Lesson 14: Telephone Role-play

Part 1: Final words about telephone

· Speak with a rich, vibrant voice. Smile with your voice.
· Speak with a melodious rather than a monotone voice.
· Speak moderately loudly at a moderately pace- varying both for
appropriate emphasis.
· Try to answer no later than the third ring.
· Discontinue any other conversation or activity, such as eating,
chewing gum, typing, etc. that can be heard by the calling party.

Part 2: Writing Apology Letters

Why write apology letters:

· Writing an apology letter shortly after the offense can usually help
save or repair a relationship before a wound becomes a scar and the
damage becomes irreparable.
· You can usually find forgiveness and understanding if you freely
acknowledge what you did wrong and express sincere regret in your
apology letter.
· Writing an apology letter shows the injured party that you realize
you were wrong and that you truly value the relationship.
· You may find that if you freely apologize and accept responsibility
for what you did, the injured party may also accept some
responsibility for the problem and apologize to you in return.

7 tips for writing a business apology letter:

1. Type this apology letter on your computer using a serif font such as
Times Roman or Georgia and print it on good quality, bright-white
inkjet paper.
2. Use a formal business letter format.
3. Offer your apology in the beginning of the letter and clearly state the
problem: “Please accept my apology for being unable to give you a
definitive answer at this time. . . . ” or “We apologize for whatever
inconvenience this may cause you, but. . . .”
4. Give some explanation for what happened
5. Focus on what actions you are taking to rectify the problem: “We are
happy to offer you a full refund. . . . ” or “We will be happy to notify
you as soon as we receive the information you requested. . . . ”
6. Hand-sign the apology letter with a black pen.
7. Remember: Say you are sorry as soon as wisdom dictates! You will
find that an apology letter will not only help save your friendships
and your business associates, it can also dissolve a small problem
and keep it from snowballing into a big one!


Sample Thank-You Letter:

Mom’s Magic
1121 Elm Avenue
Joplin, MO
64804

June 20, 2006

Tom Atkinson
Atkinson’s Tech Inc.
14 Edith Street,
Hackney West,
V69 875

Dear Mr. Atkinson,

This is to inform you that we are unable to make delivery on the above referenced purchase order on the date indicated.

We should have our merchandise ready to ship within 2 days of the original delivery date and we hope that you can hold off until that time. We did want to inform you of this delay as soon we were advised in order to give you as much time as possible to make alternate arrangements, if necessary. We can assure you, however, that if your order remains in force we will expedite delivery to you as soon as we have received the merchandise.

Please accept our apology for this delay and thank you for your understanding.

Yours very truly,

Signature
Tony Montana
Sales Manager


Activity: Please look for the followings in the apology letter below:

· Apology
· Explanation
· Decision
· Benefit
· Thank You

Merker’s Department Store
1115 Brandon • New Ulm, MN 56053

July 22, 2006

Kim Langworth
R.R. 1
Red Earth, MN 56670

Dear Ms. Langworth:

We at Merker’s would like to extend our sincerest apologies
and ask for your understanding.

Our recent sales brochure made claims that we could not
follow through on. Not all merchandise in the Summer Saver
Sale was on sale at 50 percent off. The printer inadvertently
left out the important word “selected.” Because of this
glaring error, we have decided to postpone our sale and
reschedule it for another time. By postponing the sale, we
will be able to offer you even better bargains than we had
originally planned.

Thank you for your understanding in this embarrassing
situation.

Sincerely,

Signature
R. Merker
Chairman of the Board


Role Play
Making an Appointment
Rescheduling an Appointment

Challenging Role Play:

Leaving a Message:

You want to speak to Ms Brown about your account with her company, W&W. If Ms Braun isn't in the office, leave the following information:
· Your name
· Telephone number: 347-8910
· Calling about changing conditions of your contract with W&W
· You can be reached until 5 o'clock at the above number. If Ms
Brown calls after 5 o'clock, she should call 458-2416


Taking a Message:

You are a receptionist at W&W. Student A would like to speak to Ms Brown, but she is out of the office. Take a message and make sure you get the following information:

· Name and telephone number - ask the caller to spell the surname
· Message that the caller would like to leave for Ms Brown (have an
appointment with her discussing about the latest technology in
biomedical fields)
· How late Ms Brown can call the caller at the given telephone
number: 347-8910


Idioms of lesson 14:

Blockbuster
(to)drum up business
(to) fast track a project