Deliveries and Suppliers

Dialog 1                                             

Deliveries and Suppliers

 

Susan: Doug, can I talk with you for a moment?

Doug: What can I do for you Susan?

Susan: I'm concerned about the delays we're experiencing with some of our suppliers.

Doug: We're doing everything to get back on schedule.

Susan: Could you give me an approximate timeline?

Doug: A number of deliveries are arriving tomorrow. Unfortunately, this time of year is often troublesome.

Susan: That's not good. We can't make excuses to our clients. Are all shipments affected?

Doug: No, but it is summer and some companies are cutting back until September.

Susan: Where are most of our suppliers located?

Doug: Well, most of them are in China, but there are a few in California.

Susan: How does that affect deliveries?

Doug: Well, there are weather delays and shipment delays due to reduced production. Sometimes, larger packages are delayed because of a bottleneck at the distribution point.

Susan: Is there any way around these delays?

Doug: Well, we often work with delivery services such as UPS, Fed ex or DHL for our most urgent shipping. They guarantee door-to-door deliveries within 48 hours.

Susan: Are they expensive?

Doug: Yes, they're very expensive at that cuts into our bottom line.

Key Vocabulary

delay

supplier

to get back on schedule

timeline

delivery

shipment

to cut back

to make excuses

increased / reduced production

package

bottleneck

distribution point

bottom line

to cut into