You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin and I'll be your host for today's lesson on discussing production problems on the phone.
In today's economy, it seems like most of our communication is at a distance.
Just think about how much time you spend on your phone or writing emails.
Of course, it's no surprise.
Everything from bookkeeping to manufacturing can be done remotely.
What this means is that we end up dealing with some pretty tough challenges without being able to look someone in the eye.
And if you're in the business of manufacturing, that might include production problems.
So if you're the one overseeing production and you have to explain a problem over the phone, how can you do that?
The first thing you might have to do is explain the situation, like the results of a test run.
And just as with any problem, you want to stay positive or optimistic about solutions.
Of course, what makes you worth your paycheck is how you deal with the problem, and that might involve explaining the causes, showing you've taken steps to deal with the situation and describing what you'll do next.
And although today's lesson focuses on production problems, you can use these techniques to deal with pretty much any problem over the phone.
In today's dialogue, we'll hear Cam and Dave, who work for a clothing company called Boston Vintage.
The company has recently switched overseas factories and Dave is reporting on the results of the new factory's test runs.
As you'll hear, things haven't gone perfectly, and Dave, who's in China, has to discuss the problems over the phone with Cam, who's back in the US.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What does Dave say to introduce the fact that there were some problems in production?
2.
What does Dave say are the root causes of the problems?
3.
What are Dave's next steps in dealing with the problems?
So, tell me, Dave, what's the news on the latest test runs?
It was the indigo jeans line, right?
That's right.
We had them run three different styles and overall things went fairly well, especially considering the whole denim pre-wash process was a bit new to them.
Yeah, right.
I was curious how much support they might need for that.
Not too much as it turns out.
That said, we ran some quality tests and I've got a few concerns about consistency.
Uh-huh.
And is this for all three styles or just specific to one?
All three, actually.
But I must say I've been working with the factory QA people and they've been super cooperative.
So, I'm pretty confident we can clear it up for the next run.
Okay, well, I certainly hope so.
Lack of consistency is a big part of why we switched factories in the first place.
Yes, and these guys know that.
So, they were pretty concerned when I discussed the issue with them.
That's good.
And so, do you have a handle on what's behind all this?
You bet.
We've managed to pinpoint a few issues, including thread quality and some process challenges at a couple of the workstations.
Process challenges?
You mean this is a training issue, or are they just riding a tough learning curve?
Training is certainly part of it.
The workers are still getting habituated to some of the new equipment.
But I did a thorough process review and I worked with their QA guys to figure out the exact pain points along the line.
Okay, so clearly we need to get them up to speed so we can achieve the consistency we need.
I'm sure you can do that.
As for the thread quality, what's the plan?
Well, I'm going to revisit the preferred vendor list for Thread because it looks like we'll need to narrow that list down.
And as for getting them up to speed, we plan to do another mini-test run after we work with the employees a bit more.
As you say, we need to get that consistency, and fast.
Yes, but don't rush it.
We'd like it to happen sooner rather than later, but I understand these things take a bit of time.
We can't sacrifice quality for speed.
And so, what sort of timeline are we looking at on this?
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques.
Dave used to discuss this problem with Cam.
They're talking about test runs, which are small batches of products made to test out a new process.
So, tell me Dave, what's the news on the latest test runs?
It was the indigo jeans line, right?
That's right.
We had them run three different styles and overall things went fairly well, especially considering the whole denim pre-wash process was a bit new to them.
You'll notice that Dave begins his update on a positive note.
Before discussing any problems he wants to make sure Cam knows that overall things went fairly well.
This helps put the problems in perspective.
That is, they're a normal part of doing business.
Yeah, right.
I was curious how much support they might need for that.
Not too much, as it turns out.
That said, we ran some quality tests and I've got a few concerns about consistency.
After starting on a positive note, Dave uses the expression, that said, to switch topics.
That said, has basically the same meaning as.
However, and what Dave really wants to talk about are the quality tests they ran.
In other words, they took the clothing from a test run and inspected it to make sure it was up to their standards.
As Dave says, he has a few concerns about consistency or to what degree the test products are exactly the same.
At this point, Dave doesn't need to get too specific.
He's just describing the overall results of the test, so it's enough to say he has a few concerns.
That tells Cam there's something in the test run that needs attention.
What are some other ways we can describe the results of a test run in a simple and straightforward manner?
Let's practice a few more examples.
We did a new test run and everything looks great.
I've gone through the test samples and found a few issues.
The process went pretty well, but we've found some defects that need attention.
We definitely need to work on speed, but quality was really good overall.
Now that Dave has introduced the issue, they can talk a bit more specifically.
Uh-huh.
And is this for all three styles or just specific to one?
All three, actually.
But I must say I've been working with the factory QA people and they've been super cooperative.
So, I'm pretty confident we can clear it up for the next run.
What you'll notice here is how positive Dave's language is.
He doesn't want Cam to panic or get too worried about things.
Instead, he wants to show how optimistic he is about finding a solution.
For this reason, Dave mentions that the QA, or quality assurance people have been cooperative and he expresses confidence that they can fix the problem.
Of course Cam is going to want to see more details about the situation, but Dave wants him to understand from the beginning that the problems aren't serious and that he can deal with them.
Let's run through some more ways of showing that you're optimistic about finding a solution.
I'm sure we'll be able to fix the problem on the next test run.
We're working on a solution already, and I don't think it will be a big problem.
It shouldn't take us long to sort this out.
Now let's get back to the dialogue.
Okay, well, I certainly hope so.
Lack of consistency is a big part of why we switched factories in the first place.
Yes, and these guys know that.
So they were pretty concerned when I discussed the issue with them.
That's good.
And so, do you have a handle on what's behind all this?
You bet.
We've managed to pinpoint a few issues, including thread quality and some process challenges at a couple of the workstations.
It seems clear that Cam is concerned about the situation and at this point he wants to know if Dave has a handle on or understands what's behind the problem.
In other words, he's curious about the causes of the problem.
Before you even pick up the phone to discuss a problem, you'd better look into why the problem happened.
That's a huge part of dealing appropriately with any kind of issue.
And as you can hear, Dave says he's been able to pinpoint or identify exactly what happened.
In this case, it's about thread quality and process challenges.
If you're talking about problems over the phone, you'll need to identify the root cause.
So let's try some more ways of talking about what's behind a problem.
It appears that the paper we used simply wasn't heavy enough.
We've traced it back to problems at two of the workstations.
On closer examination, we found it was the result of dust building up in the equipment.
Dave mentioned process challenges as one of the causes.
That's a pretty vague statement, so Cam asks for a bit more detail.
Process challenges?
You mean this is a training issue, or they're just riding a tough learning curve?
Training is certainly part of it.
The workers are still getting habituated to some of the new equipment.
But I did a thorough process review and I worked with their QA guys to figure out the exact pain points along the line.
Dave has a very good answer to Cam's question about process.
As he says, he closely reviewed the process to find out the pain points or difficulties on the line.
In production, the line is a series of steps and activities required to create something.
Clearly, Dave has already taken steps to solve the problem.
Doing a process review is part of what we might call due diligence, which is the careful examination of something in order to make a good decision.
What are some other ways you can show due diligence in problem solving?
Let's try a few more examples.
We inspected every machine thoroughly to figure out what was going on.
I've talked to everyone on the line, as well as the shift supervisor.
Every process has been reviewed and every mistake documented.
I've worked very closely with their quality control people to find the root cause.
Cam has asked about the process challenges.
Now he wants to hear more about the thread quality issue.
Thread is a thin fiber used for sewing.
Okay, so clearly we need to get them up to speed so we can achieve the consistency we need.
I'm sure you can do that.
As for the thread quality, what's the plan?
Well, I'm going to revisit the preferred vendor list for Thread because it looks like we'll need to narrow that list down.
And as for getting them up to speed, we plan to do another mini test run after we work with the employees a bit more.
As you say, we need to get that consistency, and fast.
As we've already heard, discussing a problem on the phone involves talking about what you've already done to understand and solve it.
But, as Dave shows, it's also about explaining what you will do next.
To deal with the thread quality issue, Dave is going to make sure they're buying from good suppliers.
Or, as he says, revisit the preferred vendor list.
He's also going to work with the production staff more and then do another test run.
It's very important to outline your next steps in dealing with a problem.
So let's run through some more ways to do this.
Now we need to go back and make some adjustments to the process.
We're going to invest in some training and then do another test run.
Next week we'll try the same test with different materials.
Here's what happens now.
We get the engineers back and have them make the necessary changes.
Now let's listen as Cam finishes up this part of the dialogue.
Yes, but don't rush it.
We'd like it to happen sooner rather than later, but I understand these things take a bit of time.
We can't sacrifice quality for speed.
And so, what sort of timeline are we looking at on this?
You may remember that Dave mentioned they need to get the right consistency as quickly as possible.
That shows he's eager to solve the problem quickly.
But Cam wants to emphasize that it's about doing things right, not just quickly.
In any case, Dave has done a good job of discussing the problems with production and showing Cam that he's handling the situation well.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you work as a production manager for a company that makes packaging.
You are talking to your boss to report the results of a test run for a new box design.
You'll hear a statement by your boss.
Then I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
So, I'm curious to know how everything went with the test run.
Start by saying the test run went well overall, but the boxes need to be stronger.
Answer.
The test run went well overall, but I think the boxes need to be stronger.
Is that right?
So they couldn't handle the strength test?
Now say that some samples failed the test, but you're sure the problem can be solved.
Yes, some samples failed the test, but I'm sure we can figure this out.
Well, I sure hope so.
Have you found out exactly what the problem is?
Next, say that you have found a problem with the design of the box.
Answer.
Yes, we've discovered a problem with the box design.
A design problem, huh?
So we'll have to work on that.
Now say that you are already working on it and looking at alternative designs.
Answer.
We're already working on it and exploring some alternative designs.
Great.
So you've got a plan then?
Say that first you will select three designs and then test them next week.
Answer well, first I'm going to select three designs and then test them next week.
Now let's practice some of the vocabulary we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear Could you bring Josh up to on the new software.
You can say... Could you bring Josh up to speed on the new software?
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
So, do you think you have a... on the staffing situation?
Answer.
So do you think you have a handle on the staffing situation?
Let's do a full inspection so we can exactly where the problem is.
Answer.
Let's do a full inspection so we can pinpoint exactly where the problem is.
Answer Good training can help new employees deal with a steep learning curve.
After the accident at the factory, we've decided to Our safety policies.
After the accident at the factory, we've decided to revisit our safety policies.
We've reached the end of this lesson, the first in our series about doing business on the phone.
We've looked at how to explain the results of a test run and how to be optimistic about solutions.
We've also covered how to identify causes, how to show due diligence in problem solving and how to outline next steps.
In our next lesson, we'll talk about dealing with staffing issues over the phone.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
