ESL Lesson Plan: Calling Customer Service: Explaining Problems and Agreeing on Solutions

The complete lesson plan

Teach it as written, or use it as a starting point and adapt it to your group.

Why this lesson works

This lesson applies TBLT's task-cycle structure (pre-task, task, language focus) to a high-relevance adult context: resolving a problem via customer service. Because adult B2 learners bring real-life frustration with customer service calls, the pre-task schema activation taps their existing experience and lowers affective barriers, addressing the andragogical principle of immediate relevance. The main task (a live simulated phone call using role cards) requires genuine meaning negotiation between partners, operationalizing Vygotsky's claim that higher cognitive functions emerge from social interaction and that language mediates thinking. The design is task-supported: key phrases and the passive are introduced briefly before the task, and the Language Focus stage then works on discourse markers and clarification strategies from the learners' own task performance, consistent with Lantolf's notion of mediated learning through dialogue. The listening input is a script the teacher reads live, so speed and pauses can be adjusted to the class (Wilson 2008 on live listening). All vocabulary is kept at B2 or below, and structures such as passive complaints and concessive discourse markers reflect the genuine B2 grammar range described in the English Grammar Profile.

Learning objectives

Communicative

Students can call customer service, explain a problem clearly, ask for and give clarification, and agree on a solution.

Grammatical

Students can use passive constructions to describe problems ("The item was damaged"), noun clauses to report issues ("I noticed that the charge was wrong"), and discourse markers to manage conversation flow.

Lexical

Students can use at least 8 target phrases for complaining, clarifying, and reaching a solution in a customer service call.

Target language

Key vocabulary

• refundB1/ˈriː.fʌnd/I would like to request a full refund for the damaged item.
• chargeB1/tʃɑːrdʒ/There is an incorrect charge on my bill.
• defectiveB2/dɪˈfɛk.tɪv/The device I received appears to be defective.
• billingB2/ˈbɪl.ɪŋ/I am calling about a billing error on my account.
• confirmB1/kənˈfɜːrm/Could you confirm the details of the solution?
• outstandingB2/aʊtˈstæn.dɪŋ/There is still an outstanding balance on my account that I cannot explain.
• processB1/ˈprɑː.ses/How long will it take to process the refund?
• policyB1/ˈpɑː.lə.si/What is your return policy for online orders?
• resolveB2/rɪˈzɑːlv/I would like to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
• deal withB1/ˈdiːl wɪð/Who should I speak to in order to deal with this problem?

Target structures

• Passive to describe the problem: 'The item was damaged / The charge was applied incorrectly.'
• Noun clause to report an issue: 'I noticed that... / I found that... / It appears that...'
• Clarification requests: 'Could you clarify what you mean by...?' / 'Just to make sure I understand...'
• Concessive discourse markers: 'Even so, I would still expect...' / 'That said, I think the fairest solution would be...'
• Agreeing on a solution: 'So what we have agreed is...' / 'To confirm, you will... and I will...'

Stage by stage

1. 1. Pre-Task: Schema Activation and Listening

   12 min · Whole class, then pairs

   Teacher: 1. Open with two quick questions on the board: 'Have you ever called customer service? What happened?' Give students 60 seconds to share with a partner, then take 2-3 brief whole-class responses. Keep this fast and energizing. 2. Tell students: 'You are going to listen to a customer service call. Your job is to find out: (a) what the TWO problems are, and (b) how the call ends.' 3. Read the script 'The Broken Blender Call' (in Texts and scripts) aloud at a natural but clear pace. Students do NOT see the text. They take brief notes. 4. After the first read-through, ask pairs to compare notes for 60 seconds. Then read the script a second time. Students add or correct their notes. 5. Take whole-class answers to the two gist questions. Write the two problems on the board in brief note form (e.g., 'defective blender' / 'double charge'). 6. Ask: 'What did the agent say to clarify the problem? What solution did they agree on?' Accept any correct answers and write 2-3 key phrases on the board as a bridge to the task.

   Students: Students listen (twice) to the teacher reading the customer service call aloud and take notes on the two problems and the outcome. They compare notes with a partner between readings, then share answers with the class.

2. 2. Pre-Task: Language Preparation

   5 min · Whole class

   Teacher: 1. Tell students: 'Before your own call, let's look at some useful language from the script and add a few more phrases.' 2. Write the following four categories on the board. Say each phrase aloud and have students repeat chorally: - EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM: 'I am calling because...', 'It appears that...', 'The item was damaged.' / 'I was charged incorrectly.' - CLARIFY: 'Just to make sure I understand...', 'Could you clarify what you mean by...?', 'Do you mean... or...?' - RESPOND TO CLARIFICATION: 'Exactly, that is right.', 'That is not quite what I meant. What I meant was...' - KEEP YOUR POSITION POLITELY: 'Even so, I would still expect...', 'That said, I think the fairest solution would be...' - AGREE ON A SOLUTION: 'So, to confirm, what we have agreed is...', 'That sounds acceptable. Could I get that in writing?' 3. Point out the passive form on the board ('The item was damaged', 'The charge was applied incorrectly') and ask: 'Why do we use passive here? Who benefits from not saying who did the action?' Take 2-3 quick answers. 4. Tell students they will use all of these in the next stage.

   Students: Students listen, repeat key phrases chorally, and briefly discuss why the passive construction is useful when complaining. They copy the four categories into their notes to use as a reference during the task.

3. 3. Task: Simulated Customer Service Call

   18 min · Pairs

   Teacher: 1. Divide students into pairs. Assign one person the role of CUSTOMER and one the role of CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT. 2. Write the three scenario options on the board. Each pair chooses ONE: A. A laptop was delivered with a cracked screen, and the customer was charged for express delivery they did not request. B. A gym membership was renewed automatically after the customer asked to cancel it, and two months of fees were taken from their account. C. A hotel booking was confirmed by email but there was no record of it at check-in, and the customer paid for a last-minute room at a higher price. 3. Give each student 2 minutes of silent preparation time: CUSTOMERS write 3 key facts about their problem in note form. AGENTS write 3 clarification questions they might need to ask. 4. Students then conduct the call. They must: (a) explain the problem, (b) exchange at least two clarification moves, and (c) agree on a solution and confirm it. 5. Circulate and observe. Take notes on language used (correct and incorrect) for the Language Focus stage. Do NOT interrupt. Only intervene if a pair completely stalls. 6. After about 7 minutes, pairs swap roles and choose a different scenario (another 7 minutes).

   Students: In pairs, students choose a problem scenario and conduct a full simulated customer service phone call. The customer explains the problem, both parties use clarification strategies, and they agree on a solution. They then briefly report what they agreed to the class.

4. 4. Report: Class Debrief

   5 min · Whole class

   Teacher: 1. Ask two or three pairs to briefly report to the class: 'Tell us: what was the problem, and what did you agree on?' Keep each report to about 30-40 seconds. 2. After each report, ask the rest of the class one quick reaction question: 'Did that sound like a fair solution?' or 'What else could the agent have offered?' 3. Use this stage to build a sense of shared audience and accountability for the task, consistent with TBLT's reporting phase. Do not correct language here; save that for Language Focus.

   Students: Two or three pairs report their problem and agreed solution to the class in 30-40 seconds each. The rest of the class listens and reacts briefly.

5. 5. Language Focus: Noticing and Analysis

   11 min · Whole class, then pairs

   Teacher: 1. Return to the board. Write 4-6 sentences you noted during the task circulation (a mix of correct usage and errors, anonymized). Include at least one example of: (a) a passive construction, (b) a noun clause reporting the problem, and (c) a clarification move. Example correct: 'I noticed that the charge was added twice.' Example with an error: 'The blender is damaging when I received it.' (active -ing form used instead of the past passive) 2. Ask students in pairs: 'Which sentences are clear and correct? Which ones need to be changed? How would you fix them?' 3. Take class feedback. For each sentence, guide students to identify (a) what structure was used and (b) why it works or does not work. Write the corrected forms alongside. 4. Highlight the two concessive markers from the pre-task board and any you heard during the task. Ask: 'What is the difference between Even so... and That said...? Can they both go here?' Brief discussion (2 minutes). 5. End with a clear board summary of the three main structures with one example each.

   Students: Students look at anonymized sentences from the task on the board and work in pairs to decide which are correct, which need fixing, and how to improve them. They then discuss the meaning difference between two discourse markers with a partner before sharing with the class.

6. 6. Language Focus: Controlled Practice

   5 min · Pairs

   Teacher: 1. Ask each pair to take one of their original task scenarios and reconstruct a short version of the most important moment of the call (4-6 turns) using at least: ONE passive construction, ONE noun clause reporting the problem, and ONE clarification move. 2. Give pairs 3 minutes to plan and practice this mini-call aloud. 3. Ask one or two willing pairs to perform their mini-call for the class (30 seconds each). Give brief, positive, specific feedback: 'Good use of the passive there. I also noticed a strong clarification question.'

   Students: Pairs reconstruct the key moment of their task call (4-6 turns), deliberately including the three target structures. One or two pairs perform their mini-call for the class.

7. 7. Wrap-Up and Homework Preview

   4 min · Whole class

   Teacher: 1. Ask the class: 'What is one phrase from today that you think you will actually use in real life?' Take 3-4 quick answers. Write them on the board under 'Today's toolkit.' 2. Briefly preview the homework task: 'Before next class, notice or recall a real customer service interaction you have, or overhear. This could be a call, an online chat, or even an interaction in a store. Note: (a) what the problem was, (b) how it was explained, and (c) what happened. Next class, you will share this in 60 seconds.' 3. Tell students: 'You do not need to write a long report. A few notes on your phone is fine. The goal is to connect what we practiced today to real communication outside class.'

   Students: Students share one phrase they found useful from the lesson. They receive the homework observation task and clarify any questions about what they need to notice.

What usually goes wrong, and what to do

During the listening stage, adult learners who lack confidence may feel anxious about missing information and ask to hear the script again more than twice.

Normalize partial understanding explicitly: say 'You are not expected to catch every word. Focus only on the two problems and the outcome.' Offer the simplified note grid (rescue option) for pairs who are stuck after two listens.

In the task stage, some pairs may default to a script-like exchange without genuine meaning negotiation, skipping clarification moves entirely.

Before the task begins, tell students: 'I will be listening for at least two genuine clarification moves per call. If I do not hear any, I may interrupt briefly to ask: has anything been unclear so far?' This creates a light accountability structure without over-scripting.

Learners may mix up the passive construction, producing errors such as 'The blender is broken when I received' instead of 'The blender was broken when I received it.'

In the Language Focus noticing stage, include this exact error type as one of the anonymized board sentences so the class can analyze and correct it collaboratively.

Adult learners who work in customer service professionally may feel the scenarios are too simple or not relevant to their specific sector.

During task preparation (2-minute silent planning), invite these learners to adapt the scenario to their own professional context. Their greater domain knowledge becomes an asset rather than a barrier.

Weaker pairs may run out of things to say after 3-4 turns, leaving 5 or more minutes of the task stage unused.

Have the guided call card (rescue activity menu item) ready as a physical prompt. Also tell all students before the task: 'When you reach an agreement, do not stop. Confirm it using the board phrases, ask for written confirmation, and then swap roles.'

How you know it worked

• Student uses at least one passive construction to describe the problem during the task call.
• Student produces at least one clarification move using target language (e.g., 'Just to make sure I understand...' / 'Do you mean... or...?').
• Student reaches and verbally confirms an agreed solution using a summary frame ('So, to confirm, what we have agreed is...').
• Student uses at least one discourse marker to manage the flow or concede a point during the call.
• Student demonstrates appropriate register throughout: polite but assertive, not aggressive or overly casual.