Describe an occasion when you received bad service from a shop or a restaurant
You should say:
- When it happened;
- What the situation was;
- Who you were with;
- And explain how you felt about the service.
Sample Answer
Actually, I’m satisfied with most shops and restaurants in terms of customer service. But when it comes to one that left a bad taste in my mouth, I have to talk about the time I wanted to buy something in a shop.
The thing is that last July, I had just gotten a new job and moved out from my campus dorm to a new apartment. So I thought I definitely needed a cooker to make meals. One of my friends recommended a kind of pressure cooker. She specifically told me about an exclusive shop selling this product in a Wanda Plaza near my home.
On her advice, I went to the shop with my mom. Luckily, the model my friend recommended had a half-price discount. Since my mom and I needed to run an errand in the shopping mall, I asked the staff member if she could put a unit on hold for me. She said it was okay. But when we returned to the shop to pick up the unit I ordered, they told me it was sold out.
I was so disappointed and asked to talk with the staff member who agreed to help me hold a unit. However, her attitude totally repelled me. She avoided my inquiry about the situation and blamed me for not buying it earlier… It was literally my worst shopping experience ever. The service quality of the shop disgusted me. It definitely rained on my parade.
Vocab Highlights
when it comes (down) to: You can use the expression when it comes to or when it comes down to in order to introduce a new topic or a new aspect of a topic that you are talking about.
exclusive /ɪkˈskluːsɪv/ (adj): only to be used by one particular person or group; only given to one particular person or group
run an errand: to take a short trip (usually in a car) to buy something or complete some other simple task; to carry out an errand
on hold: if something is on hold, it is going to be done or dealt with at a later date rather than now
sell out: to sell all of the supply that you have of something
repel somebody/something /rɪˈpel/ (v): to successfully fight somebody who is attacking you, your country, etc. and drive them away
literally /ˈlɪtərəli/ (adv): used to emphasize the truth of something that may seem surprising
rain on sb’s parade: to do something which spoils someone’s plan, usually a plan that is very important to them