Are you good at complaining? Listen to 6 Minute English

When a company's service is not to your satisfaction, how do you complain? What's the best way to get what you want? And when has complaining been completely futile? Sam and Rob discuss people's readiness to complain and teach you vocabulary.

This week's question:

The oldest recorded complaint is on a stone tablet in the British Museum. It’s nearly 4000 years old. What was the complaint about?
a) An incorrect number of goats that were delivered after being bought at market.
b) The quality of copper bars that were supplied.
c) The non-payment of a bill for a banquet.

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary:

a sector
an area of business within the economy, for example: the telecommunications sector

inherent
a natural part of something, usually a difficulty or risk, that can’t be avoided

to perform
if a company is performing well, it is being successful

dominant
strongest, most used

to escalate (adj, noun: escalation)
to take something to a higher level, for example to escalate a complaint if you are not satisfied with the first response

to deal with (a problem or complaint)
to try to fix a problem or resolve a complaint

You'll find audio and text for download on our website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-191003

[Cover: Getty Images]

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