Could you place the document on the desk, please?
Unit 03
Customer-facing communication
Service, diplomacy, and de-escalation
Handle difficult interactions with polite requests, calm sequencing, and rights-aware operational language.
SpeakingUse of EnglishScenario judgement
Frontex focus
Respectful communication and fundamental rights
01
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit
- Use diplomatic modals and softeners.
- Distinguish for, since, and ago in time references.
- De-escalate while preserving procedure and dignity.
02
Scenario reading
Calm does not mean passive
A traveller becomes frustrated after a long wait and begins speaking loudly. The officer does not argue across the queue. She acknowledges the delay, explains that an alert must be verified, and offers a quieter place to continue the conversation. She also checks whether the traveller needs an interpreter.
The procedure remains unchanged, but the communication changes. The officer sets a clear next step and estimated waiting time. This approach protects dignity, gives the traveller useful information, and reduces pressure on colleagues who are continuing routine checks.
Read further: Giving an update when the answer has not changed
First, identify the writer’s main purpose. Then look for evidence, qualifications, and links between paragraphs.
After a booking system stopped working, a public information centre found itself with a crowded waiting area and little reliable information about the repair. Staff initially waited until they had a definite completion time before making an announcement. They did not want to mislead anyone. However, visitors could see employees speaking to one another behind the desk and assumed that useful information was being kept from them. Several people joined different queues in the hope of getting a clearer answer.
The duty coordinator changed the approach. Every ten minutes, a named staff member explained what was known, what was still uncertain and when the next announcement would occur. If the repair estimate had not changed, the announcement said so. Staff also explained how to request immediate assistance without leaving the queue. They avoided asking visitors to discuss sensitive circumstances across the room and directed individual concerns to a quieter conversation with an appropriate colleague.
Some employees worried that repeated updates would make the delay sound worse. In practice, complaints about being ignored became less frequent, even though the underlying technical problem lasted another hour. This did not mean that visitors welcomed the delay or that every complaint had been resolved. It suggested that uncertainty and the way information was provided had contributed to the tension. The centre kept a record of requests requiring further action instead of treating a calmer room as proof that all needs had been met.
The subsequent review recommended a short communication plan for future disruptions. It did not prescribe identical words for every conversation. Staff were encouraged to acknowledge a person’s concern, explain the next available step and offer a realistic choice where possible. For example, a visitor might wait for the next update or speak privately about an urgent practical need. Promising a rapid resolution remained inappropriate unless someone with reliable information had confirmed it. Calm communication depended on honest limits as much as a polite tone.
03
Language focus
Polite requests and time expressions
Use could, would, and would you mind to reduce directness. Use for with duration, since with a starting point, and ago before the present.
The family has been waiting for forty minutes.
The second-line check has been open since 09:20.
Watch this
Would you mind is followed by an -ing form: Would you mind waiting here?
Use the language
Complete the second sentence.
Keep the original meaning. Use each keyword unchanged. Type only the missing words in the blue gap.
- 1Read the original
- 2Fill the blue gap
- 3Check your answer
How to answer · worked example
Original
This is Jo’s laptop.
Use BELONGS
This laptop belongs to Jo.
Only belongs to goes in the gap. The other words are already there.
3 short exercises · not saved · separate from your drill score.
01 of 03Use WAITING
Original sentence
Please wait beside this desk.
Same meaning
Would you mind
beside this desk?
or press Enter
Your completed sentence
Show hint
Would you mind is followed by an -ing form.
Compare with a model answer
Words for the gap waiting
Would you mind waiting beside this desk?
Waiting supplies the gerund after the polite request opener.
02 of 03Use FOR
Original sentence
They started waiting forty minutes ago and are still waiting.
Same meaning
They have been waiting
.
or press Enter
Your completed sentence
Show hint
Use for with a duration.
Compare with a model answer
Words for the gap for forty minutes
They have been waiting for forty minutes.
For forty minutes gives the length of the ongoing wait; since would require a starting point.
03 of 03Use HAD
Original sentence
We did not explain the wait earlier. I regret that now.
Same meaning
Grammar reminder: Regret with wish
Use wish + past perfect for regret about a past event. Wish + past simple usually describes an unreal present situation.
Example: I wish we had explained the delay earlier.
I wish we
the wait earlier.
or press Enter
Your completed sentence
Show hint
Regret concerns an earlier event, not the present situation.
Compare with a model answer
Words for the gap had explained
I wish we had explained the wait earlier.
Had explained is an unreal past: the earlier explanation did not happen.
The checker matches model answers. An unmatched answer may still be valid; compare the completed sentences and explanation.
04
Core lexicon
Professional and operational vocabulary
reduce tension and the risk of conflict
The officer moved the conversation away from the queue to de-escalate it.make information easier to understand
She clarified why an additional check was required.a condition requiring additional safeguards or support
The team identified a possible vulnerability and requested assistance.send a person or issue to the correct specialist or procedure
The officer referred the protection claim immediately.clear wording without unnecessary jargon
Rights should be explained in plain language.From EPSOHQ Frontex database
Acronym focus
Relevant when discussing fundamental-rights expertise and guidance.
05
Listening workshop
Prepare. Listen. Respond.
Before you listen
Listen for how staff reduce uncertainty, not just the estimated delay.
- revised instructions
- directions that have been changed
- immediate assistance
- help needed without waiting for the usual process
- update
- new information, including confirmation that nothing has changed
Operational briefing
Listen once for the overall message. Replay for details, then explain the speaker’s reasoning. Pause, seek, or slow the recording whenever useful.
Unlimited replays · 01:33
Read transcript
Please listen carefully to the revised queue instructions. People with an appointment should wait near desk three. Anyone requiring immediate assistance should tell a member of staff rather than join a different queue. The delay is about twenty minutes. We will provide another update in ten minutes, even if the delay has not changed.
The change follows a review of yesterday's disruption. Most complaints were about uncertainty rather than the length of the wait. Several people said that they had received different estimates from different desks. Others had moved to a shorter queue only to discover that it served a different purpose. Staff should therefore use the same information and explain clearly whom each desk can help.
If someone becomes upset, acknowledge the inconvenience before giving the next instruction. Avoid promising a precise finishing time unless it has been confirmed. A useful response might explain the current estimate, why it may change, and when another update will be available. Giving a confident but unsupported promise can make the situation worse when the promise cannot be kept. The revised approach also allows people to request additional help discreetly. They should not have to explain personal circumstances to everyone waiting nearby. The supervisor will monitor whether the new signs and regular announcements reduce confusion. We will review the arrangement after the afternoon peak and ask staff which questions were still difficult to answer.
Original EPSOHQ text. Synthetic narration with macOS Daniel or Samantha voice.
Check your understanding
Drill 14 · Listening comprehension Drill 15 · Listening comprehension Drill 16 · Listening inference Drill 17 · Listening inference
Use what you heard
Explain a delay in four sentences: acknowledge, explain, offer a choice, state the next update.
06
Production task
De-escalation response
Give a four-sentence response to a person who is angry about a delay.
- Acknowledge the concern.
- Explain the next step without blame.
- Offer one practical choice.
- Avoid promises you cannot keep.
About 45 seconds · 50–110 words
Open evaluated task
Try your own response first. Then compare how the example covers the task, connects ideas, and uses the target language.
Study an example response
Illustrative response, not an assessed script
I understand that waiting without a clear answer is frustrating, especially when you have another appointment to reach. Our colleague is checking the system now, and I will give the next update in ten minutes even if the estimate has not changed. Could you wait beside this desk, or would you prefer to speak privately with my colleague about an urgent practical concern? I cannot confirm a finishing time yet, but I can make sure your question reaches the person who is checking the situation.
Notice the choices
- The first sentence acknowledges the specific concern without blaming the visitor.
- The next update is promised; an unverified finishing time is not.
- The third sentence gives a practical choice through polite question forms.
Adapt these patterns to your own situation. For speaking, practise aloud and check clarity and pace; a written example cannot demonstrate pronunciation or spontaneous fluency.