Manual - UFCD0399

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa –
Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda
Susana Carvalheiro
Guimarães
Índice
1. Enquadramento 2
2. Module 1: Communication 3
a. Verbal Communication In Negotiation 3
i. Basic Functions Of Questions 11
ii. Requests, Rejections & Denials 19
iii. Criticism - Creating And Answering Criticism 27
3. Module 2: After-Sales Service 32
a. After-Sales Support 32
i. Salesman Posture In The After-Sales 35
ii. After-Sales Service Phases 37
4. Module 3: Methodology Of Solving Complaints 40
a. Positive Approach 41
b. Situation Analysis 44
c. Solution Search & Solution 49
5. Grammar Guide 52
UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda
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Enquadramento
Este manual de Inglês Técnico - Língua inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda visa ilustrar e fundamentar o
desenvolvimento de competências específicas da língua inglesa técnica, nomeadamente na área de venda e
marketing, através da análise de documentos, visionamento de pequenos vídeos e/ou documentários, leitura de
artigos (entre outros), por parte dos formandos cujo intuito é aprender e aperfeiçoar a sua aprendizagem na
língua estrangeira. Desta forma, encontrarão respostas para as suas necessidades quotidianas e profissionais
e, em simultâneo, irão aprender a comunicar em língua estrangeira de maneira adequada.
Assim sendo, o presente manual servirá de referência para o desenvolvimento de conhecimentos em Inglês
Intermédio e Avançado, servindo os seguintes documentos (que poderão ser adaptados 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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Module 1 - Communication
Communication (noun) - “the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other
medium.”
Verbal Communication – Written/Oral:

The word verbal means ‘connected with words and use of words.’ Any communication using words is verbal
communication.
Words are the most precise and powerful sets of symbols. Words denote as well as connote meanings. That is
why all serious or formal communication is usually in words. Words, as we are all aware, can be written or
spoken.
Verbal communication can further be divided into two types:

● Oral Communication
● Written Communication
Oral Communication:
“A wound inflicted by speech is more painful than a wound inflicted by a sword”. As the term itself suggests,
communication through the spoken word is known as oral communication. Of the working time spent in verbal
communication, 9 % is in writing, 16 % in reading, 30 % in speaking and 45 % in listening.
In oral communication, words should be chosen very carefully so that what they connote has the precise shade
of meaning. The sender of the message or his representative is usually the speaker, while the receiver or his
representative, the listener. Listening is also an important aspect of oral communication.
Factors in oral communication:

1. The speaker
2. How he speaks
3. What he speaks
4. To whom he speaks
5. Whether he receives a feedback
Pre-requisites of oral communication:
1. Clear and proper pronunciation of words
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2. Clarity and exactitude
3. Conciseness
4. Right tone
5. Right style and vocabulary
Merits of oral communication:

1. Saving of time and money:
Oral communication saves money as well as time. No money needs to be spent for producing oral
communication since it involves only the spoken word. Oral communication is, therefore, economical.
Secondly, there is hardly any delay from the time when the sender sends the message and the receiver
receives it. The words are received and understood as soon as they are spoken. Oral communication,
therefore, saves time, too.
2. Immediate feedback:
The feedback in most oral communication is immediate. The words are received as soon as they are
spoken, and the receiver can also give his reaction immediately. The speaker can gauge the mood and
the response of the listener. The immediate feedback is an advantage for the speaker.
3. Saves paperwork:
Paperwork is minimal since communication is in the form of spoken words.
4. An effective tool for exhortation:
When the communication is oral, you can try to persuade the listener. Doubts can be cleared
immediately.
5. Builds a healthy climate:
A friendly atmosphere is created when you communicate orally since there is less formality. You can
also make modifications in the communication immediately on the basis of the feedback and response
from the listener.
6. Best tool during emergency:
Oral communication is the quickest tool during an emergency. It is the best method of communication
when an immediate and fast response is critical.
Limitations of oral communication:
1. Greater chances of misunderstanding:
Unless it is recorded, you cannot refer to an oral message again. There are, therefore, greater chances
of a message being misunderstood or misinterpreted. In fact, there is also a chance that the message
may not be understood at all.
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2. Bad speaker:
Only an individual who can satisfy all the requisites of effective oral communication can produce good
results. More often than not, a bad speaker may send the wrong message. When speaking, one
communicates through articulation, voice modulation and body language, too.
A message may be misunderstood if there is a disharmony among these components. Also, as
mentioned earlier, what the words connote and what they denote should be in harmony, else the
message may lead to a conflict in understanding.
3. Ineffective for lengthy communication:
Oral communication is not useful for lengthy communication. Because of human limitations, there is
every likelihood that something important will be missed out.
4. Lower retention rate:
Oral communication suffers from the drawback of a low retention rate. A listener may absorb only
some part of an oral message since the attention span differs from person to person. People also tend
to forget an oral message quickly.
5. No legal validity:
Oral communication lacks proof of record. There is no permanent record or proof of what has been
said. An individual who has given a message may deny it later; similarly, an individual who has been
given an oral message or instruction may say he never received it. Hence, oral communication has very
little value from the legal point of view.
6. Difficult to fix responsibility:
Since a message is transmitted orally, it is difficult to fix responsibility. This may also lead to
carelessness in the implementation of a message.
Written Communication:
A message constitutes written communication when it is put in “black and white.” It is a formal type of
communication. The sender of the message or his representative constitutes the writer.
Written communication is usually considered binding on business organizations and is often used as evidence.
Technological advancement has enlarged the gamut of written communication through email and other such
facilities.
Factors in written communication:

1. The writer
2. The content
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3. The language used
4. The purpose of the communication
5. The style adopted – formal or friendly
6. The receiver
Pre-requisites of written communication:

1. How much to put in writing
2. What to leave out
3. When to stop
4. When to convey
5. By what means to convey
Merits:
1. Precise and accurate:
Written communication is generally prepared with great care and precision. The very prospect of
writing makes a person conscious. You have to be very serious and organised while communicating in
the written form, because written communication is open to verification.
2. Easily verified:
Since written communication is on paper etc., it can be read and re-read. It also offers itself for
verification. There is also, thus, less ‘chance of someone twisting the message to his or her own
advantage.
3. Permanent record:
Written communication constitutes a permanent record. It also acts like evidence. It proves very
useful for future reference as it can be preserved for years. For example, old orders and decisions can
serve as the basis for new ones.
4. Suitable for lengthy and complicated messages:
Lengthy and complicated messages can be understood better when they are in the written form rather
than in the oral. There is less chance of misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Also, the language
used is less subject to change.
5. Responsibility can be easily fixed:
In written communication, responsibilities of sender and receiver can be fixed easily. People have the
tendency of shifting responsibilities for mistakes, but this is difficult if the onus is obvious in black and
white.
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6. Has legal validity:
Written communication is acceptable as a legal document. Written communication has been used as
evidence since time immemorial.
Demerits:
1. Slower method of communication:
Written communication can be time-consuming since it may take even two or even three days to reach
the receiver (by letters, for instance). By contrast, oral communication is immediate.
2. Further delay if clarifications are required:
Written communication hampers quick clarifications. The receiver may write back for clarifications
and wait for a reply, making the process tedious. Even if clarifications are not needed, there is still a
delay between the time the sender writes a message and the receiver receives it.
3. Leads to too much of paperwork:
Since written communication is basically done on paper, one may tend to use it as an escape
mechanism. Paper-free offices remain a dream.
4. Always a possibility of ambiguity or lack of comprehensibility:
It is quite possible that the receiver is not able to comprehend the exact meaning of a written
message that he has received. The clarity of a written message also depends upon the skill, or the lack
of it, in the sender. If the message has not been written properly, it will not be understood, either.
5. Costly in terms of money and man-hours:
Writing letters is a costly process not only because you need to spend money on postage, but also
because several persons are involved in the process of sending out a letter from an organisation. Their
time costs the organisation money. While oral communication can be short and quick, written
communication, because of its very nature, tends to be lengthy.
6. No flexibility:
The written word is not subject to instant change after communication. Therefore, conveying an
afterthought may prove very lengthy, and, at times, even impossible.
7. Literacy essential:
It goes without saying that in written communication, the sender as well as the receiver should be
literate. In fact, we may wrongly presume that they are so. In many Asian Countries, where literacy is
low, a written message will be meaningless for large masses of illiterate persons.
Literacy also means literacy in the language of the message. The receiver should know the language in
which a message has been written. It is no use receiving a message in English if you are not
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conversant with that language.
Notwithstanding its limitations, it can be safely concluded that written communication remains the spine of an
organisation. Almost all formal communication is in the written form.
Non-Verbal Communication:
Scientific analysis has shown that body movements and gestures constitute 55% of effective communication.
Hence, non-verbal communication merits great consideration.
Non-verbal communication involves things such as gestures, posture, physical appearance etc. It takes place
without written or spoken words.
Non-verbal communication is those messages that are expressed by means other than linguistic. While you can
refuse to speak or write, it is impossible to avoid behaving non-verbally.
Non-verbal communication certainly affects the resolution of conflicts and disputes, yet little research has
considered non-verbal communication within dispute resolution contexts.
Non-verbal communication is classified here in different ways:

1. Visual and/or Auditory - These can be portrayed through signs, colours, or sounds, for example, a bell
or car horn.
2. Body language or Kinesics:
a. The study of bodily movement to form a part of non-verbal communication is known as
kinesics. It is an integral part of our communication. Existence as a receiver is supposed to
observe non-verbal communication 55% of the time. Our body consciously as well as
unconsciously, conveys messages, moods, attitudes, etc. in the same way as language uses
sets of symbols to convey meaning. For example:
i. Facial expressions - The face is said to be the mirror of the mind. Whatever we feel is
reflected on our face. The face can convey energy, anger, grief, sincerity and a host of
other feelings and emotions. A smile means friendliness, while a frown means anger.
ii. Gestures - Gestures are small body movements that transmit some message. It can
even be the transmission of specific information. Some gestures maybe conscious
while others may be involuntary. Some gestures have an almost universal meaning,
such as a head shake for a “no” or a handshake as a “hello”.
iii. Posture - Posture is the position adopted by the body. It helps in conveying a
message. Each movement or position of the body has expressive or defensive
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functions. Thus, posture is an important element in non-verbal communication. It
reveals a great deal about an individual.
iv. Clothes - A person is often judged by his appearance. His clothes play an important
role in enhancing his personality. Shabbily dressed people may cut a sorry figure. It is
vital for one to look professional and efficient. Accessories also play a major role in
non-verbal communication.
v. Eye contact - Eyes are the windows to the soul. Eye contact constitutes a very
important factor of face-to-face communication. Through eye- contact, the speaker
gets signals whether the channel of communication is open.
vi. Silence - Silence speaks louder than words. It lays down the relationship between
communicators and their attitude towards each other. Silence shows the inability to
converse further.
3. Vocal characteristics – paralanguage - The world of communication that involves signs, signals, pitch,
tone and fluctuations to convey meaning is paralanguage. Para means ‘like’ or ‘akin’. Paralanguage
means “like language,” but not actually a language.
4. Space – proxemics
a. Proxemics is another important type of non-verbal communication. The term, proxemics is
derived from the word proximity, which means closeness. Proxemics is used with reference to
space or territory. A lot of communication takes place nonverbally through the sheer manner
in which we use the space around us.
Scholars have also attributed a lot of non-verbal communication to the colour, design, layout
and utilisation of the space around us. This is also proxemics. The space around us can be
classified as under:
i. Intimate Space
ii. Personal Space
iii. Social Space
iv. Public Space
5. Surroundings - How you organize the surroundings also contributes to the communication. The room
where you meet your visitors may be dazzling or simple. It may be gaudy or sober. The decor of the
place, the furniture, and the artistic pieces that adorn your office, tell about yourself and your taste.
Indicators of Non-verbal Communication:
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Positive: Negative – Submissive: Negative – Aggressive:
(i) Smile (i) Floundering voice (i) Harsh voice
(ii) Open posture (ii) Defensive arms / legs (ii) Wagging finger
(iii) Interested expression (iii) Slow speech (iii) Fast speech
(iv) Moderate eye contact (iv) Fretting expressions (iv) Supercilious expressions
(v) Accurate pitch and volume (v) Deceitful looks (v) Immoderate eye contact
of voice
Basic Functions Of Questions
Gathering information is a basic human activity – we use information to learn, to help us solve problems, to aid
our decision making processes and to understand each other more clearly.
Questioning is the key to gaining more information and without it interpersonal communications can fail.
Questioning is fundamental to successful communication - we all ask and are asked questions when engaged in
conversation.
We find questions and answers fascinating and entertaining – politicians, reporters, celebrities and
entrepreneurs are often successful based on their questioning skills – asking the right questions at the right
time and also answering (or not) appropriately.
Why Ask Questions?

Although the following list is not exhaustive it outlines the main reasons questions are asked in common
situations.
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● To obtain information - The primary function of a question is to gain information – “What time is it?”
● To help maintain control of a conversation - While you are asking questions you are in control of the
conversation, assertive people are more likely to take control of conversations attempting to gain the
information they need through questioning.
● Express an interest in the other person - Questioning allows us to find out more about the respondent,
this can be useful when attempting to build rapport and show empathy or to simply get to know the
other person better.
● To clarify a point - Questions are commonly used in communication to clarify something that the
speaker has said. Questions used as clarification are essential in reducing misunderstanding and
therefore more effective communication.
● To explore the personality and or difficulties the other person may have - Questions are used to
explore the feelings, beliefs, opinions, ideas and attitudes of the person being questioned. They can
also be used to better understand problems that another person may be experiencing – like in the
example of a doctor trying to diagnose a patient.
● To test knowledge - Questions are used in all sorts of quiz, test and exam situations to ascertain the
knowledge of the respondent. “What is the capital of France?” for example.
● To encourage further thought - Questions may be used to encourage people to think about something
more deeply. Questions can be worded in such a way as to get the person to think about a topic in a
new way. “Why do you think Paris is the capital of France?”
● In group situations - Questioning in group situations can be very useful for a number of reasons, to
include all members of the group, to encourage more discussion of a point, to keep attention by asking
questions without advance warning. These examples can be easily related to a classroom of school
children.
How to Ask Questions

Being an effective communicator has a lot to do with how questions are asked. Once the purpose of the
question has been established you should ask yourself a number of questions:
● What type of question should be asked?
● Is the question appropriate to the person/group?
● Is this the right time to ask the question?
● How do I expect the respondent will reply?
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When actually asking questions – especially in more formal settings some of the mechanics to take into
account include:
● Being structured - In certain situations, for example if you are conducting a research project or you
work in a profession that requires the recording of information, it may be necessary to ask large
numbers of questions.
In such cases it is usually a good idea to inform the respondent of this before you start, by giving some
background information and reasoning behind your motive of asking questions. By doing this the
respondent becomes more open to questions and why it is acceptable for you to be asking them. They
also know and can accept the type of questions that are likely to come up, for example, ‘In order to
help you with your insurance claim it will be necessary for me to ask you about your car, your health
and the circumstances that led up to the accident”. In most cases the interaction between questioner
and respondent will run more smoothly if there is some structure to the exchange.
● Use silence - Using silence is a powerful way of delivering questions.
As with other interpersonal interactions pauses in speech can help to emphasise points and give all
parties a few moments to gather their thoughts before continuing. A pause of at least three seconds
before a question can help to emphasise the importance of what is being asked. A three second pause
directly after a question can also be advantageous; it can prevent the questioner from immediately
asking another question and indicates to the respondent that a response is required. Pausing again
after an initial response can encourage the respondent to continue with their answer in more detail.
Pauses of less than three seconds have been proven to be less effective.
● Encouraging participation - In group situations leaders often want to involve as many people as
possible in the discussion or debate.
This can be at least partially achieved by asking questions of individual members of the group. One
way that the benefits of this technique can be maximised is to redirect a question from an active
member of the group to one who is less active or less inclined to answer without a direct opportunity.
Care should be taken in such situations as some people find speaking in group situations very stressful
and can easily be made to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or awkward. Encourage but do not force
quieter members of the group to participate.
Types of Questions:
Is it important to know how to ask questions?
Is it difficult to question someone to obtain information?
Are all questions from the same type?
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Does every question need an answer?
Effective And Useful Questions

The following are good types of questions to have in your repertoire when negotiating to move the sale or
purchase in your desired direction, or simply to get the information you need.
1. Open-ended questions - These are the kinds of questions that require a detailed answer in a
negotiation and cannot be simply replied to with a “yes” or “no” response. These questions consist of
using who, what, where, when, why, and how. The respondent has no alternative but to provide some
detail. Example: “How did you arrive at that particular price?”
2. Open opportunity question - This form of question invites the person to participate and offer their
views. Example: “What do you think of this option as a solution?”
3. Leading question - Just like it sounds, with this type of question, you try to guide the person to your
point of view in a persuasive manner. Example: “With all these advantages I’ve pointed out, don’t you
think that this package benefits us both and is the best way to go for both of us?” Or, another form of
leading negotiation question simply tails off and invites the other person to fill in the blanks. Example:
“And after we provide those documents that you just mentioned, you will….?”
4. Low-key question - This is a gentle way to ask a question and not trigger an emotional or hostile
response.
5. Example: “How much more will this cost if we chose this additional feature?”
6. Sequential questions - Sometimes, it can be a wise strategy to ask a series of questions to lead up to
and achieve a particular conclusion. Generally, it might be a good idea to plan these kinds of questions
in advance. Example: “And after you complete the first delivery, how long will it take for you to have
the second shipment ready and sent to us?”
7. Flattery question - This is an effective means to both be complimentary towards the other negotiator
and to elicit information, both at the same time. Most people respond well to a friendly compliment.
Example: “Could we draw upon your particular and specialized expertise to add some input into this
particular issue?”
8. Probing deeper question - When you need to gain a better insight into a person’s thought process to
further illuminate their rationale or position. Example: “Could you provide us with more detail on how
you analyzed the data that you just described and how you reached your conclusion?”
9. Emotional thermometer - There are occasions when you will sense that something might be starting
to boil beneath the surface. This might be a good time to address a pending emotional response that
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might derail the negotiation by simply checking out how the other person feels about certain issues.
Example: “How do you feel about that aspect of the settlement package?”
10. Landmine Questions - These are the kinds of questions that can be counterproductive, confrontational,
and can evoke negative emotional responses. When used in the wrong stage of a negotiation, you
might put the other side on the defensive or cause them to respond aggressively in return. Either way,
your negotiation could end up being inadvertently derailed.
Types of manipulative tactical questions. Negotiators are then likely to not feel so shell-shocked in their
real-world negotiations, and will instead have their responses ready.
1. Aggressive - Certain kinds of questions can result in being too pushy, especially when used at the
wrong stage of your negotiation. Example: “You’re not trying to pull a fast one on us are you?”
2. Loaded - This style of question puts the person on the hot seat regardless of how they respond to the
answer, and therefore puts them in a very defensive position. It is very aggressive. Example: “Do you
expect me to believe that this is the only acceptable solution that you will accept?”
3. Emotional trigger - Certain questions are likely to result in triggering a powerful emotional response,
particularly when posed with a tint of arrogance or insulting scorn. You are definitely not going to add
to your knowledge base by adopting this type of question because it’s like shooting yourself in the foot
in the process. Example: “Do you really think that this ridiculous proposal is worth wasting my time?”
4. Impulsive - This is the type of question that pops out of your mouth before you gave it any thought.
Always think, then ask⁠—not the other way around. Any inappropriate question can serve as an
example here.
5. Tricky - These are the questions that are loaded with innuendo and may imply a threat or some similar
action. Example: “Are you going to cede to the demands we’ve outlined, or take us to arbitration?”
This is not to say that occasionally the so-called bad questions aren’t productive in prompting a necessary
reaction or response in the right situation to move things along. However, such questions are risky and not
necessarily the kinds of questions that will elicit needed information, or that can be positively used when you
are trying to build an enduring partnership or relationship with your client or supplier.
Responses
As there are a myriad of questions and question types, there must also be a myriad of possible responses.
Theorists have tried to define the types of responses that people may have to questions, the main and most
important ones are:
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● A direct and honest response – this is what the questioner would usually want to achieve from asking
their question.
● A lie – the respondent may lie in response to a question. The questioner may be able to pick up on a
lie based on plausibility of the answer but also on the non-verbal communication that was used
immediately before, during and after the answer is given.
● Out of context – The respondent may say something that is totally unconnected or irrelevant to the
question or attempt to change the topic. It may be appropriate to reword a question in these cases.
● Partially Answering – People can often be selective about which questions or parts of questions they
wish to answer.
● Avoiding the answer – Politicians are especially well known for this trait. When asked a ‘difficult
question’ which probably has an answer that would be negative to the politician or their political
party, avoidance can be a useful tact. Answering a question with a question or trying to draw
attention to some positive aspect of the topic are methods of avoidance.
● Stalling – Although similar to avoiding answering a question, stalling can be used when more time is
needed to formulate an acceptable answer. One way to do this is to answer the question with another
question.
● Distortion – People can give distorted answers to questions based on their perceptions of social
norms, stereotypes and other forms of bias. Different from lying, respondents may not realise their
answers are influenced by bias or they exaggerate in some way to come across as more ‘normal’ or
successful. People often exaggerate about their salaries.
● Refusal – The respondent may simply refuse to answer, either by remaining silent or by saying, ‘I am
not answering’.
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Requests, Rejections & Denials
Requests:
When we make a request, we ask someone for something, or we ask someone to do something. You can use
below phrases and expressions when asking someone to do something for you.
Asking for something

There are different ways of asking for something. We usually ask for something in a polite and indirect way, for
example, using can, could, would you mind if and may:
A: Can I have the salt?
B: Of course, here you are.
A: Could I ask you the time, please?
B: No problem. It’s quarter past four.
A: Would you mind if I borrowed your pen, please?
B: Of course, here you are.
A: May I have the bill, please? (May is more formal.)
B: Certainly, Madam.
I need is very direct and is usually used for urgent requests:
I need a doctor.
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I need the fire extinguisher. Fast!
I want is very direct and can sound impolite. We don’t normally use it to make requests unless we want to be
very direct:
I want to speak to the manager right now. I am not leaving here until I get my money back.
Asking someone to do something

There are a number of ways of asking someone to do something in a polite and indirect way. We often use
please to make our requests more polite:
Could you call a taxi for me, please?
Would you ask Rose whether she has signed the card, please?
Would you mind collecting my suit from the dry cleaner’s, please?
Do you think you could come in ten minutes early tomorrow, before the presentation?
We sometimes use can you and will you to make requests but they are more informal:
Mum, can you wake me at seven o’clock?
Will you send me an email tomorrow just to remind me to book a hotel?
We need is often used in work contexts by a boss or manager to ask for something to be done in a polite way:
We need to email the contract to Peter immediately.
We need someone to go to the meeting in Paris on Wednesday. Bill can’t go.
When we are not sure if someone will be able to do what we ask, we sometimes use you wouldn’t …, would
you? or you couldn’t …, could you?:
You wouldn’t drop this into the post office for me, would you?
You couldn’t stop at a bank machine, could you?
In formal letters and formal emails, we can use the following expressions:
I would be grateful if you could send me more information about the course.
We would be most grateful if you could send someone to meet us at the airport as we do not speak
Japanese.
Rejections & Denials:
How to politely decline…
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Deep down, it’s in human nature to be liked and seek affirmation from others. But, unfortunately, as hard as we
try, sometimes we have to disagree or refuse to do something and say no to the person on the other side. This
can be incredibly difficult for those people that fear backlash and want to be loved by all. So here are a few
ways to politely decline, whether it’s for work such as customer service or any other everyday situation.
1. Apologise first
This might seem like an odd piece of advice, especially if you objectively haven’t done anything wrong.
However, saying sorry before saying no has certain benefits. First, you let the other person know that there’s
bad news coming. Second, you’re showing empathy, which can soften even the hardest blows. That’s how you
simply politely decline.
I’m sorry, but we had to refuse your request to move to another department.
2. Don’t beat around the bush

If you create an elaborate answer to someone’s question just to refuse their plea, two things can happen.
a. One, they might think that you’re lying because of how detailed your answer is.
b. Two, they will find a way to talk you into saying yes by finding a loophole in your answer.
So, instead of taking ten minutes to explain why you’re saying no, make it quick and painless. It will be more
honest and there’s a smaller chance of an argument happening later on.
So, instead of: “I’m sorry, but I can’t drive you to the station tomorrow because my daughter has swimming
lessons and if she misses those, her chances of going to the state championship are in danger.” Simply say…
I’m sorry but I can’t help you, I have something planned out for tomorrow.
3. Use the actual word

Sometimes, sugarcoating can do more harm than good. Instead of finding ways to soften the blow, go ahead
and use the actual word with the person talking to you.
No, I’m afraid I can’t do that for you.

OR
That’s not possible at the moment.
OR
I would rather not get into that kind of situation.
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In this way, the person listening will have no doubt that your answer is negative. This is the easiest solution of
them all, but at the same time the riskiest because you may come off as blunt or too direct.
4. Say NO twice, if you have to

Sometimes, people will keep insisting after hearing you decline for the first time. They could think that it’s
possible to change your mind or that after enough convincing, you may give in. Simply (and politely) reaffirm
your negative answer.
As I said, I’m afraid I can’t help you at the moment.

OR
As I previously mentioned, we don’t give discounts to seniors.
5. Forward them to someone else

One situation where people don’t have a problem hearing no is when you send them to someone else who
might be of more help. That way, they won’t think of it as refusal, rather than help with getting what they
really need. Of course, first, make sure that the person you’re sending them to can do the actual task.
I can’t help you at the moment since I’m not an expert on tax, but Susan from accounting can give you a hand.
OR
While I can’t solve this problem immediately, I can connect you with someone from customer service to help
you out.
6. Mirror their request

Speaking of empathy, one of the best tactics for getting away with a negative answer is to assume the same
position as them. If it’s a difficult situation (or person) you’re dealing with, this can help in making your
response seem not that negative. Just like the previous scenario, you’re starting off nicely before refusing.
You’re right, we did take too long when processing your request. However, I cannot help you at this time.
OR
It’s true that we haven’t done enough for your case. However, I don’t think we can really help you out with your
request.
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7. Offer an alternative
Sure, getting no as an answer won’t feel that great to the person on the other end. However, if you give them
an alternative that seems equally good, they’ll probably accept the refusal a whole lot better.
I’m afraid I can’t give you a discount on a premium plan, but I can give you another month of free trial.
This is not always a possibility, as sometimes there is no alternative option. Also, bear in mind that giving an
alternative may open up more unnecessary discussion.
8. Get back to them

Oftentimes, someone’s request just isn’t possible to fulfil immediately. You may not know if it’s possible, you
need another person’s authorization or it could be something completely different. In these situations, tell the
person that you will check and get back to them at a later point in time. Of course, do make sure to actually
get back to them.
I can’t tell you where your shipment is at the moment, but I will check up on that and let you know sometime
tomorrow if that works for you.
OR
While I can’t help you out at the moment, you can check back tomorrow and see if we have any more of those
shoes in stock.
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Negotiation
1. What is negotiation for you?
2. Is every negotiation easy?
3. Do you know any negotiation techniques? Which ones?
Negotiation is a method by which people settle differences. It is a process by which compromise or agreement
is reached while avoiding argument and dispute.
In any disagreement, individuals understandably aim to achieve the best possible outcome for their position (or
perhaps an organisation they represent). However, the principles of fairness, seeking mutual benefit and
maintaining a relationship are the keys to a successful outcome.
Specific forms of negotiation are used in many situations: international affairs, the legal system, government,
industrial disputes or domestic relationships as examples. However, general negotiation skills can be learned
and applied in a wide range of activities. Negotiation skills can be of great benefit in resolving any differences
that arise between you and others.
Why Negotiate?
It is inevitable that, from time-to-time, conflict and disagreement will arise as the differing needs, wants, aims
and beliefs of people are brought together. Without negotiation, such conflicts may lead to argument and
resentment resulting in one or all of the parties feeling dissatisfied. The point of negotiation is to try to reach
agreements without causing future barriers to communications.
Stages of Negotiation
In order to achieve a desirable outcome, it may be useful to follow a structured approach to negotiation. For
example, in a work situation a meeting may need to be arranged in which all parties involved can come
together.
The process of negotiation includes the following stages:

1. Preparation
2. Discussion
3. Clarification of goals
4. Negotiate towards a Win-Win outcome
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5. Agreement
6. Implementation of a course of action
1. Preparation
Before any negotiation takes place, a decision needs to be made as to when and where a meeting will take
place to discuss the problem and who will attend. Setting a limited time-scale can also be helpful to prevent
the disagreement continuing.
This stage involves ensuring all the pertinent facts of the situation are known in order to clarify your own
position. In the work example above, this would include knowing the ‘rules’ of your organisation, to whom help
is given, when help is not felt appropriate and the grounds for such refusals. Your organisation may well have
policies to which you can refer in preparation for the negotiation.
Undertaking preparation before discussing the disagreement will help to avoid further conflict and
unnecessarily wasting time during the meeting.
2. Discussion
During this stage, individuals or members of each side put forward the case as they see it, i.e. their
understanding of the situation.
Key skills during this stage include questioning, listening and clarifying.
Sometimes it is helpful to take notes during the discussion stage to record all points put forward in case there
is need for further clarification. It is extremely important to listen, as when disagreement takes place it is
easy to make the mistake of saying too much and listening too little. Each side should have an equal
opportunity to present their case.
3. Clarifying Goals
From the discussion, the goals, interests and viewpoints of both sides of the disagreement need to be clarified.
It is helpful to list these factors in order of priority. Through this clarification it is often possible to identify or
establish some common ground. Clarification is an essential part of the negotiation process, without it
misunderstandings are likely to occur which may cause problems and barriers to reaching a beneficial
outcome.
4. Negotiate Towards a Win-Win Outcome

This stage focuses on what is termed a 'win-win' outcome where both sides feel they have gained something
positive through the process of negotiation and both sides feel their point of view has been taken into
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consideration.
A win-win outcome is usually the best result. Although this may not always be possible, through negotiation, it
should be the ultimate goal.
Suggestions of alternative strategies and compromises need to be considered at this point. Compromises are
often positive alternatives which can often achieve greater benefit for all concerned compared to holding to
the original positions.
5. Agreement
Agreement can be achieved once understanding of both sides’ viewpoints and interests have been considered.
It is essential for everybody involved to keep an open mind in order to achieve an acceptable solution. Any
agreement needs to be made perfectly clear so that both sides know what has been decided.
6. Implementing a Course of Action

From the agreement, a course of action has to be implemented to carry through the decision.
Failure to Agree
If the process of negotiation breaks down and agreement cannot be reached, then re-scheduling a further
meeting is called for. This avoids all parties becoming embroiled in heated discussion or argument, which not
only wastes time but can also damage future relationships.
At the subsequent meeting, the stages of negotiation should be repeated. Any new ideas or interests should be
taken into account and the situation looked at afresh. At this stage it may also be helpful to look at other
alternative solutions and/or bring in another person to mediate.
Informal Negotiation
There are times when there is a need to negotiate more informally. At such times, when a difference of opinion
arises, it might not be possible or appropriate to go through the stages set out above in a formal manner.
Nevertheless, remembering the key points in the stages of formal negotiation may be very helpful in a variety
of informal situations.
In any negotiation, the following three elements are important and likely to affect the ultimate outcome of the
negotiation:
1. Attitudes
2. Knowledge
3. Interpersonal Skills
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Attitudes
All negotiation is strongly influenced by underlying attitudes to the process itself, for example attitudes to the
issues and personalities involved in the particular case or attitudes linked to personal needs for recognition.
Always be aware that:

● Negotiation is not an arena for the realisation of individual achievements.
● There can be resentment of the need to negotiate by those in authority.
● Certain features of negotiation may influence a person’s behaviour, for example some people may
become defensive.
Knowledge
The more knowledge you possess of the issues in question, the greater your participation in the process of
negotiation. In other words, good preparation is essential.
Do your homework and gather as much information about the issues as you can.
Furthermore, the way issues are negotiated must be understood as negotiating will require different methods
in different situations.
Interpersonal Skills
Good interpersonal skills are essential for effective negotiations, both in formal situations and in less formal or
one-to-one negotiations. These skills include:
● Effective verbal communication.
● Listening.
● Reducing misunderstandings is a key part of effective negotiation.
● Rapport Building.
● Build stronger working relationships based on mutual respect.
● Problem Solving.
● Decision Making.
● Assertiveness.
● Assertiveness is an essential skill for successful negotiation.
● Dealing with Difficult Situations.
Speaking Exercise - Negotiation
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A customer is in the shop because he wants to change an item for one of a different colour. However, the
promotion is over and the item is not only more expensive, but also the items in the colour the customer wants
were always more expensive.
- Don’t forget to greet the customer properly and offer to help him. -
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Criticism - Creating And Answering Criticism
Taking the Positive From Negative Feedback:

How do you react to criticism? For many of us, our first reaction is often one of anger. After all, nobody enjoys
being told they haven't done well – and some of us go out of our way to avoid any kind of negative feedback!
When you respond to it with an open mind, however, you can use criticism to help you identify your
weaknesses, grow, and become more effective.
This article explains how to tell whether the criticism is fair or unfair, before offering tips on handling criticism
with good grace, and making it work for you.
How to Tell Fair From Unfair Criticism:

You'll likely respond in different ways to fair and unfair criticism, so you need to be able to distinguish between
the two.
Fair Criticism is given in a respectful, constructive and non-threatening way. It includes factual statements,
and focuses on actions to be taken, rather than on the person responsible for them.
For example, your boss might say to you after a presentation, "Your slides weren't as effective as they could
have been. If you'd had less text on them, people would have listened more to you, instead of just trying to read
your slides. Some extra pictures would make it more interesting next time, too."
Fair criticism represents an opportunity. Keep an open mind and, where possible, be willing to own up to your
mistakes and make efforts to recover from them. If the situation warrants it, always be prepared to apologize .
Finally, try not to dwell too much on any criticism you receive. Instead, take any positives from it that you can,
and then move on.
Unfair Criticism may be delivered in a harsh tone, using broad, unspecific terms or generalizations, and
possibly in a public place where there are other people listening. However, what really marks out criticism as
being unfair is when the criticisms "melt away" when you challenge them rationally.
Dealing With Your Initial Response to Criticism:

When we are criticized, it's easy to feel immediately defensive. Other reactions such as shock, embarrassment,
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hurt, fear, or crying are common too. After all, criticism implies that we've done something wrong, or that
we're not meeting the performance levels we should.
Your initial response is the most important one – it has the greatest scope for making things worse or better.
Here's our recommended approach for managing your emotions:
Step 1: Stay Calm

The first thing to do is remain calm, whether the criticism comes from a colleague or a boss. Negative criticism
can give rise to anger or feelings of inadequacy. Expressing these emotions will only dig you deeper into a hole
– and give your critic the high ground. It can also damage your reputation .
If you need more than a few seconds to calm down, then say so. Ask for some time to formulate your response
and come back with it later.
If you received the criticism by email, or on social media, don't press the "Reply" button straightaway.
Step 2: Repeat the Criticism

If the criticism is delivered face-to-face, simply and calmly repeat your critic's complaints back to them, to
make sure that you've understood them properly.
Make steady eye contact, and in a non-aggressive tone say, "So, what you're saying is…" and put the criticism in
your own words. The goal here is to take the focus away from your reaction and place it squarely on
substantive issues – without accepting or denying them.
A truly aggressive critic might be hoping to goad you into a fight, or at least to make you betray anger. Or they
may be expecting you to cave in and accept defeat.
Be factual and avoid exaggeration. That way, you'll come across as a reasonable person keen to resolve the
matter.
Step 3: Open Up Both Perspectives

Establish respect as a key element of the conversation. For example, you might say, "I can see how you might
get that idea, but I probably haven't explained properly." Do this and you'll show that you're willing to see
things from your critic's perspective. And you'll give them the opportunity to return the favor.
If the person offering criticism isn't being specific enough, then ask questions to find out what the real issue is.
If your boss says, "I didn't like your last report," then get details. What didn't they like about it?
Use active listening to really understand what your critic is saying, rather than nodding along, while waiting to
come in with your next response.
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Step 4: Move On Politely
If, despite your best efforts, your critic holds firm, then it's time for a graceful exit from the immediate
situation.
You might say, "That's certainly something to think about going forward, and I appreciate the feedback," or
something similar. This presents you as someone genuinely trying to do the best job possible – and places the
focus on future interactions.
Following Up on Your Initial Response

Now you've bought some time. If you still don't think that the criticism is fair, here are some steps for resolving
the situation in the longer term:
Step 1: Consider the Source

Is your critic a respected voice within the company, or do they continually attack others to shore up their own
lack of self-confidence?
If it's the latter, you may have already solved the problem by calmly repeating the criticism during the
meeting. However, your critic's opinion may carry weight within the organisation. Worse still, they may be your
boss.
Step 2: Suggest a Follow-up Meeting

One good idea might be to suggest a meeting to hash out your differences. Even if you find your critic's
reasoning flawed, don't discount the chance that you might have something to learn. The two of you might
come up with an improved strategy together, and you'll emerge from the interaction with a reputation as a
team player who pursues the best interests of the company.
Step 3: Ask for Help From an Authority

If your critic persists, and you're convinced that they're wrong, you might consider looking for buy-in from a
superior. (This is particularly important if you think you're being bullied .)
Be careful not to launch a personal attack. Instead, accurately portray both sides of the argument, and explain
that you understand their point of view, but that your side is better.
Be calm and rational. Even if your boss sides with your critic, you'll come off as someone who's measured, and
open to a range of perspectives.
Providing you and your critic both keep in mind the goals of the team, rather than your personal or
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professional differences, you should be able to agree on a positive way forward.
Handling Criticism From Your Boss:

What, though, if your critic is your boss? First, schedule a meeting, and hear them out. If they make sense,
then cede the point, and adjust your approach appropriately.
If you remain convinced that their criticisms fall wide of the mark, and they persist with them, graciously try
to bring them round to your view. Failing that, you might request a meeting with someone higher up the ladder.
Recognize, though, that you risk undermining your position further. Always make your case as calmly and
rationally as possible.
Handling Criticism When You're the Boss

What if one of your team members questions your performance? First, show that you've heard what they say,
and are thinking about it. Is the criticism fair, or are they just lashing out?
If the criticism is fair, act on it and show that you're doing so. Have the humility to acknowledge your failings,
and the confidence to do things differently.
If, on reflection, you think the criticism is unfair, challenge it calmly and rationally. Don't just pull rank and
shut down discussion. Your critic may have underlying grievances that you need to talk through.
Maintaining Your Self-Esteem

Being subjected to unfair criticism can be a bruising experience, however well you handle your critic. So, it's
important that you don't let the experience damage your self-esteem or self-confidence .
Sometimes, criticism is unfair because it's simply incorrect. And on other occasions, it's unfair because it's
about something that has no bearing on how you do your job. Either way, remember that it indicates
shortcomings in your critic, not in you.
If you find you continue to dwell on it, though, use the techniques of thought awareness, rational thinking and
positive thinking  to clarify in your own mind that you, your skills and your actions did not deserve the criticism
they received.
Key Points
There's a big difference between fair and unfair criticism, but sometimes the line between the two is hard to
see. Fair criticism can help you to grow and learn, while unfair criticism can drag you down.
It's natural to react strongly to unjust criticism, but this is rarely a wise career move. Stay calm, get your critic
to repeat the comments, and show that you understand them. If the criticism is based on a misunderstanding
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or a different perspective, you should be able to resolve the problem.
In more complicated situations, particularly when your critic is your boss, you should schedule a meeting to
discuss the criticism in full.
Module 2 - After-Sales Service
What Is After-Sales Service Support?

After-sales support, sometimes called after-sales service, is any service provided after a customer has
purchased a product. After-sales support may be provided by a retailer, manufacturer, or a third-party
customer service or training provider. Typically, examples of after-sales service include support regarding
warranty service, training, or repair and upgrades. After-sales support may also be considered to be part of a
company's overall marketing strategy. Some customers might seek out a company’s products based on its
after-sales service, for example, Best Buy Co.’s Geek Squad or Apple Inc.'s Apple Care.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
● After-sales service is any support provided to a customer after the product or service has already been
purchased.
● Companies use after-sales support as a business strategy as it typically leads to higher customer
satisfaction, brand loyalty, and even word-of-mouth-marketing.
● Examples of after-sales service include warranty service, training, or repair for a product.
Understanding After-Sales Service Support:

After-sales support helps ensure that a customer gets as much use and value as possible out of their purchase.
This may entail training on existing features or education about new uses or capabilities. The business
reasoning behind after-sales support is that it can contribute to brand loyalty and repeat sales; happier
customers tend to create repeat customers. Good after-sales services can also result in positive
word-of-mouth for a company. Poor after-sales support can prevent companies from achieving a good
customer satisfaction record and therefore growth.
After-Sales Support Examples:

Some examples of after-sales services include companies helping with the installation process (such as
computer software), maintaining products through free or discounted service (oil changes included with
purchase of a new car or via a paid-for service plan), or having a clear exchange and return policy and
providing a customer service number. Some other examples include:
Help Desk and Technical Support Services

Such after-sales support may come free with the purchase of an item and may also be sold as part of a more
comprehensive service plan, such as how Best Buy Co. sells Geek Squad computer-related service plans.
Service offered through a help or support desk may include technical assistance for personal computers,
mobile phones, software, machinery and a variety of other products.
Real-Time Online Support

Real-time online support includes email, chat, forums, and a social media interface (and monitoring) that
assists in responding to public complaints and criticisms. This may include handling returns or repairs.
Automated Customer Service Lines
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Automated customer service lines can give advice and solutions to frequent or even more complex issues and
questions. Typically, rather than employing more human customer service representatives, automated
responses and bots allow customers to easily access support at any time, either by phone or online.
Automated Support Resources

This may include easily-accessible online solutions that involve forums where customers may interact with
other users or experts, post questions, or search for answers.
After-Sales Support Best Practices

Customers who have a bad experience with a product have more venues than ever to publicly complain. As
such, companies should be proactive in reaching out to customers after a purchase is made to ensure that
their experience is as good as it can be. Reaching customers early can avoid product returns and public
complaints, which can lead to negative public perceptions. Such interaction should be ongoing, as well, and
give customers the opportunity to revalidate their decision to buy a product. Companies should also make it
easy for happy customers to share their experiences with their products, such as providing the opportunity to
post reviews, ideas and stories on social media.
How To Provide Unforgettable After-Sales Service:

Customer relations must be present in all stages of a business, including after-sales.
Valuing and being attentive to consumers is key so they’ll purchase a brand’s products again. In addition,
customers receiving good service may also act as promoters for your products and services, which increases
your business’ visibility.
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Salesman Posture In The After-Sales
When all that hard work you put into getting the sale actually works, you might not know what to do next.
Sometimes, salespeople don’t know when to stop selling, which can harm a deal they already made. Other
times, a salesperson might sing those sweet songs of sales and have customers eating from their hand. Either
way, there are several things that you can do after the sale that will help you maintain, and continue to grow,
that customer relationship.
1. Keep Your Promises

No matter the product or service, once a customer signs the dotted line, you are committed to delivering
everything you promised them. It is important to note that during the sales process it can be enticing to offer
some sweet perks to get the close, but these can wind up returning to haunt you if you can’t deliver. Aside
from looking as though you just wanted their money, if you deal-and-dash, the customer isn’t going to be
feeling too rosy about you. Even worse, you have harmed the reputation of your company. The moral of the
story is to always keep your promises.
2. Say Thank You

You know how it’s part of professional etiquette to message a ‘thank you’ letter to a potential employer after a
job interview? The same thing applies here with customers. You want to make sure you follow up with your
customers after the sale in a timely manner. This means no more than three days, tops. By thanking the
customer for their business, you add a personalized touch that is lacking in so many businesses. A little ‘thank
you’ will score you mega points with that customer, who is now more likely to come back to you when they
need your product or service.
3. Stay Focused
If you’re thinking of grabbing a drink to celebrate closing a sale, you wouldn’t be much different from most
salespeople. While nobody wants to rain on your parade, if you really want to succeed post-sale, you should go
to another prospect and try to close that sale. Oftentimes, salespeople will get into a sort of “zone” where they
can get multiple closes in a single day just by riding the wave of success from the prior sale. Many successful
salespeople hold off on drinks until the weekend and stay focused on closing as many sales as they can during
the week.
4. Find Referrals
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One of the best ways to stay alive in sales is through customer referrals. This is usually out of the hands of
salespeople, since referrals go from customer to customer. However, since you have a stellar reputation with
your customers, you should ask them directly if they know anyone else that could use your services. Even if
they don’t, they may keep an ear to the ground for you. You never know where your next customer will come
from. When you’re busy working on closing deals, sometimes it can be useful to switch to another task to a)
get into a different headspace so you don’t burn out, and b) to work ahead by lining up potential prospects.
Also, don’t discount any referrals until you’ve had an initial contact, because you never know if any of them are
potential customers.
5. Attempt to Upsell
After you make the sale, there will be a honeymoon period between the customer and the product or service.
They will see what they purchased in action, and hopefully there will be some tangible results that we can
reassure them of when we follow up. This is a perfect opportunity to try and upsell a customer. If the solution
you provided them with is working great, why not upgrade to the next level? However, be careful. This is
something that has to be done with finesse, or you risk souring the relationship with the customer. Try to
upsell too soon after the sale and your customer will feel intimidated. Try too late after the sale and your
customers may no longer be interested. Timing and attitude is key in getting the upsell.
6. Get Honest Feedback

After the sale is complete, you’re going to want to know how you did with the customer. One of the easiest
ways to gauge your performance is by sending your customers a detailed survey. Their answers would be to
specific questions regarding the sales experience they had. The questions should look for answers that can
provide qualitative analysis. These would likely be in the form of a short yet thorough questionnaire. You can
conduct these via email using any sufficient survey site, such as SurveyMonkey. The data you collect will be
invaluable in learning your strengths and weaknesses in the sales process. The more honest your customers
can be, the better the feedback is for you. You can also use this information in customer testimonials that go a
long way.
After-Sales Service Phases
After-Sales Service Tips That You Can Put Into Practice:

There are several metrics that entrepreneurs need to keep an eye on, and one of them is the Returning
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Customers metric, in other words, the number of people that have already purchased a product from you and
have come back to make a new purchase.
According to American marketing consultant Philip Kotler, attracting new customers costs 5 to 7 times more
than keeping the current ones.
Therefore, it’s worth investing in after-sales to create loyalty in customers that have already demonstrated an
interest in you and your product. Because this way, you won’t need to invest more in the acquisition of
customers, since those consumers are already part of your base.
1. Ask for buyer feedback

The concept of feedback is simple: reaction to a stimulus. When asked about their experience with the
purchased product, customers offer an opinion, which must be considered by the vendor.
Customer feedback serves as an indicator to evaluate the product’s usefulness, the degree of satisfaction,
cost-effectiveness and much more.
One good idea is contacting customers a week after they purchase a product and asking them what they
thought of the experience if they have any questions or had problems during its use.
It’s work emphasizing the importance of taking into account these opinions and answers provided by
customers when thinking about new products or improvements to existing ones.
2. Offer discounts
Everybody likes discounts, right? One of the most effective ways of engaging customers in after-sales is by
offering exclusive discounts and promotions.
In order to obtain better results, you can create campaigns for those customers who have demonstrated
interest or have consumed the brand’s products, such as offering coupons for those who visit your page for the
first time, thus encouraging them to buy.
3. Contact customers on special dates
Customers are normal people, full of feelings. Brands that contact customers on special dates, such as
birthdays, reveal their concern not only with sales but also with the person’s well-being.
Use commemorative dates to give “gifts” to your customers. Exclusive discounts and promotions on such
occasions are much appreciated.
If you don’t have sufficient resources to promote marketing actions, a simple “Happy Birthday” message will
have excellent results, because it helps to humanize your brand and bring it closer to the buyer.
4. Send consumers relevant content
Frequently sending relevant content strengthens your authority on the subject and shows that your business
can solve the problems faced by users.
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This is important because when consumers are prepared to make another purchase, they will remember the
company that kept in touch with them without asking for anything in return.
Ideally, 80% of posts, texts or videos produced by the company should be intended to answer customers’, or
potential customers’, questions, and only 20% should be material focused on the product and sales.
This means that the brand must always be nurturing its customers with articles, infographics, videos, and other
informative material.
5. Nurture leads via email
Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective content marketing techniques, because you deliver content
directly to the recipient’s inbox without algorithms limiting your message’s reach, as occurs with certain social
media.
Leads, on the other hand, are potential customers who have already demonstrated an interest in the brand,
whether purchasing a product or filling out a form on the website, for example.
That’s why email marketing is an essential tool in the after-sales phase to promote customer loyalty and
entice customers!
A good email marketing strategy is created in two steps:
● First, it is necessary to build a good email list consisting of users that authorize you to contact them.
Inserting capture forms in the blog can help you form your email list, but you can also create another
list by importing your Facebook followers’ contact information, for example.
● Then, you need to check in which step of the sales funnel those users are in order to send them
relevant content at that time (this is the concept of content marketing!).
It’s also necessary to be careful with the content, frequency, and language to be used.
Rather than simply bombarding subscribers with information-packed emails, you should produce relevant
content that truly provides information to recipients and encourages them to continue to relate to your brand.
6. Promote releases to those who have bought from you before
Promoting releases that prioritize existing customers is excellent for customer loyalty, because it
demonstrates that the brand cares and values old customers, giving them first-hand access to news involving
new products and services.
Exclusivity is one of the basic elements of customer loyalty.
When customers see themselves as being unique, they feel special. More than a product, they will be gaining
an experience that goes beyond a business relationship.
Cases such as the release of Apple products are perfect examples of this strategy, but on a global scale.
7. Have an efficient support service
In the same manner that companies contact customers, customers also contact companies.
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In after-sales support, contact can be related to the use of the purchased product, support and much more.
That’s why it’s important for the brand to maintain an open and functional communication channel, which can
meet the existing demand.
Abandoning customers after sales is one of the mistakes that cannot be made. They need support in order to
get the most out of the purchased product. Not to mention that they might be after information about new
products in order to buy other products of the brand.
Remember that a bad experience posted on the Internet can be enough to destroy a brand’s
reputation.
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Module 3: Methodology Of Solving Complaints
After-Sales Complaints
Why Do People Complain?
It can be helpful to better understand what causes this type of communication. People complain for a wide
variety of reasons. Some factors that play a role:
● Emotional regulation: Sometimes people complain as a way to manage their emotions. By "venting"
their feelings, they hope to lessen the severity of these distressing emotions.
● Mood: People may be more likely to complain when they are experiencing negative moods. The
problem with this is that people complain more when they are in a bad mood, and their constant
complaining then leads to further negative moods, creating a vicious cycle.
● Personality: Research suggests that certain personality traits play a role in how frequently people
complain. Perhaps not surprisingly, people who rate high on the trait called agreeableness are the
least likely to complain.
● Social factors: Other people can also influence how often people complain. Being around people who
tend to complain a lot can make people more likely to air their own grievances. Shared complaining
can also serve as a form of social bonding.
Customers are the lifeblood of your business. Without their approval, your business would never grow, which is
why customer service is so crucially important. More now than ever, thanks to the internet and social media,
people are becoming increasingly vocal about their experiences with businesses – whether it’s good or bad.
Unfortunately for customer-centric businesses, no matter how well you treat your customers and no matter
how efficiently you run your business, you will receive a customer complaint at some point.
Considering that only 1 out of 26 unhappy customers make a complaint to the company, and an unhappy
customer will tell about 15 people about their bad experience, chances are you’ve already lost some business
due to unhappy customers without even knowing it.
Nobody likes to handle customer complaints, but these sometimes painful occurrences can be a chance for you
and your business to shine. This is your opportunity to create a happy and loyal customer for life.
Positive Approach
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Excellent customer service should always be a priority, but in the unfortunate event that you receive a
customer complaint.
1. Stay Calm
It might be extremely difficult to do, you must stay calm when handling a customer complaint. This can be
hard, especially since your business is probably a point of immense pride for you. But don’t take the complaint
personally; it’s not a personal attack. Often, a customer complaint will highlight an area that you can improve
upon within your business.
Not only that, but getting upset, losing your cool, or yelling at a customer is never a good thing. You are more
likely to make good progress and satisfy your customer’s needs if you approach the problem with a calm state
of mind.
2. Listen
Frequently, if a customer comes to you with a problem, it means that they want to be heard. Even if the
complaint seems trivial to you, it clearly has some significance to them because they are taking their time to
reach out to you.
Sometimes people indeed complain just because they are having a bad day, but keep in mind that we all have
bad days and you never know what is going on in that person’s life.
Active listening techniques can, and should, be used with your customers all the time. Don’t assume that you
know what the customer wants or needs, and don’t dismiss them as trivial either. Hear them out and pay close
attention to what they’re saying. When frustrated, people can have difficulty expressing their concerns or what
they need from you to make them happy. Allowing your customer to talk will give him or her time to calm
down. Often, you can resolve an issue just by listening to your customers and allowing them to vent.
3. Be Kind
In most instances, you can diffuse anger and frustration by remaining kind and understanding. You can tell
your customer straight away that you appreciate them reaching out about their concerns and that you want to
understand exactly how they are feeling. A statement such as this from the get-go lets your customer know
that you truly care and that you are ready to listen. When a customer knows that you truly care, you are well
on your way to finding a reasonable resolution to the customer complaint.
4. Acknowledge the Issue

After you’ve heard them out, acknowledge the problem and repeat it back to the customer. Paraphrasing what
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your customer has said and repeating it back to them lets them know that you listened and that you
understand what the problem is.
Acknowledging the problem does not mean that you agree with what the customer has to say, it just means
that you understand them and respect where they are coming from. You can say things like, “I understand this
must be very frustrating for you,” or, “If I understand you correctly…” then follow up with the paraphrased
rendition of the complaint.
5. Apologize and Thank Them

It may feel difficult, but swallowing your pride and apologizing for your customer’s poor experience will put you
miles ahead of the game. As with acknowledgment, apologizing does not mean that you agree with the
customer, nor are you taking the blame.
It may seem counterintuitive, but thanking your customer for reaching out with their issue will also show that
you’re always trying to improve your business. It demonstrates that you understand where they are coming
from and that you are ready to resolve the problem for them.
6. Ask Questions
After you’ve listened to your customer’s complaint and the individual has had a chance to calm down, it’s your
turn to take the initiative and get all the facts. Now is the time that you can calmly start asking questions for
clarification. Start a genuine conversation with your customer. Between being kind, listening, acknowledging,
and apologizing, you will have started gaining your customer’s trust.
However, it is imperative that you do not ask questions that your customer has already answered. Making them
repeat themselves can heighten emotions again and make your customer feel like you weren’t listening in the
first place.
7. Make It Speedy
Once you’ve gathered all of the information you need, now is your chance to find a solution that makes
everyone happy, especially your customer. The faster you find a reasonable solution that everyone can agree
on, the happier your customer will be and you get to breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s important to be flexible here. While it’s important to follow your company protocols and guidelines, it’s
also important to be able to go the extra mile for your customers. Never offer a solution that you can’t follow
through on, as that will only set you back. Perhaps offering a small gift card or a discount on future purchases
will be enough to assuage the situation. You might also consider replacing the item for free or upgrading their
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future purchase or membership.
When trying to find a solution, give your employees enough freedom to make judgment calls independently.
Passing an upset customer up a chain of command may only make the situation worse, so it’s important to
avoid it when possible.
8. Document Their Responses

Complaints often include hidden opportunities for improving your product or service. Documenting them can
help you identify flaws, issues, and trends. It could be a product glitch that you need to immediately address.
Or maybe it’s a campaign-specific complaint that your marketing department can look into. Whatever the
case, make sure to record all customer complaints for future use.
With the complaints documented, you can bring them up in monthly and annual meetings to seek advice on
how to tackle the issue.
9. Follow Up
Contacting your angry customer after finding a solution for them might be the last thing you want to do, but
after all that hard work, following up with your customer is the icing on the cake for them. It lets them know
that their concerns are at the top of your mind, and it’s another way to show that you care.
During this follow-up, apologize again and make sure you’ve taken care of everything they needed. At this
point, if the customer is happy, there’s a really good chance that they will be returning to you for your services
and that they will tell their friends and family about you and how good your customer service is.
10. Come Out from Behind the Screen

Just because the internet has made it easier to provide customer service virtually doesn’t mean you should
always interact via live chat or email. If you’re offering a service – such as web development, copywriting, or
social media consultancy – it can pay to have a video call with your customers.
Although it doesn’t have the same effect as an actual face-to-face conversation, video conferencing still allows
you to convey emotions and non-verbal cues. This is a nice way to show that you really intend to help out and
solve the experience problem that led to the complaint.
Situation Analysis
Common Customer Complaints:

Customer complaints are usually rooted in legitimate problems. Even if you feel like you’ve done everything
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right the first time, you should always take every customer complaint seriously. Since we’ve gone over tips on
how to respond to customer complaints, let’s go ahead and take a look at the most common customer
complaints and how to solve them.
Product is out of stock or on backorder

It’s frustrating when you’re patiently waiting for a product to arrive on the shelves, only to be disappointed
over and over again when it never shows up in stock. Customers who are anxiously awaiting a specific product
may be calling you or emailing you over and over again to find out when or if you’ll restock the item.
Even though you may not know when you will have the product available again, you can help satisfy your angry
customer’s impatience by telling them that you will let them know when you get it in. Make sure you actually
follow through with your promise, though.
Lack of follow-through
Suppose you’ve promised your customer something and never get around to it. They call or email you and you
never respond. Sometimes all it takes is one ignored message or email and you suddenly have an angry
customer.
You can avoid this by staying on top of your emails and messages regularly, but no matter how on top of things
you are, there’s always the chance that something or someone will slip through the cracks and be forgotten.
We are all human after all.
If this happens to you, own up to your mistake and don’t lie about it. Apologize, then handle the issue right
then and there. Try to avoid putting the problem off any longer. Then make sure to follow up with them a few
days later after you’ve resolved the problem.
Customer service issues

It’s understandable for a customer to become frustrated when your customer service representatives don’t
know the ins and outs of your products or services, if your employees act disinterested, or if your customers
are straight-up ignored. If you carry a product or offer a service, both you and your employees are expected to
be the experts. When customers have questions that can’t be answered or if they can’t find someone to answer
their questions, you’ve got a problem.
Make sure your employees are well-acquainted with your products and services, as well as trained in customer
service. If the above does happen to you, you can assure your customer that customer service reps are
receiving training. Plus, offer to send additional information about the product. And be sure to address these
kinds of issues with the employee as well.
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Broken or defective product
It’s expected that a customer would complain if a product breaks or if the service does not meet their
expectation. If you’re not the product manufacturer, then this may not be your fault, but the customer might
blame you for it anyway. Or, due to misunderstanding how to use the product, they simply have a lack of
knowledge.
You can handle this by replacing or refunding the dysfunctional product. Find out what the customer needs,
then help them accomplish that with the chosen item or service. Or educate the customer if there’s a lack of
understanding of how the product or service works. Explainer videos work great for this purpose.
Be proactive
With the many social channels and forums available on the internet, there are a lot of opportunities and
platforms for customers to share feedback on.
Even if they do not complain directly to you, you can still find reviews and complaints online that you can
address. Sometimes, if left alone, these complaints can snowball and turn into a much bigger issue, so it’s
important to be proactive and address these as quickly as possible.
Remember that it’s okay to stand up for yourself

People complain. We all do it, but if a situation gets out of hand and if the customer is belligerent or
threatening you with bodily harm,you have every right to have them removed from the premises or discontinue
conversation with them. The old adage “The customer is always right” is not 100 percent true in today’s
customer service realm. You do not have to put up with being called names or being threatened.
Handling customer complaints is not fun for most of us, but if done in a warm, professional manner, chances
are both you and your customer will be satisfied with the outcome, and you’ll end up with a life-long customer.
How can customers complaint in Portugal?

Portugal is a country of peaceful people. As you know, the Portuguese used carnations instead of guns to rebel
against the dictatorship (25th April of 1975).
This historical fact serves as an example of what we believe to be the ideal complaint behavior: in most of the
situations that you are not happy with the supplied service or the product you should start by trying to solve
the situation diplomatically.
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Benefits of complaining in Portugal
The Portuguese usually do not appreciate complaining or receiving complaints.
Portuguese people tend to be very concerned with a bad reputation or ill comments. Additionally, there is the
mindset of the importance of keeping your job because of the economic situation and other ancient cultural
values. Therefore, the employees are not interested in receiving complaints about their job or the product they
sell.
Is complaining a good thing?

If you make a bad comment you will probably be compensated in some way (use this knowledge wisely!)
However, it is very important that you express your opinion because we are sure that it will be a huge
contribution to the improvement of the involved services/products.
What should I do if this approach does not work?

Use different on-site and online ways to complain in Portugal. If you can’t solve your problem using only
dialogue or if you feel that the error, mistake or any other situation is too egregious to leave it be, there are
some alternatives available.
1. Complain directly at the company’s website

Following the dialogue attempt and if you want to make your complaint more formal, you should search for the
company’s website.
Many times the websites have a proper form to complain and give improvement suggestions or an email where
to send your complaint. This is a good way to expose your problem to the right person inside the company.
Fast-tracking to where it matters
We all know that most times, the person who is in contact with the customer is not to blame for our
displeasure and/or doesn’t have the power to solve our problem or to help us. (Talk about killing the
messenger, right?)
Communicate with the support or complaint department

Most companies have specific departments and a quality management system that ensures the treatment of
the complaints, reporting them to the “decision-making” team inside the company.
This is a plan B that shows high effectiveness in Portugal because your voice gets fast-carried to the boss –
who definitely does not want a bad reputation and/or negative consequences for his company and will probably
do whatever it takes to make you happy.
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Complain to the Company’s Facebook Page
Another solution is to complain directly to the company’s Facebook page. Because of the high impact of social
media, companies are very keen to solve social complaints.
2. Report to Deco Proteste or to Portal da Queixa

If you still didn’t get a proper reply in a sensible time, you have to resort to other ways of showing your
dissatisfaction.
In Portugal, we have two main platforms which help the consumers with their complaints.
Deco Proteste
Deco Proteste is an organization that represents and defends the Portuguese consumers.
You should write your complaint in the “Reclamar” platform in Deco website. (Portuguese only)
You can send the complaint directly to the company or ask for juridical help.
If you choose this tool, you make your case visible on a list of public complaints. Frequently, it increases the
pressure on the company and helps consumers with similar situations. In many cases, the situations are solved
faster when the complaint is published.
Empowering your complaint at Deco Proteste

Deco advises the consumers to add their name to the complaint to give more weight to the complaint so that
the company knows that Deco is with you and that it can intervene in the case at any time.
You should describe the situation very well with all your arguments, and if you want, you can add a file to
support the case. The better you can explain the incident, the more chances you have to solve your problem.
Deco also has competent lawyers and a specialized team who clarifies the doubts of the consumers in any area
(such as telecommunications, public services, condominium, credit, tax, labour, and more.) and that can help
you solve these kinds of problems by telephone and e-mail:
+351 211 215 750 (to directly complain about a company)
decolx@deco.pt (for contacting Lisbon headquarters)
Portal da Queixa
Portal da Queixa is the consumer’s social network where you can share your experiences and follow the other
consumers’ complaints.
You will need to register your data and have a log in so that you can submit your complaint for free; it will then
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become public for everyone who visits the site.
As in Deco Proteste’s platform, the companies will feel pressured to solve the complaint, making this a very
effective tool.
3. Using the complaint book (or Red Book)

This is probably the most useful tool you have at your disposal.
Complaints book Portugal
If you have a situation that you cannot solve with dialogue, you should ask for the complaint book. All
commercial places or service suppliers must have one in their facilities, and it is mandatory to report each
page/ complaint to the Portuguese competent authorities. The access to the book must not be negated to you.
If it happens, you should call the police immediately.
If it is a well-substantiated complaint, the supplier could have to deal with very serious consequences, like
penalties or even being forced to close the establishment. We advise you to fulfill the complaint form on site
but you can also do it online (both ways are available in English). (Asking for the complaint book sometimes
might be enough!)
How do I fill my complaint in the complaint book?

To fulfill the complaint form, you should follow the steps below:
● Read the instructions of use;
● Use a pen and write in capital letters;
● Fill all of the fields properly;
● Keep in mind that the complaint will be analyzed by the competent authorities;
● Fulfill the passport/ identification number because without it you cannot search your complaint in the
RTIC website.
● Be objective and clear in the description of the complaint. You should only use the available space in
“the cause of complaint” field;
● Use only a page;
● Date and sign the form.
What happens next?

The pages of the form are in triplicate copies. The original must be submitted by the company to the
competent authority until 10 working days after the complaint. You should keep the duplicated or send it to
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the competent authority by yourself (e.a INFARMED, ASAE). The triplicate must remain in the book.
It is the responsibility of the regulatory authority to receive complaints and to implement proper procedures, if
applicable.
Solution Search & Solution
Offer Support
Support comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes it's simply listening to them even more, other times
it means exchanging a defective item for a new one. Support should not be black and white, though. If you
really listened to what they had to say, you should be able to suggest a handful of ways to support them - or
even better, one firm and perfectly ideal way to support them. You have to be the judge here on what works
best here - but keep in mind that support means giving the customer something in response to their complaint.
Be Flexible
If no resolution is available to make your customer happy or at the very least, content, then consider how else
you can help them. Possibly you make it a company policy to have $10 gift cards to a local coffee shop on hand
to give to upset customers (or even customers who you may see are having a bad day, did something nice for
another customer, etc.). Bonus tip? Ask your local coffee shop to give these to you for free or at a reduced
price as a gesture to get more people in their door. B2B marketing in local economies is always a great way to
help each other out. And in a case like this, getting creative and being flexible is key.
Make Sure Your Customers Hear What You Are Saying

After offering a resolution or identifying what you can - or cannot do - to accommodate any requests they may
have or simply to respond to the complaint they stated, ask the customer if they have understood what you
said. Make sure you do this in a non-demeaning way, but rather state your intent. Very simply, after all has
been discussed, ask your customer if they have understood how you can help them or for that matter, how you
are unable to do anything else to accommodate them.
Offer an Apology - With Gratitude Attached

The thing about saying "I'm sorry" is that a lot of people won't believe you - and even more importantly, you
may not even mean it. Your goal is to genuinely want to end your conversation with a sincere apology and yet
appreciation for your customer. Let them know you're sorry they were inconvenienced or disappointed or upset,
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then also thank them for giving you the chance to work it out with them. For many customers, this sincere
effort goes a long way. And for the customers who are still not satisfied, it still leaves an impression on them -
but only if you really mean it.
Follow Up
After you've said you're sorry, showed your appreciation and overall gave them the support they were hopefully
looking for, consider how else you can help support customers who complain. One way to do this is to have
upper management follow up with these customers 24 to 48 hours after they have expressed their complaint.
This is simply another way to show them you care, as well as it suggests you still have their complaint and
concerns top of mind. You can do this in a handwritten note sent to their home address - if you have this
information - or pick up the phone and call them personally. If this is part of your protocol, be sure to ask for
these contact details from them so you can use them later.
Move On
When all is said and done, you can't dwell on customer complaints in order to move on and forward with your
next tasks on hand. Most businesses are bound to get them every now and again since very simply, you can't
please everyone. This said, if customer complaints are a normal routine for your business, you need to dwell on
them. All businesses, however, should have a plan of attack - no pun intended - to help navigate how to handle
customer complaints as seamlessly, professionally and graciously as possible. In return? Customers who give
you another chance and tell their friends, family, co-workers and more about the strong customer care they
received from your team. This old-fashioned type of marketing never goes out of style, after all.
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Appendix - Grammar Review
Positive Negative Question
subject + do / does + not + verb (question word +) do / does + subject + verb?

Present Simple subject + verb (+ s ) - I eat. She eats toast. I don’t eat toast. Do you eat breakfast every day?
She doesn’t eat fish. When does she eat lunch?
subject + am / is / are subject + am / is / are + not (question word +) am / is / are + subject…?

Present Simple with ‘be’ I am hungry. I’m not hungry. Is he at home?
She is in a cafe. She isn’t happy Why are you hungry?
subject + am / is / are + verb-ing subject + am / is / are + not + verbing (question word +) am / is / are + subject + verb-ing?
Present Continuous She’s eating toast. He isn’t eating. When are they eating?
They are eating lunch now. We are not eating at home Is he eating now?
subject + have / has + past participle subject + have / has + not + past participle (question word +) have / has + subject + past participle?
Present Perfect I’ve eaten breakfast. We haven’t eaten yet. What have you eaten today?
He has eaten lunch. She hasn’t eaten the chocolate Has she eaten lunch?
subject + have / has + been + verb-ing subject + have / has + not + been + verb-ing (question word +) have / has + subject + been + verb-ing?
Present Perfect
I’ve been eating. They haven’t been eating. What has she been eating?
Continuous
She’s been eating biscuits all day He has not been eating toast. Have they been eating breakfast?
subject + past simple (verb +ed)

subject + did + not + verb She didn’t eat anything. They did (question word +) did + subject + verb? Did you eat the
Past Simple I ate an apple.
not eat breakfast chocolate? What did they eat for lunch?
She ate some rice.
subject + was / were subject + was / were + not (question word +) was / were + subject…?
Past Simple with ‘be’ I was hungry. We weren’t hungry. Why was she hungry?
They were in a restaurant. She wasn’t at home. Were you hungry?
subject + was / were + verb-ing (question word +) was / were + subject + verb-ing?
subject + was / were + not + verbing You weren’t eating.
Past Continuous I was eating. Where were you eating?
She wasn’t eating a sandwich
They were eating lunch. Was she eating an apple?
subject + had + past participle (question word +) had + subject + past participle
subject + had + not + past participle We hadn’t eaten.
Past Perfect I had eaten. Why had you eaten?
He had not eaten an apple
She’d eaten lunch. Had they eaten fish before?
subject + had + been + verb-ing subject + had + not + been + verb-ing (question word +) had + subject + been + verb-ing?
Past Perfect Continuous I had been eating chocolate all day. She’d been eating I hadn’t been eating. Why had he been eating?
breakfast. She hadn’t been eating an apple. Had they been eating enough fruit?
subject + will + verb subject + will + not + verb (question word +) will + subject + verb?
Future Simple I will eat later. We won’t eat anything tonight. What will you eat for lunch?
She will eat at home. He will not eat fish. Will she eat meat?
subject + will + be + verb-ing (question word +) will + subject + be + verb-ing?

subject + will + not + be + verb-ing They won’t be eating.
Future Continuous I will be eating at 8pm. What will you be eating?
He will not be eating anything.
She will be eating a sandwich. Will they be eating at 6pm?
subject + will + have + past participle subject + will + not + have + past participle He won’t have (question word +) will + subject + have + past participle?
Future Perfect I will have eaten lunch by 3 o’clock. She’ll have eaten all eaten lunch yet. They will not have eaten their When will you have eaten?
the chocolate. sandwiches. Will she have eaten dinner by nine?
subject + will + have + been + verb-ing subject + will + not + have + been + verb-ing (question word +) will + subject + have + been + verb-ing?
Future Perfect Continuous They will have been eating fruit. We’ll have been eating all I won’t have been eating fish. What will she have been eating? Will you have been
day. They will not have been eating lunch. eating chocolate?
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Present Simple
Present Uses
1: We use the present simple when something is generally or always true.
● People need food.
● It snows in winter here.
● Two and two make four.
2: Similarly, we need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent. (See the present continuous for
temporary situations.)
● Where do you live?
● She works in a bank.
● I don't like mushrooms.
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3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency (such as 'often', 'always' and
'sometimes') in this case, as well as expressions like 'every Sunday' or 'twice a month'. (See the present continuous for new, temporary
or annoying habits).
● Do you smoke?
● I play tennis every Tuesday.
● I don't travel very often.
4: We can also use the present simple for short actions that are happening now. The actions are so short that they are finished
almost as soon as you've said the sentence. This is often used with sports commentary.
● He takes the ball, he runs down the wing, and he scores!
Future Uses
5: We use the present simple to talk about the future when we are discussing a timetable or a fixed plan. Usually, the timetable is
fixed by an organisation, not by us.
● School begins at nine tomorrow.
● What time does the film start?
● The plane doesn't arrive at seven. It arrives at seven thirty.
6: We also use the present simple to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as soon as'. These are
sometimes called subordinate clauses of time.
● I will call you when I have time. (Not 'will have'.)
● I won't go out until it stops raining.
● I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news.
Conditional Uses
7: We use the present simple in the first and the zero conditionals.
● If it rains, we won't come.
● If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
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Present Continuous
Present Uses
1: First, we use the present continuous for things that are happening at the moment of speaking. These things usually last for quite a
short time and they are not finished when we are talking about them.
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● I'm working at the moment.
● Please call back as we are eating dinner now.
● Julie is sleeping.
2: We can also use this tense for other kinds of temporary situations, even if the action isn't happening at this moment.
● John's working in a bar until he finds a job in his field. (He might not be working now.)
● I'm reading a really great book.
● She's staying with her friend for a week.
Compare this with the present simple, which is used for permanent situations that we feel will continue for a long time.
● I work in a school. (I think this is a permanent situation.)
● I'm working in a school. (I think this is a temporary situation.)
3: We can use the present continuous for temporary or new habits (for normal habits that continue for a long time, we use the
present simple). We often use this with expressions like 'these days' or 'at the moment'.
● He's eating a lot these days.
● She's swimming every morning (she didn't use to do this).
● You're smoking too much.
4: Another present continuous use is for habits that are not regular, but that happen very often. In this case we usually use an adverb
like 'always', 'forever' or 'constantly'. Often, we use the present continuous in this way to talk about an annoying habit.
● You're forever losing your keys!
● She's constantly missing the train.
● Lucy's always smiling!
Future Uses
5: The next use is for definite future arrangements (with a future time word). In this case we have already made a plan and we are
pretty sure that the event will happen in the future.
● I'm meeting my father tomorrow.
● We're going to the beach at the weekend.
● I'm leaving at three.
We can't use this tense (or any other continuous tense) with stative verbs.
Present Perfect Simple:
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We use this tense for unfinished and finished actions.
Unfinished Actions
1: We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions or states or habits that started in the past and continue to the
present. Usually we use it to say 'how long' and we need 'since' or 'for'. We often use stative verbs.
● I've known Karen since 1994.
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● She's lived in London for three years.
● I've worked here for six months.
'Since' and 'For'
We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year). The fixed time can be another action, which is in the past
simple (since I was at school, since I arrived).
● I've known Sam since 1992.
● I've liked chocolate since I was a child.
● She's been here since 2pm.
We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months).
● I've known Julie for ten years.
● I've been hungry for hours.
● She's had a cold for a week.
Finished Actions
2: Life experience. These are actions or events that happened sometime during a person's life. We don't say when the experience
happened, and the person needs to be alive now. We often use the words 'ever' and 'never' here.
● I have been to Tokyo.
● They have visited Paris three times.
● We have never seen that film.
3: With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today). The period of time is still continuing.
● I haven't seen her this month.
● She's drunk three cups of coffee today.
● I've already moved house twice this year!
We CAN'T use the present perfect with a finished time word.
● NOT: I've seen him yesterday.
4: A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result). We often use the present perfect to talk about something that
happened in the recent past, but that is still true or important now. Sometimes we can use the past simple here, especially in US
English.
● I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).
● She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).
● They've missed the bus (so they will be late).
5: We can also use the present perfect to talk about something that happened recently, even if there isn't a clear result in the
present. This is common when we want to introduce news and we often use the words 'just / yet / already / recently'. However, the
past simple is also correct in these cases, especially in US English.
● The Queen has given a speech.
● I've just seen Lucy.
● The Mayor has announced a new plan for the railways.
Been and Gone
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In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly different circumstances. We use 'been' (often
when we talk about life experience) to mean that the person we're talking about visited the place and came back.
● I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).
● She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).
● They have never been to California.
We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the present) to mean that the person went to the place and
is at the place now.
● Where's John? He's gone to the shops (he's at the shops now).
● Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).
● They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).
Present Perfect Continuous
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Unfinished actions
1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. We often use this with 'for' and 'since'.
● I've been living in London for two years.
● She's been working here since 2004.
● We've been waiting for the bus for hours.
This use is very similar to how we use the present perfect simple, and often it's possible to use either tense. Of course, with stative
verbs, we can't use the present perfect continuous.
● I've been here for hours.
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● NOT: I've been being here for hours.
2: For temporary habits or situations. The action started in the past and continues to the present in the same way as with use number
1, but we don't answer the questions about 'how long' so clearly. Instead, we use a word like 'recently'.
● I've been going to the gym a lot recently.
● They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
● I've been reading a lot recently.
This is very similar to the use of the present continuous for temporary habits and often either tense is possible.
Finished actions
3: Actions which have recently stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and have a result, which we can often see, hear,
or feel, in the present. We don't use a time word here.
● I'm so tired, I've been studying.
● I've been running, so I'm really hot.
● It's been raining so the pavement is wet.
The present perfect simple has a very similar use, which focuses on the result of the action, whereas the present perfect continuous
focuses on the action itself.
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Past Simple
This is the basic past tense. We use it whenever we want to talk about the past and we don't have any special situation that means
we should use the past perfect, present perfect or past continuous.
Finished actions, states or habits in the past.

1: We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past when we have a finished time word (yesterday, last week, at 2 o'clock,
in 2003).
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● I went to the cinema yesterday.
● We spent a lot of time in Japan in 2007.
2: We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past when we know from general knowledge that the time period has
finished. This includes when the person we are talking about is dead.
● Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.
● The Vikings invaded Britain.
3: We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past that we have introduced with the present perfect or another tense. This
is sometimes called 'details of news'.
● I've hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder when I was painting my bedroom.
● I've been on holiday. I went to Spain and Portugal.
4: For stories or lists of events, we often use the past simple for the actions in the story and the past continuous for the background.
● He went to a café. People were chatting and music was playing. He sat down and ordered a coffee.
Unreal or imaginary things in the present or future.

5: We use the past simple to talk about things that are not real in the present or future. So we use it with the second conditional and
after words like 'wish'.
● If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
● I wish I had more time!
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Past Continuous
1: An action in the past which overlaps another action or a time. The action in the past continuous starts before and often continues
after the other shorter action or time.
● I was walking to the station when I met John. (I started walking before I met John, and maybe I continued afterwards.)
● At three o'clock, I was working. (I started before three o'clock and finished after three o'clock.)
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2: In the same way, we can use the past continuous for the background of a story. (We often use the past simple for the actions.) This
is really a specific example of Use 1.
● The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafés people were laughing and chatting. Amy sat down and took out
her phone.
3: Temporary habits or habits that happen more often than we expect in the past. We often use 'always', 'constantly' or 'forever' here.
This is the same as the way we use the present continuous for habits, but the habit started and finished in the past. This thing doesn't
happen now.
● He was always leaving the tap running.
● She was constantly singing.
4: To emphasise that something lasted for a while. This use is often optional and we usually use it with time expressions like 'all day'
or 'all evening' or 'for hours'.
● I was working in the garden all day.
● He was reading all evening.
Remember you can't use this tense or any continuous tense with stative verbs.
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Past Perfect
1: A finished action before a second point in the past.

● When we arrived, the film had started (= first the film started, then we arrived).
We usually use the past perfect to make it clear which action happened first. Maybe we are already talking about something in the
past and we want to mention something else that is further back in time. This is often used to explain or give a reason for something
in the past.
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● I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.
● It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive.
If it's clear which action happened first (if we use the words 'before' or 'after', for example), the past perfect is optional.
● The film started before we arrived / the film had started before we arrived.
2: Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. The past perfect tells us 'how long', just
like the present perfect, but this time the action continues up to a point in the past rather than the present. Usually we use 'for +
time'. We can also use the past perfect continuous here, so we most often use the past perfect simple with stative verbs.
● When he graduated, he had been in London for six years. (= He arrived in London six years before he graduated and lived
there until he graduated, or even longer.)
● On the 20th of July, I'd worked here for three months.
3: To talk about unreal or imaginary things in the past. In the same way that we use the past simple to talk about unreal or imaginary
things in the present, we use the past perfect (one step back in time) to talk about unreal things in the past. This is common in the
third conditional and after 'wish'.
● If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.
● She would have passed the exam if she had studied harder.
● I wish I hadn't gone to bed so late!
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Past Perfect Continuous
Here's how to make the past perfect continuous. It's 'had' + been (the past participle of 'be')+ verb-ing
Firstly, let's look at the positive form:
● I had been living
● You had been going
● She had been sleeping
● He had been working
● It had been raining
● We had been studying
● They had been cooking
The short form is: 'd been verb-ing. Be careful, because the short form for 'would' is also 'd. However, 'would' is always followed by
the infinitive, but 'had' is followed by the past participle.
Next, the negative form:
● I had not been trying (I hadn't been..)
● You had not been working (you hadn't been..)
● She had not been crying (she hadn't been..)
● He had not been shopping (he hadn't been..)
● It had not been snowing (it hadn't been..)
● We had not been reading (we hadn't been..)
● They had not been running (they hadn't been..)
It's pretty easy to make the question too.
'Yes / no' questions:
● Had I been working?
● Had you been sleeping?
● Had she been reading?
● Had he been watching TV?
● Had it been raining?
● Had we been drinking?
● Had they been eating?
'Wh' questions:
● Where had I been working?
● How long had you been sleeping?
● What had she been reading?
● How long had he been watching TV?
● How long had it been raining?
● What had we been drinking?
● Why had they been eating?
Future Simple
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Will
1: We use the future simple with 'will' to predict the future. It is the basic way we talk about the future in English, and we often use it
if there is no reason to use another future tense. We can use it for future facts and for things that are less certain.
● The sun will rise at 7am.
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● I think the Conservatives will win the next election.
2: Promises / requests / refusals / offers. This is sometimes called 'volitional' will. It's about wanting to do something or not wanting
to do something in the future.
● I'll help you with your homework.
● Will you give me a hand?
● I won't go!
In a similar way, we often use 'will' when we're talking about a decision at the moment of speaking. We are usually making an offer or
promise or talking about something that we want to do.
● A: I'm cold. B: I'll close the window.
3: We use the simple future with 'will' in the first conditional, and in other sentences that have a conditional feeling.
● If it doesn't rain, we'll go to the park.
● Let's arrive early. That will give us time to relax.
Shall
'Shall' is used mainly in the forms 'shall I?' and 'shall we?' in British English. These forms are used when you want to get someone's
opinion, especially for offers and suggestions.
● Shall I open the window? (= Do you want me to open the window?)
● Where shall we go tonight? (= What's your opinion?)
Be going to
1: We often use 'be going to' to talk about our future intentions and plans. We have usually made our plans before the moment of
speaking.
● A: We've run out of milk. B: I know, I'm going to buy some.
2: We can also use 'be going to' to make a prediction about the future. Often it's possible to use both 'be going to' and 'will' but it's
more common to use 'be going to' if we can see evidence in the present.
● Look at those boys playing football! They're going to break the window.
● The sky is getting darker and darker. It's going to rain.
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Future Continuous
1: We use the future continuous to talk about an action in the future that overlaps another, shorter action or a time. The action in the
future continuous usually starts before and might continue after the second action or time. This is very similar to how we use the
past continuous in the past. The verb after 'when' is usually in the present simple.
● I'll be waiting when you arrive.
● At eight o'clock, I'll be eating dinner.
2: We can use the future continuous to talk about something that will happen if everything happens as we expect. This is sometimes
called future as a matter of course. It's usually possible to choose the future simple as well, but we often choose the future
continuous because then it's clear that we are not making a request or offer.
● The Government will be making a statement later.
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● When will you be leaving? (This is more polite than 'when will you leave?' because it's definitely not a request for you to
leave.)
Remember, we can't use the future continuous with stative verbs, so if we want to use a stative verb in one of the situations where
we need to use the future continuous, then we use the future simple with 'will'.
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Future Perfect
1: We use the future perfect to say 'how long' for an action that starts before and continues up to another action or time in the future.
Usually we need 'for'. We can also use the future perfect continuous here so we often use the future perfect simple with stative
verbs. If we use 'when', we usually need the present simple.
● When we get married, I'll have known Robert for four years.
● At 4 o'clock, I'll have been in this office for 24 hours.
Sometimes we could also use the present perfect in the same situation. But we like to use the future perfect to make the time an
easy number.
● I've lived here for 11 months and three weeks. (This is correct, but the time is not an easy number.)
● On Tuesday, I will have lived here for one year. (A much easier number.)
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2: We use the future perfect with a future time word, (and often with 'by') to talk about an action that will finish before a certain time
in the future, but we don't know exactly when.
● By 10 o'clock, I will have finished my homework. (= I will finish my homework some time before 10, but we don't know
exactly when.)
● By the time I'm sixty, I will have retired. (= I will retire sometime before I'm sixty. Maybe when I'm fifty-nine, maybe when
I'm fifty-two.)
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Future Perfect Continuous
1: Just like with the other perfect continuous tenses (and the future perfect simple), we can use the future perfect continuous to
say 'how long' for an action that continues up to another point in the future. The second point can be a time or another action.
Generally, we need 'for + length of time' and if we use 'when' or 'by the time', we usually use the present simple.
● In April, she will have been teaching for twelve years.
● By the time you arrive, I'll have been cooking for hours!
In the same way as with the future perfect simple, we often use the future perfect continuous because we like easy numbers. It's
also possible to use the present perfect continuous, but then we get a more complicated number.
● I've been working here for 11 months and three weeks. (This is correct, but the time is not an easy number.)
● On Tuesday, I will have been working here for one year. (A much easier number.)
2: We can use the future perfect continuous, like the other perfect continuous tenses, to talk about something that finishes just
before another time or action (in this case, in the future). It's often used because there will be a result at the second point in the
future. (Again, if we use 'when' we usually need the present simple.)
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● When I see you, I'll have been studying, so I'll be tired.
Stative Verbs
Some English verbs, which we call state, non-continuous or stative verbs, aren't used in continuous tenses (like the present
continuous, or the future continuous). These verbs often describe states that last for some time. Here is a list of some common ones:
Stative (or State) Verb List
like know belong
love realise fit
hate suppose contain
want mean consist
need understand seem
prefer believe depend
agree remember matter
mind recognise see
own appear look (=seem)
sound taste smell
hear astonish deny
disagree please impress
satisfy promise surprise
doubt think (=have an opinion) feel (=have an opinion)
wish imagine concern
dislike be have
deserve involve include
lack measure (=have length etc) possess
owe weigh (=have weight)
A verb which isn't stative is called a dynamic verb, and is usually an action.
Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:
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Be
be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means 'behaving' or 'acting'
● you are stupid = it's part of your personality
● you are being stupid = only now, not usually
Think
● think (stative) = have an opinion

I think that coffee is great
● think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head
what are you thinking about? I'm thinking about my next holiday
Have
● have (stative) = own

I have a car
● have (dynamic) = part of an expression
I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break
See
● see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand

I see what you mean
I see her now, she's just coming along the road
● see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with
I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years
I'm seeing Robert tomorrow
Taste
● taste (stative) = has a certain taste

This soup tastes great
The coffee tastes really bitter
● taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting
The chef is tasting the soup
('taste' is the same as other similar verbs such as 'smell')
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Modal Verbs
Here's a list of the modal verbs in English:
can could may might will
would must shall should ought to
Modals are different from normal verbs:

1: They don't use an 's' for the third person singular.
2: They make questions by inversion ('she can go' becomes 'can she go?').
3: They are followed directly by the infinitive of another verb (without 'to').
Probability:
First, they can be used when we want to say how sure we are that something happened / is happening / will happen. We often call
these 'modals of deduction' or 'speculation' or 'certainty' or 'probability'.
For example:
● It's snowing, so it must be very cold outside.
● I don't know where John is. He could have missed the train.
● This bill can't be right. £200 for two cups of coffee!
Ability:
We use 'can' and 'could' to talk about a skill or ability.
For example:
● She can speak six languages.
● My grandfather could play golf very well.
● I can't drive.
Obligation and Advice:

We can use verbs such as 'must' or 'should' to say when something is necessary or unnecessary, or to give advice.
For example:
● Children must do their homework.
● We have to wear a uniform at work.
● You should stop smoking.
Permission:
We can use verbs such as 'can', 'could' and 'may' to ask for and give permission. We also use modal verbs to say something is not
allowed.
For example:
● Could I leave early today, please?
● You may not use the car tonight.
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● Can we swim in the lake?
Habits:
We can use 'will' and 'would' to talk about habits or things we usually do, or did in the past.
For example:
● When I lived in Italy, we would often eat in the restaurant next to my flat.
● John will always be late!
Past modals:
The past modals 'could have + past participle', 'should have + past participle' and 'would have + past participle' can be confusing.
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Reported Speech
Reported Statements
When do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight". Later, maybe
we want to tell someone else what the first person said.
Here's how it works:
We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:
● Direct speech: I like ice cream.

● Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need
to change words like 'my' and 'your'.
But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:
● Direct speech: I like ice cream.

● Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.
Tense Direct Speech Reported Speech
present simple I like ice cream She said (that) she liked ice cream
present continuous I am living in London She said (that) she was living in London.
past simple I bought a car She said (that) she had bought a car OR She
said (that) she bought a car.
past continuous I was walking along the street She said (that) she had been walking along
the street.
present perfect I haven't seen Julie She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie.
past perfect* I had taken English lessons before She said (that) she had taken English lessons
before.
will I'll see you later She said (that) she would see me later.
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would* I would help, but..” She said (that) she would help but...
can I can speak perfect English She said (that) she could speak perfect
English.
could* I could swim when I was four She said (that) she could swim when she was
four.
shall I shall come later She said (that) she would come later.
should* I should call my mother She said (that) she should call her mother
might* I might be late She said (that) she might be late
must I must study at the weekend She said (that) she must study at the weekend
OR She said she had to study at the weekend
* doesn't change.
Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true (but this is only
for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):
● Direct speech: The sky is blue.

● Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.
Reported Questions
So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?
● Direct speech: Where do you live?

How can we make the reported speech here?
In fact, it's not so different from reported statements. The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word. The very
important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more. So we need to change the
grammar to a normal positive sentence. A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:
● Direct speech: Where do you live?
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● Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
The direct question is in the present simple tense. We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so I need to take that away.
Then I need to change the verb to the past simple.
Another example:
● Direct speech: Where is Julie?
● Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
The direct question is the present simple of 'be'. We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the
position of)the subject and verb. So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple.
Here are some more examples:
Direct Question Reported Question
Where is the Post Office, please? She asked me where the Post Office was.
What are you doing? She asked me what I was doing.
Who was that fantastic man? She asked me who that fantastic man had been.
So much for 'wh' questions. But, what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question words to help us.
Instead, we use 'if':
● Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
● Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.
Here are a few more examples:
Direct Question Reported Question
Do you love me? He asked me if I loved him.
Have you ever been to Mexico? She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico.
Are you living here? She asked me if I was living here.
Reported Requests
There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:
● Direct speech: Close the window, please

● Or: Could you close the window please?
● Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word when we tell another person about it. We simply
use 'ask me + to + infinitive':
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● Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
Here are a few more examples:
Direct Request Reported Request
Please help me. She asked me to help her.
Please don't smoke. She asked me not to smoke.
Could you bring my book tonight? She asked me to bring her book that night.
Could you pass the milk, please? She asked me to pass the milk.
Would you mind coming early tomorrow? She asked me to come early the next day.
To report a negative request, use 'not':
● Direct speech: Please don't be late.

● Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.
Reported Orders
And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly
to do something. For example:
● Direct speech: Sit down!

In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request. We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':
● Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Direct Order Reported Order
Go to bed! He told the child to go to bed.
Don't worry! He told her not to worry.
Be on time! He told me to be on time.
Don't smoke! He told us not to smoke.
Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do
this, however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech.
For example:
It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".
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If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".
If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".
If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on Monday".
If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".
So, there's no easy conversion. You really have to think about when the direct speech was said.
Here's a table of some possible conversions:
now then / at that time
today yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June
yesterday the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday / the 5th of December
last night the night before, Thursday night
last week the week before / the previous week
tomorrow today / the next day / the following day / Friday
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Passive Voice
An active sentence like I drank two cups of coffee has the subject first (the person or thing that does the verb), followed by the
verb, and finally the object (the person or thing that the action happens to).
So, in this example, the subject is 'I', the verb is 'drank' and the object is 'two cups of coffee'.
But, we don't always need to make sentences this way. We might want to put the object first, or perhaps we don't want to say who
did something. This can happen for lots of reasons (see the explanation further down the page). In this case, we can use a passive,
which puts the object first:
● Two cups of coffee were drunk (we can add 'by me' if we want, but it isn't necessary).
How to make the Passive in English

We make the passive by putting the verb 'to be' into whatever tense we need and then adding the past participle. For regular verbs,
we make the past participle by adding 'ed' to the infinitive. So play becomes played.
Tense Active Passive
present simple I make a cake. A cake is made (by me).
present continuous I am making a cake. A cake is being made (by me).
past simple I made a cake. A cake was made (by me).
past continuous I was making a cake. A cake was being made (by me).
present perfect I have made a cake. A cake has been made (by me).
pres. perf. continuous I have been making a cake. A cake has been being made (by me).
past perfect I had made a cake. A cake had been made (by me).
future simple I will make a cake. A cake will be made (by me).
future perfect I will have made a cake. A cake will have been made (by me).
Verbs with two objects

Some verbs that have two objects can make two different active sentences, and so two different passive sentences too:
Give
● Active: He gave me the book / He gave the book to me.

You can choose either of the two objects to be the subject of the passive sentence.
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● Passive: I was given the book (by him)/ The book was given to me (by him).
Other verbs like this are: ask, offer, teach, tell, lend, promise, sell, throw.
The passive in subordinate clauses

You can make the passive in a subordinate clause that has a subject and a normal conjugated verb. This is really the same as a
normal passive.
● Active: I thought that Mary had kissed John.
● Passive: I thought that John had been kissed by Mary.
● Active: He knew that people had built the church in 1915.
● Passive: He knew that the church had been built in 1915.
You can also make the passive using a passive gerund or a passive infinitive in the same place as a normal gerund or infinitive.
● The child loves being cuddled.
● She would like to be promoted.
When should we use the Passive?

1. When we want to change the focus of the sentence:
○ The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting than the artist in this
sentence)
2. When who or what causes the action is unknown or unimportant or obvious or 'people in general':
○ He was arrested (obvious agent, the police).
○ My bike has been stolen (unknown agent).
○ The road is being repaired (unimportant agent).
○ The form can be obtained from the post office (people in general).
3. In factual or scientific writing:
○ The chemical is placed in a test tube and the data entered into the computer.
4. In formal writing instead of using someone/ people/ they (these can be used in speaking or informal
writing):
○ The brochure will be finished next month.
5. In order to put the new information at the end of the sentence to improve style:
○ Three books are used regularly in the class. The books were written by Dr. Bell. ('Dr. Bell wrote the books' sound
clumsy)
6. When the subject is very long:
○ I was surprised by how well the students did in the test. (More natural than: 'how well the students did in the test
surprised me')
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Prepositions
How can we use these little words correctly?
Prepositions are used in many different ways in English - perhaps that's why a lot of people have problems with them.
First, they are used with time words:
● on Monday
● in the 20th century
● at night
Second, they are used to show where something or someone is:

● The plate is on the table.
● Julie is in the garden.
● The picture is on the wall.
Third, they are used after some adjectives:

● She is good at tennis.
● Scotland is famous for whisky
● I'm worried about my new job.
Fourth, they are used after some verbs:

● I'm listening to music.
● She is waiting for her friend.
● He borrows money from his sister.
Fifth, they are used after some nouns:

● She has trouble with remembering new vocabulary.
Finally, they are used in certain phrases:

● The bus arrived in the end.
● She arrived just in time for the film.
Prepositions of Time
In, at, on and no preposition with time words:
Prepositions of time - here's a list of the time words that need 'on', 'in', 'at' and some that don't need any preposition. Be careful -
many students of English use 'on' with months (it should be 'in'), or put a preposition before 'next' when we don't need one.
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at ● times: at 8pm, at midnight, at 6:30
● holiday periods: at Christmas, at Easter
● at night
● at the weekend
● at lunchtime, at dinnertime, at breakfast time
on ● days: on Monday, on my birthday, on Christmas Day

● days + morning / afternoon / evening / night: on Tuesday morning
● dates: on the 20th of June
in ● years: in 1992, in 2006

● months: in December, in June
● decades: in the sixties, in the 1790s
● centuries: in the 19th century
● seasons: in winter, in summer
● in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
no ● next week, year, month etc

prep ● last night, year etc
● this morning, month etc
● every day, night, years etc
● today, tomorrow, yesterday
Prepositions of Place
Prepositions of place can be difficult - here's some help about using 'at', 'in' and 'on' when you're talking about where things are.
Basics:
If something is contained inside a box or a wide flat area, we use ‘in’:
in the newspaper in a house
in a cup in a drawer
in a bottle in a bag
in bed in a car
in London in England
in a book in a pub
86
in a field in the sea
in my stomach in a river
If something is on a line or a horizontal or vertical surface, we use ‘on’:
on the table on the wall
on the floor on the window
on my face on a plate
on the page on the sofa
on a chair on a bag
on the river on a t-shirt
on the ceiling on a bottle
on a bike on his foot
If something is at a point, (it could be a building) we use ‘at’:
at the airport at the door
at the table at the bus stop
at the cinema at the top
at the bottom at the pub
at the traffic lights at the front
at the back at school
at university at the window
at the hospital at the piano
Here are some more common ones that don't really fit:
● on TV
● on the bus
● on a train
● on a plane
87
● on the radio
● at home
● at work
88
Conditionals
Zero Conditionals
We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'):
● If + present simple, .... present simple.
This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in
general, not about one particular situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main clause.
The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning.
For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I
am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)
Here are some more examples:
● If people eat too much, they get fat.

● If you touch a fire, you get burned.
● People die if they don't eat.
● You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen.
● Snakes bite if they are scared
● If babies are hungry, they cry
First Conditionals
The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other clause:
● if + present simple, ... will + infinitive
It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this
describes possible things, which could easily come true.
● If it rains, I won't go to the park.
● If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
● If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
● She'll be late if the train is delayed.
● She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
● If I see her, I'll tell her.
First vs. Zero Conditional:

The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what happens in general.
For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking about every time a person sits in the sun - the
burning is a natural consequence of the sitting)
But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about what will happen today, another day might be
different)
First vs. Second Conditional:
89
The first conditional describes things that I think are likely to happen in the future, whereas the second conditional talks about
things that I don't think will really happen. It's subjective; it depends on my point of view.
For example (first conditional): If she studies harder, she'll pass the exam (I think it's possible she will study harder and so she'll pass)
But (second conditional): If she studied harder, she would pass the exam (I think that she won't study harder, or it's very unlikely, and
so she won't pass)
Second Conditionals:
The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive:
● if + past simple, ...would + infinitive
(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal writing).
It has two uses.
First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for
example.
● If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
● If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
● She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
● She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't happen)
Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at
the examples:
● If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's impossible for me to call him).
● If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.
How is this different from the first conditional?

This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is a lot more unlikely.
For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm
probably not going to have this much money, it's just a dream, not very real)
But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes (It's much more likely that I'll have enough money to buy some
shoes).
Third Conditionals:
We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have' and the past participle in the second part
of the sentence:
● if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle
It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation.
● If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
● If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick).
● If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
● She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
● She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
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● He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine
91
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
To make the comparative form of adjectives (like 'bigger' or 'more expensive') and the superlative form (like 'biggest' or 'most
expensive'), first we need to know how many syllables are in the adjective.
Adjectives with one syllable

Usually if an adjective has only one syllable, we add 'er' to make the comparative form. We add 'est' to make the superlative form.
● clean → cleaner / cleanest
● cold → colder / coldest
● small → smaller / smallest
● young → younger / youngest
● tall → taller / tallest
There are some spelling changes. If there is one vowel followed by one consonant at the end of the adjective, we often double the
consonant.
● wet → wetter / wettest
● big → bigger / biggest
● hot → hotter / hottest
● thin → thinner / thinnest
If the adjective ends in 'y', this often changes to 'i'.
● dry → drier / driest
If the adjective ends in 'e', we don't add another 'e', just 'r'.
● nice → nicer / nicest
● large → larger / largest
Even when the adjective has only one syllable, it's still not wrong to use 'more' or 'most'. It's possible to say 'more wet' or 'most tall'.
This isn't incorrect.
There are a few adjectives that we have to use 'more' or 'most' with, even though they only have one syllable. We CAN'T add 'er' or
'est'.
● fun → more fun / most fun (NOT funner / funnest)
● real → more real / most real (NOT realer / realest)
● right → more right / most right (NOT righter / rightest)
● wrong → more wrong / most wrong (NOT wronger / wrongest)
Adjectives with two syllables

For adjectives with two syllables we generally use 'more' or 'most'.
● careful → more careful / most careful
● bored → more bored / most bored
But some two syllable adjectives can take 'er' or 'est'. It's also fine to use 'more' (for the comparative) or 'most' (for the superlative).
● clever → cleverer / cleverest
● simple → simpler / simplest
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● narrow → narrower / narrowest
● quiet → quieter / quietest
Adjectives with two syllables that end in 'y' usually can add 'er' or 'est' (y generally changes to i). It's also fine to use 'more' or 'most'.
● dirty → dirtier / dirtiest
● pretty → prettier / prettiest
● happy → happier / happiest
● ugly → uglier / ugliest
Adjectives with more than two syllables

Adjectives with more than two syllables can only make their comparative by using 'more' and their superlative by using 'most'.
● beautiful → more beautiful / most beautiful
● intelligent → more intelligent / most intelligent
● interesting → more interesting / most interesting
● expensive → more expensive / most expensive
Irregular adjectives
There are also some irregular adjectives. We just need to learn these forms.
● good → better → best
● bad → worse → worst
● far → further → furthest
● little → less → least
● much → more → most
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UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa –

Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Verbal Communication – Written/Oral:

Verbal communication can further be divided into two types:

Factors in oral communication:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Merits of oral communication:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Factors in written communication:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Pre-requisites of written communication:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Non-verbal communication is classified here in different ways:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Indicators of Non-verbal Communication:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Basic Functions Of Questions

Why Ask Questions?

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

How to Ask Questions

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Effective And Useful Questions

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Asking for something

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Asking someone to do something

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

2. Don’t beat around the bush

3. Use the actual word

No, I’m afraid I can’t do that for you.

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

4. Say NO twice, if you have to

As I said, I’m afraid I can’t help you at the moment.

5. Forward them to someone else

6. Mirror their request

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

8. Get back to them

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

The process of negotiation includes the following stages:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

4. Negotiate Towards a Win-Win Outcome

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

6. Implementing a Course of Action

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Always be aware that:

Speaking Exercise - Negotiation

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Taking the Positive From Negative Feedback:

How to Tell Fair From Unfair Criticism:

Dealing With Your Initial Response to Criticism:

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Step 1: Stay Calm

Step 2: Repeat the Criticism

Step 3: Open Up Both Perspectives

UFCD 0399 – Língua Inglesa – Negociação e Serviço Pós-Venda

Following Up on Your Initial Response

Step 1: Consider the Source