How to report an internet outage in English
Hi, my internet's been down since last night, and restarting the router didn't help.
“Hello, my internet has not worked since last night, and turning the router off and on did not fix it.”
When: Right after the agent asks how they can help
The moment
Your home internet in your Harlem apartment has been down since last night, and you work from home. Call your provider, get through the menu, explain the problem, push back on 'just restart your router', and lock in a technician visit.
B1 · Unit 3 · Practical adulting · Checkpoint
This is the unit’s checkpoint: one roleplay that puts the unit’s scenes together.
The lines
Explain the problem clearly
Say what is wrong, since when, and what you already tried. Use 'has been down since' for a problem that started in the past and is still happening now.
Hi, my internet's been down since last night, and restarting the router didn't help.
“Hello, my internet has not worked since last night, and turning the router off and on did not fix it.”
When to use it: Right after the agent asks how they can help
What you’ll hear back: I'm sorry to hear that. Let me run a quick test on your line.
Push back and ask for a visit
If the agent asks you to restart again, say you already did it. Use 'I've already tried that' and then ask for what you want: a technician.
I've already tried that twice. Could you send a technician out?
“I already did that two times. Can you send a technician to my home?”
When to use it: When the agent gives you the same basic fix again
What you’ll hear back: Okay, the earliest I have is Thursday between eight and noon. Does that work?
Words for this scene
| Word or phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Is there anything earlier? | iz-thair EN-ee-thing ER-lee-er | Do you have a time that is sooner? |
Thursday is pretty far away. Is there anything earlier? Thursday is a long time from now. Do you have a sooner time? Tip: Technicians come in time windows, like 8 to 12; ask for the first. | ||
| Can I get a credit for the days it was down? | kan-ai GET-uh KRED-it fer thuh DAYZ it-wuz DOWN | Can you take money off my bill for the days with no internet? |
I work from home, so this is a big deal. Can I get a credit for the days it was down? I need internet for my job. Can I pay less for the days without it? Tip: Providers often give outage credits, but only if you ask. | ||
| Could I get a ticket number for that? | KUD-ai GET-uh TIK-it NUM-ber fer THAT | Can you give me a number for this problem, so I can check on it later? |
Great, Thursday works. Could I get a ticket number for that? Good, Thursday is fine. Please give me a number for this case. Tip: Write it down; the next agent will ask for it first. | ||
Your objective
Explain how long the internet has been down, say you’ve already restarted the router, and get a technician’s visit booked.
- how long it’s been down
- that you’ve restarted it
- a technician’s visit
Lines that get it done
- I've already tried that twice. Could you send a technician out?
- Hi, my internet's been down since last night, and restarting the router didn't help.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. The automated menu keeps asking questions that don't fit your problem. What do you say?
- Representative.
- Please, my dear machine, help me.
- I want to speak with your owner.
- Human person, please, now.
Show the answer
Representative.
Most US phone menus understand 'representative' or 'agent' and connect you to a person.
2. Your internet stopped on Sunday and it's still not working today. How do you say that?
- My internet's been down since Sunday.
- My internet is down since Sunday.
- My internet was down from Sunday.
- My internet has down since Sunday.
Show the answer
My internet's been down since Sunday.
For something that started in the past and continues now, use 'has been' plus 'since'.
3. The agent says, 'The tech will come between eight and noon.' What do they mean?
- The technician can arrive any time in that four-hour window.
- The technician will work on your internet for four hours.
- The technician will call you at eight and come at noon.
- The technician will arrive at exactly eight o'clock.
Show the answer
The technician can arrive any time in that four-hour window.
US providers give arrival windows, so you need to be home the whole time.