Describe a time you received good service from a company or shop
Describe a time you received good service from a company or shop
You should say:
- what the company or shop was and what it does
- what the service was and who helped you
- where it happened
and explain why you think it was good service
Practise this card
One minute to plan, two minutes to speak, exactly like the exam. Nothing you record leaves your device.
01:00
02:00
- what the company or shop was and what it does
- what the service was and who helped you
- where it happened
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How to approach this cue card
This card is about a customer experience, so the language you need is the language of requests, problems and solutions: what you asked for, what went wrong, what the staff did and how it made you feel. Examiners listen for a clear story in the past tense, for specific actions by the person who helped you, and for a reason behind “good service” that goes beyond “they were nice”.
The easiest real angle is a small, concrete moment: a repair shop that fixed something quickly, a waiter who solved a mix-up, a bank clerk who explained a form patiently, a courier who rearranged a delivery for you. A modest incident you remember well gives you more to say than a large purchase you barely recall. Notice that the first bullet asks for two things, what the shop is and what it does, so give the business a short description before you begin the story.
Spend the first part of the minute on the business, the problem and the helper’s name or job. Then think about two or three things the person actually did, such as listening, staying late, offering an alternative or following up afterwards. These actions are the evidence for the explain line, and they let you use verbs and linking phrases that show range, instead of repeating “helpful”.
Vocabulary that lifts this answer
These phrases describe service and staff behaviour more precisely than “good” or “kind”.
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| to go the extra mile | to make more effort than is expected | The technician went the extra mile to save my files. |
| attentive | giving close, careful attention to a customer | The staff were attentive without being pushy. |
| prompt | done quickly and without delay | I was impressed by their prompt reply to my message. |
| to take responsibility for something | to accept that a problem is yours to solve | She took responsibility for the delay and apologised. |
| to sort something out | to deal with a problem and solve it | He sorted the whole thing out within an hour. |
| a courteous manner | polite and respectful behaviour | The receptionist spoke in a courteous manner throughout. |
| to follow up | to contact someone later to check everything is fine | They followed up the next day to make sure it worked. |
| hassle-free | causing no trouble or difficulty | The return was completely hassle-free. |
| to put someone at ease | to make someone feel relaxed and calm | His friendly tone put me at ease straight away. |
| beyond my expectations | better than I thought it would be | The result was well beyond my expectations. |
A one-minute plan
- what: small laptop repair shop, Quezon City, mends computers
- service, who: laptop failed before thesis deadline, technician Mr Reyes
- where: shop near my university, small room, busy but tidy
- why good: listened, stayed late, saved files, lent a laptop, called next day
The same answer at Band 6, 7 and 8
The three sample answers below tell exactly the same story, and only the language changes between them. Hover or tap a highlighted phrase to see what an examiner would notice about it, and treat these as illustrations of what each band typically sounds like, not scripts to memorise.
Band 6
I would like to talk about a small laptop repair shop near my university in Quezon City in the Philippines. The shop fixAgreement slip: should be “fixes” computers and phones for students, and I went there last year when my laptop suddenly stopped working one week before my thesis deadline. The shop is on the second floor of a small building, and it is always full of students waiting for their phones and laptops. I was very worried, and I amTense slip: should be “was” almost crying when I walked in. The technician, Mr Reyes, listened to my problem carefully, and then he said, umHesitation filler, that the hard disk had a problem but he would try to make it goodBasic phrase; “get it working again” is more precise. He worked until late in the evening, and finally he saved all my files. He never makeTense slip: should be “made” me feel stupid because I did not keep another copy. He also lent me an old laptop so I canTense slip: should be “could” continue my writing at home. The next day he called me to ask if everything was okayBasic word; limits Lexical Resource. I think this was good service because he did not only repairMissing object: should be “repair my laptop”, he really tried to understand my situation, you knowFiller used as a hesitation marker. Many shops only want to finish fastUnnatural phrasing: should be “finish quickly” or “work quickly” and they don’t care about customers. Because of him I hand inTense slip: should be “handed in” my thesis on time, and later I brought him a box of sweets to say thank you. I still go to this shop and I tell my friends about itPlain phrasing; “recommend it to my friends” is more precise.
Band 7
I’d like to talk about a small laptop repair shop near my university in Quezon City in the Philippines. It fixes computers and phones for students, and I went there last year when my laptop suddenly died a week before my thesis deadline. The shop is on the second floor of a small building, and it is always full of students waiting for their phones and laptops. I was extremely anxious, and I was close to tears when I walked in. The technician, Mr Reyes, listened carefully, then explained that the hard disk was faulty, but that he’d do his best to get it working againNatural, precise paraphrase. He worked until late in the evening and managed to save all my files. He never made me feel foolish for not keeping a proper backup of my work. He even lent me an old laptop so that I could carry on writing at home. The next day he phoned to check that everything was fineClear sequencing keeps the story easy to follow. I think it was good service because he didn’t just repair the machine, he really tried to understoodForm error: should be “tried to understand” my situation. A lot of shops only want to finish quickly and doesn’t careAgreement slip: should be “don’t care” about the customer. Thanks to him I handed in my thesis on time, and later I brought him a box of sweets to say thank you. I still go there, and I’ve recommended it to several friendsPrecise verb choice from my course.
Band 8
I’d like to talk about a small laptop repair shop near my university in Quezon City in the Philippines. It repairs computers and phones for students, and I went there last year when my laptop suddenly died a week before my thesis deadline. The shop is on the second floor of a small building, and it is always full of students waiting for their phones and laptops. I was extremely anxious and close to tears by the time I walked in. The technician, Mr Reyes, listened carefully, then explained that the hard disk was faulty but that he’d do his best to get it working again. He worked late into the evening and managed to save every file. He never once made me feel foolish for not keeping a backup. He even lent me an old laptop so that I could carry on writing at home, and the following morning he phoned to make sure everything was running smoothlyNatural follow-up detail with an accurate participle phrase. I’d say it was good service because he didn’t merely fix the machine; he took the trouble to understand what I was going throughIdiomatic expression with an accurate embedded clause. Plenty of shops are only interested in working quickly, whereas he went the extra mileIdiomatic, precise expression for extra effort for a stranger. Thanks to him I handed in my thesis on time, and later I brought him a box of sweets to say thank you. I still go back, and I’ve recommended him to several friends.
What moved the band
- Band 6’s slips (“The shop fix computers”, “I am almost crying”) are accurate in Band 7 (“It fixes computers”, “I was close to tears”) and stay clean in Band 8.
- Band 6 relies on “make it good” and “okay”; Band 7 upgrades the first to “do his best to get it working again”; Band 8 closes with “went the extra mile” and “took the trouble to understand what I was going through”.
- Band 6 ends on a plain “tell my friends about it”; Band 7 says “recommended it to several friends”; Band 8 keeps “recommended him to several friends” after a contrast with shops that only want to work quickly.
Common mistakes on this card
- Praising the staff as “very kind and helpful” without saying a single thing they actually did.
- Forgetting the first bullet’s second half: say what the company or shop does before you start the story.
- Choosing an experience with no problem in it, so there is nothing for the helper to solve and little to say.
- Describing the service in the present tense, even though it happened once in the past.
Part 3 questions that often follow
After your turn of one to two minutes, the examiner usually moves into a related Part 3 discussion — these are the kinds of follow-up questions that commonly come up around this topic.
- What makes customer service good in your opinion?
- Do you think shop assistants are as helpful now as they were in the past?
- How has online shopping changed what customers expect from a company?
- Why do some companies train their staff to deal with complaints so carefully?
- Is it fair to judge a whole company by one bad experience with one employee?
Frequently asked questions
Does it have to be a big, well-known company?
No. A small repair shop, a local bakery, a bank branch or a hotel front desk all work. A modest business you really used gives you more concrete detail than a famous brand you only know from advertising.
Can the service have been online or by phone?
Yes. The card says "where it happened", but a helpline call or an online chat with a company can work if you can still say what the service was, who helped you and why it impressed you. A shop or office is easier to describe in vivid detail.
What if the service started badly and ended well?
That can make a strong story. Say what went wrong first, then show clearly what the person did to put it right. The explain line wants your reason for calling it good service, and a recovered problem is a very convincing reason.
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