Learn how to approach a guest, from a conversation between a hotel staff member and a guest
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hi everybody! Eric here! |
| Becky: Hello everyone! Becky here. Offering Simple Explanations. |
| Eric: In this lesson you’ll learn how to give simple explanations. |
| Becky: This conversation takes place in a guest’s room in the late evening. |
| Eric: It’s between a staff member and a guest. |
| Becky: The speakers are in a professional relationship, so they’ll be using formal English. Let’s listen to the conversation. |
Lesson conversation |
|---|
| Customer: Hello, I'm having some issues with the temperature regulator. |
| Staff: Hello! Do you mean the thermostat? |
| Customer: Yes, that. I can't read it for the life of me. |
| Staff: I understand. The big red button in the upper left corner is to turn it on and off. You can adjust the fan speed with the switch right next to that red button, and can turn the temperature up and down by using the right and left arrow keys, respectively. |
| Customer: Oh, great! That worked! Thank you! |
| Staff: You are welcome sir. Can I assist you with anything else? |
| Customer: No. That’s all for now. |
| Becky: Let’s hear the conversation one time slowly. |
| Customer: Hello, I'm having some issues with the temperature regulator. |
| Staff: Hello! Do you mean the thermostat? |
| Customer: Yes, that. I can't read it for the life of me. |
| Staff: I understand. The big red button in the upper left corner is to turn it on and off. You can adjust the fan speed with the switch right next to that red button, and can turn the temperature up and down by using the right and left arrow keys, respectively. |
| Customer: Oh, great! That worked! Thank you! |
| Staff: You are welcome sir. Can I assist you with anything else? |
| Customer: No. That’s all for now. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Becky: Sometimes it can take a while to learn everything there is to know about your hotel. There are so many services and activities each day that it can be difficult to know about everything going on. |
| Eric: Because of this, sometimes the questions that guests will have may seem simple or straightforward. |
| Becky: That’s right. For example, in the dialogue, the guest asked about how to use a thermostat. Most people know how to use a thermostat. |
| Eric: The most common problem is that the thermostat is often in the local language rather than in English. That can make it more difficult for an English-speaking guest to use. |
| Becky: Just remember to always be patient and polite when you’re dealing with guests. Okay, now let’s take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Becky: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. The first word is: |
| Eric: thermostat [natural native speed] |
| Becky: instrument for adjusting the temperature in a room |
| Eric: thermostat [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: thermostat [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next is... |
| Eric: issue [natural native speed] |
| Becky: problem or concern that is difficult to deal with |
| Eric: issue [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: issue [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next is... |
| Eric: upper left [natural native speed] |
| Becky: top left, on the left side toward the top |
| Eric: upper left [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: upper left [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next is... |
| Eric: adjust [natural native speed] |
| Becky: to alter or change incrementally |
| Eric: adjust [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: adjust [natural native speed] |
| Becky: And last we have... |
| Eric: right next to [natural native speed] |
| Becky: beside, very close to |
| Eric: right next to [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: right next to [natural native speed] |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| Becky: Let’s take a closer look at some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Eric: The first phrase we’re going to look at is "upper left." |
| Becky: This refers to the area that’s towards the top left of something. |
| Eric: That’s right. You can use this phrase with virtually anything. For example, you could say "the page number is on the upper left of the page." |
| Becky: You could also say, "Appetizers are on the upper left of the menu.” |
| Eric: One thing to remember is that this phrase can also be used as an adjective. So you could say something like "the serial number is in the upper left corner" or "the picture is in the map’s upper left corner." |
| Becky: You can easily expand on this phrase by changing upper to lower, or left to right. So for example, “Slippers are found on the lower left side of the closet” or “The power button is located on the lower right side of the television.” The next phrase we’re going to look at is "right next to." In the dialogue, the staff member used "right next to" to say that the fan speed switch or button was beside the big red button. |
| Eric: So, the phrase "next to" means the exact same thing as "beside." However, the “right” in "right next to" emphasizes how close it is. In other words, the fan speed switch is the very next thing next to the red button. It has nothing to do with the directions "left" or "right." |
| Becky: If you want to use this in a phrase naturally, just remember that if something is physically “very close to” something else, then you can use the phrase “right next to.” |
| Eric: Exactly. For example, “The shampoo is right next to the conditioner” or “The pool is right next to the gym.” Okay, now onto the grammar. |
Lesson focus |
| Eric: In this lesson we’re going to learn how to give simple explanations. |
| Becky: The example from the dialogue was "The big red button in the upper left corner is to turn it on and off." |
| Eric: Sometimes, you need to give long and detailed explanations. Other times, probably most of the time, you should keep your explanations simple. Like in the dialogue, the guest already knew what the thermostat was supposed to do, so he didn’t need an explanation for that. |
| Becky: That’s right. Most people already know what they're doing and what things look like. The problem is usually just the language barrier. |
| Eric: When someone asks for an explanation of something, think about the most basic steps involved and explain those, instead of explaining all the details involved. |
| Becky: With the thermostat, basic operations would be "on-off," "hotter," "colder," and "fan speed." |
| Eric: When you’re explaining these basic functions, just give the explanation simply in English. |
| Becky: Of course, the actual explanation you give will depend a lot on what it is you are explaining. Let’s say, for example, that the guest asks you, "how do I get pay-per-view movies?" Instead of explaining what pay-per-view movies are, just explain the basic functions and steps the guest needs to take to get what they want. |
| Eric: That’s right. For example, you could say something like "Yes, sir. To purchase a pay-per-view movie, press the blue button on the left of the remote control that has the word "Buy" written underneath it. The screen will then give you instructions on how to proceed." |
| Becky: Another common example is related to the hotel Internet or Wi-Fi. Most hotels have some kind of Internet connection, so guests are always asking about how to use it. |
| Eric: You may hear questions like "How do I use your Wi-Fi?" or "how do I use your Internet?" What they’re really asking is how they can connect their electronic device to the hotel’s wireless network. |
| Becky: Every device is different, which can make giving explanations difficult. That’s why most hotels have pre-written instructions that the guests can follow to get on the network. |
| Eric: However, there are a couple of questions you can ask to make things a little easier. For example, you could say "Do you need it for your computer or your phone?" |
| Becky: Depending on how they answer, you can then ask if it’s a PC or a Mac, an iPhone or an Android device. Again, depending on how they answer, you can give them instructions based on that electronic device. |
| Eric: Sometimes guests have very specific questions. For example, "How do I turn off my thermostat?" Or "Where is my TV remote?" |
| Becky: If you're familiar with your hotel, these kinds of questions are easy to answer. Once your conversation is finished you can ask them "Is there anything else? or "May I help you with anything else?" |
| Eric: Using this question at the end of your conversation allows the guest to ask more questions if they need to. |
Outro |
| Eric: Well, that’s all for this lesson. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time. Bye! |
| Becky: See ya next time! |
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