In this Business English Pod episode, we’ll be focusing on the language of taking an order and discussing standard terms, such as delivery time, payment method, and so on.
The listening takes us back to the Foxtrot showroom in Las Vegas. As you’ll recall, Foxtrot is the American distributor for Viva, an Italian clothing, or Apparel, manufacturer. Bill is a buyer for a chain of department stores, who has now decided to purchase from Viva. Foxtrot representative Adrianne and her Viva partner, Mario, discuss Bill’s order with him.
Listening Questions
1) When he says, “We operate on a narrow window for deliveries,” what does Bill mean?
By “we operate on a narrow window for deliveries,” Bill means that deliveries must be made on time: There is a narrow window, i.e. a short range of time in which deliveries can be made. This means goods should not be delivered too early or too late.
2) The term chargeback refers to all or part of a fee being refunded, or returned, to the buyer. For what situation is Bill quite “strict on chargebacks?”
Bill says his company is quite strict on chargebacks for late deliveries, which means he expects a partial refund if the goods are delivered late.
3) When would Bill like the first delivery to be made, and why?
Bill is “shooting for,” that is he is hoping for or would like a delivery by June 15, which is a little earlier than the usual delivery for a fall clothing line. Bill says his company will want to get the product “out on the floor” – that is, in the shop – a little early since it’s new and customers are unfamiliar with it.
Pingback: Business English Pod :: The Business English Podcast for Workplace English Training » BEP 93 INT - Sales: Taking an Order