Learn more about how to handle an unhappy guest, from a conversation between a hotel staff member and a guest
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Braden: Hi, everyone. Braden here. |
| Ann: Ann here. Taking Drink Orders at Special Events. In this lesson you will learn how to take drink orders. |
| Braden: This conversation takes place in the hotel restaurant. |
| Ann: It’s between the guest and the waiter. |
| Braden: The speakers have a staff-customer relationship, so they will be speaking professionally. |
| Ann: Let’s listen to the conversation. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Ann:As a waiter at a restaurant or as a hotelier, guests often ask your opinion. For example, it is very common at a restaurant for the customers to ask the waiter... |
| Braden:“What’s your favorite dish here?” |
| Ann:Or, at a hotel, |
| Braden:“Which rooms are your best?” |
| Ann:For a waiter, it’s important to not push your customer to purchase something that they don’t want, even though they’re asking your opinion. |
| Braden:That’s right. The best way to do this is to give them options. When they ask you, “what’s your favorite dish here?” it’s usually best to give them two moderately different dishes. |
| Ann:Exactly. For example, you could tell them your favorite spicy dish that’s on the menu and your favorite creamy dish that’s on the menu. |
| Braden:For the hotelier, when a guest asks you, usually during reservation, which rooms are your best it’s often best to say something like, |
| Ann:“That depends. For us, our best rooms are the ones that have everything you want.” |
| Braden:You can then ask the guest what amenities they want in their room. |
| Braden:Now let’s take a look at the vocabulary. |
| 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 we're going to look at is “on the free list.” |
| Ann:The phrase “on the free list” refers to a list of drinks that are being offered at the hotel or restaurant for free. |
| Braden:These “free lists” often happen at events such as weddings or parties that are held at the hotel or restaurant. |
| Ann:So, it’s important to be aware of the type of event that is going on. |
| Braden:That’s right. For example, if the event is for millionaires, most of the drinks will be free and you probably shouldn’t bring up the issue of cost to them. |
| Ann:However, if the event is a community fundraiser, there may not be a free drinks list, and if there is, it might be very short. |
| Braden:Now, our second phrase is “straight up.” |
| Ann:The phrase “straight up” when at a bar and talking about alcoholic drinks, means that the drink is not mixed with anything. |
| Braden:For example, martinis often have an olive in them. If the guest requests the martini “straight up”, you would not put the olive in. |
| Ann:In the dialogue, the waiter asked “on the rocks?” when the guest ordered a vodka tonic. To this the guest replied, |
| Braden:“No. Straight up, please.” |
| Ann:Let's take a look at the grammar now. |
| GRAMMAR POINT |
| Braden:In this lesson, you’ll learn how to take drink orders at a special event |
| Ann:In the dialog, we heard the phrase “Would anyone care to order a drink?” |
| Braden:Taking drink orders at a special event can be very fun. However, it must be done properly, or it could be stressful and unpleasant. |
| Ann:There are many kinds of special events and each will have different rules and guidelines. For example, some events will have a list of “free drinks” while others will not. |
| Braden:To make things simple, we are going to look at taking drink orders at a wedding event held at a hotel. |
| Ann:At wedding events, you will have some guests seated at tables, while others will change their location often. When you approach guests who are seated at a table, you should ask them if they would like to order beverages by saying... |
| Braden:“Would anyone care to order any beverages?” |
| Ann:If the guests respond in the negative, thank them and move to another table. If the guests at a table tell you they want to order drinks, you should then ask them, |
| Braden:“What would you like to order?” |
| Ann:If the guest asks for something that is not on the “free drinks” list, tell them that either there will be an extra charge, or that only the drinks on the list are available. You could say something like, |
| Braden:“I’m sorry but that drink is only available at an extra charge.” |
| Ann:Guest’s don’t often bring money to weddings, except as a gift to the newly married couple, so most guests will decline this, and order one of the available drinks. |
| Braden:Be sure to tell the guest the amount of the charge if they are still interested. |
| Ann:At the guests’ request, tell them which beverages are available. For example, |
| Braden:“Tonight we have a selection of drinks available including Vodka tonic, Bloody Mary, Stinger, Martinis, and many others.” |
| Ann:Be sure to listen carefully to what each guest orders. It’s a good idea to write down the orders so that you don’t forget. |
| Braden:After a guest orders, ask them, “How would you like your drink?” or “Would you like that on the rocks, sir?” |
| Ann:Okay, so, before we move on, one important note about serving drinks. Remember, when taking orders for alcoholic drinks, that in many places individuals under a certain age are not allowed to purchase alcohol. |
| Braden:That’s right. As the waiter or waitress serving these individuals, you may be required by law to ask for government-issued photo ID proving the individual is of legal age. Be sure to check with the event organizer and your hotel manager about your requirements regarding the issue. |
| Ann:If you are required to ask for photo ID, you can use one of these phrases, |
| Braden:“May I see some identification, please?” or “Could I see some form of ID, please?” |
Outro |
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| Braden: That’s it for this lesson. Thanks for listening, everyone! |
| Ann: And we’ll see you next time! |
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