Vocabulary: Quality control and customer service

A

reliability (and) durability, recalled, identified, modified

tested, relaunched, failed

B

Problems: faults, defects, flaws

Quality control: monitoring, inspection, minimum

standard, zero defects

Customer service: after sales care, consumer satisfaction

questionnaire, compensation, goodwill payment, warranty

Reading: Defining quality

A

In the past, quality meant excellence. Nowadays, business people believe that quality means consistency.

B

Factual mistakes in 1980 sold their cars too cheaply old-style idea of quality became popular products which are cheap and excellent value for money the best in the world

Corrections In 1970 sold their cars too expensively old-style idea of quality became unpopular products which are cheap and consistent a long way from quality in its original sense

C – D

C 1 They thought detailed questions about numbers were irrelevant because they had the finest products in the world.

2 It failed to take account of what the public wanted.

3 Japanese cars were cheap and reliable.

D 1 consistency

2 reliability

3 value for money

E – G

E 1 b) 2 c) 3 a)

F 1 consistency 2 went bust

3 supply-driven management 4 turned it down

5 cheap trash

G 1 b) 2 a)

Language review: Prepositions of time

A 16.1

In: the afternoon, the morning, 1962, July

At: 30'clock, Christmas

On: Wednesday, Wednesday afternoon, 29th July 1962, Christmas Day

C 16.2

C 1 in June; On the Monday; for two months

2 for seven hours; on the Saturday morning

3 For two months

4 at the end of August; by the end of September

D 16.3

1 during/in 2 in 3 on 4 on 5 on 6 at 7 for

8 on 9 at 10 in 11 by

Skills: Telephone complaints

A

1 ringing to complain about

2 dear, sorry to hear that

3 seems to be a problem

4 our policy to replace items

5 isn't good enough

6 If you don't/can't

7 I may/will