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CELPIP Speaking Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation

CELPIP Speaking Task 6 Sample Answer: Delayed Invoice Payment to Client

By David

Your company is experiencing temporary cash flow issues, causing a delay in paying an invoice to a key client who provided services last month. The client has followed up, expecting payment on time as per the agreement.…

Preparation
60 seconds
Speaking
60 seconds
Choice
Speak to person A or person B

The question

Your company is experiencing temporary cash flow issues, causing a delay in paying an invoice to a key client who provided services last month. The client has followed up, expecting payment on time as per the agreement. You must communicate this sensitively to preserve the business relationship.

Choice:

Talk to the client and explain the delay while assuring them of prompt resolution and offering partial payment.

OR

Talk to the client and explain why the delay is unavoidable but suggest renegotiating future terms to prevent recurrence.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

I wanted to reach out personally to address the status of your invoice—unfortunately, due to some unforeseen cash flow constraints stemming from recent market fluctuations, we're experiencing a brief delay in issuing the full payment. I completely understand how this might impact your operations, and I sincerely apologize for not meeting our agreed timeline, as maintaining strong partnerships like ours is a priority. As a gesture of goodwill, I propose sending a substantial partial payment today while we finalize the remainder by early next week. Additionally, perhaps we could explore adjusting our payment terms for future invoices to build in more flexibility. I'm committed to resolving this swiftly and value your continued collaboration.

113 words

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Good afternoon, I appreciate your patience, but I have to inform you that there's a short delay in processing your invoice payment due to unexpected cash flow challenges on our end. We value your services greatly and regret any inconvenience this causes. To address this, we're aiming to complete the payment within the next week, and I can arrange for a partial transfer immediately if that helps. Let's discuss how we can ensure smoother transactions moving forward. Your understanding is much appreciated.

82 words

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Hello, I need to let you know that your invoice payment is delayed a bit. We're having some cash flow problems right now, but it should be fixed soon. I'm sorry for this, and we'll pay as quick as we can. Maybe we can send part of it now. Thank you for understanding.

53 words

The CLBs are estimates of the level each sample was written at, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB

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