课文内容
Vocabulary: shopping 词汇: 购物
Social media is changing everything in trade. Even reserved Britons are losing their traditional aversion to making a scene, and using social media to complain about bad service provided by businesses.
That’s what a survey by the Institute of Customer Service suggests. They analysed data from 200 organisations, including banks, utility companies and retailers and have concluded that customers now expect ‘dialogue, not monologue’ from companies.
If a shop assistant was rude and the price a rip-off, the unhappy customer – especially the young one – will take to microblog sites to slag off that company.
The trend has increased over the last few years. Thomas Brown, of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, observed in an interview that big companies had previously enjoyed a “controlled” conversation with customers via advertising – and for a long time, unhappy customers could only express themselves through letters or calling a customer relations team. But with the internet, it’s a whole new ballgame: which company can control online chat?
Brown continues: “Now there’s a risk that you could have a groundswell of customers talking to each other and, from the brand‘s perspective, it can get out of hand very quickly.”
Brown warns that there’s a concern by businesses about the time and resources it takes them to properly manage social media. Big organisations which aren’t monitoring it 24 hours a day could log off at the end of the trade day, only to log in the next morning to find that momentum has gathered behind a certain issue.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for businesses in this new era of intense connectivity. The old word of mouth recommendation has a new platform too. Perhaps it’s more true today than ever before: a satisfied customer is a company’s best advert.
词汇表
reserved 矜持的，内敛的
to make a scene （当众）吵闹，出洋相
utility companies 公共事业公司（水、电、煤气公司等）
retailers 零售商
shop assistant 店员，售货员
rip-off 宰人的价格
to slag off 强烈地批评，诋毁
advertising 做广告
customer relations 客户关系
a whole new ballgame 完全不同以往的局面
groundswell （群情）高涨
brand 品牌
to get out of hand 失控，难以控制
to gather momentum 聚集劲头、力量
doom and gloom 前景暗淡
word of mouth 口碑
advert （口语）广告
测验与练习
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. What action don’t British people like to take?
2. What are customers expecting from businesses now?
3. What sort of thing makes people criticise a retailer on social media?
4. True or False? Businesses welcome 24 hours of social media activity.
5. Which expressions do you use for switching off your computer?
2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。
1. Professor Warren’s class is boring. He starts his __________ as soon as he comes in and students sit quiet and struggle not to fall asleep.
dialogue monologue chat complaint
2. If you invite the whole school to the party, things might __________. How can you control dozens of people?
be doom and gloom make a scene gather momentum get out of hand
3. I wouldn’t have lunch in that restaurant if I were you. The food is tasteless and the prices are __________.
a rip-off slag off an advert a complaint
4. If you want to work in retail, the first rule is not to be __________ to the customers!
unhappy satisfied a monologue rude
5. Mary’s new television was a bargain. She was lucky to find a set from a good brand on sale.
brand advert word of mouth advertising
答案
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. What action don’t British people like to take?
They don’t like to complain, especially in public – they don’t like to make a scene.
2. What are customers expecting from businesses now?
A survey by the Institute of Customer Service says they expect a dialogue, not a monologue.
3. What sort of thing makes people criticise a retailer on social media?
Rude treatment by shop assistants and prices which are unjustifiably too high.
4. True or False? Businesses welcome 24 hours of social media activity.
False. According to Thomas Brown, of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, it makes companies concerned about monitoring constantly criticism.
5. Which expressions do you use for switching off your computer?
Logging off.
2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。
1. Professor Warren’s class is boring. He starts his monologue as soon as he comes in and students sit quiet and struggle not to fall asleep.
2. If you invite the whole school to the party, things might get out of hand. How can you control dozens of people.
3. I wouldn’t have lunch in that restaurant if I were you. The food is tasteless and the prices are a rip-off.
4. If you want to work in retail, the first rule is not to be rude to the customers!
5. Mary’s new television was a bargain. She was lucky to find a set from a good brand on sale.