Learn how to express concern for a guest, from a conversation between a hotel staff member and a guest
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| Braden: Hi, everyone. Braden here. |
| Ann: Ann Here. Welcome to EnglishClass101.com. This is Hospitality English for Hotels, Lesson 1 - Checking in a Guest |
| Braden: In this lesson you will learn how to check a guest in. |
| Ann: This conversation takes place on the phone in the late evening. |
| Braden: The conversation is between a Guest and the front desk. |
| Ann: The speakers have a staff-customer relationship, so they will be speaking professionally. Let’s listen to the conversation. |
| DIALOGUE |
| Front desk: Good evening ma'am. May I have your first and last names? |
| Guest: Melissa West. |
| Front desk: Thank you ma'am. I have found your reservation. Here is the registration information. Does everything look correct to you? |
| (guest reviews) |
| Guest: Yes, it seems to be correct. |
| Front desk: Excellent. Now I will just need a photo ID for legal purposes. |
| Guest: Will my passport do? |
| Front desk: That would be just fine, ma'am. Check out is between noon and two o'clock. You may request an extension of up to five hours free of charge. |
| Guest: What if I need more time? |
| Front desk: Then a late charge of 5% will be added to your bill. |
| Ann: Let's hear the conversation one more time, slowly. |
| Front desk: Good evening ma'am. May I have your first and last names? |
| Guest: Melissa West. |
| Front desk: Thank you ma'am. I have found your reservation. Here is the registration information. Does everything look correct to you? |
| (guest reviews) |
| Guest: Yes, it seems to be correct. |
| Front desk: Excellent. Now I will just need a photo ID for legal purposes. |
| Guest: Will my passport do? |
| Front desk: That would be just fine, ma'am. Check out is between noon and two o'clock. You may request an extension of up to five hours free of charge. |
| Guest: What if I need more time? |
| Front desk: Then a late charge of 5% will be added to your bill. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Ann: "Small talk" is a form of polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial topics. |
| Braden: Being a master of small talk is an important skill for any hotelier. |
| Ann: The first step is to have good body language. "Good body language" is when you are physically open. |
| Braden: For example, don't cross your arms. Also, turn your body toward the person, not just your face. This will make your guests feel like you're giving them all of your attention. |
| Ann: Also, while you need to be open and give them your attention, be sure to not stand too close. In general, it’s best to keep a distance of about 3 feet between each other. |
| Okay, let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Ann: The first word we shall see is... |
| Braden: First name |
| Ann: given name, used before a family name in most European cultures |
| Braden: First name [Slow] First name [Normal] |
| Ann: Next. |
| Braden: Last name |
| Ann: surname; family name |
| Braden: Last name [Slow] Last name [Normal] |
| Ann: Next. |
| Braden: Registration |
| Ann: card or printout with guest's reservation information |
| Braden: Registration [Slow] Registration [Normal] |
| Ann: Next. |
| Braden: Passport |
| Ann: document needed to leave and re-enter a country |
| Braden: Passport [Slow] Passport [Normal] |
| Ann: Next. |
| Braden: Legal |
| Ann: allowed under the law |
| Braden: Legal [Slow] Legal[Normal] |
| Ann: Next. |
| Braden: purposes |
| Ann: the reasons for which something is done, it exists, or created |
| Braden: purposes [Slow] purposes [Normal] |
| Ann: Next. |
| Braden: extension |
| Ann: an object or concept used to lengthen or prolong something |
| Braden: extension [Slow] extension [Normal] |
| Ann: Next. |
| Braden: late charge |
| Ann: an amount added to a final sum for tardiness |
| Braden: late charge [Slow] late charge [Normal] |
| Ann: And last... |
| Braden: Added |
| Ann: attached, increased |
| Braden: Added [Slow] Added [Normal] |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| Ann: Let's have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Braden: The first phrase is "first name." |
| Ann: It refers to the name a person was given when they were born. |
| Braden: In most Western countries, this name comes before their family name. The family name almost always comes last, and is referred to as the "last name." |
| Ann: Many cultures put the given name last and the family name first, most notably, Chinese culture. |
| Braden: However, in English, the custom is for the given name to go first and the family name to be last. |
| Ann: Next, “Legal purposes” is a phrase you use when referring to reasons or motives that pertain to the law. |
| Braden: Most often, “legal purposes” is used when there is something that must be done, but the reasons for it are more complex than you can quickly or easily explain. |
| Ann: Okay, now onto the grammar. |
| GRAMMAR POINT |
| Ann: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to check a guest in. |
| Braden: To be clear, “checking in” is the act of registering that the guest has arrived, and will stay at the hotel. Checking in happens in a few stages. |
| Ann: First, the front desk agent greets the guest and asks for their name. Then the front desk agent searches for the registration information. |
| Braden: After the information is found, it is printed and shown to the guest. If it’s approved, request some kind of identification. |
| Ann: This is usually a photo ID, and each country uses a different kind. For Americans in the United States, the state-issued driver’s licenses are usually sufficient. |
| Braden: However, when checking in a guest that is from another country, the passport and visa information is needed. |
| Ann: From their identification and further questions, the front desk agent will verify and extract the following information as applicable. |
| Braden: Salutation, Designation, Company Name, Home and/or business address, city, Country, Postal code, Telephone, Email address, Emergency Contact number/information, and Purpose of visit. |
| Ann: From a passport or visa, the front desk should confirm and/or extract the following information. |
| Braden: Passport Number, Nationality and country of residence, Date of Birth, Passport issue date and expiration date, Place of Issue of Passport, Visa number, Visa issue date and expiry date, visa place of issue, type of visa, proposed duration of stay in the country, and the “arrived from” “proceeding to” information. |
| Ann: Each hotel and country has different standards and regulations about what information the guest must provide the hotel. Most hotels have specific standards of procedure regarding this registration process. |
| Braden: This phase of information gathering must be done quickly and all front desk agents should be very knowledgeable about their registration process. |
| Ann: After all necessary information has been gathered and the guest has approved the reservation, request that the guest sign the registration paper and return it to the front desk. Then photocopy their passport and visa, and attach it to the registration card. |
| Braden: Increasingly, many hotels use mostly electronic registration systems. In these cases, the passport and visa might be scanned directly into the computer. |
| Ann: Then the guest is shown to their room. |
Outro |
|---|
| Braden: That’s it for this lesson. Thanks for listening, everyone! |
17 Comments
HideHi Listeners, let's practice here!
Hi there Abdul,
Thanks for your post and the positive feedback!
Please feel free to shoot through any questions you have throughout your studies.
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Very helpful lesson
Hello Belen,
Thanks for the question. ❤️️👍
To improve your English you need to have a regular study routine, 1 hour per day. Make sure you are using various mediums to study- video, audio and reading.
We are here to help, so please let us know if you have any questions regarding our platform and ways we can help.
Cheers,
Eva
Team EnglishClass101.com
I'm glad for all lessons, how I can improve my English fluently?
Hi Sira,
Thanks for letting us know! We will have the Lesson Transcript corrected very soon.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Cristiane
Team EnglishClass101.com
Transcript isn't matching conversation.
Hello Suwai Phyoe,
Thank you for posting. The "front desk" may also be referred to as the "reception desk". This is the first point where you will see someone sitting behind a desk in any office or building. These desks are commonly found near waiting areas since some buildings and offices have restricted access for non-employees. They are called "front" or "reception" desks because they are the first desk, or the desk out in front, where new customers or visitors are received. I hope that was helpful! :)
Let us know if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Patricia
Team EnglishClass101.com
What's the exactly meaning of front desk
Hi Jonny,
That's right!
Good luck with your English learning and let us know if you have any questions. We'll be happy to help you out :)
Best Regards,
Cristiane
Team Englishclass101.com
with practice,i'll get better！