Learn how to take a reservation, from a conversation between a hotel staff member and a guest
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Braden:Hi, everyone. Braden here. |
| Ann: Ann here. Delivering Room Service. In this lesson, you will learn how to properly deliver room service orders. |
| Braden:This conversation takes place in the guest's hotel room, at breakfast. |
| Ann:The conversation is between the Guest and the room service attendant. |
| Braden:One of the speakers is a guest and the other is a member of the customer service staff, so they will be speaking professionally. |
| Ann: Now, let’s listen to the conversation. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Braden:When making small talk in English, it’s important to occasionally compliment the person you’re talking to. |
| Ann:That’s right. In a hotel situation, these compliments are usually simple such as - |
| Braden:“Those are nice suitcases, Mrs. Smith.” |
| Ann:It’s also usually safe when assisting families to compliment the children of the parents, instead of directly complimenting the parents. For example, |
| Braden:“You have beautiful children, Mrs. Smith.” |
| Ann:Hotel guests and staff are in a professional relationship, meaning very direct compliments are to be avoided. |
| Braden:Compliments such as - “You look beautiful, Mrs. Smith.” are too direct and will probably be misunderstood. |
| Ann:Okay, now onto the vocab. |
| 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 ‘I trust.’ |
| Ann:It’s a polite phrase that is often used in hotels and restaurants. It shows respect to the person you are speaking to. |
| Braden:In this sense, the word “trust” means “to have confidence, or hope.” For example, “I trust that you have enjoyed your meal.” |
| Ann:This phrase is generally not used in casual conversation, but is very appropriate and polite in a professional situation, such as staff to guest. |
| Braden:And just so you know, the guest will rarely, if ever, use this phrase when speaking to the staff. |
| Ann:Next, we have the phrase “good for you”, which is a kind of exclamation of approval towards someone. Usually, this is said when someone has achieved something that is good for them. |
| Ann:For example, someone on on your staff receives a large tip from one of your guests. An appropriate response would be, |
| Braden:“Good for you!” |
| Ann:Okay, now onto the grammar. |
| GRAMMAR POINT |
| Ann:In this lesson, you’ll learn how to properly deliver room service orders. |
| Braden:Delivering a room service order is very straight-forward and easy. There are a few steps that you’ll take while you’re still in the kitchen. |
| Ann:Step 1 - Always double check the order to make sure nothing is missing. It’s very embarrassing and inconvenient for the guest when something is forgotten. |
| Braden:That’s right. Depending on the guest’s order, there could be just a few or many things to check. Some typical things for the meal would be - Bread and butter, Cold food, salad, Garnishes, beverages, and napkins, |
| Ann:If the guest has ordered beer or wine, then you’ll need the actual beer or wine, a Cork Screw (If needed), Ice Bucket ( If needed), candles, and matches - again, if needed. |
| Braden:Next we have Step 2 - Arriving at the room. |
| Ann:When you enter the room in the morning be sure to say - “Good morning Mr. Smith.” |
| Braden:Unless it’s the afternoon or evening. |
| Ann:That’s right. When you enter the room during the afternoon, which is between noon and about 5.00, say - “Good afternoon Mr. Smith.” |
| Braden:When you enter in the evening which is anytime after 4 o’clock but before midnight say - “Good evening Mr. Smith.” |
| Ann:...and be sure to learn the name of the guest and not call them Mr. Smith by accident. |
| Braden:(laugh) Next we have Step 3 - placement of the meal. |
| Ann:That’s right. Ask the guest where they want the meal to be served. In the mornings, many people like to have breakfast in bed. |
| Braden:In the afternoons, many people like to have lunch in the regular serving area. Some larger rooms will have a table, and you should set the meal up there. |
| Ann:Two good phrases to use are “Where would your like tray, Mr. X?” or “Where shall I place the cart, Mrs. Smith?” |
| Braden:Now on to step 4 - finishing up |
| Ann:That’s right. In most hotels, the room service attendant would now properly excuse themselves and leave. |
| Braden:Exactly. However, in some hotels, the room service attendant will remain in the room at the guest’s request, and serve the meal. |
| Ann:If this is the case, remember that ladies both sit and are served first. A good tip is to seat them facing the best view, which is usually the open window. |
| Braden:You can use either of the following phrases, “Take a seat, please.” or “Have a seat, please.” Both are correct and appropriate. |
| Ann:However, “Take a seat, please.” might be perceived as if you are telling the guest what to do. For that reason we recommend “Have a seat, please.” It is less direct and more polite. |
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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