C – Customer, S – Supplier

C: Hello, Michael Bishop here. I’m calling about cash machines we ordered. I’m really very unhappy. I want some action on this. They’re now more than two weeks overdue. Our customer wants them urgently. What on earth’s going on?

S: Hold on, Mr. Bishop. Could you give me a few details please?

C: Details? What do you want to know? Surely you’ve got everything on file.

S: Yes, but let me just check. When exactly did you place the order?

C: What, you want to know the precise date?

S: Yes, if you don’t mind.

C: Wait a minute; let me get it up on the screen. Right, it was November the fourth.

S: Thank you. And what was the model you ordered?

C: It was the TX40, your latest model, the one you’ve just brought out.

S: Right. Could you tell me one more thing? What’s the order number please, the order form number?

C: Oh, let me see, it’s C270. And we ordered 50 registers.

S: OK. I’ll check it out right away and find out what’s gone wrong. I’m sorry to hear about this problem. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.

C: Well, thank you. Goodbye.

Make up dialogues based on the following assignments:

1. There is a delay in delivery of equipment under your contract with … . Call the company’s representative to explain why the delivery is urgent and what you will have to do if the delay becomes too long.

2. Meet your future customer. Ask him what he thinks of your draft contract. On the whole the draft is acceptable but the customer wants you to reduce the price. Finalize the outstanding points.

3. Your Vice-President and you are discussing the progress of the talks with some foreign businessmen. Say what you did last week and what you are going to do this week.

4. During your talk with Mr. Kley discuss the guarantee period and the delivery dates. Ask him to extend the guarantee period and ship the goods within three months.

Read, translate and act out the dialogue:

Discussing Terms of Payment

B. – Beresov, P. – Peterson

P.: We are to take up one more question.

B.: I suppose it may concern the terms of payment.

P.: That’s right. We would ask you to increase the advance payment to €500.

B.: A 10% advance payment is our usual practice.

P.: I’m afraid it is insufficient in this case taking into account our meeting you halfway in granting you earlier delivery dates.

B.: Let it be so.

P.: You are to open an irrevocable letter of credit with TLC bank.

B.: We shall open a letter of credit as soon as we receive a notification that the first consignment of goods is ready for shipment.

P.: The letter of credit is to be valid for 5 days.

B.: That goes without saying.

P.: Thank you. I must say that we are quite satisfied with the results of the deal.

B.: We are also very pleased to have negotiated with you.

Make up dialogues based on the following assignments:

1. Meet your customer’s representative in Kazan to explain why you delay opening a L/C. Ask him not to postpone deliveries as your Russian partner expects the goods within the contractual dates.

2. Phone Mr. Brown, your buyer. Find out when and where you could meet him. Say you would like to discuss some points concerning execution of his order with him.

3. Meet your future customer. Ask him what he thinks of your draft contract. On the whole the draft is acceptable but the customer wants you to reconsider the terms of payment. Finalize the outstanding points.

4. Get in touch with Brown & Co and thank them for their enquiry. You are prepared to sell them machines on the terms stated in their letter, though you cannot accept their terms of payment. State your terms of payment.

Read, translate and act out the dialogue:

Wrong Delivery

B. – Buyer, S. – Seller

B.:There seems to be a mistake with the shipment.

S.:Oh, sorry to hear that. What exactly is the problem?

B.:Well, we placed an order for ten sensors, model number TZ20, but instead we have received twenty TZ10 sensors. I’m afraid this delay is going to cause us problems.

S.:Yes, I can understand. We will of course send the correct models as soon as possible.

B.:Sorry, but I need something more specific so I can tell our customers. Can you manage delivery by Friday? That would be our absolute deadline.

S.:Yes, of course. I can confirm that you will receive the sensors first thing Friday in the morning.

Make up dialogues based on the following assignments:

1. Discuss with Mr. Hopper the guarantee period. Fix the period of time within which they are to replace or repair the defective goods if there are any.

2. Phone your customers; refer to their phone call to your firm concerning your mistake in delivery of motors. Suggest the solution.

3. Speak to the representative of your bank, thank him for information supplied about the financial status of your customer.

Read, translate and act out the dialogues:

Asking for Repairing