You’ll learn some polite expressions so that you can sound more like a native speaker.
These will be especially useful if you work in customer services or a call centre and need to express yourself politely in English.
Voice message from Marion
Voice message from Diana from Panama
empathise (verb) – empathy (noun) – empathetic (adj.)
How to be Indirect and make polite requests in English – https://inglespodcast.com/345
Offering help
“How can I help you (today)?”
“What can I do for you, (sir/madam)?”
Putting the customer at ease:
“It’s my pleasure to be of assistance.”
“I’m glad to be of service.”
“I’m here to help.”
“I’d be delighted/happy to help.”
Showing empathy
“I hear what you’re saying.”
“I understand where you’re coming from.”
“That would frustrate / upset me, too.”
“That’s (perfectly) understandable.”
“You’re quite right.”
Apologising
“I’m sorry about/for…”
“I sincerely apologise for…”
“Our sincerest apologies for the/this misunderstanding.”
“This should never have happened – I apologise.”
“I can’t apologise enough.”
Thanking
“Thank you for your patience.”
“I appreciate your….”
“I’m sincerely grateful for …”
Checking the situation:
“Let me get back to you on this.”
“Please give me a moment to double-check that I have the right answer for you.”
“Let me look into this issue. Would it be okay for me to get back to you on this?”
Clarifying
“Let me confirm that I’ve got this right.”
“Could I just confirm the details, please?”
“I want to make sure I understood everything correctly.”
“Please correct me if I’ve misunderstood anything.”
Reassuring
“I’ll get this sorted out.”
“I’ll fix these issues for you.”
“I’ll take care of this for you.”
Giving alternatives
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible right now. However, we can…..”
Here’s what we can offer/do instead….
“Another solution would be ….”
Ending the call
“Can I help you with anything else (today)?”
“Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
“Please let me know if you have any other questions.”
“Don’t hesitate to call, if there’s any way we/I can help.”
What have you learned in this episode?…..
…and now it’s your turn to practise your English.
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On next week’s episode: Disability (a question from Carla from Rio de Janeiro)
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