Past perfect - Situations

Bad Experiences & The Past Perfect

Click on any card to reveal the customer service scenario and discussion questions. Then, complete the grammar activity at the bottom.

Scenario 1

The Disappearing Flight Reservation

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Scenario 1: Airline Mix-up

A customer called the airline’s support center because his reservation had disappeared from the system. He had booked the flight two months earlier and had already paid for extra luggage and priority boarding. When he arrived at the airport, the employee told him that the company had accidentally canceled his ticket during a system update. The customer became extremely frustrated because his flight was leaving in less than an hour and he was traveling for an important business meeting.

1. What had the customer done two months before arriving at the airport?
2. Why did the reservation disappear from the airline system?
3. How would you handle this situation if you were the airline employee?

Scenario 2

The Mobile Banking Glitch

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Scenario 2: Technical Troubles

A client contacted technical support because the company’s mobile banking app had stopped working after a new update. Before the problem started, the customer had transferred money to another account, but the transaction disappeared from the app history. The client was very worried because he thought the money had been lost. By the time the support agent answered the call, the customer had already tried restarting the application several times without success.

1. What actions had the customer taken before calling technical support?
2. Why was the client feeling so anxious about his account?
3. What steps should the technical support agent take to reassure the customer?

Scenario 3

The Overbooked Hotel Room

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Scenario 3: Reception Error

A hotel guest complained angrily at the reception desk because the hotel had given his reserved room to another customer before he arrived. The guest had confirmed the reservation twice by email and had traveled for more than eight hours to reach the hotel. When the receptionist checked the system, she discovered that another employee had made a mistake earlier that day. The customer demanded compensation because no rooms were available anymore.

1. How had the guest ensured his room was safe before traveling?
2. What mistake had occurred earlier that afternoon?
3. What kind of compensation would be fair for this guest?

Scenario 4

The Missing Online Package

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Scenario 4: Delivery Disaster

A customer called an online shopping company because a package had never arrived at his house. According to the delivery app, the package had already been delivered the day before, but the customer had not received anything. Before contacting customer service, he had checked with his neighbors and security staff in his apartment building. Eventually, the company discovered that the delivery driver had left the package at the wrong address.

1. What had the customer done before deciding to call customer service?
2. Where had the delivery driver actually left the package?
3. How can delivery companies prevent this specific problem?

Scenario 5

The Missed Flight Connection

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Scenario 5: Gate Confusion

A passenger became furious because the airline had changed the boarding gate before making the final announcement. The traveler had been waiting near the original gate for almost an hour and only realized the change when other passengers had already boarded the plane. By the time he reached the correct gate, the flight had closed. The customer argued that the company had communicated the information poorly and demanded another ticket.

1. How long had the passenger waited at the wrong gate?
2. What had occurred by the time the passenger reached the new gate?
3. Who do you think is responsible for this issue, the passenger or the airline?

Grammar Check: Past Perfect Tense

Complete the sentences based on the scenarios above using the correct Past Perfect form of the verb in parentheses. Contractions (e.g., had not -> hadn't) are accepted.

1. Before arriving at the airport, the passenger (book) the flight two months earlier and paid for his luggage.

2. The banking client worried because his transaction (disappear) completely from his application account history.

3. The hotel guest was angry because another receptionist (make) a mistake and given his room away.

4. Before he called customer service, the shopper (check) with his neighbors about the missing package.

5. When the furious traveler finally arrived at the correct gate, the flight airline crew (close) the doors.