Making a polite complaint at a service desk | Learn Danish in English

Danish lesson set in a contemporary Copenhagen everyday setting: At a service desk, a customer politely complains about an unexplained delay after a confirmed appointment and asks for a proper response..

EN → DA / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Making a polite complaint at a service desk to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Jeg vil gerne klage over servicen i går.

yai vil GAIR-nuh KLAIR-uh OH-vuh ser-VEE-sun ee GOHR. I would like to make a complaint about the service yesterday.
B

Det er jeg ked af at høre. Kan du fortælle mig, hvad der skete?

deh air yai keh AHV at HUR-uh. kan doo for-TEL-uh my, va DAIR SKAY-uh? I am sorry to hear that. Could you tell me what happened?
A

Jeg ventede længe efter min bekræftede aftale.

yai VEN-tuh LENG-uh EF-tuh meen buh-KREF-tuh AF-day-luh. I waited a long time after my confirmed appointment.
B

Den forsinkelse burde være blevet forklaret på det tidspunkt.

den foh-SENG-uhl-sun BOO-thuh VAIR-uh BLAY-vuth foh-KLAIR-ut poh deh TEES-poong. That delay should have been explained at the time.
A

Jeg forstår, at der kan opstå forsinkelser, men ingen gav mig en opdatering.

yai for-STOR, at dair kan ohp-STOH for-SENG-uhl-suh, men ENG-uhn gehv my en ohp-dah-TAIR-ing. I understand delays happen, but nobody gave me an update.
B

Vi burde have holdt dig orienteret, mens du ventede.

vee BOO-thuh HEH-vuh holt dai oh-ree-en-TAIR-ut, mens doo VEN-tuh. We should have kept you informed while you waited.
A

Jeg prøver ikke at være besværlig, men jeg forventede bedre service.

yai PRUR-vuh IK-uh at VAIR-uh buh-SVAIR-lee, men yai for-VEN-tuh BAY-duh SAIR-vis. I am not trying to be difficult, but I expected better service.
B

Jeg vil bede lederen om at svare skriftligt.

yai vil BAY-duh LAY-thun om at SVAIR-uh SKREFT-lee. I will ask the manager to respond in writing.
A

Det ville hjælpe. Jeg vil bare have, at sagen bliver håndteret ordentligt.

deh VIL-uh YEL-buh. yai vil BAH HAH-vuh, at SAY-un BLEE-vuh HON-tair-ut OR-lee. That would help. I just want the issue handled properly.
B

Vent venligst her, mens jeg taler med lederen.

VEN VEN-leest hair, mens yai TAIR-uh meh LAY-thun. Please wait here while I speak with the manager.

Word by Word

Jeg “Jeg” means “I” here and identifies the person making the complaint. It is used as the subject before the verb, as in the new example “Jeg forstår.”
vil In “Jeg vil gerne klage”, “vil” helps express what the speaker wants to do. It is followed by “gerne” and the infinitive “klage”; this pattern is useful when politely stating an intention.
gerne In “Jeg vil gerne klage”, “gerne” makes the intention sound like “would like to” rather than a bare statement of wanting. The reusable pattern is “vil gerne” followed by an infinitive, such as the new example “vil gerne hjælpe”.
klage “Klage” means “complain” in the expression “klage over servicen”. After “vil gerne”, it names the action the speaker wants to take; “klage over” is a useful pattern for complaining about something.
over In “klage over servicen”, “over” introduces the service that the complaint concerns. Use “klage over” followed by the thing or situation being complained about.
servicen “Servicen” means “the service” in this complaint. The ending “-en” is part of the exact form used for the specific service being discussed, as in “servicen i går”.
i In the fixed time expression “i går”, “i” contributes to the meaning “yesterday”. This expression is used to refer to the previous day, for example in a complaint about something that happened then.
går In “i går”, “går” is part of the expression meaning “yesterday”, not a separate action of walking or going. Use the complete expression “i går” when referring to the previous day.
Det In “Det er jeg ked af at høre”, “Det” refers to the situation just mentioned and helps form the response “I am sorry to hear that”. The same form can refer back to a fact or situation, as in the new example “Det er vigtigt.”
er In “Det er jeg ked af at høre”, “er” links the situation with the speaker’s feeling of regret. This form is used in the expression “er ked af” when responding sympathetically to something unpleasant.
ked af “Ked af” expresses being sorry or upset about something; in “Det er jeg ked af at høre”, it is a polite sympathetic response. The reusable pattern is “være ked af” followed by a situation or “at” plus an action.
at In “ked af at høre”, “at” introduces the action that the speaker is sorry to hear about. It is followed here by the infinitive “høre”, and the pattern can be reused with another infinitive in a new example such as “ked af at se det.”
høre In “at høre”, “høre” means “hear” and refers to receiving information about the complaint. After “at”, it appears in this infinitive form; “ked af at høre” is a useful sympathetic expression.
Kan At the beginning of “Kan du fortælle mig...?”, “Kan” makes a polite request for information, meaning “could” in this context. A useful question pattern is “Kan du” followed by an infinitive.
du “Du” means “you” and identifies the person being asked to explain what happened. It appears as the subject after “Kan” in “Kan du fortælle...?”.
fortælle “Fortælle” means “tell” in “Kan du fortælle mig, hvad der skete?”. It follows the modal “Kan” in the infinitive form and commonly takes a person or information as its object.
mig “Mig” means “me” and identifies the person who should receive the information in “fortælle mig”. The pattern “fortælle mig” is used when asking someone to tell the speaker something.
hvad In “hvad der skete”, “hvad” introduces the information being requested: “what happened”. It is useful in indirect questions such as “fortælle mig, hvad...” followed by the relevant clause.
der In the clause “hvad der skete”, “der” helps form the Danish expression for “what happened”. It belongs to this question clause and should be learned together with “hvad” and the following verb.
skete “Skete” means “happened” in “hvad der skete”. It describes the event the customer is being asked to explain, and it is useful after question words when asking about an event.
ventede “Ventede” means “waited” in “Jeg ventede længe”. It describes the customer’s experience after the appointment; a reusable pattern is “ventede” followed by a duration or place.
længe “Længe” means “for a long time” and describes the duration of the waiting in “ventede længe”. It is commonly placed after the verb when saying how long someone waited.
efter In “efter min bekræftede aftale”, “efter” means “after” and places the waiting in relation to the appointment. Use “efter” before an event or time reference that came first.
min “Min” means “my” and identifies the appointment as belonging to the speaker in “min bekræftede aftale”. It comes directly before the noun phrase it describes.
bekræftede “Bekræftede” describes the appointment as confirmed in “min bekræftede aftale”. It appears before “aftale” and adds the important detail that the appointment had already been confirmed.
aftale “Aftale” means “appointment” in “min bekræftede aftale”. In this context it refers to a scheduled arrangement with the service desk; it can also be used for another agreed arrangement.
Den In “Den forsinkelse”, “Den” points to the specific delay being discussed and means “that” or “the”. It is placed before “forsinkelse” to identify which delay the speaker means.
forsinkelse “Forsinkelse” means “delay” in “Den forsinkelse”. It names the problem that should have been explained, and it can be used after a determiner such as “den” when referring to a specific delay.
burde In “burde være blevet forklaret”, “burde” expresses that something was the proper or expected action. It is followed here by “være blevet forklaret”, a useful pattern for saying what should have happened.
være In “burde være blevet forklaret”, “være” is part of the construction describing what should have happened to the delay. It follows “burde” and comes before “blevet forklaret”.
blevet In “være blevet forklaret”, “blevet” helps form the expression that the delay should have been explained. It occurs between “være” and “forklaret” in this construction.
forklaret “Forklaret” means “explained” in “burde være blevet forklaret”. It describes the information that should have been given about the delay; the reusable pattern is “blive forklaret” for something being explained.
på In “på det tidspunkt”, “på” contributes to the meaning “at that time”. This expression is used to specify the particular moment when something should have happened.
tidspunkt “Tidspunkt” means “point in time” in “på det tidspunkt”. Together with “på det” it identifies the specific time when the delay should have been explained.
forstår “Forstår” means “understand” in “Jeg forstår, at der kan opstå forsinkelser”. It introduces the speaker’s acceptance of a fact before the complaint continues with “men”.
opstå “Opstå” means “arise” or “occur” in “der kan opstå forsinkelser”. It describes delays coming about, and the pattern “kan opstå” is useful for possible problems or events.
forsinkelser “Forsinkelser” means “delays” in “der kan opstå forsinkelser”. It names the problems that may occur, and it follows “opstå” as the thing that can arise.
men “Men” means “but” and introduces the contrast between understanding that delays can occur and criticizing the lack of an update. It is useful for politely acknowledging one point before presenting a problem.
ingen “Ingen” means “nobody” or “no one” in “ingen gav mig en opdatering”. It identifies the absence of a person who should have provided information and functions as the subject of the clause.
gav “Gav” means “gave” in “gav mig en opdatering”. It describes the missing action of providing information; the pattern “give nogen en...” is useful when identifying who should receive something.
en In “en opdatering”, “en” means “a” and introduces one unspecified update. It comes directly before the noun “opdatering”.
opdatering “Opdatering” means “update” in “gav mig en opdatering”. Here it refers to information about the delay, and “give en opdatering” is a useful service-related expression.
Vi “Vi” means “we” and identifies the service staff as responsible for keeping the customer informed. It is the subject at the start of “Vi burde have holdt...”.
have In “burde have holdt dig orienteret”, “have” helps express the action that should already have been carried out. It is followed by “holdt” in this construction and can be reused after “burde” when discussing an expected earlier action.
holdt In “have holdt dig orienteret”, “holdt” contributes the meaning “kept” in the expression “keep you informed”. The pattern “holde nogen orienteret” is useful when talking about providing continuing updates.
dig “Dig” means “you” as the person who should have been kept informed in “holdt dig orienteret”. It comes after “holdt” as the person affected by that action.
orienteret “Orienteret” means “informed” in “holdt dig orienteret”. Together with “holde” it describes keeping someone updated, a useful pattern in customer service and workplace communication.
mens “Mens” means “while” in “mens du ventede” and introduces an action happening during the waiting. It is useful for connecting two actions that overlap in time.
prøver “Prøver” means “am trying” in “Jeg prøver ikke at være besværlig”. It describes the speaker’s intention and is followed by “ikke” and the infinitive expression “at være...”.
ikke “Ikke” negates the expression “prøver at være besværlig”, so the speaker says they are not trying to be difficult. It is placed after the verb in this sentence and can negate another statement in the same way.
besværlig “Besværlig” describes someone or something as difficult or troublesome in “være besværlig”. Here it describes the behavior the speaker says they are not trying to show; it follows “være” as a description.
forventede “Forventede” means “expected” in “jeg forventede bedre service”. It expresses the standard the speaker had in mind, and it can be followed by the thing that was expected.
bedre “Bedre” means “better” in “bedre service” and compares the service received with the standard the speaker expected. It comes directly before “service” in this phrase.
service “Service” means “service” in “bedre service”. Here it refers to the quality of assistance provided by the organization, and it can be described by an adjective such as “bedre”.
bede “Bede” means “ask” in “bede lederen om at svare skriftligt”. It is followed by the person being asked, then “om” and the requested action; this is a useful request pattern.
lederen “Lederen” means “the manager” in “bede lederen om at svare”. The ending “-en” marks the specific manager being referred to, and the word follows “bede” as the person who will be asked.
om In “bede lederen om at svare”, “om” introduces what the manager is being asked to do. The reusable pattern is “bede nogen om at” followed by an infinitive.
svare “Svare” means “respond” or “answer” in “om at svare skriftligt”. It follows “at” in the request construction and identifies the action expected from the manager.
skriftligt “Skriftligt” means “in writing” in “svare skriftligt”. It specifies the requested form of the response and is useful when asking for written communication.
ville In “Det ville hjælpe”, “ville” expresses a hypothetical or politely stated result: “that would help”. It is followed by the infinitive “hjælpe” and can be used to describe the effect of a proposed action.
hjælpe “Hjælpe” means “help” in “Det ville hjælpe”. It follows “ville” in the infinitive form and describes the useful result of receiving a written response.
bare “Bare” means “just” in “Jeg vil bare have...”, where it softens and limits the speaker’s request. The pattern “vil bare have” is useful when emphasizing that the request is modest or straightforward.
sagen “Sagen” means “the issue” or “the case” in “sagen bliver håndteret ordentligt”. The ending “-en” identifies the specific complaint or matter being discussed.
bliver In “sagen bliver håndteret”, “bliver” helps express that the issue is being handled. It comes before “håndteret” and is useful in descriptions of an action carried out on something.
håndteret “Håndteret” means “handled” in “sagen bliver håndteret ordentligt”. It describes what should happen to the issue, and it is used after “bliver” in this passive expression.
ordentligt “Ordentligt” means “properly” in “bliver håndteret ordentligt”. It describes the standard expected for handling the issue and is placed after the handling expression.
Vent “Vent” means “wait” and is used as a direct polite instruction in “Vent venligst her”. It tells the customer what to do while the staff member speaks with the manager.
venligst “Venligst” means “please” and softens the instruction “Vent her”. It is commonly placed with a request or command to make the wording more polite.
her “Her” means “here” in “Vent venligst her” and identifies the place where the customer should wait. It comes after the instruction and specifies the location.
taler “Taler” means “speak” or “talk” in “jeg taler med lederen”. It describes the staff member’s conversation with the manager, and the pattern “tale med” is used for speaking with someone.
med In “taler med lederen”, “med” means “with” and introduces the person being spoken to. Use “tale med” followed by the person or group involved in the conversation.

Grammar Points

holde + objekt + orienteret

holde lederen orienteret

HOL-uh LAY-thun oh-ree-en-TAIR-ut

to keep the manager informed

Dette er en fast vending: holde nogen orienteret betyder at give personen løbende information.

mens + subjekt + verb

mens lederen ventede

mens LAY-thun VEN-tuh-thuh

while the manager waited

mens indleder en tidsledsætning. Subjektet står normalt før verbet i denne ledsætning.

Danish Vocabulary

bekræftet adj
buh-KREF-tuh confirmed bekræftede
fortælle verb
for-TEL-uh to tell
gerne adv
GAIR-nuh gladly; would like to
høre verb
HUR-uh to hear
i går phrase
ee GOHR yesterday
ked af phrase
keh AHV sorry; regretful
klage verb
KLAIR-uh to complain
længe adv
LENG-uh for a long time
over prep
OH-vuh about; concerning
service noun
SAIR-vis service servicen
ske verb
SKAY-uh to happen skete
vente verb
VEN-tuh to wait ventede

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to happen

Show Answerskete

to tell

Show Answerfortælle

to hear

Show Answerhøre

to complain

Show Answerklage