Customer Enquiries
A customer says, “My EV is not charging.” What is a professional first response?
“I’m sorry to hear that. Let me check the vehicle and see what may be causing the problem.”
How would you explain a DTC to a customer without using technical jargon?
“It’s a code that tells us the vehicle has detected a problem.”
Which is more appropriate with a customer: “The battery’s screwed” or “There appears to be a battery-related issue”?
“There appears to be a battery-related issue.”
A customer is angry about a repair delay. What should you say first?
“I understand that this delay is frustrating, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
What is more appropriate in a professional email: “Your car is ready” or “I’m writing to let you know that your vehicle is now ready for collection”?
“I’m writing to let you know that your vehicle is now ready for collection.”
A customer asks, “Why is my charging speed so slow?” Give a professional response.
“There are several possible reasons, including the battery temperature, state of charge and charger power. We’ll need to check the vehicle to identify the cause.”
Explain “regenerative braking” to a customer who has never heard the term.
“The car uses the electric motor to slow down and recover some of the energy, which is then sent back to the battery.”
Which sentence is more appropriate in a written service report: “We checked the battery and it’s fine” or “The battery was inspected and no fault was detected”?
“The battery was inspected and no fault was detected.
A customer says, “This repair is taking far too long!” Respond diplomatically.
“I understand your frustration. Unfortunately, we need some additional time to complete the diagnosis correctly and safely.”
Write a professional job-card statement: “The customer says the car loses power when accelerating.”
“Customer reports loss of power during acceleration.”
A customer asks whether they can continue driving with an EV warning light on. What should you say?
“It may be possible to drive the vehicle, but we recommend having it inspected as soon as possible. If the warning is accompanied by a serious loss of power or another critical warning, the vehicle should be stopped safely.”
Explain “battery thermal management system” in plain English. ”
“It is the system that keeps the battery at a suitable temperature so it can work safely and efficiently.”
Convert this informal sentence into professional written English: “We found a problem with the cooling system, so we need to check it properly.”
“A fault was identified in the cooling system. Further inspection is required to determine the cause.”
The customer refuses to pay for additional diagnostic work. What could you say?
“I understand your concern about the additional cost. However, further testing is necessary to identify the cause of the fault before we can recommend the correct repair.”
Write a professional email sentence informing a customer that the repair will take longer than expected.
“I’m writing to let you know that the repair is taking longer than initially expected because further diagnostic testing is required.”
A customer says: “The car was fine yesterday, but today it won’t charge.” Give a professional response that does not make assumptions about the cause.
“I understand. There are several possible causes, so we’ll need to carry out some checks to determine exactly what is preventing the vehicle from charging.”
Explain why an EV may temporarily reduce charging power when the battery is too hot.
When the battery becomes too hot, the car can reduce the charging power to control the temperature and protect the battery.”
Rewrite this spoken sentence as a formal service report: “The battery got really hot, so the car slowed the charging down.”
“The battery temperature increased above the recommended operating range. As a result, charging power was reduced.”
A customer says: “You told me it would cost €500, and now you're saying €1,200!” Respond using diplomatic language and explain why the estimate changed.
“I understand why you’re concerned. The initial estimate was based on the information available at the time. Unfortunately, the additional diagnostic findings indicate that further repairs may be required.”
Write a job-card entry based on this information: Customer complaint: reduced DC charging power. Finding: high battery temperature. Action: thermal-management system inspected.
“Customer reports reduced DC charging power. Diagnostic check identified high battery temperature. Thermal-management system inspected; further testing recommended to identify the cause.”
A customer says: “I paid a lot for this car and now you're telling me the battery needs a major repair. This is unacceptable!” Respond professionally without promising a result you cannot guarantee.
“I completely understand your concern. At this stage, our tests indicate a battery-related issue, but we need to complete the diagnostic process before we can confirm the exact cause and repair required. I’ll make sure you’re kept informed as we have more information.”
Explain this technical finding to a customer: “The BMS has detected cell-voltage deviation and has restricted charging power.”
“The battery monitoring system has detected that some cells are not operating at the same voltage as expected. As a safety measure, the vehicle has temporarily reduced its charging power.
Convert this informal spoken explanation into a formal written report: “The battery’s getting too hot, probably because the cooling thing isn’t working properly, so we think that’s why it’s charging slowly.”
“The battery temperature is above the recommended operating range, possibly due to insufficient cooling-system performance. This may be contributing to the reduced charging power. Further diagnostic testing is required to confirm the cause.”
A repair is likely to be expensive, but you are not yet certain of the final cost. Give the customer a professional response using hedging and softening language.
“Based on our initial findings, the repair may require additional components. The cost could potentially be higher than the original estimate, but we would need to complete further testing before confirming the final amount. We’ll keep you informed before carrying out any additional work.”
Write a professional service-advisor email informing the customer that the repair is delayed because a replacement component is unavailable. Use diplomatic language and appropriate hedging.
“Dear Customer, I’m writing to provide you with an update regarding your vehicle. Unfortunately, the repair is taking longer than expected because the required component is currently unavailable. We expect to receive further information regarding availability shortly. We apologise for the inconvenience and will keep you informed of any developments. Kind regards, Service Advisor.”