Describe a delivery problem, qualify a claim and negotiate next steps.
Use formal Sie and distinguish facts, possibilities and requests.
A fictional order and voluntary practice solutions. No purchase, refund or legal claim is made. Choose the outcome you would like to discuss.
This is a fictional practice situation. The dialogue below follows one example path; interactive practice lets you choose other meanings, complete the grammar and listen to German audio.
State what happened to the order using the completed passive.
Service representative
Was ist bei Ihrer Bestellung passiert?
What happened with your order?
One possible reply
Das Gerät ist erst gestern geliefert worden.
Perfekt process passive uses ist plus Partizip II plus worden. The passive participle is worden, not geworden.
Read the grammar guideExplain what you would have done with better information.
Service representative
Warum war eine frühere Information für Sie wichtig?
Why was earlier information important to you?
One possible reply
Wenn ich das gewusst hätte, hätte ich Hilfe organisiert.
Use hätte plus Partizip II to describe an action that would have happened in an unreal past situation.
Read the grammar guideOffer a possible explanation without claiming certainty.
Service representative
Können Sie sagen, wodurch das Problem entstanden ist?
Can you say what caused the problem?
One possible reply
Es könnte ein Problem beim Transport gegeben haben.
Könnte marks a tentative possibility. It leaves the cause open rather than expressing a strong deduction with muss.
Read the grammar guideRequest a concrete next step in formal language.
Service representative
Was wäre aus Ihrer Sicht jetzt eine sinnvolle Lösung?
What would be a sensible solution from your point of view now?
One possible reply
Das Gerät ist zunächst zu prüfen.
Sein plus zu-infinitive expresses what needs to be done here. With a separable verb, zu goes between the prefix and stem.
Read the grammar guideSet a clear condition for accepting a proposed solution.
Service representative
Wir könnten Ihnen einen neuen Termin oder eine Prüfung des Geräts anbieten.
We could offer you a new appointment or an inspection of the device.
One possible reply
Ich akzeptiere den Vorschlag, sofern Sie ihn schriftlich bestätigen.
Sofern introduces a condition with verb-final order. This is a fictional negotiation, not a statement of a legal entitlement.
Read the grammar guideCheck your understanding of what has been agreed.
Service representative
Haben wir damit eine gemeinsame Lösung gefunden?
Have we found a shared solution with that?
One possible reply
Darf ich noch einmal nachfragen, ob Sie mir die nächsten Schritte bestätigen?
An indirect question puts the finite verb last. Use ob to check whether a statement is correct.
Read the grammar guideDanke. Ich fasse unsere Vereinbarung schriftlich zusammen und schicke Ihnen die Bestätigung.
Thank you. I will summarise our agreement in writing and send you the confirmation.