Customers rarely remember your exact words. They remember whether you were polite, clear and helpful, and whether their problem was solved. The good news: most customer conversations follow the same few steps, and a small set of reliable phrases covers almost all of them. Below you find phrases for each step, from the first hello to the hardest complaint. Each group goes from simple (B1) to more polished (B2).
Opening a call
- Good morning, thank you for calling [company]. My name is Sam. How can I help you today?
- Thanks for getting in touch. What can I do for you?
- Could I take your name, please? And could you spell your surname for me?
Security checks and details
- Before I can look at your account, I need to ask you a few security questions.
- Could you confirm the first line of your address and your postcode, please?
- Just to check I have that right: that's M for Mike, A for Alpha…
- Thank you, that's all confirmed.
Showing you are listening
- I see. So the parcel arrived, but one item was missing. Is that right?
- I'm sorry to hear that. That must be frustrating.
- I completely understand why you're upset. Let's see what I can do.
- Thank you for explaining that so clearly.
Hold and transfer
- Would you mind if I put you on hold for a moment while I check this?
- Thank you for holding. I've found your order.
- This is something our billing team handles. I'm going to transfer you now, and I'll explain the situation to them so you don't have to repeat it.
- If we get cut off, I'll call you back on the number ending 482.
Explaining and solving
- Here's what I can do for you.
- I've sent a replacement today. You should receive it within three working days.
- The refund has been processed. It usually takes five to seven working days to appear on your statement.
- I've escalated your case to my team leader. You'll hear from us by Friday.
Complaints and angry customers
With an angry customer, the order matters: listen first, acknowledge the feeling, apologise for the experience, then explain what happens next. Avoid arguing about who is to blame.
- I'm really sorry this has happened. You shouldn't have had to call us twice.
- I understand this isn't the answer you were hoping for.
- I want to sort this out for you today.
- I can hear that you're frustrated, and I'd like to help. Could we go through it step by step?
Saying no politely
- I'm afraid I'm not able to offer a refund on this item, but what I can do is…
- Unfortunately that's outside our returns period. Let me check what other options we have.
- I'd love to help with that, but it's not something we can change on our side.
Notice the pattern: I'm afraid / Unfortunately + the reason + an alternative. A "no" without an alternative sounds like the end of the conversation.
Live chat and email
- Hi Ana, thanks for your message. I'm looking into this for you now.
- Are you still there? I'll keep this chat open for two more minutes.
- I've attached the return label to this email.
- Is there anything else I can help you with today?
Closing
- Is there anything else I can do for you?
- Thank you for your patience today. Have a lovely afternoon.
- Your reference number is CS-4821, in case you need to get back to us.
Say this, not that
| Avoid | Say instead |
|---|---|
| Calm down. | I can see this has been really frustrating. |
| That's not my department. | Let me connect you with the team who can help. |
| You have to… | Could you…, please? / The next step is… |
| I don't know. | Let me find out for you. |
| Hold on. | Would you mind holding for a moment? |
Practise with real calls and chats
English for Customer Service & Call Centres B1–B2 has 24 chapters of before-and-after call scripts, chats and emails, with B1 and B2 phrases and a model answer for every task. For the exact words (refunds, escalations, goodwill gestures, case notes), add Customer Service Vocabulary in Real Life B1–B2. Prefer marked quizzes? The English for Customer Service online course has 111 lessons, and the first two are free. You can also try a free 12-question practice session.
