Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Customer Service Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Customer Service Day is on January the 17th. At least, it is in America. Not sure about the rest of the world. This is a day for companies and businesses to reflect on the importance of providing good customer service. It’s also a day for customer service managers and staff to explore new ways to keep the customer happy. This is the day when the customer really is always right. If everything goes according to plan on Customer Service Day, customers will come again, and again, and again. Staff should always go the extra mile for customers and remember that service is always with a smile. Customer Service Day is also the time for bosses to thank their hardest-working customer service representatives.
What do you think of Customer Service Day? Don’t you think it should be every day? When we look at TV, the Internet or magazines, there are hundreds of ads that tell us how special customers are. How many ads and TV commercials really make you feel important? Perhaps it’s a good time for customers (that’s you) to complain if you don’t get good service. You could remind the sales staff what day it is! If that doesn’t work, ask them if they really think “Customer is King”. Are companies most interested in “keeping the customer satisfied,” or are they just interested in profits? Have you ever visited a customer care website or phoned a freephone customer service number? Have you ever complained about poor service? Did it work?
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
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PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
Not sure about the
a.
the customer happy
2
reflect on the importance of providing
b.
mile for customers
3.
explore new ways to keep
c.
according to plan
4.
If everything goes
d.
rest of the world
5.
Staff should always go the extra
e.
with a smile
6.
service is always
f.
good customer service
Paragraph 2
1.
you think it should
a.
in profits
2
hundreds of ads that tell us how
b.
what day it is
3.
complain if you don’t
c.
special customers are
4.
remind the sales staff
d.
be every day
5.
just interested
e.
service number
6.
phoned a freephone customer
f.
get good service
LISTENING GAP FILL
Customer Service Day is on January the 17th. ________________ America. Not sure about the rest of the world. This is a day for companies and businesses ________________ importance of providing good customer service. It’s also a day for customer service managers and staff to ________________ to keep the customer happy. This is the day when the customer really is always right. If everything ________________ plan on Customer Service Day, customers will come again, and again, and again. Staff should always ________________ for customers and remember that service is always with a smile. Customer Service Day is also the time for bosses ________________ hardest-working customer service representatives.
What do you think of Customer Service Day? Don’t ________________ be every day? When we look at TV, the Internet or magazines, there are hundreds ________________ how special customers are. How many ads and TV commercials really make you feel important? Perhaps it’s ________________ customers (that’s you) to complain if you don’t get good service. You could remind the sales staff ________________! If that doesn’t work, ask them if they really think “Customer is King”. Are companies most interested in “keeping the customer satisfied,” or are ________________ in profits? Have you ever visited a customer care website or phoned a freephone customer service number? Have you ________________ about poor service? Did it work?
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
Customer Service Day is on January the 17th. At __________, it is in America. Not __________ about the rest of the world. This is a day for companies and businesses to __________ on the importance of providing good customer service. It’s also a day for customer service managers and staff to explore new ways to __________ the customer happy. This is the day when the customer really is always right. If everything goes according to __________ on Customer Service Day, customers will come again, and again, and again. Staff should always go the __________ mile for customers and remember that service is always with a __________. Customer Service Day is also the time for bosses to __________ their hardest-working customer service representatives.
reflect extra smile plan least thank sure keep
What do you think of Customer Service Day? Don’t you think it __________ be every day? When we look at TV, the Internet or magazines, there are hundreds of __________ that tell us how special customers are. How many ads and TV commercials really make you __________ important? Perhaps it’s a good time for customers (that’s you) to __________ if you don’t get good service. You could remind the sales staff what day it is! If that doesn’t work, ask them if they __________ think “Customer is King”. Are companies most interested in “keeping the customer __________,” or are they just interested in profits? Have you ever __________ a customer care website or phoned a freephone customer service number? Have you ever complained about __________ service? Did it work?
feel satisfied ads visited really should poor complain
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
Customer Service Day is on January the 17th. At last / least, it is in America. Not sure about the rest / resting of the world. This is a day for companies and businesses to reflection / reflect on the importance of providing good customer service. It’s also a day for customer service managers and staff to explore / exploring new ways to keep the customer happy. This is the day when the customer reality / really is always right. If everything goes according to plan on Customer Service Day, customers will come again, and again, and once / again. Staff should always go the extra mile / smile for customers and remember that service is always with a frown / smile. Customer Service Day is also the time for bosses to thank their hardest-working customer service representatives.
What do you think of Customer Service Day? Doesn’t / Don’t you think it should be every day? When we look at TV, the Internet or magazines, there are hundreds for / of ads that tell us how special customers are. How many ads and TV commercials really get / make you feel important? Perhaps it’s a good time for customers (that’s you) to complain if you don’t make / get good service. You could remind / reminder the sales staff what day it is! If that doesn’t work, ask them if they really think “Customer is King”. Are companies most interested in “keeping the customer satisfied / satisfying,” or are they just interested in profits? Have you ever visited a customer care / caring website or phoned a freephone customer service number? Have you ever complained about poorly / poor service? Did it work?
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Customer Service Day is on January the 17th. At (1) ____, it is in America. Not sure about the rest of the world. This is a day (2) ____ companies and businesses to reflect on the importance of providing good customer service. It’s also a day for customer service managers and (3) ____ to explore new ways to keep the customer happy. This is the day when the customer really is always right. If everything goes according to (4) ____ on Customer Service Day, customers will come again, and again, and again. Staff should always go the extra mile for customers and (5) ____ that service is always with a smile. Customer Service Day is also the time for bosses to (6) ____ their hardest-working customer service representatives.
What do you think of Customer Service Day? Don’t you think it should be (7) ____ day? When we look at TV, the Internet or magazines, there are hundreds of ads that tell us how special customers are. How (8) ____ ads and TV commercials really make you feel important? Perhaps it’s a good time for customers (that’s you) to complain if you don’t (9) ____ good service. You could remind the sales staff what day it is! If that doesn’t work, ask them if they really think “Customer is King”. Are companies most (10) ____ in “keeping the customer satisfied,” or are they just interested in profits? Have you ever visited a customer (11) ____ website or phoned a freephone customer service number? Have you ever complained about (12) ____ service? Did it work?
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
lost
(b)
less
(c)
lesser
(d)
least
2.
(a)
with
(b)
for
(c)
to
(d)
so
3.
(a)
stuff
(b)
staffing
(c)
staff
(d)
stuffing
4.
(a)
plan
(b)
plans
(c)
planned
(d)
planning
5.
(a)
remember
(b)
memory
(c)
memorize
(d)
reminder
6.
(a)
thanks you
(b)
thanks
(c)
thankful
(d)
thank
7.
(a)
every
(b)
all
(c)
each
(d)
whole
8.
(a)
much
(b)
many
(c)
more
(d)
most
9.
(a)
make
(b)
be
(c)
get
(d)
present
10.
(a)
interesting
(b)
interest
(c)
interests
(d)
interested
11.
(a)
careful
(b)
caring
(c)
care
(d)
cares
12.
(a)
poverty
(b)
poor
(c)
poorly
(d)
poorest
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
reflect on the importance of gpvirniod good customer service
2.
elxoerp new ways to keep the customer happy
3.
If everything goes racdgnoci to plan
4.
Staff should always go the extra lime for customers
5.
service is always with a mleis
6.
thank their etshdar-working customer service representatives
Paragraph 2
7.
hundreds of ads that tell us how alciesp customers
8.
dinrem the sales staff what day it is
9.
Customer is niKg
10.
keeping the customer detsaisfi
11.
a customer care bwietse
12.
Have you ever ocdmneplai about poor service
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
website or phoned a freephone customer service number? Have you ever complained about poor service? Did it work?
( )
happy. This is the day when the customer really is always right. If everything goes according to plan
( )
day? When we look at TV, the Internet or magazines, there are hundreds of ads that tell us how special customers
( )
world. This is a day for companies and businesses to reflect on the importance of providing good customer
( )
“keeping the customer satisfied,” or are they just interested in profits? Have you ever visited a customer care
( 1 )
Customer Service Day is on January the 17th. At least, it is in America. Not sure about the rest of the
( )
are. How many ads and TV commercials really make you feel important? Perhaps it’s a good time
( )
on Customer Service Day, customers will come again, and again, and again. Staff should always go the extra
( )
mile for customers and remember that service is always with a
( )
day it is! If that doesn’t work, ask them if they really think “Customer is King”. Are companies most interested in
( )
for customers (that’s you) to complain if you don’t get good service. You could remind the sales staff what
( )
What do you think of Customer Service Day? Don’t you think it should be every
( )
service. It’s also a day for customer service managers and staff to explore new ways to keep the customer
( )
smile. Customer Service Day is also the time for bosses to thank their hardest-working customer service representatives.
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
Not world the of rest the about sure
2.
good service importance providing customer the of
3.
new explore happy customer the keep to ways
4.
to according goes everything If plan
5.
a with always is service that remember smile
6.
every think day it should Don’t be you ?
7.
feel TV really you important commercials make
8.
staff it could sales day You the what is remind
9.
interested satisfied customer the keeping in
10.
ever you Have service poor about complained ?
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Customer Service Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Customer Service Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Customer Service Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
