How to report an internet outage in Spanish
Buenos días, le llamo porque llevo tres días sin internet en casa.
“Good morning, I'm calling because I've had no internet at home for three days.”
When: The moment a real person answers
The moment
Your flat in Madrid has had no internet for three days. You call the provider, fight through the automated menu, explain the fault, refuse the scripted 'restart the router' answer, and don't hang up until a technician has a date and you have a case number.
B1 · Unit 3 · Practical adulting · Checkpoint
This is the unit’s checkpoint: one roleplay that puts the unit’s scenes together.
The lines
Lead with the reason
Every service call in Spain opens the same way: 'Le llamo porque' plus the problem, in usted. Adding 'llevo tres días sin...' tells them how long it has been going on.
Buenos días, le llamo porque llevo tres días sin internet en casa.
“Good morning, I'm calling because I've had no internet at home for three days.”
When to use it: The moment a real person answers
What you’ll hear back: Muy bien, ¿me facilita el número de cliente? (Right, can you give me the customer number?)
Close the loop
Never hang up on a vague promise. 'Entonces, ¿me confirma que...?' makes the agent repeat the commitment, including the date and the case number.
Entonces, ¿me confirma que el técnico viene el jueves por la mañana?
“So you can confirm the technician is coming on Thursday morning?”
When to use it: The last thing you say before hanging up
What you’ll hear back: Se lo confirmo, le llegará un SMS con el número de incidencia. (I confirm it, you'll get a text with the case number.)
Words for this scene
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Me pasa con un agente, por favor? | meh PAH-sah kon oon ah-HEN-teh, por fah-BOR | Could you put me through to an agent, please? |
El menú me devuelve al principio: ¿me pasa con un agente, por favor? The menu keeps sending me back to the start: could you put me through to an agent, please? Tip: Say 'agente' out loud to the menu; most systems transfer you. | ||
| Eso ya lo he probado y sigue igual | EH-soh yah loh eh proh-BAH-doh ee SEE-geh ee-GWAL | I've already tried that and it's still the same |
Eso ya lo he probado y sigue igual: he reiniciado el router tres veces. I've already tried that and it's still the same: I've restarted the router three times. Tip: Blocks the scripted 'restart it' answer without sounding rude. | ||
| Quiero poner una reclamación | KYEH-roh poh-NER OO-nah reh-klah-mah-thee-ON | I want to file a formal complaint |
Si no me dan cita esta semana, quiero poner una reclamación. If they don't give me an appointment this week, I want to file a formal complaint. Tip: The word 'reclamación' moves a Spanish call up the chain fast. | ||
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
- Buenos días, le llamo porque llevo tres días sin internet en casa.
- Eso ya lo he probado y sigue igual: he reiniciado el router tres veces. · I've already tried that and it's still the same: I've restarted the router three times.
- Entonces, ¿me confirma que el técnico viene el jueves por la mañana?
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 looping. How do you reach a human?
- ¿Me pasa con un agente, por favor?
- ¿Me pasa con el menú, por favor?
- Quería abrir una cuenta, por favor.
- Se lo deletreo, por favor.
Show the answer
¿Me pasa con un agente, por favor?
'Pasar con' is the verb for transferring a call, and 'agente' is who you want.
2. They tell you to restart the router, which you have already done five times. How do you push back?
- Eso ya lo he probado y sigue igual.
- Eso ya lo probaba y seguía igual.
- Eso no lo he probado nunca.
- Eso lo probaré mañana por la tarde.
Show the answer
Eso ya lo he probado y sigue igual.
The present perfect with 'ya' is how Spain reports something done just now and still relevant.
3. Before hanging up, how do you pin the appointment down?
- Entonces, ¿me confirma que el técnico viene el jueves por la mañana?
- Entonces, ¿me confirmas que vendrá alguien algún día?
- Entonces, le confirmo que el técnico viene el jueves.
- Entonces, ¿cree usted que vendrá el técnico?
Show the answer
Entonces, ¿me confirma que el técnico viene el jueves por la mañana?
It keeps the usted form, asks them to confirm, and names the exact day and time slot.