________ her aunt. (to visit)
i) I ________________________ my homework after school. (to do)
j) Sophie and Nick ________________________ their friends. (to meet)
3. Comment on the following cartoons.
Cartoon A
Cartoon B
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Complaining service – step-by-step
1. Read and translate the information from the article below. Then, comment
on it.
Steps to Squash a Customer's Complaint
BY MATTHEW SWYERS
Customer complaints are inevitable. If you run a business that sells to the public no
matter how great your goods or services are the old adage will eventually be proven true:
You cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time.
No matter the issue at the heart of the complaint it is important to remember these
rules when resolving your customer service issues:
1. Listen
Whenever you have to handle a customer complaint the first thing that you must do
is listen. Listen to the customer to figure out why they are upset. Listen to what they want
from you to resolve the issue. A refund? A replacement? Someone else to replace their
current service representative?
2. Understand
Next, put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Why did they come to you? Is there a real
reason to their complaint? Is their proposed resolution reasonable?
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3. No Fighting
Defend if you must. But do not fight with the customer. They may be 100% wrong
but fighting about the issue will only aggravate their complaint.
Your job in handling the matter is to listen, understand, and then discuss with the
customer their concerns in a calm and friendly manner while conducting an open discussion
regarding the issues complained of and how they will be responded to.
4. Resolution
Offer a resolution where possible. Once you have listened and understood the
customer’s complaint and have avoided fighting over the same divert the customer’s focus to
how you intend to resolve the matter.
Unfortunately, however, there will always be those select few that you cannot please
no matter what you offer.
5. Resolve
Most situations will be able to be solved with the customer satisfaction. Unfortunately,
from time-to-time, there will be issues which simply cannot be resolved. Although our aim is
always to please the customer if what the customer demands cannot be satisfied you must
maintain your best offered solution and no more.
6. Writing
Ultimately, when all is said and done and a resolution has or has not been reached
always take the time to memorialize the same in writing, especially if it didn’t go well.
7. Learn
Above all, use customer complaints as a manner to learn about potential flaws in your
systems.
Adapted from: http://www.inc.com/matthew-swyers/8-steps-to-handle-customer-complaints.html
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Translation
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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Written complaints – structure of a business letter
1. Study and comment on the following document.

6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Address: morada; subscription: despedida; salutation: saudação; signature: assinatura; body of the letter:
corpo da carta; date: data. Some other subscriptions: outras formas de despedida. Love: com amor; best
wishes: com os melhores cumprimentos; all the best: tudo de bom; from: de; yours truly: atencisamente;
yours: atentamente/teu / seu; see you soon: até breve; goodbye: adeus; bye for now: despeço-me por
agora.
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Business letters in English – some rules

No caso dos países de expressão inglesa, geralmente pouco recetivos às tentativas
de regulamentação da correspondência comercial, a procura de um modelo uniforme
agrava-se porque, ao contrário do que acontece na maior parte dos restantes países, não
existem quaisquer normas oficiais que possam servir de modelo para a redação das cartas,
baseando-se esta em usos e costumes que variam, frequentemente, de empresa para
empresa. Posto isto, resta afirmar que os modelos que se seguem são apenas propostas e
não modelos que obrigatoriamente tenham que ser seguidos.
Modelo de uma carta com origem em particulares (letters from private

individuals)
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Data / Date
Normalmente não é abreviada.
Ex: 13th November 1998; Thursday, 13 November 1998.
Títulos de cortesia
Os mais habituais são os seguintes:
Mr ou Mr. – Senhor (Sr.)
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Mrs ou Mrs. – (Senhora (Srª.)
Miss – Menina, senhora solteira
Ms – usado para se dirigir a uma senhora quando se desconhece o seu estado civil.
Messrs. – abreviatura de “Messieurs”, usado para se dirigir a uma pessoa coletiva (p. ex.,
uma firma comercial)
Saudação inicial / Salutation
Dear + surname – se o nome do destinatário é conhecido.
Ex: Dear Mr Brown.
Corpo da carta / Body of the letter
Neste caso, os critérios não são substancialmente diferentes dos usados no nosso
país.
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Saudação final / Complimentary close

Se na saudação inicial o correspondente foi referido pelo apelido “Dear Mr Brown”,
a saudação final costuma ser “Yours sincerely” ou “Yours truly”, nos EUA.
Caso o correspondente não tenha sido referido pelo nome, usa-se “Yours faithfully”.
Assinatura / Signature
Para evitar quaisquer problemas de identificação, é habitual incluir o nome do

remetente após a assinatura (abreviando ou não os nomes próprios, mas nunca o apelido),
indicando-se também o respetivo título, eventualmente entre parêntesis.
Modelo de uma carta comercial comum (The normal business letter)
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Como se começam as cartas comerciais / How to begin commercial or business

letters
Frases para abertura / Opening phrases
1. We have (I have) the pleasure to inform you that…

Temos (tenho) o prazer de o informar que…
2. We have (I have) the honour to send you…
Temos (tenho) a honra de lhe enviar…
3. We are (I am) in receipt of your letter of the 22 nd and…
Recebemos (recebi) a sua carta de dia 22 e…
4. We are (I am) in possession of your order of the 23 rd last.
Estamos (estou) na posse da sua encomenda do passado dia 23.
5. We would be (I would be) much obliged if you…
Ficaríamos (ficaria) muito grato(s) se…
6. We very much regret (I very much regret) that you are not able (you are
unable) to send me…
Lamentamos (lament) imenso que não seja possível (que seja
impossível) enviar-nos/me…
7. We are (I am) very pleased to inform you that…
Temos (tenho) o prazer de o informar que…
8. In reply to your letter of the 12th…, we (I) may say that…
Em resposta à sua/vossa carta de dia 12…, podemos (posso)
afirmar que…
9. We are (I am) writing to ask if you will be able…
Estamos (estou) a escrever-lhe para questioner se será possível…
10. Please accept our (my) apology for not answering sooner to your letter of
9th…, but…
Por favour aceita as nossas (as minhas) desculpas por não ter
respondido mais cedo à sua/vossa carta de dia 9…, mas…
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Como se encerram as cartas comerciais / How to end commercial or business

letters
Fechos de cartas comerciais / Endings of commercial or business letters
1. We rely (I rely) on receiving your urgent reply, Yours…

Confiamos (confio) receber a sua/vossa resposta urgente,
atentamente…
2. Always at your disposal, Yours…
Sempre ao seu disport, atentamente…
3. Meanwhile please accept our (my) best thanks, Yours…
Entretanto, por favour aceite os nossos (os meus) agradecimentos,
atentamente…
4. We (I) shall have the greatest pleasure in being of service to you, Yours…
Temos (tenho) o maior prazer em ser-lhe útil, atentamente…
5. With our best thanks, Yours…
Com os nossos melhores agradecimentos, atentamente…
6. We hope to hear from you, Yours…
Aguardamos notícias suas, atentamente…
7. In any case, please let me hear from you, Yours…
De qualquer forma, por favor queira dar notícias, atentamente…
8. Hoping to hear from you in the near future, Yours…
Esperando notícias suas num futuro próximo, atentamente…
9. With compliments and regards, Yours…
Saudações e cumprimentos, atentamente…
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Written complaints – examples of complaint letters and e-mails
1. Written complaints can be done in several ways. Using complaint letters

and e-mails are the most common. So, read and study the following
information.
Complaint letter
Below is an example of a possible finished letter.
Jane Brown
123 Street
jane@brown.com.au
1 st January 2013
Dear Manager
RE: COMPLAINT ABOUT FAULTY TELEVISION CABINET PURCHASED AT CABINET
WORLD ON 15th DECEMBER 2012
I am unhappy with the quality of a television cabinet I bought at 5th Street on 15th
December and I am writing to seek a replacement.
The cabinet doors do not open and shut properly and the stain on the cabinet is irregular,
with one half darker than the other. The cabinet was delivered on 30 th December and I
noticed this problem as soon as I unpacked it from the box.
The cabinet is not of acceptable quality and does not match the sample cabinet I was
shown in store. I would like you to replace it with one of the same quality and finish as the
sample and arrange for return of the faulty cabinet at no cost.
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I have attached a photocopy of my receipt as proof of purchase.
I would like to have this problem fixed quickly please. If I do not hear from you within 10
days, I will lodge a formal complaint with Consumer Affairs in my state.
You can contact me on 1234 5678 during working hours or after hours on 123 456 789 to
discuss this matter further.
Yours sincerely,
Jane Brown
Enclosed: Copy of the receipt for television cabinet
Written complaints – example of a complaint e-mail
2. Analyse the following sample of a complaint e-mail.
From: My Name and email (myname@myemailprovider.net)

Subject: (short description of your complaint)
Date: Most email programs enter this field automatically
To: (enter the email address of the person you are contacting)
CC: (local consumer group) (appropriate government agencies)
Dear (title) ____:

I wish to complain about ____ (name of product or service, with serial number or account
number) that I purchased on ____ (date and location of transaction).
I am complaining because ____ (the reason you are dissatisfied). To resolve this problem I
would like you to ____ (what you want the business to do).
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When I first learned of this problem, I contacted ____ (name of the person, date of the
call) at your company, and was told that nothing could be done about my problem. I
believe that this response is unfair because ____ (the reason you feel the company has an
obligation to you). I would like a written statement explaining your company’s position and
what you will do about my complaint.
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible to resolve this problem. If I do not
hear from you within ____ days I will file complaints with the appropriate consumer
agencies and consider my legal alternatives.
I am attaching copies of my receipt or ___________ (other proof of payment or

documentation of complaint).
You may reply to me at this email or call me at (phone number).

Sincerely,
(your full name)
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Prepositions of Place - rules
Google picture
1. Sometimes when we are talking we miss some words or use them wrong and that
happens a lot as far as prepositions are concerned. So, study the following
prepositions and, after that, try to solve the exercises.
Bear in mind the following:
“cabinet purchased at cabinet world on 15th December 2012”
and NOT
“cabinet purchased on cabinet world on 15th December 2012”
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So, what are the rules?
In front of (em frente de)
A band plays their music in front of an audience.
The teacher stands in front of the students, that complain a lot.
Behind (atrás de)
Behind é o oposto de In front of. Significa na parte de trás de.
When the teacher writes on the whiteboard, the students are behind him (or her).
Between (entre)
Between normalmente refere-se a algo no meio de dois objetos ou coisas (ou locais).
There are mountains between Chile and Argentina.
The number 5 is between the number 4 and the number 6.
Across From / Opposite (do outro lado / do lado oposto)
Across from e Opposite significam a mesma coisa. Normalmente referem-se a algo em

frente de outra coisa, mas por norma há algo entre ambos como uma rua ou mesa (ou
outra coisa).
I live across from a supermarket (= it is on the other side of the road)
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Next to / Beside (ao lado de / junto a)
Next to e Beside significam a mesma coisa. Normalmente refere-se a uma coisa (ou
pessoa) que está ao lado de outra.
At a wedding, the bride stands next to the groom.
He walked beside me as we went down the street.
Near / Close to (perto de / próximo de)
Near e Close to significam a mesma coisa. São semelhantes a next to/ beside, mas há
mais distância entre duas coisas.
The receptionist is near the front door.
Our house is close to a supermarket.
On (sobre / em cima de)
On significa que algo está numa posição que se pode tocar fisicamente ou que cobre ou
ainda que está anexado a algo.
The clock on the wall is slow.
He put the food on the table.
Above / Over (acima de / sobre)
Above e Over têm um significado semelhante. Ambos significam “numa posição mais alta
que X”, mas above normalmente refere-se a algo que está verticalmente acima.
Planes normally fly above the clouds.
There is a ceiling above you.
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There is a halo over my head.
*A expressão “all over” significa “por toda a superfície” como em:
There’s water all over the floor.
I accidentally spilled red wine all over the new carpet.
Under / Below (debaixo de / abaixo de)
Under e Below têm um significado semelhante. Significam “a um nível mais baixo” pois
algo está acima.
Your legs are under the table.
Monsters live under your bed.
Miners work below the surface of the Earth.
Por vezes usamos a palavra underneath em vez de under e beneath em vez de

below. Não há diferenças de significado, apenas são palavras menos comuns atualmente.
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Prepositions of Place - exercises
1. Fill the gaps with the correct prepositions.
a. We live ________________ London.
b. I was ________________ the cinema yesterday.
c. There is a bridge ________________ the river.
d. ________________ my house, there are many pictures and postcards.
e. Who is the person ________________ this picture?
f. Munich is 530 meters ________________ sea level.
g. Mary is ________________ Jessica and Jacob (in the middle of).
h. Their house is ________________ the publisher after-sales service.
i. He put the complaint’s book ________________ the table.
j. Your shoes are ________________ your bed.
k. The caves are obviously ________________ the surface of the Earth.
l. The birds fly high ________________ us.
m. They live ________________ from school (on the other side of the street).
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Complaints – on the phone
1. Read and role-play the following dialogue.
Google picture
Customer Service Representative: Thank you for calling Cosmo Publications.

This is Jason. How may I help you?
Josie: Good afternoon. I bought a book from you two weeks ago and I’m having
some serious difficulties with it.
Customer Service Representative: What seems to be the problem with your

book, madam?
Josie: Well, it’s not as it should. Some pages are glued and others are blank.
Customer Service Representative: I’m very sorry to hear that, madam. Have

you checked the whole book?
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Josie: Yes. I’ve checked it and tried to read it, but it’s completely like I said.
Customer Service Representative: Okay, madam. Do you live nearby?
Josie: Not really, but I’ll be in the city next week.
Customer Service Representative: Okay, madam. I’ll pass the call to my

colleague and she’s going to give you the details so that you can come here and have
another book. Is that good for you?
Josie: Yes, of course. I just want to read the book and have one with quality.
Customer Service Representative: Certainly, madam, and you will! We maintain

a reputation for the excellent quality of our books, so it must have been a printer error. We
apologise for that and wish you a nice day.
Josie: I hope so! Thank you!
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Face to face complaints – some rules before starting
1. In pairs, analyse and make a comment on the following document.
Body language
Document 2
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Complaints – face to face
1. Read and role-play the following dialogue.
Customer Service Representative: Hello Mr. Chen, may I help you?
Mr. Chen: Yes, I ordered spare parts for my generator, but you sent the wrong parts.
Customer Service Representative: Oh no! Can you tell me exactly what parts you
ordered and what you got?
Mr. Chen: Yes, I ordered two of part number B235C, but I got two B235Ds instead! They
won’t fit my generator.
Customer Service Representative: I’m very sorry, let me check and see if we have the
correct parts here right now and if we do, I can have someone deliver them this afternoon.
Would that be okay?
Mr. Chen: Yes, please – the sooner I have the parts the better.
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Later…
Customer Service Representative: Hello Mr. Chen, did you get the correct parts I sent
over? Are they exactly what you needed?
Mr. Chen: Yes, they just arrived. Thank you.
Customer Service Representative: My pleasure Mr. Chen, again, sorry for the
inconvenience.
Adapted from http://www.businessenglishebook.com/business-english-lessons-activities/business-english-complaints-lesson/
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Idiomatic expressions – the most common business idioms
1. In pairs, comment on the idioms below.
IDIOM WHAT IT MEANS EXAMPLES
24/7 24/7 means 24 hours a day, The store on the corner is open 24/7.
seven days a week.
ASAP ASAP is an acronym for "as I need to finish these reports. My boss
soon as possible." needs them ASAP.
by the book To do things by the book It's important that we do everything by

means to do things according the book.
to company policy or law.
It means to follow the rules
100%.
call it a day To call it a day means to Well, John, it’s 7:00 and I'm getting
decide to stop working for hungry. How about we call it a day?
the day.
fifty-fifty Fifty-fifty means something is My business partner and I split

divided equally -- 50% for everything fifty-fifty.
one person, 50% for the other
person.
go broke To go broke means to go There was too much competition and

bankrupt or to lose all the their expenses were too high. They
money a person or business eventually went broke.
had.
go the extra mile To go the extra mile means to We go the extra mile for our
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IDIOM WHAT IT MEANS EXAMPLES
do more than what people customers. If someone is dissatisfied

expect of you. with a purchase, we refund their
money and offer them a discount on
their next purchase.
nine-to-five A nine-to-five is a job during She was tired of working a nine-to-five

normal working hours. The job, so she took her savings and
term came into existence started a restaurant.
because many work days start
at 9 AM and end at 5 PM.
read between the To read between the lines He didn't say that he wants to leave
lines means to understand the company, but I can read between
something that wasn't the lines. He's thinking of getting a
communicated directly. new job.
sky's the limit If there is no limit to the With their commission structure, the
possibilities of something, sky's the limit to what you can make.
people often say "the sky's the
limit."
win-win situation A win-win situation is a We were happy to get the contract,

situation where everyone and they were happy to get such a
involved gains something. good price. It was a win-win situation.
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Bibliografia
A. A. V. V., Business English, living language, for speakers of any language , New York,
Random House Company, 2005 – CD-ROM.
A. A. V. V., Cartas Comerciais em Inglês, Porto, Porto Editora, 1998.
A.A.V.V., English Pro – Sales, Global Learning Systems, Medial Ediciones, s.l., s.d.
A.A.V.V., Guia de Conversação – Inglês, Porto, Porto Editora, Abril de 2004
BLAKE, Gary, Quick Tips for Better Business Writing , New York, McGraw-Hill, Inc.,
1995.
DIGNEN, Bob, Communicating in Business English, New York, Compass Publishing,

2003.
DIGNEN, Bob, Communicating in Business English, New York, Compass Publishing,

2003 – CD-ROM.
FITIKIDES, T. J., Common Mistakes in English, Longman, Essex, 1936/2004
HOLLET, Vicki, Quick Work: A Short Course in Business English , Oxford, Oxford
University Press.
HOLLET, Vicki, Quick Work: A Short Course in Business English , Oxford, Oxford
University Press – CD-ROM.
HUGHES, John, Quick Work. Business English Course , Oxford University Press, Oxford,
2002/2005
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JONES, Leo; ALEXANDER, Richard, New International Business English, Cambridge,

Cambridge University Press, 2003.
JONES, Leo; ALEXANDER, Richard, New International Business English, Cambridge,

Cambridge University Press, 2003 – CD-ROM.
MASCULL, Bill, Business Vocabulary in Use , Cambridge, Cambridge University Press,

2002.
PELHAM, John, Essential Office English, Escolar Editora, Lisboa, 2005
ROBINSON, Catherine e Rowecamp, Jenise, Speaking Up at Work, Oxford, Oxford

American English – Oxford University Press, 1985.
SANTOS, A. N. e P. Santos, New Dictionaries of Idioms, Edições João Sá da Costa,

Lisboa, 1998
SWAN, Michael, Practical English Usage, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1980/2002
WRIGHT, Jon, Idioms Organiser – Organised by Metaphor, Topic and Key Word ,
Boston, Thomson Heinle, 1999
Outras pesquisas realizadas na internet a partir de:

www.google.com e www.youtube.com
http://www.solinguainglesa.com.br/conteudo/ModalVerbs5.php
http://mbonillo.xavierre.com/exercises/eso1/1eso2008/can5.htm
https://en.islcollective.com/
http://www.managementstudyguide.com/after-sales-service.htm
http://managementhelp.org/sales/sales.htm
http://blog.hubspot.com/agency/15-types-clients-handle-properly
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http://www.agendaweb.org/verbs/future-will-exercises.html
http://www.grammar.cl/rules/prepositions-of-place.htm
Anexos
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Propostas de Correção
The articles – grammar - correction
Exercises
1. Fill in the gaps with the or Ø (zero article).
i) The man is gorgeous.

j) The Sahara is very hot.
k) This is my table.
l) Queen Victoria was very pretty.
m) The girl is at school.
n) Mary is in the garden.
o) The U.S.A.
p) Lunch is at 1 p.m.
2. Put in a or an.
a. It’s a map.
b. It’s a calendar.
c. It’s a car.
d. It’s a kangaroo.
e. It’s an egg.
f. It’s an hour.
g. It’s an apple.
h. It’s a hospital.
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i. It’s a year.
j. It’s an exam.
k. It’s a university.
3. Articles: A or AN? Choose the correct article:
a) My boyfriend is an actor.
b) Her cousin has a very good job.
c) That was an interesting game.
d) She is a honest person.
e) We had a really good time yesterday.
f) Bring an umbrella. It is going to rain.
g) Tomorrow will be a hot day.
h) I want to eat an apple.
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Complaining – video, vocabulary and exercises - correction
2. Now, in pairs, translate the sentences from that video.
NOT ENOUGH OPTIONS
1. Are you ready to order, sir?

Está pronto para pedir, senhor?
2. I wanted to try something new today, but I don’t see anything interesting on the
menu.
Queria experimentar algo novo hoje, mas não vejo nada interessante no
menu.
3. What kind of food are you looking for?
Que tipo de comida procura?
4. Hummm… nothing specific. Actually I’ve tried all the dishes that are listed here and
I was looking to explore new ones.
Hummm… nada específico. Na verdade já experimentei todos os pratos
da lista e estava a pensar experimentar novos pratos.
5. Let me talk to the chef. I’m sure you can suggest something.
Deixe-me falar com o chef (cozinheiro). Tenho a certeza que poderá
sugerir alguma coisa.
6. No. That’s okay. Let me just suggest that you add some more food variety to your
menu. I haven’t seen any changes in it for a while now.
Não. Não faz mal. Deixe-me apenas sugerir que adicionem mais variedade
de comida ao vosso menu. Não tenho visto alterações há algum tempo.
7. You’ve been one of our more regular customers. I’ll definitely take your suggestion
to the manager.
Tem sido um dos nossos clientes mais regulares. Definitivamente irei
apresentar a sua sugestão ao gerente.
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8. That’s good. For now you can bring me the red sauce pasta and potato wedges.
Ainda bem. Por agora pode trazer-me massa com molho de tomate e
batatas à padeiro7.
THE SOUP WASN’T GOOD
9. Excuse me. Are you out of vegetables today?

Desculpe-me. Está com falta de vegetais hoje?
10.I am sorry, sir. I don’t understand…
Desculpe, senhor. Não percebo…
11.I ordered a creamy vegetable soup and there aren’t many vegetables in it. It’s
mainly just broth.
Eu pedi uma sopa cremosa de vegetais e não há muitos vegetais nesta. É
quase só caldo.
12.I really apologize for that. Allow me to replace it with a better one.
Peço imensa desculpa por isso. Permita-me substituí-la por uma melhor.
13.No. that’s alright now. I’ll just fill up on the main course.
Não. Deixe estar. Vou ficar mais satisfeito (mais cheio) com o prato
principal.
14.I assure you it won’t happen again. As a token of our apologies, we won’t charge
you for the soup.
Asseguro-o que não irá acontecer novamente. Como demonstração das
nossas desculpas, não iremos cobrar-lhe nada pela sopa.
15.That’s good. I hope I won’t be disappointed with the food quality.
Ainda bem. Espero não ficar desiludido com a qualidade da comida.
Batatas cortadas em gomos, também chamadas “batatas à padeiro”. Exemplo de receita aqui (apesar de
termos a receita portuguesa com algumas diferenças) - http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-
recipes/potato-wedges/#KT9hYgWUKDPlOfFR.97.
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16.You will not, sir.

Não ficará, senhor.
THIS IS NOT HOW I ORDERED IT
17.Excuse me! Would you mind telling me who’s the cook?

Desculpe! Não se importa de me dizer quem é o cozinheiro?
18.What’s wrong, sir? Is there anything I can help you with?
O que se passa, senhor? Posso ajudá-lo em alguma coisa?
19.Well, as you can see, I ordered a chicken parmigiana and the chicken is not well-
cooked.
Bem, como pode ver, eu pedi galinha à parmigiana e a galinha não está
bem cozinhada.
20.I really apologize for this mistake. Allow me to get you a better dish.
Peço imensa desculpa por esse engano. Permita-me trazer-lhe um prato
melhor.
21.That’s alright, but you people have been running this restaurant for so long! Usually
such things do not happen here.
Deixe estar, mas vocês estão a gerir este restaurante há tanto tempo!
Normalmente estas coisas não acontecem aqui.
22.It’s a random mistake. I apologize on behalf of my chef.
É um erro casual. Peço desculpa em nome do meu chef (cozinheiro).
23.I would appreciate it if you can replace it with a well-cooked dish.
Gostaria então que me substituísse este prato por outro bem cozinhado.
24.Sure. Thank you for your patience.
Claro. Obrigado pela sua paciência.
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IT IS TAKING TOO LONG
25.Excuse me, Captain!

Desculpe-me, Capitão! (Chefe! – forma coloquial de chamar um
empregado).
26.Yes, sir. How can I help you?
Sim, senhor. Em que posso ajudá-lo?
27.Well, it’s been twenty minutes since I placed my order. We haven’t received any
appetizers or even any drinks yet.
Bem, há vinte minutos que fiz o meu pedido. Ainda não recebemos
entradas nem bebidas.
28.Kindly give me a couple of minutes. I’ll check the status of your order.
Queira dar-me por favor dois minutos. Vou ver o estado do seu pedido.
29.Please do so. I’m in a hurry and I don’t have much time today.
Verifique então. Estou com pressa e não tenho muito tempo hoje.
30.I’ll bring your drinks now, and your order will be on your table within the next five
minutes.
Vou trazer as vossas bebidas agora e o vosso pedido estará na mesa em
cinco minutos.
31.Thanks a lot.
Muito obrigado.
32.
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Simple Present – correction of exercises
1. They are (to be) in the restaurant.

2. She writes (to write) business e-mails.
3. She speaks (to speak) English to welcome clients.
4. My parents like (to like) fish, but they complain (to complain) about that restaurant.
5. Anne has (to have) lots of complaints in after-sales service.
6. Andy's brother works (to work) in an after-sales service, at this office.
7. Leroy tries (to try) to answer clients faster.
8. Jim and Joe water (to water) the flowers every week.
9. Yvonne's mother rides (to ride) a motorbike and she complains (to complain) about its
performance every week.
10. Elisabeth drinks (to drink) cola but she prefers (to prefer) water.
11. Melanie plays (to play) tennis not handball.
12. Shakespeare’s descendants witness (to witness) a lot of prejudice and some people
say (to say) they complain (to complain) about that fact.
14. Peter smashes (to smash) a big apple when the apple trees are (to be) full of apples
and he laughs (to laugh) a lot.
15. Samantha watches (to watch) a TV show about customer complaints.
16. They always complain, but they fly (to fly) with Martha and Arthur every year, they go
(to go) to France together. They stay (to stay) a big house with a beautiful garden and a
cute yellow dog. The dog’s name seems (to seem) very strange.
17. Fritz, the dog, relaxes (to relax) in the lawn.
18. Priscilla misses (to miss) her work in after-sales service.
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3. The use of the Simple Present in Customer Service. In pairs, try to complete the
following dialogue using the words below.
Receptionist “Cosmo Editions. Can I (1) help you?”
Receptionist “One (2) moment please.”
Mary Turner “Mary Turner, (3) speaking
James Grey “Good afternoon, this is Mr. Grey of Unforgettable Readings (4)
After-Sales.
I have a (5) complaint to make about the
(6) order I received this morning.”
Mary Turner “What (7) seems to be the problem?”
James Grey “Well (8) instead of 150 «Family Destinations for long
Weekends» you send me 120 of «Expensive Destinations for
Dreamers» and the (9) book is in French and not in English.”
Mary Turner “Can I have the order (10) number please?”
Mary Turner “Okay. I have the order (11) details here. It must be a (12)
packaging error in dispatching. Please accept our (13)
apologies We’ll send the right ones immediately.”
James Grey “Okay. It is really very (14) inconvenient but I suppose we’ll
(15) have to manage. And what are you (16) going to do
about the expense of returning the books?”
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Mary Turner “Well, we will, of course, (17) send you a credit (18) note by
return.
I am very sorry for the (19) inconvenient caused. I assure you
it won’t happen again.”
James Grey “Well, I’ve never had (20) problems with Cosmo Edition
before.”
Mary Turner “And you (21) won’t again! Goodbye, Mr. Grey.”
4. Underline the verbs in the Simple Present.
Receptionist “Cosmo Editions. Can I (1) help you?”
Receptionist “One (2) moment please.”
Mary Turner “Mary Turner, (3) speaking.
James Grey “Good afternoon, this is Mr. Grey of Unforgettable Readings (4)
After-Sales.
I have a (5) complaint to make about the (6) order I received
this morning.”
Mary Turner “What (7) seems to be the problem?”
James Grey “Well (8) instead of 150 «Family Destinations for long
Weekends» you sent me 120 of «Expensive Destinations for
Dreamers» and the (9) book is in French and not in English.”
Mary Turner “Can I have the order (10) number please?”
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Mary Turner “Okay. I have the order (11) details here. It must be a (12)
packaging error in dispatching. Please accept our (13)
apologies We’ll send the right ones immediately.”
James Grey “Okay. It is really very (14) inconvenient but I suppose we’ll
(15) have to manage. And what are you (16) going to do
about the expense of returning the books?”
Mary Turner “Well, we will, of course, (17) send you a credit (18) note by
return.
I am very sorry for the (19) inconvenient caused. I assure
you it won’t happen again.”
James Grey “Well, I’ve never had (20) problems with Cosmo Edition
before.”
Mary Turner “And you (21) won’t again! Goodbye, Mr. Grey.”
Modal verbs – can, could and must (exercises) - correction
Can/Can’t
1. Fill in the gaps with CAN or CAN’T.
a) Mrs. Smith has to wear glasses. She can’t see very well. (see)
b) Bill is broke. He can’t buy a ticket for the match. (buy)
c) Bob uses a wheelchair. He can’t go upstairs. (go)
d) I think that Archie can ski very well. (ski)
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e) I'm afraid Mr. Smith is deaf. He can’t hear what you say. (hear)
f) "Sam and Mary, you can’t chat in class!" (chat)
2. Now, translate the previous sentences.
a) A senhora Smith tem de usar óculos. Ela não pode ver muito bem.
b) O Bill está falido. Ele não pode comprar um bilhete para o jogo.
c) O Bob usa uma cadeira de rodas. Ele não pode subir / ir lá para cima.
d) Eu acho que o Archie pode (consegue) esquiar muito bem.
e) Parece-me que o senhor Smith é surdo. Ele não pode (consegue) ouvir o que dizes.
f) – Sam e Mary, não pode conversar na aula!
Could/Couldn’t
3. Fill in the gaps with COULD or COULDN’T.
a) When I was young, I couldn’t play the guitar: it was too difficult for me!
b) Her grandmother was bilingual: she could speak both English and Spanish.
c) Yesterday, Peter couldn’t do that exercise alone. So, he called me for help.
d) In 1950, people couldn’t use mobile phones.
e) When his mother was young, she could skate but she can't do it any longer.
f) We couldn’t open the door: it was locked from the inside!
g) In 1900, people couldn’t watch TV.
h) Mary's grandfather could play chess and he was the best!
i) In 1945, people couldn’t play video games.
j) But they could play chess!
k) Peter couldn’t play tennis last Monday: he had broken his arm!
l) When Ann was a teenager, she couldn’t watch a horror film: it was too
frightening for her!
m) Last Sunday, we couldn’t take any photos in the museum: it was forbidden.
n) Mozart could play the piano when he was 5.
Must / Musn’t
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4. Fill in the gaps with MUST or MUSTN’T.
a) It's late. You mustn’t make so much noise.

b) We must be home by 9 o'clock. The film starts at 9:15.
c) I must finish this essay today. It has to be handed in by tomorrow.
d) Passengers mustn’t talk to the driver whilst the bus is in motion.
e) This is a dangerous tour. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
f) People mustn’t stand on this bus.
g) We must do more exercise to stay fit.
h) There must be something wrong with the engine of this car.
i) We mustn’t give up when we are so close.
j) This was a nice evening. We must meet again.
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Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future – exercises (correction)
1. Fill in the gaps with the Simple Future (will; will not/won’t).
Jim asked a fortune teller about his future, because he is always complaining, whether
it is at home, at work, when he buys things and in many other situations. Here is what she
told him.
a) You will earn (to earn) a lot of money.

b) You will travel (to travel) around the world.
c) You will meet (to meet) lots of interesting people.
d) Everybody will adore (to adore) you.
e) You will not have / won’t have (not / to have) any problems.
f) Many people will serve (to serve) you.
g) They will anticipate (to anticipate) your wishes.
h) There will not be / won’t be (not / to be) anything left to wish for.
i) Everything will be (to be) perfect.
j) But all these things will only happen (to happen / only) if you marry me.
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2. Fill in the gaps with Going to Future.
a) He is going to phone his friend. (to phone)

b) We are going to play a new computer game. (to play)
c) My sister is going to watch TV. (to watch)
d) You are going to have a picnic next Tuesday. (to have)
e) Jane is going to go to the office. (to go)
f) They are going to walk to the bus stop this afternoon. (to walk)
g) His brother is going to write a letter to his uncle today. (to write)
h) She is going to visit her aunt. (to visit)
i) I am going to do my homework after school. (to do)
j) Sophie and Nick are going to meet their friends. (to meet)
3. Comment on the following cartoons.
Cartoon A
The father tells his son that everything he sees will, in the future, belong
to his brother. However, that’s just a vain prediction – though it is his idea,
there is no absolutely sure that is going to happen because he uses the Simple
Future.
Cartoon B
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The woman tells her husband that she is going to France, because she
really wants to do that and she is sure of it. And she even is sure that in France
she is a different person and she speaks as if she is sure of that, too (using the
going to future).
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Complaining service – step-by-step (translation)
1. Read and translate the information from the article below. Then,
comment on it.
Steps to Squash a Customer's Complaint

(Passos para enfraquecer/aniquilar uma reclamação do cliente)
BY MATTHEW SWYERS
Customer complaints are inevitable. If you run a business that sells to the public no
matter how great your goods or services are the old adage will eventually be proven true:
You cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time.
As reclamações do cliente são inevitáveis. Se gere um negócio que venda
ao público, não importa o quão bons sejam os seus produtos ou serviços pois o
velho ditado virá sempre ao de cima: não se consegue agradar 100% das pessoas
100% do tempo.8
No matter the issue at the heart of the complaint it is important to remember these
rules when resolving your customer service issues:
Não importa o motivo principal da reclamação, é importante relembrar
estas regras quando tentar resolver os seus problemas no serviço de clientes:
1. Listen (Ouça)
Whenever you have to handle a customer complaint the first thing that you must do
is listen. Listen to the customer to figure out why they are upset. Listen to what they want
from you to resolve the issue. A refund? A replacement? Someone else to replace their
current service representative?
Sempre que tiver de resolver uma reclamação do cliente a primeira coisa
que deve fazer é ouvir. Ouça o cliente para perceber por que é que está
Não se pode agradar a Gregos e a Troianos (provérbio equivalente).
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insatisfeito. Ouça o que ele quer que faça para lhe resolver o problema. Quer um
reembolso? Uma substituição? Outra pessoa que substitua o atual representante
de serviços?
2. Understand (Compreenda)
Next, put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Why did they come to you? Is there a real
reason to their complaint? Is their proposed resolution reasonable?
Em seguida, coloque-se no lugar do cliente. Por que motivo veio ter
consigo? Há uma verdadeira razão para reclamar? A proposta de resolução do
cliente é razoável?
3. No Fighting
Defend if you must. But do not fight with the customer. They may be 100% wrong
but fighting about the issue will only aggravate their complaint.
Defenda-se, se tiver de ser. Mas não discuta com o cliente. Eles podem
estar 100% errados, mas discutir sobre a questão só irá agravar a sua queixa.
Your job in handling the matter is to listen, understand, and then discuss with the
customer their concerns in a calm and friendly manner while conducting an open discussion
regarding the issues complained of and how they will be responded to.
O seu trabalho em resolver a questão é ouvir, compreender e depois
dialogar com o cliente sobre as suas preocupações de uma forma calma e
amigável enquanto conduz um diálogo aberto, tendo em conta os pontos de
insatisfação e a forma como serão resolvidos.
4. Resolution
Offer a resolution where possible. Once you have listened and understood the
customer’s complaint and have avoided fighting over the same divert the customer’s focus to
how you intend to resolve the matter.
Ofereça uma solução quando for possível. Depois de ter ouvido e
compreendido a reclamação do cliente e ter evitado discutir, foque a atenção do
cliente para a forma como tenciona resolver o assunto.
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Unfortunately, however, there will always be those select few that you cannot please
no matter what you offer.
Infelizmente, contudo, haverá sempre aquela minoria à qual não
conseguirá agradar, independentemente do que ofereça.
5. Resolve (Tome uma decisão/ resolva)

Most situations will be able to be solved with the customer satisfaction. Unfortunately,
from time-to-time, there will be issues which simply cannot be resolved. Although our aim is
always to please the customer if what the customer demands cannot be satisfied you must
maintain your best offered solution and no more.
A maior parte das situações pode ser resolvida com a satisfação do cliente.
Infelizmente, de vez em quando, haverá questões que simplesmente não podem
ser resolvidas. Ainda que o nosso objetivo seja sempre agradar ao cliente, se as
suas exigências não puderem ser satisfeitas, deve manter a sua melhor oferta de
resolução e nada mais.
6. Writing (Escreva)
Ultimately, when all is said and done and a resolution has or has not been reached
always take the time to memorialize the same in writing, especially if it didn’t go well.
Por último, quando tudo está dito e feito, e se chegou ou não a uma
solução, reserve sempre tempo para registar tudo por escrito, especialmente se (a
negociação) não correu bem.
7. Learn (Aprenda)
Above all, use customer complaints as a manner to learn about potential flaws in your
systems.
Acima de tudo, use as reclamações do cliente como uma forma de aprender
sobre suas potenciais falhas no seu sistema.
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Prepositions of Place – exercises (correction)
1. Fill the gaps with the correct prepositions.
a. We live in London.
b. I was at the cinema yesterday.
c. There is a bridge across the river.
d. In my house, there are many pictures and postcards.
e. Who is the person in this picture?
f. Munich is 530 meters above sea level.
g. Mary is between Jessica and Jacob (in the middle of).
h. Their house is near the publisher after-sales service.
i. He put the complaint’s book on the table.
j. Your shoes are under your bed.
k. The caves are obviously below the surface of the Earth.
l. The birds fly high above us.
m. They live across from school (on the other side of the street).
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INGLÊS TÉCNICO

UNIDADE 0358– LÍNGUA INGLESA – ATENDIMENTO NO

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

The articles – grammar............................................................................................................................................. 10

Example of a complaint form................................................................................................................................. 17

Complaining – video, vocabulary and exercises............................................................................................. 20

Verb tenses in Customer Service – Simple Present.......................................................................................26

Simple Present – rules and exercises.................................................................................................................. 26

Modal verbs – can, could and must (rules)....................................................................................................... 31

Modal verbs – can, could and must (exercises).............................................................................................. 35

Types of customer complaints - examples........................................................................................................ 38

A Suggested Customer Complaint Procedure (face-to-face).....................................................................39

Types of clients – first impressions..................................................................................................................... 40

Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future................................................................................................ 45

Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future - exercises..........................................................................49

Complaining service – step-by-step..................................................................................................................... 51

Steps to Squash a Customer's Complaint........................................................................................................... 51

Written complaints – structure of a business letter......................................................................................55

Business letters in English – some rules............................................................................................................ 56

Written complaints – examples of complaint letters and e-mails...........................................................61

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

Written complaints – example of a complaint e-mail...................................................................................62

Prepositions of Place - rules................................................................................................................................... 64

Prepositions of Place - exercises........................................................................................................................... 68

Complaints – on the phone...................................................................................................................................... 69

Face to face complaints – some rules before starting................................................................................... 71

Complaints – face to face.......................................................................................................................................... 72

Idiomatic expressions – the most common business idioms....................................................................74

Propostas de Correçã o.............................................................................................................................................. 80

The articles – grammar - correction.................................................................................................................... 80

Complaining – video, vocabulary and exercises - correction....................................................................82

Simple Present – correction of exercises........................................................................................................... 86

Modal verbs – can, could and must (exercises) - correction......................................................................90

Verb tenses in Customer Service – The future – exercises (correction)...............................................92

Complaining service – step-by-step (translation)......................................................................................... 95

Steps to Squash a Customer's Complaint........................................................................................................... 95

(Passos para enfraquecer/aniquilar uma reclamaçã o do cliente)..........................................................95

Prepositions of Place – exercises (correction)................................................................................................ 98

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

Este manual de Língua Inglesa – unidade 0358 – atendimento no serviço pós-

Assim sendo, o presente manual servirá de referência para a aquisição e desenvolvimento

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

Referencial de Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda –

 Adquirir e aplicar vocabulário específico da língua inglesa, na comunicação verbal

 Linguagem básica aplicada às diferentes fases da gestão de reclamações

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

1. Read and comment on the following.

1. a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with

2. the act of saying or writing that you are unhappy or

3. something to be unhappy about: something that people

2. Translate the previous information.

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

3. Read and comment on the following.

Why do people complain?

A consumer or customer complaint is “an expression of dissatisfaction on a

It can also be described in a positive sense as a report from a consumer

Consumer complaints are usually informal complaints directly addressed to a

4. Comment on the following picture.

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

Língua Inglesa – atendimento no serviço pós-venda

5. Answer the following questions based on your personal experience.

a) Do you complain often? Why?

c) Name three reasons why people complain nowadays.