AN ANGRY CLIENT
Your Conversation: You make the call
You: I'm afraid I have a serious complaint to make.
WARREN: Yes, what seems to be the trouble?
You: It's about your awful pick-up and delivery system. We had everything ready on Thursday as agreed.
WARREN: And did they come?
You: Of course, they damn well didn't! Those flowers ought to have been there by Saturday.
WARREN: Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Dixon. It's the first time that we've ever had any trouble of this kind. I'll look into it right away.
You: What about my flowers?
WARREN: Well, it's too soon to make rash promises, but I'm sure we shall be able to come to some amicable arrangement.
You: We'll see about that. We'll see about that.
Dialogue 4
Mr. Driscoll, who works for the Freight Forwarding Agency, calls the General Manager of an explosives company. The company specializes in making dynamite for the mining industry.
BROCKETT: Hello, Brackett here.
DRISCOLL: Bello, Mr. Brackett, Driscoll here again.
BROCKETT: What's the problem?
DRISCOLL: It's about that consignment of NG explosives for Australia. There's a lot of paperwork involved with the shipment. I want to make sure I'm putting down the correct information on the forms.
BROCKETT: Only too glad to help. We've got to comply with all the regulations, else we'll all get in a muddle. What do you want to ask me?
DRISCOLL: It's this form I'm filling in for you, the one for dangerous cargoes...
BROCKETT: Oh, you mean, the application for Special Stowage Order.
DRISCOLL: That's the one. I want to check one or two details with you - I've got the form in front of me here.
BROCKETT: Fire award
DRISCOLL: I'm looking at the section headed: Number and description of' packages. Am I right in saying its two hundred (200) crates of NG explosive? Gross weight... erm...
BROCKETT: Gross Weight: a hundred and fifteen (115) tons. Net weight: a hundred (100) tons. F.o.b. value: one hundred thousand pounds (£ 100.000)
DRISCOLL: Thanks I'll note that down. You'll be using fiber-cord cases, won't you? And theyll have strong wires round them for safety.
BROCKETT: That's right. Therell be twenty cases per crate. Each case weighs twenty-five kilos.
DRISCOLL: Uh-huh, I presume you'll he sending the goods by road to Tilbury Docks. Theyll go to the container freight station, Tilbury. Right?
BROCKETT: Yes The Transworld Shipping line can take over from there.
DRISCOLL: Let me slake a note of that. Place of acceptance of cargo by Transworld... erm... container freight station, Tilbury. Transworld will pack the goods into the container and unpack at destination.
BROCKETT: I also want Transworld to handle the documentation. They can prepare the Bills of Lading and Customs Entry Forms on our behalf.
DRISCOLL: How about insurance?
BROCKETT: They can arrange omiting insurance cover. But try to get a low premium for us, Mr. Driscoll. Twist their arm a little, if you have to.
DRISCOLL: Don't worry. I'll beat them down if possible.
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BROCKETT: That's covered about everything, I think. Oh, by the way, remember that we want extra copies of the Bill of Lading.
DRISCOLL: I've already noted that. Maybe I should remind you - when you receive the Shipping Application, make sure you sign the Declaration on the back.
BROCKETT: I'll do that. Ive got to state the consignment's safely packed, haven't I?
DRISCOLL: Yes. That's the main purpose of the Declaration. Now, I'll let you get back to you work.
BROCKETT: Thanks. I'm really up to my eyes at the moment. Still call me if you need me.
:
I.Where does Mr. Driscoll work? What does his company do?
2. What's his problem?
3 Why do they have to comply with all the regulations?
4. What kind of cases will be used? Who will pack and unpack the goods?
5. Who will prepare the Bill of Lading? On whose behalf? The insurance?
6. Why should the Declaration be signed on the back?
7. How will the consignment go?
. .
PLACING AN ORDER
CAMPBELL: Hello. This is Gordon Campbell phoning from Inverness.
SUPPLIER: Hello. Mr. Campbell. What can I do for you?
CAMPBELL: You know the quote you sent me ten days ago about the oil pipe inspection device.
SUPPLIER: Oh, yes. We've just had a new batch in today.
CAMPBELL: When could you dispatch me one, then?
SUPPLIER: I can get it off almost immediately. This afternoon, if you like. By air freight.
CAMPBELL: Just the job. What do you need from me then?
SUPPLIER: Well, I'll need a written order from you and you already have an account with us, don't you?
CAMPBELL: Yes, you'll have all our details somewhere. My company's called: Scott and McCloed, Inverness.
SUPPLIER: I'll get things moving straight away.
CAMPBELL: And I'll confirm the order by fax within an hour.
SUPPLIER: Thanks for ringing. Bye.
CAMPBELL: Bye now.
Dialogue 5
Paula Williams runs the Export Sales Department of Mercury Computers Ltd. Her assistant, Bob Seagrum, has just joined the firm. Paula talks to Bob about insuring a consignment of goods for South America.
PAULA: Here's an interesting letter, Bob. It's from a customer in Colombia, Mr Carrera. Do you remember him?
BOB: Yes. What does he say?
PAULA: Let me put you in the - picture, first. A few weeks ago Mr. Carera bought some of our microcomputers. Now he's written to say he'll he placing regular orders with us.
BOB: That's good. We don't sell much to South America at the moment, do we? It'll give us a foothold in the market.
PAULA: Yes. I hope it'll be the start of something quite big. Carrera doesn't just do business in Colombia. He's got sale outlets in Venezuela and Ecuador as well.
BOB: Just the kind of contact we need, then.
PAULA: Definitely. The orders will be fairly large - about three to five thousand pounds (£3-£5,000) worth a month. Carrera wants us to arrange insurance cover for the shipments.
BOB: So the invoices will be made out C I F. won't they?
PAULA: Yes, CIF Caracas. Mr. Carrera will airfreight the goods from there to Bogota, or perhaps bring there overland.
BOB: How do we go about getting insurance? Is it tricky?
PAULA: Oh, not really. We'll be sending computers regularly to Colombia. So, well I take out an all risks open policy for, say, fifty thousand pounds (£ 50.000). It'll cover consignments from our warehouse to the port of destination - Caracas.
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BOB: I'm afraid 1 don't know much about insurance terms. What is an all risks open policy?
PAULA: It's a policy that'll cover all consignments made to Mr Carrera over a twelve-month period. Up to a value of fifty thousand pounds (£ 50.000).
BOB: Yes, but what about the 'all risks' bit? Can you explain precisely what it means'?
PAULA: It means all risks mentioned in the policy.
BOB: Such as?
PAULA: Fire theft, damage of various kinds, like breakage.
BOB: I see. To take out an open policy, I suppose we phone our insurance broker.
PAULA: Right. We contact our broker. Then he gets in touch with a Lloyd's'1 underwriter. It's the underwriter who quotes a rate for the shipment and issues the Insurance Certificate. And it's the broker who collects the premium.
BOB: If we agree to the rate are all shipments immediately covered?
PAULA: It works like this. While the policy is being prepared, the broker sends us a Cover Note. As soon as we get that, our consignments are insured.
BOB: Mm, there are also some Declaration Forms to fill in, aren't there?
PAULA: Ah, so you do know something about insurance, Bob! Yes, each time we ship goods, we sign a Declaration Form and send a copy to the broker. It provides a record of each insured shipment.
BOB: It sounds fairly simple, this insurance business.
PAULA: Oh, it's dead easy, once you get the hang of it.
1Lloyd's is a unique international insurance market, it is a society of underwriters made up of more than 26,000 members In the 18 century customers and underwriters used to arrange insurance in a coffee house which belonged to a man called Lloyds. Although its origin lies with marine insurance, Lloyd's now covers almost any risk. More than three-quarters of this business originates from overseas and its premium income is approximately 24 million pounds every day.
:
1. Why is Mercury Computers Ltd interested in business contacts with Mr. Carrera from Colombia?
2. How, will Mr. Carrera transport the goods?
3. What kind of policy are they going to take out? Explain their choice.
4. What is the procedure of taking out the policy?
5. When are the consignments insured?
6. How is the record of each insured shipment provided?
