General English Level 2 GELEV2 Unit 04 Topic 02.doc  LANGUAGE FOCUS 04 Making a complaint Making a complaint Eriko, Jessica and Tim say: Eriko: I think there’s been a mistake. I ordered a chicken salad. Jessica: Oh and what about our water? Tim: I’m afraid my steak is rare. I ordered medium. I really can’t eat it like this. Eriko, Jessica and Tim have a problem. They make a complaint. Excuse me, chicken but I got steak. Sorry but I ordered white wine. This is red. I'm afraid some water 20 minutes ago. There's been a mistake. I asked for chips but I got mashed potatoes. In English, when we complain, it is important to be polite. To be polite, you can start the complaint with these words: • Excuse me • (I’m) Sorry but • I’m afraid Information I’m afraid does not mean you are scared. It means “excuse me” or “sorry”. Answering a complaint The waitress says: Waitress: I’m really sorry. We’re so busy tonight. To answer a complaint politely, we say: • I’m very/really/so sorry • Yes certainly • Of course • I apologise And then we offer to fix the problem: • I’ll fix it immediately • I’ll get you another one 129 QUESTLANGUAGE