(1) News by Tara
Please LISTEN to the latest news of the week by Tara.
(2) Feedback on the orals (and voting for best performances, and best actress and actor)
(3) The Customer is always right: Discussions about a conversation with a customer. Some of you would still do other English exams later this semester and this would be your last opportunity to practice your oral English in class.
(4) Vocabulary exercise
The vocab paper would have the same format as before with mostly multiple choice questions and also a few words to be written. If you revise the vocab we learned through the semester, you don't need to stress. Please try to prepare as some of you need a good score here as not all of you performed that well during our orals this week. Good wishes to you.
12 - W14a - The customer's always right.pdf
Replies
So Xie Zhengfeng, you made sure that you left the last comment for this post! I agree that most students have been well-prepared for the role plays. Class 1 also did very well. There is a lot of talent among our students. I wish they had all been so enthusiastic during the other lessons too! Looks like you've prepared for Tara's news; sorry that we didn't select you in class to tell us the news! But you can't blame the teacher as he did ask for volunteers, but only Di Xin was so brave. Maybe next time!
Though I don't think everyone has prepared well, I agree with you that everyone did their best; I could see that. I was happy with the performances in general and it was very enjoyable. I was also fortunate to have witnessed both classes' performances.
I think you are also right about the customers that can't always be right (specially not in China!). Pse read my reply to Liu Yi (the second paragraph, and at the top of the 5th page at this post) where I gave two reasons why I think it can't work in China. I believe that China's consumers need some more education before customers' relations may improve ..!
I agree with you that in China this concept about the customer being always right doesn't work properly. From my experience of just over five years in China, I have formed my own opinion as to why this can't work. Too many times I've witnessed customers being extremely rude to the shop assistants and dealers. I got the feeling that the rich and middle class people in China think that as they have the money now, they can do and say everything without being held accountable for their words or actions. Of course, the political leaders live like that and that is therefore the example that the rest gets. Can one then even blame them? However, that is no excuse for rudeness and treating others with disrespect. Maybe you can read my reply to Lusia too as we'd touched on this exact thing. The day people would start treating one another with more respect and dignity, China will change. ;-)
I agree that the performances were mostly of good quality. I could see that most (sorry, not all ..!) students have prepared well and it was also clear that they have enjoyed themselves. Class 2 did well too and I was really privileged to have seen both shows! Well, I hear what you say; thank you. 'These times' you are referring to, have not always been such great times (to the students in particular) as you know yourself that your teacher could get quite 'difficult' at times ... But I guess you all got to know him and knew that it was neither enjoyable to him to get upset. I guess it's just how he is (though no excuse; and be sure, his own behavior is not acceptable to him when he gets upset ..). And yes, Class 12 would be in his memory for a long time ...
I was surprised that all my classmates did the role play so great.I can feel that all the students have prepared for it for a long time,and we all spend much time and energy on our role play.That is a good thing.I don't know whether class one have done it as wonderful as us.I planned to go to class one to see their role play,but I had something else to do.What a pity.
What impressed me most was that Lusia and Wangfei told us a good story and their performance was so interesting.In my view,their tone changed and they spoke it fluently,especially when they had a quarrel.So,Lusia and Wangfei is the best one in my heart.As for my performance,I am satisfied in general.There is a small flaw in my show.It is that when I speak the poem,I forget it.So I look at my hand which has some words on it and can remind me of the poem.If I didn't do that,I think it would be better.o(*￣▽￣*)ゞ
About the vocabulary exercise，I am worried about it.I am weak in words.In fact ,I do much preparation every time before our test.Even so,I still forget the vocabulary sometimes.So, hope the vocabulary is not too difficult and I can get a good mark.O(∩_∩)O
Yes, class one had also been doing well; you missed a good performance! It didn't really matter that you had to look for the words at one stage. You know I said before that students can do that as long as they then look up and talk to us again. So, nothing was wrong with that. And, as you know, we have all enjoyed you doing that. ;-)
I don't know whether the vocab paper was easy or not. Three students I talked to afterwards, said it was relatively easy ... So, maybe it was the same with you? Students who have studied the vocab we have done this semester, would all do well, I am sure. :)
Xie Xue, do you think there are many civilized customers in China ..?! I have the feeling that this concept about the customer, wouldn't work in China. Pse see my reply above to Li Ningning where I list two reasons to prove my point. Maybe you would not agree, but I do think it can be right as I have much experience of that after being already five years in China! ;-)
Thank you, Yin Linlin. For some strange reason I like my Chinese students very much too, year after year. There were some exceptions on the past where some boys didn't get on well with me and we didn't have good relationships, but that were only a few exceptions. About class 12... well, I don't want to think about not teaching them anymore; I may be difficult in the classroom at times, but that doesn't mean that they aren't all deep into my heart. My best times every day is when I am in a classroom with a class (it may sound a little crazy, but it is the truth!). So, I am also privileged to have been awarded the honor to teach your two classes. ;-)
And lastly, about the performances in the role plays, you are right, the level of commitment and talent among those students were truly commendable. "Hats off" to them all (are you familiar with that phrase?)!
Good information that you've given here about Walmart in Shenzhen. If I am correct, that is an American chain store (or at least from a western country) and therefore this thing about the customer being always right, is clearly a foreign concept. They clearly didn't know much about customer behavior in China before putting that slogan up! I was used to that when I was still living in the west and I can still remember that good customer service was very important to me (and still is!). I would have even be prepared to pay more for an item at one store if I know that they are well-known for good customer relations. And I would avoid a store where I know they don't care much about customer satisfaction.
Interesting that the survey showed exactly what we know about Chinese consumerism in respect of customers' attitudes! In the west, good customer service would ensure that customers would normally return to a dealer as we value good service (and even pay for it!). But I think in China the dealers know about the bad behavior of the customers and therefore one can't expect very good service. One can't even blame them! Your points are all valid as to why this concept can't work here. I listed two more reasons in my reply to your gf (maybe you can have a look there too!). A lot of education is still required here, I think ...! ;-)
The Customer is always right? I've heard a lot of Western countries are doing business in this manner, in China this is not acceptable, probably because the high quality of Westerners than Chinese have such a way that it can. There are also in place to treat customers like this, but probably not very many customers high quality, so the result is not very satisfactory.
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