Phone Calls & Customer Service
Get through security checks, hold music and complaints on the phone.
Hi, I'm ringing about my latest bill. It's gone up a lot.
Computer voice · not a real clip
Start practising
About 4 min Free, no account
All 15 phrases
Opening the call2
Checks and waiting6
- Can I just take you through security?They're about to check who you are
- Can I take the first line of your address and postcode?Standard ID check.
- That's B for Bravo, D for DeltaSpelling with code words so names and postcodes don't get mixed up.
- Bear with me one momentPlease wait, I'm checking something
- I'm just going to pop you on holdYou'll hear music for a bit.
- Sorry, you're breaking upBad signal, I can't hear you properly
Complaining5
- Could I get a reference number for this call?Always ask.
- I'd like to make a formal complaintThe words that start the official complaints process
- Could you escalate this, please? / Could I speak to a manager?Asking for it to go to someone more senior.
- Could you put that in writing for me?Ask for an email confirming anything they promise on the phone
- If this isn't sorted, I'll take it to the ombudsmanA free, independent complaints service in many sectors, usually after 8 weeks
Ending the call2
Check yourself15 questions
Question 1 of 15
In 'I'm ringing about my bill', 'ringing' means:
More packs
- How Brits say how they feelEveryday words for tired, happy, fed up and ill.
- Office small talkThe kitchen and lift chat you'll have every working day.
- Hello and goodbye, UK styleHow Brits greet people, reply, and take ages to leave.
About this pack
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not needed, saved on this device
- Reviews
- 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days later
- Moments
- 0 of 15 phrases have a clip
- Sources
Picked by Talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phrases
- Picked by Talk.
- How Talk picked them
- Part of Talk's themed British life packs. Talk wrote each phrase with what it really means, when to say it, what not to say instead and one quiz question. A phrase gets a moment only if Talk's spoken videos say it with the same meaning. One review picked each moment, and a second tried to reject it. This pack holds 15 phrases.
- Licence
- Talk shares this list under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Meanings and examples
- Written by Talk in plain English.
- Dictionary details
- From Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Princeton WordNet, used under the WordNet licence. WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
Start practising
About 4 min Free, no account