Dan: Hello, I'm Dan.
Alice: And I'm Alice.
Dan: And this is 6 Minute English! Hmm, I'll just have some coffee. Ugh, this
coffee is disgusting! That cafe over the road serves the worst coffee!
Alice: Oh, you should complain! Tell them you're not satisfied.
Dan: Hmm, you're right; I should complain. But I don't want to make a fuss.
Alice: Ah, you don't want to make a fuss – very British!
Dan: Maybe I should though! Traditionally, British people have been very bad at
complaining. We don't want to cause unnecessary problems for anyone; we
don't want to make a fuss or make a scene. But apparently we're getting better
at complaining about problems. And that's the topic of this week's 6 Minute
English – complaining. Are you a good complainer Alice?
Alice: Oh I'm a very good complainer – I'll let you know when I don't like something.
Dan: Right, I'll watch out for that. But first, this week's question for you Alice, is:
According to the Wall Street Journal, what was the cause of most airline
complaints in the US in 2010? Was it:
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a) Delayed or cancelled flights
b) Rude staff
c) Lost luggage
Alice: Mmm, I'm not sure: I'll go for c) lost luggage.
Dan: OK, well, we’ll see if you're right at the end of the programme. Now let's hear
now from Ben Page, from the surveying company Ipsos MORI. Here he is
talking about some of the reasons British people don't complain and why it
might be changing. He uses the phrases 'formal complaint' and 'annoy' here
Alice, so I wondered if you could explain those?
Alice: Sure. A formal complaint is a written document of your complaint. It's usually
a letter or email, and can sometimes be used as a legal document. And to
annoy is another term for 'to irritate'. Both mean 'to make you a bit angry'.
Dan: Also listen out for the phrase 'riled up'; what do you think it means here?
Ben Page, Ipsos MORI
Most Brits still won't complain unless it's something that's really important,
and that's because they just don't think it would make any difference. I think it
is changing, slowly; there are more channels; it's easier to whack off an email
or a tweet to an organisation that's annoyed you. But overall it's still… a formal
complaint still takes somebody to feel pretty riled up.
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Dan: So British people need to feel pretty riled up if they're going to make a formal
complaint.
Alice: To get riled up means to become angry or annoyed. So if an organisation has
annoyed you and you're riled up, you can now complain using new technology,
such as email or Twitter, so it's much easier to complain now than it used to be.
Why else are British people complaining more now, Dan?
Dan: Ah, well some people say we've developed more a culture of complaining, and
that's in part because of television programmes that encourage people to take
action when things aren't right. A television programme called 'That's Life!'
was regularly broadcast in the UK from the early 1970s right up to the 1990s.
It made sure that people weren't ripped off, and encouraged people to complain
if they were.
Alice: To be ripped off means to pay too much for something.
Dan: So here's the programme's host, Esther Rantzen, who says that being able to
complain is a fundamental democratic right. What phrase does she use to
encourage people to complain?
Esther Rantzen
I think being able to complain is a fundamental democratic right. There are
people around who will be on your side, but it's really up to you to grasp the
nettle and complain. Keep going!
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Alice: She said we should 'grasp the nettle and complain'. A nettle is a plant that
stings you when you touch it. But if you grab it quickly it doesn't hurt so much.
So as a phrase, if you grasp the nettle, it means you do an unpleasant task
quickly, and then it won't hurt as much.
Dan: So British people should grasp the nettle and complain when something's not
right.
Alice: As long as they're polite about it!
Dan: Quite right! OK Alice, back to today's question: According to the Wall Street
Journal, what was the cause of most airline complaints in 2010? Was it:
a) Delayed or cancelled flights
b) Rude staff
c) Lost luggage
Alice: And I guessed c) lost luggage?
Dan: Well actually, the answer was delayed or cancelled flights. Often, lost luggage
is the main cause of complaints throughout the year, but you'll remember that
in 2010, with the ash cloud and some very extreme weather, there were lots
and lots of cancelled flights, so it's not very surprising that was the major cause
for complaint. So before we go, let's hear some of the words and phrases we've
used in today's programme:
Alice: OK, we had:
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To make a fuss
To make a scene
To annoy
To irritate
Formal complaint
Riled up
Nettle
To grasp the nettle
Dan: Thanks, Alice. I hope you've enjoyed today's programme and you'll join us
again for more 6 Minute English next time. I'm off to complain about this
coffee!
Alice: Oh, I hope you get a good result!
Both: Bye!
