Lesson 3. Section 1.
Task 1. I don't see it that way.
Hello, sir, what can I do for you? Hi, Uh... I have this...uh...cassette player here that I bought about six months ago. And it just ruined four of my favourite cassettes. Oh, dear, I'm sorry. So I...um...wanted you to fix it. I'm sure it will be no problem, right? Your sales slip, please? Yeah, here it is. Un.
I'm sorry, sir. Your warranty's expired. Well, it...uh...ran out 10 days ago, but I'm sure that you'll... you'll fix the machine for free, because the machine was obviously defective when I bought it...I I'm sorry, sir. Your warranty has run out, there is nothing I can do.
No. I didn't drop it off a building or anything. I mean, what difference can ten days make? Sir, I'm sorry, we have the six-month rule for a reason. We can't... (But you can bend the rule a little bit.) make an exception for you. Then we'll have to make an exception for everybody. (Well, but look). You could say it's only a month, it's only two months. Sir, I'm sorry, it's too late. (I just lost 20 dollars worth of tapes, it actually ate the tapes, I mean, they're destroyed.)
Well, (I mean) sir, you knew (I...) when your warranty ran out. You should (well...)have brought it in before. It was guaranteed for six months. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. Paying for this is adding insult to injury. I mean, surely you're going to make good on this cassette player. It's... it's...it's a good cassette player, but it's just defective.
I mean I can't pay for this. (Well, sir, I'm sorry, you should have brought it in earlier). But surely you won't hold me to ten days on this. Sir, the rules are the rules, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do.
You know, Brian, it doesn't look like you've vacuumed the living room or cleaned the bathroom.
No, I haven't. Ugh, I had the worst day. I'm so tired, Look, I promise I'll do it this weekend.
Listen, I know the feeling, I'm tired too. But I came home and I did my share of the housework. I mean, that's your agreement, right?
All right, we agreed. I'll do it in a minute.
Come on, don't be that way. You know, (what?) I shouldn't have to ask you to do anything. I mean, we both work, we both live in the house, we agreed that housework is...is both of our responsibility. I don't like to have to keep reminding you about it. It makes me feel like an old nag or something.
Sometimes you're an old nag. Oh, great! No, it's just that I don't notice when things get dirty like you do. Look, all you have to do is tell me, and I'll do it.
No, I don't want to be put in that position. I mean, you can see dirty as well as I can. Otherwise, I mean, that puts all the responsibility on me.
It's just that cleanliness is not a high priority with me. There are other things I would much rather do. Besides, the living room floor does not look that dirty. Brian. Okay, a couple of crumbs.
Mr Weaver, I have been with this company now for five years. And I've always been very loyal to the company. And I feel that I've worked quite hard here. And I've never been promoted.
It's getting to the point now in my life where, you know, I need more money. I would like to buy a car. I'd like to start a family, and maybe buy a house, all of which is impossible with the current salary you're paying me.
Bob, I know you've been with the company for a while, but raises here are based on merit, not on length of employment. Now, you do your job adequately, but you don't do it well enough to deserve a raise at this time.
Now, I've told you before, to earn a raise you need to take more initiative and show more enthusiasm for the job. Uh, for instance, maybe find a way to make the office run more efficiently.
All, right. Maybe I could show a little more enthusiasm. I still think that I worked hard here. But a company does have at least an obiligation to pay its employee enough to live on.
And the salary I'm getting here isn't enough. I mean rents are rising, the price of food is going up, inflation is high, and I can barely cover my expenses.
Bob, again, I pay people what they're worth to the company now, not what they think they need to live on comfortably. If you did that the company will go out of business.
Yes, but I have... I have been here for 5 years and I have been very loyal. And it's absolutely necessary for me to have a raise or I cannot justify keeping this job any more.
Well, that's a decision you'll have to make for yourself, Bob.