Question 15
What should you do if you are treated badly by your contact person in a German authority?
German original: Was sollten Sie tun, wenn Sie von Ihrer Ansprechpartnerin / Ihrem Ansprechpartner in einer deutschen Behörde schlecht behandelt werden?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- I can't do anything.
- I have to put up with this treatment.
- I threaten the person.
- I can complain to the head of the authority. — Correct answer
Explanation
If an employee of a German authority treats you badly, you can make a complaint to the management of that authority. There are also ombudspersons and petition committees where you can submit formal complaints.
Key terms in this question
- public authority / government office — A public authority is a government institution that carries out official tasks for citizens, such as registering residency or handling taxes.
- one / someone — 'Einer' is a German pronoun or article referring to a single, unspecified male person or thing, equivalent to 'one' or 'someone'.
- female contact person — A female contact person is a woman who is responsible for helping with questions or problems on a specific topic. She is the designated person to approach in a particular situation.
- German (female) / German — 'Deutsche' refers to a person who holds German citizenship or originates from Germany.
- Germans — 'Germans' is the plural of 'German' and refers to all people who hold German citizenship.
- Germans — 'Germans' is the plural of 'German' and refers to people who hold German citizenship or originate from Germany.
- Germans — Germans are people who hold German citizenship. They are citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- her / their — A possessive pronoun indicating that something belongs to a woman or to a group of people. It changes its form to match the noun it refers to.