Joy English · Level C1 · TOEIC-stylejoy-english.com
TOEIC-style reading: a quarterly review and a reply
Name:Date:
Independent practice in the TOEIC reading style, not an official test: read a quarterly review and the director's reply, then answer inference and detail questions.
Customer Support Review: Third Quarter (extract)
Summary. In the third quarter the support team handled 14,200 requests, an increase of nine per cent on the previous quarter. Average first-response time fell from six hours to four and a half, and the proportion of enquiries resolved at the first contact rose from fifty-eight to sixty-four per cent. These improvements, however, were achieved largely in the first eight weeks. In September, response times lengthened again as two experienced agents left the team and their replacements had not yet completed training.
Customer satisfaction. Survey scores averaged 4.1 out of 5, unchanged from the second quarter. Satisfaction among customers whose queries were resolved at first contact was considerably higher (4.5) than among those who contacted us twice or more (3.2). Comments suggest that the main source of dissatisfaction is not the quality of individual answers but the need to repeat information to different agents. Several customers also mentioned that the online help pages did not match the advice they were given by telephone.
Cost. Spending on temporary staff exceeded budget by eleven per cent, mostly because of the September departures. The new ticketing software, introduced in July, has not yet produced the savings projected in the original business case, although it has made it easier to track repeat contacts. The finance team advises that a fair assessment of the software should wait until at least two full quarters of data are available.
Recommendations. First, offer retention incentives to experienced agents before the busy winter period. Second, reorganise the help pages so that they reflect current procedures. Third, postpone any decision on extending the software licence until the second quarter of next year.
Email: Next steps after the third-quarter review
From: Haruto Sato, Operations Director. To: Support team leaders. Subject: Next steps after the third-quarter review.
Dear all, thank you for the thorough work behind the quarterly review. I have read it carefully and would like to respond to its recommendations before our meeting on Thursday. I agree that the help pages need attention, and I have asked Carla Dominguez in the content team to treat this as a priority.
I am less convinced by the suggestion on incentives. While I understand the concern about winter workloads, I would prefer to see what we can do about training times first, since it took the two replacements nearly three months to work independently. If we can shorten that period, the effect of any future departure would be smaller. Please send me your ideas on this by Wednesday, together with any figures you have on how long each stage of training takes.
On the software, I am happy to wait, although the licence supplier has indicated that the current price will only be held until the end of the year. I will find out whether that deadline is firm. Finally, I would like to thank those agents who covered extra shifts in September. Their effort was noticed, even if it does not appear in the figures. Best regards, Haruto Sato
Inference and attitude
Read the report and the email. Choose the best answer to each question.
- What can be inferred about the improvement in response times?
- According to the report, what mainly upsets dissatisfied customers?
- What does the report suggest about the new ticketing software?
- Why did spending on temporary staff exceed the budget?
- What is Mr Sato's attitude to the recommendation on retention incentives?
- What does Mr Sato imply about the two replacement agents?
- Why does Mr Sato mention the licence supplier?
- Why does Mr Sato thank the agents who covered extra shifts in September?
Detail questions
Answer each question using information from the report and the email. For gap items, type a short answer.
- Average first-response time fell from six hours to ___ hours.
- Who has been asked to give priority to the help pages?
- Team leaders must send their ideas on training by ___.
- Customers whose queries were resolved at first contact gave an average satisfaction score of ___.
- On which day will the meeting take place?
- By how much did spending on temporary staff exceed the budget?
Answer key
Inference and attitude
- b) It was not maintained until the end of the quarter.The report says the improvements were achieved largely in the first eight weeks and that times lengthened again in September.
- c) Having to give the same information more than onceThe main source of dissatisfaction is the need to repeat information to different agents.
- d) Its overall value cannot yet be judged fairly.It has not yet produced the projected savings, but finance advises waiting for at least two full quarters of data.
- b) Two experienced agents left the team in September.The report says the overspend was mostly due to the September departures.
- a) He is doubtful that it should be the first step.He says he is less convinced and would prefer to look at training times first.
- c) It took them a long time to become fully independent.He mentions that it took them nearly three months to work independently and wants to shorten that period.
- b) To suggest that waiting may involve a price riskHe says the current price is held only until the end of the year, which puts some pressure on the decision to wait.
- d) To recognise effort that the report does not showHe thanks agents for covering extra shifts and says their effort does not appear in the figures.
Detail questions
- four and a half / 4.5 / 4 and a half / four and halfThe summary gives the new average as four and a half hours.
- b) Carla DominguezMr Sato has asked Carla Dominguez in the content team to treat the help pages as a priority.
- WednesdayThe email asks for ideas and figures by Wednesday.
- 4.5 / four point fiveThe customer satisfaction section gives 4.5 for first-contact resolution.
- d) ThursdayMr Sato refers to the meeting on Thursday.
- b) Eleven per centThe cost section states that spending exceeded budget by eleven per cent.