In
this third step, listen to the conversation again while you read
the transcription. Finally, read the glossary information, phrasal
verbs (highlighted in yellow) and notes at
the bottom. This step also means good practice for your reading
comprehension skills. To get information in Spanish, just place the
arrow of your mouse on any highlighted word without clicking.
(In
the Accounts Department)
THORN
Good
morning, Mr. Buckhurst.
BUCKHURST
Morning. We've got a drive on today to try and get payment on one or
two of these long outstanding accounts.
THORN
Yes, I
noticed yesterday that there were several bad debts. I thought we only
gave credit for thirty days?
BUCKHURST
Yes,
that's correct. It's supposed to mean that payment may be deferred
until the end of the month following that in which the goods were
delivered. But... er... look at this! This retailer, Bush & Green, has
owed us seven hundred pounds for office furniture for over nine months.
At the
end of every month. Really we must do something drastic about this
lot. There's a great deal of money owing to us on these overdue
accounts. We don't want any of them
to default. I think I'll
get our rep. in the north on to this one. You know Mr. Shuttleworth?
That's his area.
THORN
I
thought there was a rumour that Mr. Shuttleworth was going to a
different region?
BUCKHURST
Yes,
he's going to the southwest, but he doesn't know it yet.
THORN
About
those debts. Can't we put a professional debt-collector on to
collect some of them?
BUCKHURST
Yes, we
can. But I'm against doing that until we've done everything we can do
ourselves to get the money.
To bring in a third party, or to use legal
pressure, is a sure way to lose a customer.
THORN
I see a
couple of rather strong letters have been sent to this firm with no
reply. Have they
gone bankrupt?
BUCKHURST
I hope
not. Hmm... I'll get Shuttleworth on to that one right away. What time
is it? Nine o'clock. He may not have left home yet. I'll ring him at
once.
(A
week later Mr. Shuttleworth is in London. He goes to see Mr. Buckhurst
in his office)
BUCKHURST
Come
along in, Mr. Shuttleworth. Have you seen Mr. Martin yet?
SHUTTLEWORTH
Yes, I
have, Mr. Buckhurst. He's just told me about my new area. He told me
to come and see you about the new salary
scheme.
BUCKHURST
Did he
explain it to you?
SHUTTLEWORTH
Not
really.
BUCKHURST
Well,
as you know, our representatives have up till now been paid a
basic
salary
supplemented by a commission on sales. The new system will
be a graded salary based on sales
quotas.
SHUTTLEWORTH
What
really interests me is whether I shall earn more money or less!
BUCKHURST
I think
you'll find it will
work out better. All the districts have been
carefully researched and an estimate has been made of the probable
volume of sales, and your salary graded accordingly. All you've got to
do is to keep up tothe quota, or better, surpass it. But in simple
terms, it means that you can
count on a much higher basic salary.
SHUTTLEWORTH
I see.
BUCKHURST
We're
gradually introducing this system, and we find that the reps.
prefer it. What do you feel about going to the southwest?
SHUTTLEWORTH
Oh, I'm
very pleased. I think it's about time I had a new area.
BUCKHURST
You did
very well about that matter of the bad debt. We didn't even know that
Bush & Green had moved. How did you
find out what had happened?
SHUTTLEWORTH
Oh, an
amazing bit of luck, really. I made enquiries about Bush & Green in
several shops near their old address. There's a café at that address
now. I suspected the people who run the café, because they acted
strangely when I asked them what they did with any letters that came
for Bush & Green. The
chap hesitated quite a long time before he said
that he sentthem all
back to the Post Office. I was sure he was lying.
BUCKHURST
What
was the bit of luck?
SHUTTLEWORTH
Well, I
thought I'd try one more place, and I got into conversation with the
chap who owns the bookshop next door. While I was talking to him I
noticed his office door was open, and inside I could see what looked
very like one of our filing cabinets. He said he'd bought it in
Wilminster; that's a little market town near by. Well, I took the
serial number and I telephoned to Mr. Martin.
He checked that it was one of the filing cabinets we'd
supplied to Bush & Green. Then I got the bookshop owner to give me his
receipt. He'd bought the cabinet from a firm who called themselves
Windel & Riddel. Windel & Riddel indeed! Huh!!
BUCKHURST
What
did you do next? You realise, of course, that Bush & Green might have
sold the cabinet first to this firm?
SHUTTLEWORTH
I
didn't think so. I was sure it was the same people operating under a
different name.
BUCKHURST
Did you
go and see them?
SHUTTLEWORTH
I
certainly did. And I presented our bill to them. They
pretended they
didn't know anything about it. But then the boss came in, and he
recognised me. I'd taken the order from him originally. He went at
once
to
write outthe cheque, and he asked me to keep quiet
about it. What do you think we ought to do?
BUCKHURST
Well, we've got our
cheque, but there are probably a lot of other people whohavebeendone out of payment in the same way. I think it's our duty
to inform the police. And... er... Shuttleworth, we must take more
care in the future before we recommend supplying on credit
GLOSSARY
& NOTES
to send out
To distribute (distribuir, repartir por correo tradicional o email).
to default
To
fail to perform a duty or
to
fail to pay a debt(dejar de cumplir, estar en mora).
to bring in
To introduce: to
start working with
(incorporar, llamar a alguien como refuerzo).
to go
bankrupt
A
business, or a person, is said to gobankrupt when it or he
cannot continue trading through lack of funds. A firm is declared
bankrupt and an official receiver takes charge of any
remaining assets. Creditors are sometimes paid a proportion of the money
owing to them when the firm's affairs are finally settled
(quebrar, caer en quiebra).
scheme
A plan of action
(plan de acción, proyecto, esquema).
basic salary
Salary
without commission; salary without extra payment for special work,
overtime, etc.
(sueldo o salario básico).
supplemented
Added as a supplement
(complementado, con adicionales).
quota
A
prescribed number
(cupo; cuota, parte).
to work out
To
produce the desired result
(resultar satisfactorio, salir bien).
to keep up to (with)
To
go forward at an equal pace
(mantener el nivel o relación).
to count on
To rely on; to depend on
(confiar en).
reps.
Sales representatives
(vendedores).
to
find out
Search or inquire about
(averiguar, consultar, investigar).
chap
(informal use)
Fellow, man
(tipo, hombre, fulano).
to send back
To return
(devolver).
to pretend
To make believe with the intent to deceive
(fingir, simular).
write out
To make out and issue
(cheques, documents, etc)
(extender, emitir documentos).
to be done out of
To be cheated; to be
deprived of
(ser engañado, privado de).
