Joy English · Livello C1 · Stile TOEICjoy-english.com

Lettura in stile TOEIC: una relazione trimestrale e una risposta

Nome:Data:

Esercitazione indipendente nello stile della lettura TOEIC, non un test ufficiale: leggi una relazione trimestrale e la risposta del direttore, poi rispondi a domande di inferenza e di dettaglio.

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

Inferenza e atteggiamento

Leggi la relazione e l'email. Scegli la risposta migliore a ogni domanda.

What can be inferred about the improvement in response times?
- a) It lasted for the whole quarter.
- b) It was not maintained until the end of the quarter.
- c) It was caused by the new software.
- d) It was smaller than expected.
According to the report, what mainly upsets dissatisfied customers?
- a) Incorrect answers from agents
- b) The price of the service
- c) Having to give the same information more than once
- d) The design of the ticketing software
What does the report suggest about the new ticketing software?
- a) It has caused costs to rise sharply.
- b) It should be replaced next quarter.
- c) Customers prefer it to the old system.
- d) Its overall value cannot yet be judged fairly.
Why did spending on temporary staff exceed the budget?
- a) Request numbers fell unexpectedly.
- b) Two experienced agents left the team in September.
- c) The software licence became more expensive.
- d) Training for the new agents was too short.
What is Mr Sato's attitude to the recommendation on retention incentives?
- a) He is doubtful that it should be the first step.
- b) He rejects it for budget reasons.
- c) He fully supports it.
- d) He has not yet read it.
What does Mr Sato imply about the two replacement agents?
- a) They were not suitable for the job.
- b) They received no training at all.
- c) It took them a long time to become fully independent.
- d) They have already left the company.
Why does Mr Sato mention the licence supplier?
- a) To recommend a different supplier
- b) To suggest that waiting may involve a price risk
- c) To announce that the licence has been extended
- d) To complain about the software
Why does Mr Sato thank the agents who covered extra shifts in September?
- a) To request more extra shifts
- b) To announce changes to staff pay
- c) To criticise the figures in the review
- d) To recognise effort that the report does not show

Domande di dettaglio

Rispondi a ogni domanda usando le informazioni della relazione e dell'email. Per gli item con spazio, scrivi una risposta breve.

Average first-response time fell from six hours to ___ hours.
Who has been asked to give priority to the help pages?
- a) Haruto Sato
- b) Carla Dominguez
- c) The finance team
- d) The licence supplier
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?
- a) Monday
- b) Tuesday
- c) Wednesday
- d) Thursday
By how much did spending on temporary staff exceed the budget?
- a) Nine per cent
- b) Eleven per cent
- c) Fourteen per cent
- d) Fifty-eight per cent

Soluzioni

Inferenza e atteggiamento

b) It was not maintained until the end of the quarter.La relazione dice che i miglioramenti sono stati ottenuti in gran parte nelle prime otto settimane e che i tempi si sono di nuovo allungati a settembre.
c) Having to give the same information more than onceLa principale fonte di insoddisfazione è la necessità di ripetere le informazioni ad agenti diversi.
d) Its overall value cannot yet be judged fairly.Non ha ancora prodotto i risparmi previsti, ma l'ufficio finanziario consiglia di attendere almeno due trimestri completi di dati.
b) Two experienced agents left the team in September.La relazione dice che lo sforamento di spesa è dovuto soprattutto alle partenze del personale a settembre.
a) He is doubtful that it should be the first step.Dice di essere meno convinto e di preferire guardare prima i tempi di formazione.
c) It took them a long time to become fully independent.Menziona che ci sono voluti quasi tre mesi perché lavorassero in autonomia e vuole accorciare quel periodo.
b) To suggest that waiting may involve a price riskDice che il prezzo attuale è mantenuto solo fino alla fine dell'anno, il che mette una certa pressione sulla decisione di aspettare.
d) To recognise effort that the report does not showRingrazia gli agenti per aver coperto turni extra e dice che il loro impegno non compare nelle cifre.

Domande di dettaglio

four and a half / 4.5 / 4 and a half / four and halfIl riepilogo indica che la nuova media è di quattro ore e mezza.
b) Carla DominguezMr Sato ha chiesto a Carla Dominguez del team dei contenuti di trattare le pagine di aiuto come una priorità.
WednesdayL'email chiede idee e cifre entro mercoledì.
4.5 / four point fiveLa sezione sulla soddisfazione dei clienti indica 4.5 per la risoluzione al primo contatto.
d) ThursdayMr Sato si riferisce alla riunione di giovedì.
b) Eleven per centLa sezione sui costi afferma che la spesa ha superato il budget dell'undici per cento.