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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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1

GLOSSARY

disaster – a crisis; a major problem that will be difficult to recover from
* When the school, post office, and police station flooded, it was a disaster.

to recall – for a company to say that there is a problem with its products and to
ask sellers and buyers to return them to the company in exchange for a
replacement or refund (money back)
* They were horrified to realize that their baby’s car seat had been recalled
several months ago and they hadn’t known it.

loss – when costs are greater than revenues (income); the opposite of profits
* When the fungus started destroying coffee plants, many farmers took a loss for
the year.

product defect – a problem with something that one has manufactured
* Consumers have started reporting a product defect. Apparently the phone stops
functioning when the temperature drops below 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

safety hazard – something that could present a risk to one’s health or life;
something that could cause injury or death
* Keeping bottles of household cleaners in a lower cabinet could be a safety
hazard for young children.

liability – being held responsible or something, especially being made to pay as
punishment for something bad that has happened
* Participants have to sign a statement that the organizers of the soccer team will
not have any liability for any injuries that occurs while playing.

on (one’s) hands – belonging to someone, especially when talking about a
problem; one’s responsibility
* If we don’t finish on time, we’ll have a major client problem on our hands.

to blow (something) out of proportion – to act as if something is bigger, more
important, or more serious than it actually is; to overreact
* He doesn’t need to go to the hospital. It’s just a small cut. You’re blowing the
injury out of proportion.

product run – the number of units manufactured at a particular time, often on
one day or one short period of time
* When we’re using all the equipment at full capacity, our product run is 400,000
units.

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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2

PR nightmare – a public relations crisis; a situation that needs to be handled
carefully and immediately to influence how the public perceives what has
happened without hurting the company’s reputation or business
* When the newspapers reported that the antibiotic contained a deadly virus, it
was a PR nightmare for the pharmaceutical company.

on top of – in addition to; plus
* We have to pay for Ann’s college tuition on top of our regular bills this month.

negligence – a failure to take care of someone or something that one is
responsible for, especially when that failure results in harm or death
* Not taking your car in for maintenance for more than five years is a clear sign of
negligence. Of course your car doesn’t run properly.

to get ahead of (something) – to be proactive; to say and do whatever is
necessary so that one has some control over the situation and is not merely
reacting to events and other people’s actions
* How are we going to get ahead of these bad news stories? We have to know
what’s happening before the reporters start telling the world.

press conference – an event that reporters are invited to so that they can hear a
spokesperson’s announcement, ask questions, and receive answers
* The company held a press conference to announce its expansion plans.

press release – a written document, usually 1-2 pages, announcing something
important, sent to reporters in the hopes that they will write articles about it
* Will you write a press release when you hire the new CEO?

to throw (someone) to the wolves – to put something in a difficult position
where he or she will be in a defensive position and will need to answer many
questions or do many things in front of people who are hostile or aggressive
* The first time Chelsea stood in front of the judge and jury, she felt as if she had
been thrown to the wolves.

to raise (one’s) profile – to do something that attracts favorable attention,
especially making one more likely for a raise or promotion within a company
* When Blake got those new clients, he really raised his profile within the
company.

grateful – feeling thankful; wanting to express thanks to someone
* We’re so grateful to you for allowing us to stay here for a few days.

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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3

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Which of these involves inviting people to an event?
a) A PR nightmare
b) A press conference
c) A press release

2. What does Lee mean when he says, “You’re throwing me to the wolves?”
a) He doesn’t want to be fired.
b) He is worried about facing the reporters.
c) He expects to get a promotion and a raise.

______________


WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

loss
The word “loss,” in this podcast, means a financial loss, when costs are greater
than revenues (income): “The company expects to have a loss in the third
quarter.” The word “loss” can also refer to the feeling of missing someone: “It’s
normal to cry when we experience loss.” Sometimes “loss” refers to the passing
or death of someone: “It took her many years to recover from the loss of her
husband.” The phrase “loss of life” means death: “Caution! Improper use of this
machinery could result in loss of life.” Finally, the phrase “loss of limb” means the
amputation (removal) of an arm or leg: “The Army is struggling to provide medical
care of hundreds of veterans who suffered loss of limb during the war.”

to raise (one’s) profile
In this podcast, the phrase “to raise (one’s) profile” means to do something that
attracts favorable attention, especially making one more likely for a raise or
promotion within a company: “Do MBA programs teach students how to raise
their profile to catch the attention of potential employers?” When talking about
social media, a “profile” refers to basic information about oneself that one places
on a website for others to see: “Facebook profiles include a person’s name,
gender, birth date, relationship status, job, and more.” Finally, in a newspaper or
magazine, a “profile” is a short article and/or list of facts about a person or
company: “Having our profile published on the front page of the business section
led to a huge increase in sales.”

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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4

CULTURE NOTE

Toy Safety

Toys can present many safety hazards, especially for “infants” (newborn babies)
and “toddlers” (children who are learning how to walk). For that reason, many
toys are “labeled” (with a sticker or tag providing information about something,
especially something for sale) as not being “suitable” (appropriate) for children
ages 0-3. Toys with small parts, for example, present “choking hazards,”
because small parts could “break off” (become separated from the larger toy) and
become “stuck” (fixed; cannot be moved) in the child’s throat, making it
impossible for the child to breathe.

Lately there have been many concerns about the materials that toys are made
from. For example, many parents are concerned about the presence of “BPA,” a
chemical that is found in certain types of plastics. Now, many toys, bottles, and
other items are labeled as “BPA-free,” meaning that it does not contain any BPA.
Parents are also worried about the presence of “lead” (a heavy metal) and other
“toxins” (substances that can make people sick) in the plastics and paints used to
manufacture toys, so they “seek” (look for; try to get or find) “reassurance”
(comfort) in the labels from manufacturers.

Electronic devices “marketed to” (intended for sale to) older children present
additional safety hazards. “Faulty” (with problems; incorrect) “wiring” (how
electronic devices are put together) could create “sparks” (very quick flames of
electricity) that, when placed in a bed or next to clothing, for example, could
create a fire.

Concerned about fire, toy manufacturers often make sure that their cloth items
are “flame-resistant,” meaning they will not catch on fire easily. However, the
chemicals used to make things nonflammable can be “toxic” (containing toxins,
which are harmful to people), so parents may “find themselves in the
predicament of” (being in a situation where a difficult decision must be made)
choosing between nontoxic and flame-resistant toys.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – b

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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5

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,052 – A Product
Recall.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,052. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Visit our website at ESLPod.com. Become a member of ESL Podcast and
download the Learning Guide for this episode. You can also take a look at our
ESL Podcast Store, with additional courses in Business and Daily English I think
you will enjoy.

This episode is a dialogue between Melissa and Lee about a company that made
something with a problem and had to get people to send it back to them in order
to fix it. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Melissa: This is a disaster! If we have to recall 100,000 units, we’ll take a huge
loss this year.

Lee: We have no choice. The product defect poses a safety hazard. If we don’t
act quickly, we’ll have a huge liability issue on our hands.

Melissa: I think we’re blowing this out of proportion. Only a small amount of our
June product run was affected.

Lee: Yes, but even one case of someone getting hurt because of the defect
would be a PR nightmare, and that’s on top of the charges of negligence we’d
have to face in court. We need to get ahead of this now.

Melissa: All right, all right. I guess we have no choice. Should we hold a press
conference to announce the recall?

Lee: We’ll send out a press release first and then hold a press conference.

Melissa: I’m putting you in charge of it. Get it done.

Lee: You mean in charge of getting the press release sent out?

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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Melissa: I mean that and the press conference. You can face the press and
answer their questions.

Lee: You’re throwing me to the wolves?

Melissa: Not at all. I’m helping you raise your profile in the company. You should
be thanking me.

Lee: Somehow I don’t feel so grateful.

[end of dialogue]

The topic on this episode is a product recall. A “product” is a thing, usually a
physical thing, that companies produce and sell. Just about anything physical
can be a product: a computer, a microphone, a piece of paper – all of these are
products. We often distinguish between products, which are typically physical,
and “services.” A “service” would be, for example, something a lawyer might do
for you. The lawyer isn’t selling you anything. The lawyer is charging you for his
services (and quite a bit, I’m sure).

In this dialogue, Melissa begins by saying, “This is a disaster.” A “disaster”
(disaster) is a crisis, a major problem that will be difficult to solve or recover from.
There are “natural disasters” like earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods, as well as
“man-made disasters” – things that humans cause.

Melissa says, “If we have to recall 100,000 units, we’ll take a huge loss this year.”
“To recall” (recall) here refers to a company that makes something, a product,
that has a problem, and it has to ask the people who bought the product to return
the product back to the company so they can get a new product, one that works
correctly, or to get a “refund” – their money back. The verb “to recall” can also
mean to remember, but here it means something very different.

Melissa says that they will “take a huge loss this year.” A “loss” (loss) is when
you spend more money than you bring in. A loss would be the opposite of profits.
“Profit” is when you make money. A loss is when you lose money. Lee says, “We
have no choice,” meaning we don’t have any other option. We have to do it. “The
product defect poses a safety hazard.” A “product defect” (defect) is a problem in
the product or a problem with the product.

So, for example, if you make a car and the brakes of the car don’t work properly,
don’t work correctly, that would be a good example of a product defect. It would
also be a good example of a product defect that poses a safety hazard. The word

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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“poses” (poses) here just means presents or causes to happen. A “safety hazard”
(hazard) is something that could hurt you or possibly even kill you.

Lee says, “If we don’t act quickly,” meaning if we don’t do something right now,
“we’ll have a huge liability issue on our hands.” “Liability” (liability) refers to your
responsibility, especially your financial responsibility in case something goes
wrong. When Lee says, “We’ll have a huge liability issue,” he means that the
company may have to pay out a lot of money to people, especially if people get
hurt from their product.

He says we will have this “huge liability issue on our hands.” The expression “on
our hands” or “on your hands” means belonging to someone, especially when
we’re talking about responsibility for a problem. If you’re working on a project at
work and suddenly you discover a big problem, you might say to your boss, “We
have a problem on our hands,” meaning we have a problem here. Lee thinks
they’ll have a liability problem if they don’t recall the product.

Melissa says, “I think we’re blowing this out of proportion.” “To blow (blow)
something out of proportion (proportion)” means to act as if something were
bigger or more important or more serious than it actually is. The other word we
would use here would be “overreact” (overreact). “To overreact” is to blow things
out of proportion, to make them seem as if they were bigger problems than they
actually are.

Melissa says, “Only a small amount of our June product run was affected.” A
“product run” would be a number of units that were made at the same time, that
were manufactured at the same time. Melissa is saying that the defect in the
product is only affecting a small number of the products that they made.

Lee says, “Yes, but even one case,” or one example, “of someone getting hurt
because of the defect would be a PR nightmare.” “PR” stands for “public
relations,” and here it refers to the publicity or the reputation of the company. A
“nightmare” is a bad dream. We sometimes use it to describe a terrible situation.
Lee continues, “And that’s on top of the charges of negligence we’d have to face
in court.” “On top of” here means in addition to.

So, in addition to the PR nightmare, Lee says, there will also be charges of
negligence. “Negligence” (negligence) is a term often used in the law to refer to
the failure of someone to take care of someone or something that he is
responsible for, especially if that failure results in or causes harm or even death.
“Negligence” refers to a situation where you don’t want to harm someone, but
you do things that harm someone, things that you should have not done or that

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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8

you should have known not to do. Lee says the company will have to face
charges of negligence in court.

He says, “We need to get ahead of this now.” “To get ahead of” something
means to say and do whatever is necessary so that you can control a situation, a
situation that is perhaps getting worse. Melissa says, “All right, all right. I guess
we have no choice. Should we hold a press conference to announce the recall?”
A “press (press) conference” is an event to which you invite reporters from
television stations or newspapers in order to make a big announcement, in order
to say something important about your company and its actions.

Melissa is suggesting they hold a press conference. Notice the verb “hold” is
used, especially when we are talking about press conferences. Lee says, “We’ll
send out a press release first and then hold a press conference.” A “press
release” (release) is a document, either a piece of paper or perhaps a PDF file,
that you send news organizations like television stations and newspapers and
magazines, announcing something important about your company.

Melissa says, “I’m putting you in charge of it,” meaning you have to do it. “Get it
done,” she says. Lee says, “You mean in charge of getting the press release sent
out?” Melissa says, “I mean that and the press conference.” You can face the
press and answer their questions. “To face” is used once again here to mean to
have to deal with a difficult situation or to have to talk to and handle a certain
group of people.

Lee says, “You’re throwing me to the wolves?” This expression “to throw (throw)
someone to the wolves (wolves)” means to put someone in a difficult situation,
especially a situation that might be hostile and where the person might have to
answer difficult questions. “Wolves” is the plural of “wolf” (wolf), which is an
animal, a sometimes dangerous animal. Lee is asking if he is going to have to
suffer, basically, for the mistakes that the company made by having to hold a
press conference and talk to reporters.

Melissa says, “Not at all,” meaning “No, I’m not throwing you to the wolves.” “I’m
helping you raise your profile in the company. You should be thanking me.” “To
raise (raise) your profile (profile)” means to do something so that other people
notice you – to get attention, positive attention, from other people, especially in
your company. Of course, Melissa isn’t trying to raise Lee’s profile by making him
the person who has to do the press conference, but she acts as though that is
what she were doing.

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

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She even says, amazingly, “You should be thanking me,” meaning that Lee
should be grateful – should say thank you for this assignment, this task. Lee
says, “Somehow I don’t feel so grateful.” “Grateful” (grateful) means feeling
thankful, wanting to express your thanks to someone. Lee doesn’t feel very
grateful, very thankful, for having to do this job.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Melissa: This is a disaster! If we have to recall 100,000 units, we’ll take a huge
loss this year.

Lee: We have no choice. The product defect poses a safety hazard. If we don’t
act quickly, we’ll have a huge liability issue on our hands.

Melissa: I think we’re blowing this out of proportion. Only a small amount of our
June product run was affected.

Lee: Yes, but even one case of someone getting hurt because of the defect
would be a PR nightmare, and that’s on top of the charges of negligence we’d
have to face in court. We need to get ahead of this now.

Melissa: All right, all right. I guess we have no choice. Should we hold a press
conference to announce the recall?

Lee: We’ll send out a press release first and then hold a press conference.

Melissa: I’m putting you in charge of it. Get it done.

Lee: You mean in charge of getting the press release sent out?

Melissa: I mean that and the press conference. You can face the press and
answer their questions.

Lee: You’re throwing me to the wolves?

Melissa: Not at all. I’m helping you raise your profile in the company. You should
be thanking me.

Lee: Somehow I don’t feel so grateful.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 1052 – A Product Recall

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2014). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

10

[end of dialogue]

We’re all very grateful for the wonderful work done by our scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy
Tse. Thank you, Lucy.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come
back and listen to listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy
Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2014 by the Center for Educational
Development.