German course

Lesson 227 of 240

New here? This is lesson 227 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Accepting a complaint in German

A tourist at Bäckerei Krause got the wrong bag. Renate is in the lunch rush, and Priya steps in to help behind the counter.

You will take the complaint with Sie, own the mistake, swap the order, and put it on the house.

Keep the tone calm and short. Formal we and Sie do the work. Do not argue with the customer.

Anton is at the corner table with his unfinished Milchkaffee, watching, not interrupting.

By the end of this lesson

Receive a complaint, apologise formally, and fix it.

  • Wir entschuldigen uns für die Unannehmlichkeiten.We're very sorry for the inconvenience.
  • Das war eindeutig unser Fehler.That was clearly our mistake.
  • Wir kümmern uns sofort darum.We'll take care of it right away.
  • Ich tausche das gern für Sie um.I'll gladly exchange this for you.
  • Das kommt so nicht wieder vor.That won't happen again.
  • Das geht selbstverständlich aufs Haus.This is on the house, of course.

Scene — the wrong bag

Lunch rush on Fliederstraße. Priya is behind the counter with Renate, helping with bags and the coffee machine.

A tourist stands with a paper bag and a tight smile. Anton sits at the corner table with two chairs and a Milchkaffee he has not finished.

Priya and Renate work the busy bakery counter as a tourist holds a paper bag and Anton sits at the corner table.

Learn — own it and fix it

Six staff lines cover a formal apology, owning the mistake, a quick fix, an exchange, a promise, and putting it on the house.

Sie stays with the customer. The prefix of umtauschen and vorkommen sits at the end.

  1. Renate turns toward the tourist with open palms as the paper bag is held between them.

    Wir entschuldigen uns für die Unannehmlichkeiten.

    We're very sorry for the inconvenience.

    When to use it: Say this first when a customer has a real complaint.

    Staff speak as wir and uns; the customer still gets Sie.

    Say it: The ch in Unannehmlichkeiten is the soft ich sound.

  2. Priya looks into the opened bag and recognizes the packing mistake.

    Das war eindeutig unser Fehler.

    That was clearly our mistake.

    When to use it: Say this when the bakery, not the customer, got the order wrong.

    Unser names the bakery's mistake, not the customer's.

    Say it: Final -er in Fehler sounds like a weak uh.

  3. Renate gestures toward the kitchen, directing the replacement process.

    Wir kümmern uns sofort darum.

    We'll take care of it right away.

    When to use it: Say this when you will fix the problem at once, not later.

    Sofort means you start the fix now.

    Say it: ü in kümmern is rounded, with the lips tight.

  4. Priya offers the tourist a fresh cheese roll as an exchange.

    Ich tausche das gern für Sie um.

    I'll gladly exchange this for you.

    When to use it: Say this to a customer when you will swap the wrong item.

    The prefix um stands at the end of the clause.

  5. Renate stands attentively at the counter while Anton watches from the corner table.

    Das kommt so nicht wieder vor.

    That won't happen again.

    When to use it: Promise this after you have owned the mistake and started the fix.

    The prefix vor stands at the end of the clause.

  6. Renate slides a complimentary pastry toward the tourist and gently waves away the offered wallet.

    Das geht selbstverständlich aufs Haus.

    This is on the house, of course.

    When to use it: Say this when the customer should not pay for the replacement.

    Aufs stands for auf das in this set phrase at the counter.

    Say it: The ch at the end of selbstverständlich is the soft ich sound.

Story — on the house

Watch Priya take a wrong-order complaint at the counter. Renate owns the mistake, and the tourist gets a fresh Schrippe on the house.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The lunch line has stopped. The tourist holds up a paper bag.
  2. TouristEntschuldigung, haben Sie einen Moment?Excuse me, do you have a moment?
  3. PriyaJa, natürlich. Guten Tag.Yes, of course. Good afternoon.
  4. TouristDas hier ist nicht meine Bestellung. Ich habe eine Schrippe mit Käse bestellt, und hier ist ein Pfannkuchen.This is not my order. I ordered a cheese roll, and this is a jam doughnut.
  5. Renate glances at the bag, then at Priya.
  6. RenatePriya, nimmst du das bitte?Priya, will you take this, please?
  7. PriyaJa, klar.Yes, sure.
  8. PriyaWir entschuldigen uns für die Unannehmlichkeiten.We're very sorry for the inconvenience.
  9. RenateDas war eindeutig unser Fehler.That was clearly our mistake.
  10. PriyaSetzen Sie sich.Please sit down.
  11. TouristDanke. Wie lange dauert das ungefähr?Thanks. About how long will that take?
  12. PriyaDas dauert nur einen Moment. Wir kümmern uns sofort darum.That will only take a moment. We'll take care of it right away.
  13. Renate already has a fresh cheese roll in the tongs.
  14. PriyaIch tausche das gern für Sie um.I'll gladly exchange this for you.
  15. TouristSuper. Bezahle ich die Schrippe dann extra?Great. Do I pay extra for the roll then?
  16. PriyaDas geht selbstverständlich aufs Haus.This is on the house, of course.
  17. RenateDas kommt so nicht wieder vor.That won't happen again.
  18. TouristDas ist sehr entgegenkommend, danke.That's very considerate, thanks.
  19. AntonGenau so.Exactly like that.
  20. PriyaGern. Schönen Tag noch.Gladly. Have a nice day.

Practice — the counter complaint

Ten short tasks wait here. You'll listen, match, build, fill a gap, and swap a word.

They stay on the counter, so the complaint stays the same problem.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Wir entschuldigen uns für die Unannehmlichkeiten.Drop the English here
    Das war eindeutig unser Fehler.Drop the English here
    Das geht selbstverständlich aufs Haus.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What does it mean?

    Das war eindeutig unser Fehler.

  4. What do you say?

    The tourist has the wrong bag. Which line promises you will take care of it right away?

  5. Build the line

    I'll gladly exchange this for you.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Fill the gap

    That won't happen again.

    Das kommt so nicht wieder ____.

  7. Swap the word

    The tourist asked if they must pay again. Make the replacement free.

    Das geht selbstverständlich aufs ____.

  8. Pick the reply

    Tourist says:

    Kann ich mich irgendwo hinsetzen?

    Can I sit down somewhere?

    And you reply with:

  9. Put the chat in order

    1. TouristWhat comes first?
    2. Priya…
    3. Tourist…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  10. What do you say?

    A tourist has just come to the counter with a bag. Greet them the daytime way.

Say it — take the complaint

Now you're Priya behind the counter at Bäckerei Krause. A tourist has the wrong order.

When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. TouristEntschuldigung, das hier ist nicht meine Bestellung.Excuse me, this is not my order.
  2. Priya (you)Apologise as staff for the inconvenience.

    Wir entschuldigen uns für die Unannehmlichkeiten.

    We're very sorry for the inconvenience.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Wir entschuldigen uns für die Unannehmlichkeiten.We're very sorry for the inconvenience.
Das war eindeutig unser Fehler.That was clearly our mistake.
Wir kümmern uns sofort darum.We'll take care of it right away.
Ich tausche das gern für Sie um.I'll gladly exchange this for you.
Das kommt so nicht wieder vor.That won't happen again.
Das geht selbstverständlich aufs Haus.This is on the house, of course.
Next: lesson 228Helping a newcomer

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