Imagine the situation: a customer asks you a difficult question. Perhaps he or she wants a special favour, but you don't know if you can grant it. What can you say to avoid "losing face" by refusing him or her? Here are some useful phrases to try in these difficult situations when you don't want to hesitate and sound unsure of yourself.
Are you snowed under at work? Too many projects, and too many deadlines? Sometimes work can be overwhelming, especially if your boss seems unaware of how busy you are. A recent
article stresses the importance in letting your boss know that you are overworked. Here are some useful phrases for asking for help in prioritising and resetting deadlines.
In some situations, you might want to avoid giving an answer to a question. For example, it is illegal in the UK to ask personal questions at job interviews. Companies can even be fined if they are caught asking questions about age, martial status or religious beliefs. So how can you respond if you are unhappy about giving an answer to a question.
February 1st 2008 |
Speaking skills
It's been one of those weeks where there just isn't the time to get everything done. No matter how hard I work, there's always something outstanding. This got me thinking about idioms we use to talk about heavy or light workloads.
January 18th 2008 |
Speaking skills
It looks like we're all in for a "bumpy ride" this year. Here are some common idioms for talking about expense and recession.
Looking out of the window, I can see over a foot of snow, which means I won't be able to get to work today. My colleagues and boss will understand the problem, but I still need to sound polite when I call the office.
There are many common phrasal verbs that we use in telephone conversations. Here are some you might hear during a phone call:
What do you say when someone introduces you? Here are some phrases you can use in informal, neutral and formal situations.
According to an annual survey, the following skills are essential for British employers:
Saying "Please" and "Thank you" are an important part of what we consider to be polite language. But it's also important to be able to respond graciously when someone thanks you - even if what you have done is part of your job and doesn't technically require thanks.
