In this workshop you will practice responding to a complaint in Korean. You will hear short recorded lines and use them to apologize, ask what went wrong, and offer a solution. The focus is on polite service language: acknowledging a problem, asking for details, and saying you will check and follow up. You will play both the customer and the staff member, so you can practice understanding and replying. Listen carefully to each recorded line before you speak. The recordings give you ready-made phrases, so you do not need to invent new Korean. Work through the three tasks in order: first a guided exchange, then a reply choice, and finally a recall task where you take the correct role.
Apologizing and Asking for Details
When someone complains, a good first step is to apologize and then ask what exactly was inconvenient. In the recording «아, 죄송합니다. 어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?», the staff member says "Ah, I'm sorry. What exactly was the problem?" This line combines an apology with a polite question. The question uses honorific language, which shows respect to the customer. You can also use the shorter question «어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?», which means "What was inconvenient for you?" or "What exactly was the problem?" Use «어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?» when you want to focus only on asking for details. Both lines are polite and suitable for service situations. After you hear the details, you can decide whether to reassure the person or promise action. Remember that «어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?» and «아, 죄송합니다. 어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?» are questions, so your voice should rise slightly at the end.
Reassuring and Offering a Solution
Sometimes the problem is small, and you can reassure the person. The line «문제없어요.» means "It's no problem" or "There's no issue." Use it when a small mistake or delay is not serious. However, if the complaint is serious, «문제없어요.» alone can sound dismissive, so pair it with an apology. When you can fix the problem yourself, use «죄송하지만 바로 고쳐 드릴게요.», which means "I'm sorry, but I'll fix it right away." This line is polite and service-oriented. If you cannot solve the problem immediately, use «확인해 보고 다시 연락드릴게요.», which means "I'll check and get back to you." This promises follow-up without giving a specific deadline. In the longer recording «확인해 보고 바로 다시 연락드릴게요. 죄송하지만 조금만 기다려 주시겠어요?», the staff member says "I'll check and get back to you right away. I'm sorry, but could you wait a little?" This combines «확인해 보고 다시 연락드릴게요.» with an apology and a request to wait. Choose your response based on whether you can fix the issue now or need to check first.
Understanding the Customer's Complaint
To respond well, you also need to understand the customer's words. In the recording «주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?», the customer says "The item I ordered hasn't arrived yet. Could you check for me?" This tells you the problem is a missing delivery. Then in «배송이 일주일째 안 와서요. 너무 늦어서 문제가 있어요.», the customer adds "The delivery hasn't come for a week. It's so late that there's a problem." These lines give you the details you need. When you hear a complaint like «주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?» or «배송이 일주일째 안 와서요. 너무 늦어서 문제가 있어요.», you can reply with an apology and a question, such as «아, 죄송합니다. 어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?» or «어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?». If you are the customer, you can use «주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?» and «배송이 일주일째 안 와서요. 너무 늦어서 문제가 있어요.» to explain your situation. Practice switching between the customer role and the staff role. Listen to the tone: the customer is explaining a problem, while the staff member is responding politely.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
문제없어요.
It's no problem. / There's no issue.
mun-je-eop-sseo-yo
죄송하지만 바로 고쳐 드릴게요.
I'm sorry, but I'll fix it right away.
joe-song-ha-ji-man ba-ro go-chyeo deu-ril-ge-yo
어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?
What was inconvenient for you? / What exactly was the problem?
eo-tteon jeo-mi bul-pyeon-ha-syeo-sseo-yo?
확인해 보고 다시 연락드릴게요.
I'll check and get back to you.
hwa-gin-hae bo-go da-si yeon-rak-deu-ril-ge-yo
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?
The item I ordered hasn't arrived yet. Could you check for me?아, 죄송합니다. 어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?
Ah, I'm sorry. What exactly was the problem?배송이 일주일째 안 와서요. 너무 늦어서 문제가 있어요.
The delivery hasn't come for a week. It's so late that there's a problem.확인해 보고 바로 다시 연락드릴게요. 죄송하지만 조금만 기다려 주시겠어요?
I'll check and get back to you right away. I'm sorry, but could you wait a little?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Customer and Staff
You will play both roles in a short exchange. First, listen to the customer's complaint in «주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?». Then respond as the staff member using «아, 죄송합니다. 어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?». After that, listen to the customer's follow-up in «배송이 일주일째 안 와서요. 너무 늦어서 문제가 있어요.», and respond again using «확인해 보고 바로 다시 연락드릴게요. 죄송하지만 조금만 기다려 주시겠어요?».
Your task: Play the recording «주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?» and repeat it aloud as the customer. Then play «아, 죄송합니다. 어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?» and repeat it aloud as the staff member. Next, play «배송이 일주일째 안 와서요. 너무 늦어서 문제가 있어요.» and repeat it as the customer. Finally, play «확인해 보고 바로 다시 연락드릴게요. 죄송하지만 조금만 기다려 주시겠어요?» and repeat it as the staff member. Do this twice, trying to match the polite tone.
Choose the Best Reply
Imagine you are a staff member. A customer says the line in «주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?»: "The item I ordered hasn't arrived yet. Could you check for me?" You want to apologize and ask for details. You have two possible replies: «어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?» and «문제없어요.».
Your task: Listen to «주문한 물건이 아직 안 왔어요. 좀 확인해 주시겠어요?» again. Then listen to «어떤 점이 불편하셨어요?» and «문제없어요.». Which one is a polite question asking for details? Say your choice aloud. Then say the other line aloud and explain in English why it is not the best choice here.
Recall and Role Swap
In this task you will recall the lines without looking at the text. You will also swap roles. First, you are the staff member responding to a complaint. Then you are the customer making a complaint.
Your task: As the staff member, say the line that means "I'm sorry, but I'll fix it right away." Then say the line that means "I'll check and get back to you." After that, as the customer, say the line that means "The item I ordered hasn't arrived yet. Could you check for me?" Finally, say the line that means "The delivery hasn't come for a week. It's so late that there's a problem."
Common questions
When should I use «문제없어요.» instead of an apology?
Use «문제없어요.» when the problem is small and you want to reassure the person that it is not serious. For example, if someone apologizes for a tiny mistake, «문제없어요.» can mean "It's no problem." However, if the complaint is serious, «문제없어요.» alone can sound dismissive. In that case, pair it with an apology or use a line like «죄송하지만 바로 고쳐 드릴게요.» or «확인해 보고 다시 연락드릴게요.» instead.
What is the difference between «죄송하지만 바로 고쳐 드릴게요.» and «확인해 보고 다시 연락드릴게요.»?
«죄송하지만 바로 고쳐 드릴게요.» means "I'm sorry, but I'll fix it right away." Use it when you can personally correct the issue immediately. «확인해 보고 다시 연락드릴게요.» means "I'll check and get back to you." Use it when you cannot solve the problem right away and need to follow up later. Both are polite, but «죄송하지만 바로 고쳐 드릴게요.» promises immediate action, while «확인해 보고 다시 연락드릴게요.» promises a later response.
Sources and further reading
- korean: responding to complaintsChecked September 2026
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