Vocabulario

Useful English customer service vocabulary

Open English
octubre 25, 2015

2 minutos lectura

What do you do when your internet connection stops, or you have a problem with your online bank account? Calling customer service in a foreign language can be stressful, but using these helpful tips will make your call much more relaxing and effective.

Let’s begin with some simple vocabulary. When you have a problem, you can call a customer service representative. This person is a “service rep” or simply a “rep.” Your service rep will help you fix your problems. It is OK to complain about a problem, but it is always a good idea to be polite and respectful to your service rep.

Your rep will begin the conversation by asking how they can help you. Here are some examples:

How can I help you? (¿Cómo puedo ayudarlo?)

What can I help you with today? (¿En qué puedo ayudarlo hoy?)

What seems to be the problem? (¿Qué problema está teniendo?)

Now is the time to talk about your problem. You can state your complaint in different ways:

Yes, I’d like to complain about… (Sí, quisiera quejarme de…)

I am having a problem with… (Estoy teniendo problemas con…)

My bank account/internet/electricity is not working (not functioning). (Mi cuenta bancaria/internet/electricidad no está funcionando)

Usually, the service rep will apologize for the problem. Then, they will ask questions about your problem. Here are some examples.

What happened exactly? (¿Qué sucedió exactamente?)

When did you lose your internet connection? (¿Cuándo perdió su conexión a Internet?)

Have you tried reading the instructions? (¿Ha intentado leer las instrucciones?)

After answering your questions, the service rep will try to fix the problem. If you decide that their solution is not acceptable, you can ask to speak to another person with more power. You can say:

Is there someone else I can speak to? ¿Hay alguien más con quien pueda hablar?

May I speak to your supervisor? (¿Podría hablar con su supervisor/a?)

I would like to speak to the person in charge, please. Me gustaría hablar con la persona a cargo.

These useful phrases will help you communicate politely and effectively when calling a customer service hotline. For more assistance, learn these common vocabulary words for customer service complaints.

ENGLISH	SPANISH
shipment	envío
package	paquete
power	poder
connection	conexión
signal	señal
late	late
to arrive	llegar
delay	demora
bank account	cuenta bancaria
overdraft	sobregiro
broken	broken
missing	desaparecidos
service technician	técnico de servicio
to install	instalar
to repair	reparar