When things are not quite right, or when the quality of something you recently bought isn’t very good, just what do you do? You have to make a complaint, but can you manage to do this? Or can you listen and understand when someone else is complaining?
In this Podcast, you will learn:
(i) How to make a complaint about something you bought
(ii) To explain to another person what is wrong with the article in question
Dialogue:
A customer wants to return some shoes she recently bought:
（在商场）
(zài shāng chǎng)
(at the department store)
A:您好！需要帮忙么？
Nín hǎo! Xū yào bāng máng me?
Hello. Can I help you?
B:您好，3天前我在您这儿买了双高跟鞋，只穿了一次鞋跟儿就掉了。我想退货。
Nín hǎo, sān tiān qián wǒ zài nín zhè er mǎi le shuāng gāo gēn xié, zhǐ chuān le yī cì xié gēn jiù diào le. Wǒ xiǎng tuì huò.
Hello, three days ago I bought a pair of high heels here. I only wore them once, and then the heels fell off. I want to return them.
A:哦，我能先看一下么？
Òu, wǒ néng xiān kàn yī xià me?
Can I take a look first?
B:您看。（打开盒子）这鞋质量也太差了。
Nín kàn. (dǎ kāi hé zi) zhè xié zhì liàng yě tài chà le.
See (opening the box). The quality of the shoes is so bad.
A:您这鞋底已经被磨坏了……按规定是不能给您退货的。
Nín zhè xié dǐ yǐ jīng bèi mó huài le. Àn guī dìng shì bù néng gěi nín tuì huò de.
The outer sole of your shoes is already worn. According to the rules, I can’t replace them for you.
B:那换一双也行啊。
Nà huàn yī shuāng yě xíng a.
I see. Exchange the shoes for another pair is fine then.
A:真抱歉，换也不行。
Zhēn bào qiàn, huàn yě bù xíng.
I apologise, I can’t exchange them either.
B：那我只好找你们经理了。
Nà wǒ zhǐ hǎo zhǎo nǐ mén jīng lǐ le.
Then I have to speak with your manager.
Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:
需要帮忙吗：can I help you
三天前：three days ago
高跟鞋：high heels
双：pair
鞋跟：heel
掉了：fall off
退货：return the goods
退：return
换：exchange
打开：open
盒子：box
质量：quality
差：bad
鞋底：sole
磨坏：worn out
被：a preposition in Chinese passive tense
按规定：according to the rules/ regulation
换一双：exchange for another pair
只好：have to
经理：manager