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Lessons · Lesson 6 of 11

Talk to customers

Work English · Intermediate · 10 min

Mission: A customer asks for something you can't promise. You answer honestly, without losing the order.

Saying “yes” too fast is the most expensive mistake in business English. Acknowledge → explain → offer an option works for almost any difficult request.

  1. Hear
  2. Speak first
  3. Notice
  4. Fix one thing
  5. Speak again
  6. Recall
1

Hear a little

Read or listen. Don't study it. Just follow the conversation.

Zayaan

(as an American customer) Hi, I need 10,000 brochures by tomorrow. Can you do it?

Muddassir

I understand you need them urgently. However, I'm not sure we can complete 10,000 copies by tomorrow.

Zayaan

Hmm. So what can you do?

Muddassir

What I can do is check whether we can prioritise your order, and get back to you with a confirmed time within an hour.

Zayaan

And the price?

Muddassir

Let me confirm the specifications first — paper, size and quantity — and I'll send you a quote.

Zayaan

(as herself) Perfect. You didn't promise anything you can't deliver.

2

Speak first

A customer asks: “Can you give me a 50% discount and deliver for free?” Answer out loud.

Answer how you normally would. We'll improve it after. Say it out loud, or type it if you can't speak right now.

3

Notice the gap

What did you want to say but couldn't? These are the phrases and patterns that fill that gap.

  • Acknowledge → explain → offer“I understand… However… What I can do is…”
  • Let me check that for you.Buys time without saying no.
  • I'll have to confirm that with my team.Honest when you don't know yet.
  • One option would be…Offer an alternative instead of a flat no.
  • I'd rather be honest with you about the timeline.Builds trust, and customers remember it.
  • quote · specifications · turnaround time · depositThe four words in almost every order conversation.
4

Fix one thing

Try each one. If you miss, you'll get a hint first, so you can fix it yourself.

1. The customer asks, “Can you guarantee delivery on Friday?” You're not sure. Best answer:

2. “Our usual ___ is five working days.” (how long the job takes)

3. Which sentence offers an alternative?

5

Speak again, faster

Answer the 50% discount and free delivery request again: acknowledge → explain → offer.

Coach yourself, the way Zayaan does after you finish:

6

Recall tomorrow

Save these phrases. They'll come back in Recall practice tomorrow, in 3 days and in a week.

  • I understand… However…
  • What I can do is…
  • Let me confirm that and get back to you.

Muddassir and Zayaan are real; this dialogue is a practice scenario inspired by their lessons. Read their story.