Use complaint, resolve, apologise, inconvenience accurately in context
Read and discuss a topic-specific article at B1 level
Practise speaking fluently on customer service excellence
Complete written exercises with vocabulary in context
Teaching Notes
Warm-up: allow 8-10 min, let personal answers develop
Article: read together or have students read silently first
Vocabulary match: good for pair work
Speaking: encourage full sentences, not one-word answers
Exit questions: 5-min closer, no prep needed
Timing Guide
Warm-up: 8 min
Article + comprehension: 12 min
Vocabulary + match: 10 min
Exercises: 10 min
Speaking + discussion: 15 min
Exit + recap: 5 min
Teacher Question Bank
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B1 · Lesson 23 · Customer Service Excellence
Handling Complaints
Customer Service Excellencecomplaintresolveapologise
Getting started
Warm-Up Questions
Click the button to get your first question
Read & Understand
Article
Handling Complaints
Handling complaints well is one of the most valuable skills in business. Research shows that a customer whose complaint is handled effectively becomes more loyal than one who never had a problem at all. The key steps are: listen without interrupting, acknowledge the problem with empathy, apologise sincerely, explain what you will do to resolve it, and follow up to confirm the issue is closed. Avoid being defensive or making excuses. Phrases like 'that is our policy' or 'you should have read the terms' will make a difficult situation much worse. A complaint is an opportunity to demonstrate that your company genuinely cares.
💡 Did you know? Only 4% of dissatisfied customers actually complain. The other 96% simply leave — and 91% of those never return. This makes every complaint a genuinely valuable piece of feedback.
Topic: Customer Service Excellence
Key words
Vocabulary
01
complaint
an expression of dissatisfaction about something
02
resolve
to find a solution to a problem
03
apologise
to express regret for something that has gone wrong
04
inconvenience
trouble or difficulty caused to someone
05
compensation
something given to make up for a loss or problem
06
escalate
to refer a problem to a higher level for resolution
07
empathy
the ability to understand and share another person's feelings
08
investigate
to look into something carefully to find out what happened
09
follow up
to check back with someone after an initial interaction
010
rectify
to put something right, to correct an error
Match the Words
Click a word on the left, then click its definition on the right.
complaint
resolve
apologise
inconvenience
compensation
escalate
empathy
investigate
follow up
rectify
to look into something carefully to find out what happened
trouble or difficulty caused to someone
to express regret for something that has gone wrong
to check back with someone after an initial interaction
to refer a problem to a higher level for resolution
the ability to understand and share another person's feelings
to put something right, to correct an error
something given to make up for a loss or problem
an expression of dissatisfaction about something
to find a solution to a problem
Say it right
Pronunciation
complaint
COM-pla-int
resolve
RES-olve
apologise
APO-log-ise
inconvenience
INCO-nven-ience
compensation
COMP-ensa-tion
escalate
ES-ca-late
Read & Discuss
Short Dialogue
A:
I've been thinking a lot about complaint recently.
B:
Really? What's your take on it?
A:
I think the issue of resolve is often misunderstood.
B:
I agree. Most people don't consider the impact of apologise.
A:
Exactly. And when you add inconvenience into the mix, it gets complicated.
B:
So what do you think the solution is?
A:
Honestly? It requires both individual action and systemic change.
B:
That's a fair point. It's never just one or the other.
Comprehension
What topic are they discussing?
What does person B agree with?
What does person A say the solution requires?
Practice
Exercises
Gap Fill
Complete each sentence using vocabulary from today's lesson.
1. We received three s about the delivery delay.
2. We will do everything we can to this quickly.
3. We sincerely for the inconvenience caused.
4. We understand this has caused you .
5. As , we would like to offer you a full refund.
Error Correction
Find and correct the mistake in each sentence.
She is very experience in resolve.
The apologise of the project were not meet.
He gave us many advices about inconvenience.
Despite of the pressure, she succeeded.
Speaking practice
Speaking Prompts
Discuss with your partner
Roleplay: one person is an unhappy customer, the other handles the complaint professionally.
Describe a complaint you have made or received at work. How was it handled?
What is the most challenging type of complaint to handle? Why?
Summarise today's topic in 3 sentences using vocabulary from this lesson.
Grammar focus: Formal apology language: We sincerely apologise for... / We regret that... / Ple... — can you give an example?
Open discussion
Discussion Generator
More Questions
Use with pairs or whole class · Encourage full answers
Write a formal email (8-10 sentences) responding to a customer complaint about a late delivery. Acknowledge the problem, apologise, explain the cause, and offer a resolution.
