Monthly Archives: June 2007

BEP 56 – Customs and Immigration

In this Business English Podcast, we cover useful travel vocabulary and phrases you can use when you enter another country and go through immigration and customs.

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice		 BEP 56: Customs and Immigration – Quiz

BEP 56: Customs and Immigration – Gap-fill


Listening Quiz: (Click a question to see the answer)

1) What is an I-94 form?

2) How much money can you bring into the U.S.?

3) Where does Alan want to go sightseeing?

4) What does Alan mean by “just pulling your leg?”

BEP 55 – Airport Departure and Take Off

This Business English Podcast is the first in a series of shows that will follow an employee of a manufacturing company on a training trip to the U.S. The lesson today is focused on airport departures and on-board safety announcements. Over the series, we’ll practice many situations that will be useful for you on your business trips overseas, including going through immigration, renting a car, checking into a hotel, using wireless internet and so on.

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice		 BEP 55: Departure and Take Off – Quiz

BEP 55: Departure and Take Off – Gap-fill


Listening Quiz: (Click a question to see the answer)

1) What row are Alan and Honesto sitting in?

2) What should passengers turn off before the plane takes off?

3) What does Alan mean by “murder a scotch.”

BEP 54 ADV (Transcript & Activities) – Resolving the Complaint

This is the second in a two-part Business English Pod series on handling angry customers on the telephone. In today’s show we’ll be looking at how to resolve the customer’s complaint.

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice		 BEP 54: Resolving the Complaint – Quiz

BEP 54: Resolving the Complaint – Gap-fill


Listening Quiz: (Click a question to see the answer)

1) How does Sandy show that he is actively listening to Steve?

2) What does Steve need?

3) What steps does Sandy take to ensure that Steve is satisfied with the outcome of the call?

BEP 53 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Handling Complaints: Empathizing

Good customer service is essential to success in any industry, but it is particularly important in the service and hospitality sector. “Hospitality” means treating guests well; and here, we’re talking specifically about hotels. Because service is so vital to hospitality, hotels are a good place to look for excellent service practices.

We’ll see that a very important part of handling angry customers is showing empathy: Empathy is similar to sympathy – it means showing that you understand the customer’s pain.

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice		 BEP 53: Complaints – Empathizing – Quiz

BEP 53: Complaints – Empathizing – Gap-fill


Listening Quiz: (Click a question to see the answer)

Bad Example:

1) How does the customer, Steve, learn the service associate’s name?

2) What is Steve’s problem?

3) How could Jenna have handled the complaint better?

Good Example:

1) When Steve says, “I’m at the end of my rope,” what does he mean?

2) What does Sandy do to calm Steve down?